Dr. Louise Malandra
My journey in the world of education is deeply rooted in a passion that sparked at age 19, when I first stepped into a San Francisco classroom as a teacher. The foundation of my experiences was laid as I co-founded an alternative school, which was nurtured further by being selected as a Master Teacher at the UC Berkeley School of Education. For over 23 years, I've dedicated myself to working alongside teachers and administrators to build and maintain meaningful learning environments. These endeavors align perfectly with my current mission – to champion equity-centered strategies that empower organizations to thrive. I am committed to translating strategic visions into impactful realities, where purpose-driven leadership and collaboration lead to sustainable success.
Dr. Dewhanne Picou-Nyivih
Dr. Dewhanne Picou-Nyivih is the founder of the Tall Poppy Academy.
Building on decades of work in leadership development and education, author and “extra-ordinary” educator, Dr. Dewhanne founded the Tall Poppy Academy in 2018. Dr. Dewhanne says, "We built the Academy specifically for teachers. Our goal is to cultivate critical and imaginative thinking within teachers and administrators so that they inspire students to tap into their unlimited potential." Dr. Dewhanne elaborates, "Our academy is a working model of whole student-centered teaching and learning with support by building community in the professional development space." The Tall Poppy Academy supports educators, parents, and school districts with state and federal compliance guidelines and pedagogical strategies geared to differentiating instruction and assessment, to suit each student's learning modality.