Each year, graduates of the Johns Hopkins School of Education go on to launch ventures, lead organizations, and drive meaningful change as entrepreneurs in education and beyond. From education technology startups to global learning initiatives and cross-sector innovations, our alumni are reimagining how people teach, learn, and grow across a wide range of contexts, often drawing on the creative, human-centered approaches fostered through the Life Design Lab and Pava Marie LaPere Center for Entrepreneurship.
Explore a selection of profiles highlighting our accomplished alumni founders and innovators—individuals who are translating ideas into action, building tools and platforms, and addressing real-world challenges in education, health, and human development. Their journeys reflect the power of combining rigorous scholarship with creative problem-solving and a commitment to impact.
If you’re inspired to turn your ideas into impact and build something of your own, you’re in the right place. Chat with us to learn more.
Thomas Thompson, MS ’23
Thomas Thompson, MS ’23, is the co-founder and CEO of Eduaide.ai, an AI-powered instructional design platform supporting more than 1 million educators. A former middle school teacher, he transformed his Johns Hopkins School of Education experience into a fast-growing venture—building tools that help teachers streamline lesson planning and deliver more personalized learning. Thompson was also named on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.
““Start with the problem—not the technology.”
““Start with the problem—not the technology.”
Ido Zamberg, MD, MEHP ’24
Ido Zamberg, MEHP ’24, is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of C8 Health, a platform transforming how clinicians access and apply knowledge in real time. Drawing on a background in computer science and medicine, he built a solution now used across major U.S. health systems to bridge the gap between medical education and clinical practice. He also serves as Director of Innovation in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care & Pain Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, where he advances new approaches to integrating technology into clinical care and training.
““Being a clinician means being an educator.”
““Being a clinician means being an educator.”
Prem Umang Satyavolu, MS ’20
Prem Umang Satyavolu, MS ’20, is the co-founder and CEO of Modelus, a startup leveraging cellular analysis to improve manufacturing and drug testing. With a background in clinical mental health counseling, she brings a unique, human-centered perspective to innovation—combining clinical insight, research experience, and business strategy to build solutions with real-world impact. Her journey reflects a commitment to bridging disciplines and scaling meaningful change through entrepreneurship.
““You have to be patient with yourself while building the skills to support others.”
““You have to be patient with yourself while building the skills to support others.”
Rudy Ruiz, EdD ’22
Rudy Ruiz, EdD ’22, is the founder and CEO of Edifying Teachers, a mission-driven venture focused on supporting and retaining educators through personalized mentorship. A former teacher and school system leader, he has translated his doctoral research into scalable solutions that address critical challenges in the education workforce. In addition to his entrepreneurial work, he serves as a partner in a national education consultancy and as faculty at Johns Hopkins, advancing innovation across the field.
““If you have the heart for education, you can develop the mind for it.”
““If you have the heart for education, you can develop the mind for it.”
Edward (Ziyu) Wang, MS '20
Edward (Ziyu) Wang, MS '20, is the founder and CEO of Winky (Shanyu) Infotech, a primer consultancy specializing in international school accreditation services that has guided dozens of leading educational institutions and school groups in achieving international accreditation. Concurrently he is also the Director of School Partnerships & Program Development at Vermont International Academy, a global education organization focused on international school operations, digital learning, and cross-border education development. Drawing from his experience at the Johns Hopkins School of Education, Edward has dedicated his work to fostering creativity, supporting talented learners, and advancing innovative educational systems accross the international education landscape.
““Creativity thrives where challenges create room for possibility.”
““Creativity thrives where challenges create room for possibility.”
Jess Gartner, MAT '11
Jess Gartner, MAT '11 previously founded and served as CEO of Allovue, an education finance technology company acquired by PowerSchool in 2024, which helped schools and districts budget and manage more than $50 billion in K–12 spending. Before launching Allovue in 2013, Jess was a Teach For America corps member and middle school teacher, where she saw firsthand how resource allocation affects classroom success. Inspired by that experience, she set out to create tools that help educators and administrators make more data-driven financial decisions.
““All of the processes of leading and managing a classroom I’ve carried into leading and managing a company.”
““All of the processes of leading and managing a classroom I’ve carried into leading and managing a company.”
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Alumni Owned Companies
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Alumni Owned Companies