Lavada is a Partner at Transcend, a nonprofit that supports communities to create and spread extraordinary, equitable learning environments. She leads a portfolio focused on strengthening local conditions -- conviction, clarity, culture, coalition, and capacity -- alongside school communities to spark or advance liberatory education innovation. She has supported school design efforts across the country, from the Bay to Boston.
She started her career in management consulting, leading research and strategy work with international and local education organizations, and has devoted her career to the movement for educational excellence and equity. Her investment and interest in new school models was sparked during her time as a third grade teacher with Uncommon Schools in Newark, New Jersey. That interest deepened during her time partnering with educators across the country to lean into student driven, democratic education via the Right Question Institute.
She holds a BA in Sociology from Harvard University and is currently on track to graduate with a MA in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a native Newarker (Brick City) and lives in her home state - New Jersey. She loves the visual arts and is preparing for a 36 at 36 personal art exhibit.
