Who Are We?
MEET OUR BOARD MEMBERS
RHI ALYXANDER [She/They] Founder and CEO
Born in the small town of Windsor, California, Rhi Alyxander has been passionate about education since she began her career as a student. Rhi taught in the nation’s capital for two years, both as a classroom teacher and as an intervention tutor in the public school systems. Like many young teachers, she experienced “burnout” and moved back to her hometown with her partner in 2015. There she took over managing the family business until 2018 when she found she missed the world of education, and left the business to go back to tutoring. During the months of the shelter-in-place order, Rhi became restless to get back to teaching. She set out to write and provide free curriculum on media literacy and cognitive bias. After the death of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement shone a light on the failure of our current system to teach children real history. In response, Rhi expanded the mission of Education Without Limits to answer the call to improve history by offering the platform to teachers wishing to share or develop their own resources.
DANE WILSON [He/Him] Founder and CTO
Dane Wilson is from Saratoga, NY and lives in Seattle, WA. He studied sociology and anthropology at Williams College and SUNY Albany. Dane grew up working in theater and performing arts in New York and regionally on the East Coast. He is a brain cancer survivor and advocate for people living with neurological differences. Dane's sidekick and service dog, Abby, works hard every day to help monitor seizures and give people high fives. Dane has a professional background in project design, marketing strategy, and social research. His work in various industries, from retail beverage sales, restaurants and hospitality, to music venues and private medical practices, has helped businesses discover their brands and maximize their potential for growth. Dane's experience as an instructor (Years 9-12+) includes subjects such as chemistry, history of science, theater, anatomy for drawing and painting, writing memoirs, and mindfulness meditation. Check out Dane's portfolio at www.danejwilson.com
KELSEY ANDERSON [She/Her] Board Member
Kelsey has worked with children since she herself was a child. From being a camp counselor and babysitter to being a childcare provider, engaging and educating children has always been a passion. Kelsey was privileged to have a non-traditional education. Learning was always flexible, full of variety, enriching, and practical. Most importantly, she was never deprived of passionate and supportive teachers. Working with EWL is a deeply satisfying way of paying it forward.
Kelsey graduated from the New School with a degree in Literary Studies. She has worked in marketing and game writing. Her passions include photography, poetry, and philosophy. Kelsey traces each of these interests to an amazing educator. She bring a keen visual eye, a unique perspective, a deep love of learning and of children to EWL. There is no such thing as time or resources wasted on a child or a teacher.
DEENA BAK [She/Her] Board Member
Deena Bak is an artist, educator, and a native to Berkshire County, Massachusetts. After graduating from Williams College with a B.A. in studio art in 2013, she went on to design and instruct interdisciplinary educational programming for multigenerational audiences in a number of New York City art museums. She has worked for nearly a decade in the field of Museum Education, most recently coordinating Family Programs for Brooklyn Museum. There, she designed and led tours and art programs for visitors of all ages using the museum’s collection and a socially-conscious lens. Deena has two years of full time classroom teaching experience, working in a progressive Regio Emilia inspired classroom with ages four and five between 2017 and 2019. In addition to her work as a freelance yoga instructor, Deena has followed her passion for minerals and crystals. She now serves as the full time Director of Sales, Marketing, and Programs for Diamond Mountain Mining, in Little Falls, NY where she leads Herkimer Diamond digging experiences.
DODI EXUME [She/Her] Board Member
Dominique Exume's passion for education justice caught on fire during her own childhood. Growing up in Chicago, IL, she experienced a wide breadth of educational experiences. The most impactful teachers she had were able to connect her interests and identities to learning experiences. While working on a degree in Sociology at Williams College, she explored theory and practice in early childhood education as a daycare provider and elementary school assistant.
Upon graduating, she moved to Washington, DC to focus on literacy intervention and early childhood education. After earning her MA in Early Childhood Education, she moved into her favorite grade—kindergarten! Now with over 7 years of teaching under her belt, Dominique focuses on antiracist, culturally responsive museum-based education as the Director of Kindergarten and Toddler Programs at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center.
ORIANA MCGEE [She/Her] Board Member
Oriana McGee, a Los Angeles native, received her bachelor’s in Sociology and Spanish from Williams College in 2012. As the Media Manager for WPIX 11 in New York City, she executes the media management needs of WPIX’s 24/7 broadcast schedule, overseeing the successful technical delivery of programming as it pertains to any syndicated, local, live, and special events.
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Oriana started out as a Paralegal, but after positions at 4K Media, Inc. and the NFL, she is now using her media knowledge in a managerial role, coordinating with all departments at the station. Having met Rhi Alexander at Williams, Oriana was elated to work with Education Without Limits. She has a passion for education and plans to use her connections in the entertainment industry to create programs and charities for youth. Oriana will use her legal background, bilingual ability, and social media skills to help Education Without Limits grow and succeed.
SHAHIN PAMATMAT [He/Him] Board Member
Shahin is a special education teacher, guest lecturer at Sonoma State University, and disability advocate. He received his MA in Special Education Policy from Sonoma State in 2019. Finding new, dynamic ways to fund education programs and create inclusive policy frameworks for children with disabilities was his studies' focus.
Throughout his teaching career, Shahin has searched for a meaningful curriculum shaped by critical pedagogy, universal design for learning, and cultural competency. With the advent of distance learning, his need for adaptable, multi-modal resources significantly increased. In the summer of 2020, Shahin met Rhi, who introduced him to Education Without Limits. By joining the EWL team, he intends to utilize his special education experience, his work with disability and LGBTQIA+ advocacy, and his general passion for equity and access to support EWL's mission.