Meet the Team
Dr. Akiba J. Covitz
Foundry College CEO and President
Dr. Akiba J. Covitz has led business development processes at numerous Ed Tech companies, including serving as founding Vice President for University Relations at edX. Akiba started his career as a tenure-track professor, and his academic career culminated with his appointment as Associate Dean for Faculty Development and a member of the faculty at Harvard Law School. At Harvard, under the leadership of now United States Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, Akiba oversaw the extraordinary expansion and diversification of the HLS faculty, after a long period of stagnant growth. Akiba then served as Senior Vice President for Strategic Relationships at Academic Partnerships, an online program management provider and he recently headed up business development at Minerva Project. Akiba has also served as a senior advisor to such organizations as Entangled Solutions (now part of Guild Education) and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Dr. Stephen M. Kosslyn
Foundry College Founder, President Emeritus, and Chief Academic Officer
Dr. Stephen M. Kosslyn is the President Emeritus and Chief Academic Officer of Foundry College. He led a team of instructional designers in building the Foundry curriculum, and designing the teaching techniques, based on his decades of work in learning science. Most recently, Dr. Kosslyn served as the Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the Minerva Schools at the Keck Graduate Institute. He was previously the director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Prior to that, he was chair of the Department of Psychology, Dean of Social Science, and the John Lindsley Professor of Psychology in Memory of William James at Harvard University. He received a B.A. from UCLA and a Ph.D. from Stanford University, both in psychology.
Faculty & Student Support
Our faculty collaborate with Dr. Kosslyn to develop the Foundry College curriculum, including specifying key capabilities to be taught and developing detailed lesson plans for each session, incorporating active learning techniques to ensure that students learn the material, put it into immediate practice, and retain it for the future.
Our student support staff serve an important role at Foundry College, overseeing and supporting our students to ensure academic success.
Dr. James C. Daniels III
Professor
James C. Daniels III
Dr. James C. Daniels III is the professor for the Clear Communication and Working with Others courses. He earned his Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership and a M.Ed. in School Counseling from Wilmington University. He also holds post-Masters certificates in Mental Health and Family Counseling. Most recently, he served as the Director of Education for the Douglass School. He is a well-respected educator and leader who has implemented innovative approaches to student learning in traditional and non-traditional educational settings.
Dr. Melanie Obitz-Bukartek
Professor
Melanie Obitz-Bukartek
Dr. Melanie Obitz-Bukartek is the professor for the Managing Yourself at Work course. She was the first professor hired at Foundry College. She helped design and has taught each of the Professional Skills courses (Managing Yourself at Work, Practical Problem Solving, Working with Others, and Clear Communication). Additionally, Melanie is an expert writing instructor, published author, TEDx speaker, and award-winning educator. As the founder and CEO of The Collegiate Writer and Unhindered Writing, she teaches people how to experience and leverage the research-based, transformational benefits of writing. She lives in Delaware with her husband, son, and two dogs. They can often be found on the Delaware beaches (even during winter) and on the tennis court.
Ms. Jamie Grettum
Instructor
Jamie Grettum
Ms. Jamie Grettum is the instructor for the Salesforce Admin Super Set Foundations and Salesforce Admin Super Set Skills courses. She earned her B.A. in Social Work from San Jose State University and is a Certified Salesforce Administrator. She specializes in teaching system admins and new users the essential Salesforce skills needed to accomplish daily tasks, and has been training and consulting around Salesforce since 2010. Jamie spent a large portion of her earlier career as a Business Analyst supporting Sales Operations in the corporate training industry. This experience laid the foundation for understanding the unique needs of Sales users and where those needs intersect with Sales technology configuration. Jamie is committed to helping students master the skills needed to be effective Salesforce administrators.
Ms. Sandy Dolan
Instructor
Sandy Dolan
Ms. Sandy Dolan is the instructor for the Salesforce Admin Super Set Foundations course. She earned her B.A. in Management Information Systems from Auburn University and is a certified Salesforce Administrator. She has been involved with the Salesforce ecosystem since 2007 and has extensive experience in training both end users and administrators. She also consults with companies who want assistance with making Salesforce work for them. She spent her early career in the network division of a large telecom company where she worked to bridge the gap between internal customers of reports and the development team who created them. In her free time, Sandy co-leads her daughter’s Girl Scout troop and tries to find ways to beat her husband in board games.
Ms. Debra Hunter
Instructor
Debra Hunter
Ms. Debra Hunter is the instructor for the Project Management Foundations and Project Management in Practice courses. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA, earned her M.S. in Management and Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, and was also a Sloan Fellow in Public Policy Management and Analysis at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She is an expert in her field with more than 20 years of experience in consulting and information technology, having worked in local government with the cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach and for consulting firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Sierra Systems. As a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), she regularly teaches and mentors others to contribute to the Project Management and Technology professions. She also serves on the Small Business and Job Creation Advisory Board for the 36th Congressional District of California.
Ms. Michelle Schumann
Instructor
Michelle Schumann
Ms. Michelle Schumann is the instructor for the Project Management Foundations course. She has over fifteen years of experience in various project management roles and in a teaching capacity. She earned her PMP certification in April 2016 and her CSM in June 2017. She has a Master of Science in Management and Leadership, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management & Administration. She has been associated with the Project Management Institute – Northern Utah Chapter since 2013 and has served on the Board of Directors for over seven years, currently serving the Executive VP of Professional Development. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling & the outdoors, specifically off-roading in her Jeep!
Terri Gray-Capehart
Instructor
Terri Gray-Capehart
Ms. Terri Gray-Capehart, is the instructor for the Salesforce Admin Super Set Foundations course. She received her BS from DeVry University in, Atlanta, Georgia. Terri studied computer languages and coding in school and found that she thrived when engaging in an instructional role. She is a proprietary Software Consultant with 20 years of experience. In the past five years, Terri has had various opportunities to work with the Salesforce application. Terri is passionate about cultivating a growth-minded environment promoting collaboration and innovation, while bridging the gap between technology and education. Terri feels these type of teaching environments enhances community opportunities and continuous growth while adding value in the workplace for new users. She balances life by traveling on foreign mission trips and community service projects. Last year she entered her first cooking contest. She loves sharing her heart through teaching, traveling, and cooking!
Neila Scott
Instructor
Neila Scott
Ms. Neila Scott is the instructor for the Project Management Foundations course. Neila has been a project manager and trainer for more than 15 years. Her projects are mostly training projects in the pharmaceutical industry, though she has also been involved in curriculum development projects in other industries as well. A native of Brazil, Neila immigrated to Canada, where she currently lives, 37 years ago. In Canada she acquired her degree in Biology from the University of British Columbia, complementing a degree in Adult Education from PUC-SP in Brazil. Passionate about training, Neila strives to make her classroom a safe and fun place where students can ask questions without fear and have fun while learning.
Susan Chang
Personal Coach
Susan Chang
Susan Chang is the Personal Coach, providing direct coaching to our students. Susan was born in Taipei, Taiwan, spent her early childhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil and now resides in Southern California. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Business, a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology, a Certificate in Human Resources Management and is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and a MBTI Certified Practitioner. She has navigated several career transitions and has over 20 years of combined experience, most recently in higher education, career coaching, and human resources. She is passionate about helping students get the most of their academic experience as well as achieving work/life integration. When she is not working, Susan enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, and traveling.
Business Leadership Team
The business leadership team manages admissions, operations, partnerships, technology, marketing, communications, student experience, and other administrative responsibilities at Foundry College.
Karen Adams
Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Student Experience Officer
Karen Adams is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Student Experience Officer at Foundry College. Prior to Foundry, Karen worked in a variety of marketing roles spanning economic development, workforce development, and higher education, providing experiences that encompass a 360° view of business and industry. Karen most recently led marketing and recruitment activities at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Karen is a graduate of Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa, where she attended as an adult student while working full-time and raising a family – which she credits for instilling her love of lifelong learning and driving her passion to help others find their way along their educational journey.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is committed to the vision and mission of Foundry College. The Board consists of nine members, six of which are confirmed at this time.
Rob Hutter
Founder and Managing Partner, Learn Capital
Dr. Stephen Kosslyn
Founder, President Emeritus, and Chief Academic Officer, Foundry College
Greg Mauro
Founder and Managing Partner, Learn Capital
Norman Atkins
Managing Partner, Together Education; Co-Founder and Board Chair, Relay Graduate School of Education
Dr. Akiba J. Covitz
CEO and President, Foundry College
