Our Mission
We create the conditions for educators to act as local catalysts and drive meaningful change.
Our Vision
We strive to create educational systems that truly support teachers to act as innovators and to make a difference in their communities. We believe that by investing in the human capital in our schools we drive systems change so that schools better serve students, and teachers are valued as professionals.
Meet the Team
We’re a team of former educators and social impact professionals who believe that the critical drivers to true educational reform - our teachers - are being overlooked. We believe that by empowering TEACHERS to implement their ideas, we spark change and generate more impact for students.
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Michelle is an educational futurist who believes change in education can only happen if we support our teachers. For the past decade, Michelle has worked with schools and organizations to infuse startup strategies into professional learning so that teachers are empowered to reimagine education focusing on social impact topics like civic engagement, regenerative economics, and changemaking. After teaching social studies in both the U.S. and Switzerland, she co-founded the Educators’ Lab, which supports teacher-driven solutions to educational challenges. Michelle is the co-author of The Startup Teacher Playbook, and Preventing Polarization: 50 Strategies for Teaching Kids About Empathy, Politics, and Civic Responsibility. She has worked with organizations like Getting Smart, PBS Education and Ashoka, and occasionally blogs for Edutopia. A graduate of IE University in Madrid, she is part of the Global Shaper Community of the World Economic Forum and has presented at numerous events, including SXSWedu and TEDxLausanne.
Areas of Expertise:
K-12 Ecosystem + Strategy
Green Skills + Career Pathways
Active Learning for Sustainability
Social Emotional Learning and Civic Engagement
Transformational Leadership in Education
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Nina Alonso is an international educational researcher specialized in equal access to learning and culture. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge. Her wide perspective of the field of education was developed thanks to direct experience in school contexts, in informal learning environments, and training teachers. As a researcher she has worked extensively in low, medium and high-income countries for international public and private organizations. She believes in the value and power of successful stories about education and the oral and written transmission of them.
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A former music and language teacher turned social innovation growth lead, David today helps mission driven organizations further their impact through the development of sustained fundraising and partnership models. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, David is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, where since 2009 he has established multi-stakeholder partnerships to drive positive change in sectors such as Family Business Sustainability with the Family Business Network, IMD Business School; Education Innovation Implementation at Scale as Director of the HundrED Foundation; and Digital Transformation and Catalytic Philanthropy with the World Economic Forum. David holds a joint International Bachelor in Music from University College, Dublin and Ludwig Maximiliian Universität, Munich; a Masters in Management from the Smurfit School UCD and is a graduate of the World Economic Forum’s Executive Masters in Global Leadership in collaboration with CEIBS, Columbia University, INSEAD, LBS, Oxford SAID, THINK and CERN
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Lior Renous is a seasoned leader with over 15 years of international experience in the non-profit and social impact sectors. She is deeply committed to creating inclusive, accountable, and empowering environments. Throughout her career, Lior has developed expertise in organizational change, sustainable partnerships, and operational efficiency.
Passionate about empowering educators as catalysts for meaningful, place-based impact, Lior believes that by investing in teachers as professionals, we can transform educational systems and build resilient communities capable of navigating the complexities of today's polycrisis world.
In addition to her role at The Educators' Lab, Lior advises initiatives on optimizing structure, strategy, finances, and impact. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Chapel & York Swiss Foundation and is an active member of GivingWomen, where she champions women-led initiatives. Across all her roles, Lior is committed to building environments that enable individuals and organizations to thrive and create lasting, meaningful impact.
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Darcy is the Founder of The Educators' Lab USA and a board member for The Educators’ Lab Global . After more than a decade in the classroom teaching English and theatre, Darcy now creates the type of PD she always wanted, driving change in education and empowering teachers as changemakers. Through her work, teachers reconnect with their purpose, rekindle their spark for teaching, and reignite the JOY of teaching and learning. She specializes in professional development design and implementation, interactive strategies for the classroom, meaningful tech integration, and building relationships with students. Darcy holds a Master’s of Secondary Education, is an ISTE Certified Educator, an experienced international presenter, and believer in the power of education. She lives in Fargo, ND with her husband Jeff, and toddler triplets, Kurt, Ben, and Cora.
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Driven by a deep passion for environmental stewardship and community empowerment, Khulan Berger brings a resilient, entrepreneurial mindset shaped by diverse experiences in Mongolia, Singapore, and Switzerland.
With a foundation in Electrical Computer Engineering and Sustainable Business, Khulan blends technical expertise with strategic insight to drive impactful projects and foster effective team engagement.
At MYBLUEPLANET, Khulan established and grew HUB Romandie, successfully leading B2B projects, community events, and the communications and community department. She also holds strategic positions with The Climate Reality Project Europe, Swiss Youth For Climate, Our Impact Mongolia and The Educator's Lab, excelling in building strong collaborations with both internal and external stakeholders.
Khulan thrives on new challenges, leveraging her intrapreneurial spirit to drive meaningful and sustainable change.
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Beatrice is the Founder and Managing Partner of Dripstone Consulting, a purpose-driven consultancy specialized in impact assessment and measurement that works across the private, public and non-profit sector to advance collective social impact and sustainability.
Previously, she was leading EPFL’s Tech4Dev initiative, a collaborative research program supported by the Swiss Development Cooperation. Tech4Dev has accelerated innovative and beneficiary- centered technological solutions with tangible and lasting social impact in the global South. During her time at EPFL, she established the NGO Council a cross-cutting and collaborative platform comprising 26 NGOs including WWF, Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontières, and other well-established organizations to collaboratively source EPFL’s research and innovation that could strategically accelerate their impact on the field.
Beatrice has over a decade of experience working for impact-driven organizations such as the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, the United Nations, the International Federation of the Red Cross, as well as the House of Commons, UK Parliament. She has been advising and mentoring start-ups throughout Switzerland as a trainer for Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, whose role is to promote science-based innovation in the interests of industry and society in Switzerland, where she teaches impact measurement and impact analytics targeted to impact ventures.
Beatrice is an Alumna of the Global Shapers Geneva Hub and a Sandbox member. She has joined the Innovation Advisory Board for UNLEASH. A London School of Economics Alumna she recently completed Executive Education in Social Impact Strategy at The University of Pennsylvania.
Our Why
Teachers are the backbone of education, and an undervalued asset in generating place-based impact for students. As a society it is critical that we prepare, inspire, and nurture the ability of our future generations to thrive. Teachers act as a bridge to reaching students. For every opportunity, solution, innovation, or idea, a teacher is at the heart of its implementation. We aim for systemic change in our educational systems so that universities, organizations, school systems, and governments understand how to best invest in the expertise of our educators. We believe that when we create the conditions that enable teachers to do what they do best they will make a difference in the lives of young people.