Our Team

As school people, we understand the challenges of balancing daily demands with professional growth.

We help teachers by transforming your professional development from a checklist to a meaningful, continuous journey of growth where they feel seen, heard, and valued.

Jess Wilson

Co-Executive Director

Jess Wilson

Co-Executive Director

Jess joined Folio in 2023 to support the team and operations of Folio by focusing on implementing scalable processes that drive engagement, member success, and direct alignment with Folio’s strategic goals.

Jess’s commitment to education and teaching began during her time as a high school history teacher, leading her to earn a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan. She continued her interest in improving educational outcomes for all students with her work at the Maryland ACLU, where she played a pivotal role in securing over $1 billion for Baltimore City Public Schools through the passage of the 21st Century Buildings legislation to fund the rebuilding of more than 25 Baltimore schools.

Following this legislative success, she joined Baltimore City Public Schools, eventually rising to Executive Director of Strategic Resourcing and Financial Management, overseeing the district’s $1.2 billion annual budget. Jess is dedicated to fostering innovation and collaboration, leveraging her deep expertise in organizational change management to drive lasting, meaningful impact at Folio Collaborative.

Liz Kornheiser

Co-Executive Director

Liz Kornheiser

Co-Executive Director

Liz initially joined Folio in 2018 as the project manager for the E.E. Ford Leadership Grant. She supported the design team of administrators and teachers from Folio member schools as they researched best practices around collaboration, prototyped updates for the myFolio platform, and developed the release of the new features. Beginning in 2020, Liz guided team operations, strategic design, and partnership outreach. In her current role co-leading the organization, Liz focuses on strategic initiatives, sales and marketing, and manages our Folio Member Advisory Board and Folio’s Board of Directors.

Prior to joining Folio, Liz served as a Partner and Director of Consulting Services at Greenwich Leadership Partners where she consulted and coached school leaders and executives. Liz provided expertise in strategic planning and organizational design, facilitation and professional development. Liz is an Emmy Award winning producer of ESPN’s daily sports show, Pardon the Interruption. She left the world of television production in 2012 to pursue her passion for education — she is no stranger to education after growing up on a boarding school campus.

Liz graduated Phi Beta Kappa and received her BA in Cultural Anthropology from Duke University, and went on to get her M.Ed from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband and three sons.

Melissa Fast

Director of School Success

Melissa Fast

Director of School Success

As Director of School Success, Melissa leads the Folio team that provides all of your implementation and school success support. She has more than 20 years of experience in education. During that two-decade career, she has served as an adjunct college instructor, classroom teacher of mathematics, state coordinator of mathematics, and worked in higher education administration.

She entered into the edtech space at DreamBox Learning as a Senior Customer Success Manager where she combined her passion for learning and school success to support districts. Prior to this role she was the Mathematics Consultant at the Kansas State Department of Education for nearly a decade.

She has led professional learning opportunities for educators on a variety of topics such as: administrator and peer observations, creating a growth mindset school culture, and establishing SMART goals to drive educator and student success. In addition to her work with educators, she has provided professional learning to parents, local school boards, business and industry representatives, and legislators.

Melissa has a Bachelor of Science from Bethel College, 7-12 Professional Teaching License of Mathematics from Washburn University, and a Masters of Science from the University of Kansas.

Contact Melissa: mfast@foliocollaborative.org

Alaena Silva

Senior Partnerships and Marketing Manager

Alaena Silva

Senior Partnerships Consultant

Before joining Folio in 2023, Alaena was a National Sales Consultant for West Music. There, she partnered with schools and teachers to ensure each had the right materials to best support their teachers and students.

Alaena is a veteran teacher nearly 20 years of experience in the classroom. During her time in education, she mentored and coached teachers of all levels of experience, presented professional development workshops at the state and local level, and conducted multiple honors ensembles. She serves on the executive board of the East Ward Home and School Association and the Philadelphia Orff-Schulwerk Association.

Alaena earned her Master of Music and Orff Schulwerk certification at West Chester University and Bachelor of Science in Music Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Contact Alaena: asilva@foliocollaborative.org

Amanda Nielsen

School Success Manager

Amanda Nielsen

School Success Manager

Amanda is the School Success Manager at Folio Collaborative. She is a member of the Folio team that provides all of your implementation and school success support. Prior to joining Folio, she served for four years as an English teacher in Chicago and Omaha. At these schools, she helped lead various PLCs, department and grade level groups, MTSS-B councils.

After leaving the classroom in 2022, she entered the EdTech space at GoGuardian and Pear Deck Tutor, working as a Customer Operations Specialist. There she supported schools at both the K-12 and Higher Education levels implement on-demand tutoring interventions.

Amanda has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Secondary Education from North Park University, and is a licensed educator in Illinois and Nebraska.

Contact Amanda: Anielsen@foliocollaborative.org

Matthew Nease

Senior Full Stack Developer

Matthew Nease

Senior Full Stack Developer

Matthew joined Folio in 2026 as the organization’s first in-house engineer. In this role, he takes charge of Folio’s codebase, focusing on evolving the platform into a professional-grade experience that scales alongside the needs of our member schools.

Matthew brings experience from across the tech landscape, having navigated the unique challenges of high-growth startups and the rigorous engineering standards of Amazon. After years in the corporate tech sector, his graduate studies sparked a shift in focus, leading him to move away from the corporate hustle in favor of the non-profit realm. He is now dedicated to leveraging his technical expertise to prioritize people and impact over corporate profit.

Matthew earned his B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from UC Irvine in 2012 and his M.S. in Engineering, Sustainability, and Health from the University of San Diego in 2025. Originally a California native, he now lives in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife.

Our Pawsome Co-workers

Meeka

VP of Fur-ther Development

Meeka

VP of Fur-ther Development

While her title is lofty, Meeka mainly focuses on increasing morale and ensuring maximum sun puddle usage throughout the day. Meeka is a key member of the Folio team, ensuring every meeting is attended by at least one feline, and is always ready to pounce on a good idea. She truly is the cat’s pajamas when it comes to keeping things paws-itive!

Lily

Lead Purr-formance Analyst

Lily

Lead Purr-formance Analyst

In her role, Lily is chiefly responsible for providing real-time quality assurance by meticulously inspecting all desk chairs for comfort and napping potential. Her methodology involves deep-focus staring, sudden bursts of zoomies to test structural integrity, and demanding data input in the form of wet food. Lily is an essential member of the Folio team, ensuring our work environment is always optimized for maximum relaxation. She’s simply purr-fect for the job!

Enzo

Pup-lic Relations Executive

Enzo

Pup-lic Relations Executive

Enzo manages all external communications—mainly greeting delivery drivers and ensuring the mail carrier feels sufficiently welcomed (and barked at) each day. He specializes in crisis management, effectively diffusing any stressful situation with a perfectly timed tail wag or a heartfelt nudge for attention. Enzo’s primary goal is to maintain Folio’s approachable, friendly image, and he often achieves this by taking frequent, visible naps in high-traffic areas. He’s the very best boy for the job, adding a much-needed dose of joy and enthusiasm to the whole team!

Hazel

Chief Barketing Officer

Hazel

Chief Barketing Officer

Hazel oversees all brand messaging, focusing primarily on the highly successful “Puppy Dog Eyes” campaign to secure treats and belly rubs from her human colleagues. Her strategy involves maximizing visibility and ensuring a positive team presence, which she does by offering unsolicited desk visits and tail wags.

Hazel is a champion of networking, immediately befriending everyone who walks through the door. She is an invaluable member of the executive team, ensuring that every day is filled with enthusiastic greetings and consistent emotional support.

Daisy

Paw-ject Manager

Daisy

Paw-ject Manager

Daisy is responsible for ensuring all office activities run smoothly and that essential deadlines—like afternoon walks and dinner time—are met with ruthless efficiency. Daisy specializes in motivational support, offering a consistent supply of deep, happy sighs and the subtle pressure of a furry chin resting on a knee during stressful moments. She is a critical team member, expertly keeping our collective spirits high and our treats well-managed.

Irving

Finan-shell Planner

Irving

Finan-shell Planner

Irving specializes in taking a long-term view on our outlook, never rushing to a hasty conclusion. She knows when to walk and when to walk slower, making sure we don’t spend energy on endeavors that aren’t worth while. While certain treats do make her happy, she remains equally happy and focused even with just the grass beneath her feet, never letting morale dip.

1340 Smith Avenue, Suite 200

Baltimore, MD 21209

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