OUR Core Team

Martrice Gandy

Founder and Executive Director

READ BIO

Martrice (she/her/hers) is an upstate NY native and proud product of Buffalo and Lewiston-Porter Public School Districts. She moves through this world as a Black woman, step-mother, soon-to-be auntie, and special educator with an auditory processing disorder. Coming from a legacy of educators, Martrice started teaching as soon as she got her workers permit. She taught in Sunday School, camps, and summer programs and even led the youth department at her church. She also served in AmeriCorp during undergrad as part of the Jumpstart and the Reading Partners programs. However, her formal teaching career began through the Baltimore City Teaching Residency Program and she has spent the last 11 years in the DC and Maryland areas as a teacher, coach and leader within charter and traditional school systems and nationally as a special education, adult learning and talent management consultant. She has a deep interest in and commitment to improving educator practices, self-efficacy, and retention, and reducing disproportionate outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse students with disabilities.

Martrice holds professional certification in the areas of Secondary English, Special Education, and School Leadership in both Maryland and DC. Martrice received her Master’s in Educational Leadership from Drexel University and her Bachelors from the University of Virginia. She has been awarded grants and fellowships from Education Pioneers, Camelback Ventures, 4.0, NewSchools Venture Fund, StartingBloc, and more. Martrice serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committees for a couple schools and organizations. She lives in Maryland with her partner, bonus twin boys, and two Dachshund mixes (Dash and Sir Brownie).

Melissa Boston

Co-Founder and Senior Consultant

READ BIO

Melissa (she/her/hers) is a biracial Black mother, wife, educator, and proud native of Pittsburgh. She has worked across DC and Maryland in the field of special education for 17+ years mostly within nonpublic/specialized K-12 schools and spent 8 of those years as a principal. She is currently adjunct faculty and Special Education Program Coordinator at the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University while she is pursuing her Doctorate in Special Education.

Melissa earned her Bachelor’s in Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she was also a member of the women’s basketball team. She obtained her Master’s in Special Education, with a specialty in teaching students with emotional and behavioral disabilities and transition services, from George Washington University. Melissa holds professional certifications in Special Education and Leadership in Maryland, participated in the MASEF Leadership Academy, travelled abroad to Anger, France as a missionary, and serves on the Board of Directors for several charter schools. She resides in Maryland with her husband and children and loves to connect with other Black families who have decided to enroll their children in Montessori programs.