Our Team

Susan Baum
Founder & Chairwoman Emeritus

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Prior Gigs: Former elementary school and middle school teacher, consultant, and curriculum developer.
Professional Passions: Working with her three daughters, helping teachers enhance their teaching experience and effectiveness, fostering a love of learning among students.
Personal Passions: Entertaining, reading, traveling with her husband, working in Ethiopia to bring educational sustainability, and spending time with her three daughters, their husbands and eight grandchildren.
Fun Fact: I have a story for every occasion. I’m not sure if that makes me interesting or “experienced”?

Jamie Baum Garippo
Head of Sales & Consulting

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Prior Gigs: Former special ed and gen ed elementary school teacher on both Long Island and Manhattan.
Professional Passions: Being able to work in a supportive environment, partnering with educators to help them make important curriculum decisions, being an educator-consultant matchmaker.
Personal Passions: Spending time with family, enjoying the beautiful Long Island beaches, and checking out the latest restaurants.
Fun Fact: If you move an item on my desk by 1 cm … I will know … and I will find you.

Shira Baum MacGregor
Head of Marketing & Events

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Prior Gigs: A trained chef with a degree in business from the Culinary Institute of America, caterer and event planner.
Professional Passions: Making every one of our events a memorable one, getting to know our educators personally, putting some pizzazz into our marketing materials.
Personal Passions: Spending time with family, cooking, traveling and putting an artistic flare on her home.
Fun Fact: You know that fancy necklace I’m wearing? I found it for a bargain on the internet.

Korin Baum Barros
Head of Operations

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Prior Gigs: Lawyer doing lots of lawyerly stuff sprinkled in with some entrepreneurial endeavors.
Professional Passions: Finding a solution to every problem, curating a great company culture, and taking complex issues and making them easy to understand.
Personal Passions: Spending time with family, globetrotting, entertaining and writing.
Fun Fact: If you ever have 20 people coming over with an hour’s notice, I’m the girl to call.

Kim Autio
Sales Service & Support Manager

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Prior Gigs: Jack-of-all trades for a large distribution company, been here so long that prior gigs have morphed into this one.
Professional Passions: Being a helper to my colleagues and our educators, and working in place where I can laugh every day.
Personal Passions: Spending time with my husband and two grown children, dog and cat lover, camper, and crafter.
Fun Fact: I am the female MacGuyver. I’m never far from my pink tool set.

Ann Carey
Sales Service & Support Representative

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Prior Gigs: Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education, preschool teacher, and billing coordinator for childhood development therapy agency.
Professional Passions: Collaborating with colleagues, listening and analysis.
Personal Passions: Spending time with family, volunteering to help her children, crafting, and being in the outdoors.
Fun Fact: My office nickname is Houdini. Give me a lock or a puzzle and I can beat any clock!

Lucy Sabatello
Administrative Assistant

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Prior Gigs: With over 12 years of publishing experience, I feel there is no better industry.
Professional Passions:  I’m a people person, so helping and connecting with people fills my bucket.
Personal Passions: I love all things relating to music, and it’s even better if I get to enjoy it with my husband!
Fun Fact: If I look familiar when we meet, it may be because you have seen me perform in one of 35 + community theatre productions.

Consultants

We have the ability to handle any engagement, big or small. We have a network of independent consultants enabling us to quickly assemble a team that suits your needs. Our consultants’ backgrounds include former administrators, teachers, literacy coaches and those who have dedicated a good portion of their career to teaching teachers. We can’t wait for you to meet them!