Search partners who
know the sector.

Serena's approach to executive search starts long before a job description is posted. She invests in understanding an organization's culture, community, and future — not just the open role — so that when candidates are brought to the table, they're genuinely ready to lead.

A daughter of Chinese immigrants who experienced firsthand how transformational quality education and social services can be, Serena brings deep personal purpose to every engagement. Her passion for mission-driven work isn't a talking point — it's what gets her up in the morning.

Her clients consistently say the same thing: Serena earns trust early, maintains it through every difficult conversation, and delivers a process that feels thoughtful and humane — for organizations and candidates alike.

Taylor started her career in the classroom — teaching high school English through Teach For America at Locke High School in Los Angeles. From there, she moved into school leadership as an Assistant Principal at Achievement First in Brooklyn before discovering her true calling: getting the right leaders into schools in the first place.

As Senior Director of School Leader Recruitment at Achievement First, she led searches across 34 schools in three states. At the KIPP Foundation, she built KIPP's first-ever Recruitment Playbook and trained 19 regional teams — driving on-time hiring rates from 63% to 92% in a single year. She later ran her own search practice for five years before joining Edgility in 2024.

What Taylor brings to your search is rare: the credibility of someone who has been in the building, the rigor of a talent executive who has built systems at scale, and the judgment to know the difference between a qualified candidate and the right one.

Mara's path into talent began in the classroom. She started at Mastery Schools of Philadelphia in 2002 as a Humanities teacher, then became a Postsecondary Advisor and later Assistant Director of Postsecondary Initiatives — supporting advising teams across six of Mastery's high schools. From there, she helped build Mastery's Talent Outreach and Marketing function before joining Edgility.

What makes Mara exceptional as a search partner is precisely this trajectory. She has spent years listening to students, families, teachers, and organizational leaders. She understands what great leadership looks like from every seat in the building — and she brings that full-picture clarity to the candidate evaluation process.

Mara partners with schools and organizations nationwide, with particular depth in the Philadelphia region and the broader PK–12 education and nonprofit sector.