Vanessa Monterosa is currently an Ed.D Candidate in the Educational Leadership program at California State University, Long Beach and holds an Ed.M. in Technology, Innovation, Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Throughout her graduate career, Vanessa has devoted her research to exploring the role of technology in college access and success. During her time at Harvard, Vanessa developed a prototype mobile game called ‘FUNancial Aid’ aimed at increasing financial aid vocabulary comprehension among working in many other college access capacities during her full-time study. As CEO of CKLA, Vanessa's professional and academic experiences provide a foundation for our company to work at the intersection of technology and college access. Prior to pursuing graduate studies, she was a full-time College Advisement Specialist for 3,000 students at Santa Fe High School and spent her summers as a college counselor at a variety of college prep camps around the nation. As a first-generation college and graduate student, Vanessa is committed to giving back to her community by always putting her research into practice. She currently serves as an Program & Policy Development Specialist for the Los Angeles Unified School District's education technology efforts. 

Sharla Barry is currently a PhD student in the Urban Education Policy program at the USC Rossier School of Education. Her research focuses on technology and STEM skills among low-income students of color. Sharla also manages her own company, My Tuition Advantage, where she creates customizable educational products for high school and college students that assists them with cutting college costs and accelerating time to degree. Sharla is also the author of "Degree for Free: How to Save Time and Money on Your College Education." As Director of Outreach & Partnerships, Sharla establishes valuable relationships with local nonprofits and community organizations. Prior to pursuing a PhD, Sharla was an elementary school teacher in public schools in the Los Angeles area, and an administrative project manager with skills in event programming for education-related nonprofits.

Christopher Perez is currently a graduate student the Student Development in Higher Education program at California State University, Long Beach. His research interests focus on first generation students, the community college pathway, and examining issues of higher education access and equity for underrepresented students. As Director of Communications, Christopher leads our marketing research efforts in speaking to students, educators, and presenting at conferences. Christopher is also currently leading student life programs at Whittier College and CSU Dominguez Hills. Prior to his current professional endeavors, Christopher was a transfer advisor at the University Outreach and School Relations Office at CSULB, helping prospective students learn about the transfer process into the CSU system while working with staff at Cerritos College to help launch an Umoja learning community, a program designed to increase the retention and success rates of African American students.

Bessie Chu has 5+ years of business and technical experience in Silicon Valley, having worked in the start-up, digital ad agency, and corporate tech worlds.  She also attended Hackbright Academy, a highly selective (<5% acceptance rate) programming bootcamp where she learned Web Development prior to completing her Master in Communication Management at USC.