Our Team

Roya Brown

Executive Director

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Roya Brown is a self-directed and innovative educator with a passionate commitment to student development. As a “teacherpreneur,” she divides her work between teaching students and designing systems-level solutions for public education. Her 22 years of experience in education ranges from teaching pre-K through 12th-grade students in urban public schools to lecturing at a community college. She has extensive expertise in curriculum design, differentiated instruction, special education IEP, autism and ADHD intervention strategies, multicultural education, data-driven framework, gifted and talented programs, student-centered instruction, at-risk student programs, standard-based instruction, design of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) project-based learning, and professional development and training. Roya believes in practicing a horizontal leadership model that supports teachers as professionals. 


Before teaching, Roya was a project manager for over 17 years in the engineering and construction industries. In 2004, she served as an engineering construction manager for the Bam earthquake victims in Iran where 31,000 people were killed. She managed the construction of a school, an emergency unit, and three health clinics for the victims. Based on her project management background, she has extensive experience in finance and budgeting, facility design, fundraising and marketing, and community engagement. 

She has also served on several nonprofit boards. 


She is currently the Executive Director of You be You Early Learning, a proposed nonprofit, inclusive early childhood program offering high-quality care within a developmentally appropriate framework. Roya speaks four languages fluently.

EDUCATION

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS


Nadene Klein

Board of Directors

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE                                            

  

Nadene Klein (she/her) was born and raised in Chicago, IL and made her home in Colorado in 2000.  She currently is a high school science teacher at an alternative high school working with at-risk youth.  She has been passionate about science education as a professional educator for over 27 years.  Through the years, she has taught PK-12, with 18 years at the middle school level.  Nadene has taught social studies, math, health/PE, but she always comes back to her passion in science.  Areas of focus include S.T.E.A.M., teaching the joy of science for all, encouraging girls to pursue science at a higher level, developing a growth mindset, and creating life-long learners who are critical thinkers. 


She has earned numerous honors, awards, and grants throughout the years.  The most recent include the 2018 AVS Teaching Award for Excellence in Secondary Science, 2021 Excite Award Winner, 2021 semi-finalist for the NSTA Shell Science Teaching Award, and 2021 Douglas County Secondary Educator of the Year.


Nadene regularly speaks at state, regional, and national conferences regarding methods for teaching science, blended and personalized learning, alternative education, instructional design, PBL, authentic learning, as well as how to improve professional development.


Nadene works by contract to deliver professional development in workshops or presentations, instructional coaching, teacher mentoring, and new teacher induction.  This has included long term contract work with TeachUnited, Global Green STEM, and MeTEOR Education.  Nadene also serves as a member at large for the Colorado Wyoming Chapter of the American Association of Physics Teachers.  She is on the Douglas County School District Science Curriculum Council and is an active member of the following professional organizations:  NSTA, CAST, ASCD, NAEA, DAPT, and DCF.


EDUCATION


LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

Alisha Lacombe-Émile

Board of Directors

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Alisha’s professional background includes experience with a mixture of both European and American educational systems. Because of her exposure to these two systems, she has a unique perspective on education. She is currently a curriculum director for the early childhood education program at Primrose School in Denver, Colorado. In this capacity, she is responsible for the professional development and ongoing training of faculty; coordinating teacher lesson plans and implementation; ensuring compliance with the AdvancED accreditation; and applying the use of Pyramid practices (the social/emotional techniques) to build positive, trusting relationships throughout the school between teachers and students. 

Alisha earned her Bachelor’s degree in French and philosophy, and a master of education degree in teacher leadership. She has a great passion for education and is very well-regarded throughout the Denver metro early childhood education community. In addition, she has her certification both as a large center director and in “Teaching Strategies Gold” (the school readiness assessment program used for pre-kindergarten students) as well as in Pyramid Plus. She is fluent in English, French, and Haitian Creole. Alisha is a resident of far northeast Denver. She is enthusiastic to be part of a high-quality educational model such as You be You Early Learning that nurtures children, parents, teachers, and the community.

EDUCATION 

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

Dr. Adrienne F. Muldrow

Advisory Board Member

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Adrienne (she/her) is an accomplished business leader with a successful track record overseeing finance and budgeting, marketing and fundraising, and communication projects for various organizations. Adrienne has served on several non-profit boards. She was a board treasurer for the Black Graduate Student Association and board member for the Health Care for All Colorado. Her teaching at a higher education institution brings a different perspective to You be You Early Learning (YbY). She assists YbY in reviewing budget & finance documents, updating business plan, and spearheading the marketing & fundraising projects. 

Adrienne’s professional career in business began in 1998 with the Small Business Administration (SBA) in Columbia, SC. As a consultant, she conducted training classes for the public on how to make an effective business plan and counseled small business owners on how to improve their business operations. In addition to receiving numerous awards throughout her academic and professional career, Adrienne’s research has been published in several refereed journals and conferences. After completing her MBA degree in 2000, Adrienne moved to Denver and began working for Bellco Credit Union as a personal banker. In this capacity, Adrienne marketed a variety of loan products for business, and personal use. She assisted individual customers with equity and retirement products and helped business owners with a range of products for improved financial management. She counseled individuals to improve their financial management skills and personal credit scores. In addition, she rained the staff on more productive sales techniques.

Adrienne recently earned her Ph.D. in the Communication at the Washington State University where she also taught the principles of marketing and international business to business graduate students. Her primary research interests pertained to consumer perceptions of health, particularly in the areas of advertising, digital media, food and health decision making, body and gender. She is currently Assistant Professor of Communication at the East Carolina University School of Communication, teaching media effects, advertising, and public relations.

EDUCATION

Gregory E. Woods

Advisory Board Member

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Greg (he/him) is an innovative and accountable leader with a proven history and experience achieving measurable results. He is currently a Project Manager & Principal Consultant at Nutrien and assists You be You Early Learning with operations and community engagement.  Prior to his current position, Greg was a senior manager for ERP solutions at Prologis; senior IT project manager and business analyst at Centrix Financial LLC; and IT project manager at Avaya/AT&T/Lucent, Inc. He assists You be You Early Learning with operations, facility, and community engagement. 

Greg received a full scholarship through the National Science Foundation Scholar to complete his Master degree program in the computer science. Over his career, Greg has honed a great ability to analyze business processes and formulate detailed requirements to guide technical solutions development. He leads teams through risk initiatives to provide effective risk mitigation, contingency plans and resolution paths. He manages stakeholder and sponsor expectations while influencing high-level decision making related to process development, technology enhancements and achieving results. His core competencies include team leadership, program management, construction and infrastructure projects, risk management, quality assurance management, budget administration, cost control, team training, software solution, and mentoring and communication. 

Greg is a long-time resident of far northeast Denver and an active member of the community. He also serves as a chief executive officer for Montbello Barbers, LLC, a community-based small business in Montbello, Colorado. 

EDUCATION

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

Ron Green

Board President

 

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Ron Green is the co-founder and executive director of education and regenerative practices for Originateve Holistic Learning Designs. He is also the co-host of the holistic learning podcast, Origins. In 2015, he co-founded the International Council of Holistic Education and Learning. Ron has developed a cross-disciplined curriculum for diverse learners for more than a decade and prefers to live the traditional role of principal, straddling administration while staying in the classroom. He is a polymath with a special interest in literacy, botany, the arts, language acquisition, mythology, and improving modern education with holistic methodologies. Ron has taught professionally and internationally at all ages and grade levels, from early childhood to higher education.

Since 2010, he has focused on multilingual environments, literacy development, cultural and environmental sustainability, horticulture, and natural play. In 2019 he authored the K-6 social-emotional learning curriculum for Epic Ethics for Peaceful schools, and later headed the company securing over 200K users in over 20 countries. With Originateve, he has supported projects with colleagues in Costa Rica, Canada, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, and China. Ron also developed a mentor training program designed to move those in the education field to a higher level of professionalism and craft through improving capacity for relationships, master craftsmanship, and oral tradition. Ron is an avid researcher and publishes on the benefits of play therapy, and nature therapy and instructs outdoor education, academics, and social-emotional learning through ethnobotanical, and indigenous wisdom lenses. He is ECT  qualified and highly qualified by the Colorado Department of Education in Music, English,  Science, and Art. He also holds certificates in Cisco Network Analyst, the Court of Master  Sommeliers, and Permaculture. Ron is active in his community as a member and past president.

Ellie Salemi

Board Treasurer

 

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Finance professional with extensive experience in corporate finance, investment management, and academia. Excellent quantitative, qualitative, and interpersonal skills. Proven ability to interface effectively with a team of professionals as well as work independently.


QUOTIENT TECHNOLOGY, Mountain View, CA 2021 – December 2022

Sr. Treasury Manager

Responsible for managing treasury activities, the insurance program, and the collections team.

Assisted in launching an asset-based revolving credit facility. Responsible for the ABL reporting and compliance.

Built and maintained a 13-week cash flow forecast model. Collaborated with the IT team to improve the AR and AP reporting for the model.

Improved the AR reporting capabilities and minimized manual data practices.

Streamlined the insurance renewal process by utilizing the insurance digital solution and creating a renewal checklist.

Rationalized bank accounts and reduced the number of accounts by 15% to increase operating efficiency.

Successfully addressed the portal access issues and transferred trapped cash back to the company’s operating bank account.

Significantly enhanced treasury control for users’ access review process to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access to the company’s banking and payment portals.


NETAPP, Sunnyvale, CA  2017 – 2021

Treasury Manager

An integral part of a small and agile treasury team. Responsibilities spanned capital markets, treasury operations, and cash management.

Managed the company’s $1B commercial paper program. Responsible for all aspects of the program’s execution including broker selection, pricing, tenor, and reporting.

Maintained the short-term cash flow forecast model and interacted with internal stakeholders to ensure material cash flows were identified and incorporated into the model.

Provided support with a broad range of key reporting requirements across treasury for month-end processes, reconciliations, SOX compliance, rating agency disclosures, and other ad-hoc reports.

Administered NetApp’s $85M leasing program by working closely with internal stakeholders on the company’s technology equipment financing where the company was a lessee.

Proactively identified areas of improvement and engaged with internal and external stakeholders to rationalize, streamline, and modernize legacy processes and deliverables.

Automated stock buyback trade process by successfully utilizing the Robotic Process Automation platform (RPA) reducing turnaround time by about 40 hours annually.

Streamlined international cash operations by creating over 100 payment templates for the transactions that were free-formed.

Successfully automated the FX manual trade execution for subsidiary funding and streamlined the post-trade process flow by increasing security and improving efficiency.

Onboarded and trained 2 employees in North Carolina while transitioning out due to NetApp 2019 relocation of its finance team to the RTP office.


METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY of DENVER, Denver, CO 2012 – 2016

Lecturer and Affiliate Faculty– Finance Department

Developed and implemented a creative student-centered teaching approach to increase students’ engagement and class participation.

Customized learning materials and formative assessments promote students’ self-evaluation and deep thinking.


COLORADO PERA, Denver, CO 2004 – 2012

Portfolio Analyst – Alternative Investments, 2008 – 2012

Assisted in conducting due diligence and underwriting of potential investments.

Developed and monitored relationships with core fund managers, financial sponsors, and other intermediaries to generate deal flow.

Closely monitored portfolio performance in absolute terms and against benchmarks.

Participated in annual meetings and reported partnership issues to the team.

Assisted in the secondary sale of limited partnership interests in a diversified portfolio of private equity funds.


Portfolio Associate – Al

alternative Investments, 2004 – 2008

Performed core portfolio analysis on $2.7 billion in institutional assets invested in buyouts, ventures, distressed debt, and timber.

Constructed and maintained a risk proxy for the risk management team.

Managed capital calls and distribution process flow. Identified and implemented solutions for more efficient operational protocols and processes.


EDUCATION



Amber Ford

Advisory Board Member

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Amber (she/her) began her career as an elementary school educator in 2017 at Denver Public Schools where she taught culturally and linguistically diverse learners in Grades 4 and 5. In 2019, she went on to teach 5th Grade at Cherry Creek Schools where she worked to cultivate strong family-school partnerships and promote inclusive practices by co-creating community and helping students discover and leverage their funds of knowledge to navigate the culture of power.


In 2022, Amber became the Restorative Practices Program Manager at The Conflict Center of Denver. In her current role, Amber develops training materials that teach adults how to strengthen relationships in professional settings while utilizing restorative principles to transform conflicts into opportunities for growth. In addition, Amber designs pedagogical materials for students of all ages to manage conflicts using restorative practices. By encouraging deep self-reflection, Amber invites students to lead the charge in creating and maintaining a restorative and inclusive school culture and climate.


Throughout her career as an educator, Amber has worked with You be You Early Learning in a variety of advisory and leadership roles, from teaching early childhood and enrichment classes to designing holistic curricula. Currently, Amber serves as the Afterschool Programming and Community Event Coordinator and co-chairs the Equity Committee for the mobile preschool. She organizes and leads quarterly community engagement events and spearheads initiatives that integrate core academic competencies. Amber is the creator and director of Willow Park Reads, a summer literacy program that promotes inclusion and the joy of reading through culturally informed literature. 

EDUCATION

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

Kristopher Tetzlaff

Advisory Board Member

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Kristopher Tetzlaff (he/him) is a cofounding member of You be You Early Learning and an accomplished educator with an extensive professional background in P-20 and international education. Subsequent to completing his student teaching in Dublin, Ireland, Kristopher taught undergraduate language and literature courses at the University of Connecticut while completing his graduate studies. In 2007, he relocated to Colorado, where he dedicated the next seven years to teaching IB French at Cherry Creek Schools.

Kristopher went on to serve as an IB French Teacher, World Languages Department Coordinator, and Director of Model United Nations at Dhahran High School in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 2017, he taught IB Language B and Ab Initio courses while acting as the World Languages Department Chair and Learning Leader at the American Community School of Abu Dhabi and the American School of Doha. Kristopher has attended and presented at an array of international educational conferences, including ASB Unplugged at the American School of Bombay, the NESA Fall Conference at the American Community School of Amman, Jordan, and the Assessment for Learning Conference at the International School of Luxembourg. Professional development opportunities and a passion for travel have taken Kristopher to 100 countries on six continents.

Kristopher returned to the United States in 2020 to pursue his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education at the University of Denver. His research foci include the implications of a humanizing praxis for early childhood contexts; critical resource pedagogies; and community-based research. Currently, Kristopher is a Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Denver and has previously served as adjunct faculty for the Center for World Languages and Cultures, the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, and the Office of Internationalization. In addition to his doctoral studies and nonprofit endeavors, Kristopher enjoys volunteering with You be You Early Learning, Casa de Paz, and African Community Center. 

EDUCATION

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS