Dr. Asia Franks is the founder of Empowered Math Consulting, LLC. She began her career in the South Bronx as a middle and high school mathematics educator, later serving as an instructional team leader and Assistant Principal. With over a decade of experience in mathematics education, Asia is deeply committed to helping students see themselves as capable and confident “math people” by creating opportunities to grapple with rigorous, relevant, and joyful math instruction. She has taught graduate-level courses at Relay Graduate School of Education and Fordham University, and for the past five years, has partnered with schools and organizations to support educators through coaching and professional development. Whether leading workshops, teaching, or tutoring, Asia brings a student-centered approach that bridges theory and practice. She holds degrees from Temple University, Teachers College, Baruch College, and a PhD from Fordham University. Outside of work, she enjoys journaling, running, and caring for her plants.

DATA ANALYST

Driscoll Taylor, Jr. joined our team as a Data Analyst. Prior to joining EmpowerK12, he served as both a 7th Grade Math Teacher at Mary Passage Middle School in Newport News and an instructor of A.I. and Robotics for the Verizon Innovative Learning program at Hampton University. Driscoll obtained his Master of Arts in Secondary Education and his Bachelor of Science in Computational Applied Mathematics and Statistics from William and Mary. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge in various areas including teaching, project organization, mathematics, robotics, coding, and artificial intelligence. His passion for technology and education extends into the community as he also serves as a Robotics/Drones Presenter and Ten80 Robotics Coach for NSBE Jr.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Driscoll enjoys sewing and embroidery, playing video games, traveling, and spending quality time with family and friends. Driscoll’s unique blend of professional expertise and personal interests makes him a dynamic and approachable individual who is always eager to learn and share his knowledge with others.

SENIOR ANALYTICS ENGINEER

Emily joined EmpowerK12 as the Senior Data Analyst. Prior to becoming a member of our team, Emily taught middle and high school science in DC charter schools for 6-years, holding various leadership roles to support teachers. As the founding ninth grade science teacher, she wrote the first Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned curriculum and helped students design experiments to be completed on the International Space Station and advocate for policies to address climate change. Her interest in data triangulation led her to work on the data team at DC Prep where she supported with the annual enrollment process and developed dashboards for data analysis.

Emily has a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. She believes providing accurate data and easy to use dashboards will give leaders and teachers the information and tools they need to support students and continuously improve. 

Outside of education and data analysis, Emily enjoys cooking and baking, traveling, watching movies, playing board games and spending time outside with her friends and family.

DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

Jesika leads the design and implementation of our professional development and coaching model that helps schools build data-driven, sustainable systems of improvement that boldly accelerate students’ academic and social-emotional wellbeing. Prior to EmpowerK12, Jesika served as a curriculum manager at DC Public Schools, providing consultative guidance to a portfolio of thirteen Title I schools. She assisted school leaders in building robust systems and implementing data analysis protocols to enable effective coaching, professional development, and growth.

Jesika’s passion lies in discovering the key enabling conditions for success and collaborating with teams to establish and execute a vision. She excels in designing learning experiences, coaching cycles, and tracking metrics to monitor progress. When Jesika is not supporting our partner schools, she enjoys working out, binge-watching docuseries on Netflix, and expressing herself through gifs because who doesn't appreciate a good gif?

FOUNDER + EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Josh is the Founder and Executive Director of EmpowerK12. Prior to starting EK12, Josh served in a variety of education roles in DC over the last 20 years, including teaching 7th grade math at DC Public Schools, leading the KIPP DC data team as their first Data Director, and contributing as a member of OSSE’s Assessment and Accountability team.

Josh is recognized as a leader in DC education data and how to utilize it for improvement. He serves on the DC Education Research Collaborative’s leadership council and was appointed to the original DC State Board of Education ESSA Taskforce in 2017. His primary work at EK12 focuses on leading our Student and Educator Wellbeing work, impact research, Bold Schools analyses, citywide strategic data planning, and coaching education leaders. Josh also consulted with MySchoolDC, the District’s common lottery system, during its first implementation year, running and auditing the lottery matching algorithm. In his free time, Josh nerds out over astrophysics, attends games at Nationals Park and Audi Field, and plans his trip into low-Earth orbit. 

MANAGING DIRECTOR, DATA ANALYTICS

Kristen joined EmpowerK12 as a Data Analyst and now manages EmpowerK12's technical data team. Kristen did her undergraduate work in mechanical engineering at MIT, but her passion for improving the lives of young people led her into education. She has 12 years of experience teaching science, math, and engineering courses at the middle and high school level.  Kristen has taught multi-variable calculus, 7th grade earth science, and everything in between in both public and private schools. She was the founding physics teacher and drama director for a successful private school in Cleveland, Ohio, that serves low-income students. She also spent several years growing the pre-engineering program at a large public high school in Kansas.

Kristen’s passion for the benefits that good data can offer K-12 education spurred her to get a master’s degree in educational research and she is excited to combine that knowledge with her many years of teaching experience in her new role with EmpowerK12. Beyond education and analysis, Kristen enjoys DIYing home renovations, musical theatre, and hiking in the woods with her family. 

Lucie joined EmpowerK12 as a Program Manager for Special Projects. She began her career as a Teach For America corps member, teaching first grade in San Antonio, Texas, where she also earned her Master of Arts in Teaching with a focus on the Science of Reading.

Lucie came to DC to continue her work in education beyond the classroom, joining KIPP DC's operations team. There, she managed enrollment and health compliance across three schools, developing a deep appreciation for the operational systems that allow schools to run well and serve students effectively. She brings a passion for educational equity and a conviction that strong operations and data-informed practices are essential levers for student success.

Lucie holds a Master's degree in Elementary Education and a Bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies. Outside of work, she can be found on the volleyball court, working her way through a stack of books, or catching up on reality TV.

DIRECTOR OF ENGAGEMENT & OPERATIONS

Preety is a Managing Director at EmpowerK12. Preety brings over 15 years of experience working in education along with a passion for data and educational equity to our team.

Prior to joining EmpowerK12, she spent five years working at the DC Charter School Alliance (previously FOCUS) managing school support services, including the Data Internship Program, DC Data Summit, and ongoing workshops where cultivating and managing external partnerships with stakeholders was crucial to her work. She also worked with the Capital Teaching Residency at KIPP DC where she managed the program's compliance, data systems, and supported teachers with attaining their teaching licenses. Before moving to DC, she worked with early childhood education research and advocacy organizations in North Carolina to ensure all children have access to high quality early childhood programs.

Preety is an AmeriCorps alumna and has her Masters of Social Work and a Bachelors of Arts in Management and Society from UNC Chapel Hill. In her spare time, she can be found exploring DC's museums, watching college basketball, hiking, and planning her next travel adventure.

Rae Kuprenas joined E12 as a Data Analyst. Prior to EK12, Rae taught Math, Chemistry, and Engineering to high school students in both DC and Virginia. Rae created and taught the inaugural engineering class for E.L. Haynes. Their work in schools, and interest in data, led them to higher education institutional research where they created dashboards and completed data analysis for Loyola University Maryland. Rae also serves as the chair of the Culture, Climate, and Belonging Committee for the North East Association of Institutional research.

Rae has a Masters of Science in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Relay GSE, and Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of South Carolina. When they are not digging into data, Rae is either training for a triathlon, playing water polo, or reading a book surrounded by their cats.

SENIOR ANALYTICS ENGINEER

Rose joined the team as a Data Analyst. Prior to joining EmpowerK12, Rose served as a Teach for America Corps Member in Baltimore City where she taught 7th Grade Math. Rose also worked as a Senior Instructional Leader for Kode with Klossy, a summer program introducing female/non-binary scholars to data science and careers in the STEM field. Rose is interested in how leveraging data effectively can help to inform best practices in schools and classrooms to ensure high quality education for all students.

Rose has a Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Besides data analysis, Rose enjoys baking, running, doing yoga and reading.

Rutvik joined EmpowerK12 as a Data Engineer. Prior to joining EK12, Rutvik studied and worked at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where he developed a deeper appreciation for how data and technology can be used across different fields.  Alongside his engineering work, Rutvik volunteered as a Math tutor, reflecting on a commitment to education and helping others succeed.

He has a Master’s in Information Systems from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pune. Outside of work, Rutvik enjoys going to the gym, playing video games, traveling, and spending time staying updated on developments in technology. He also values continuous learning and enjoys exploring new ideas and trends in his free time.