Board of Trustees

John Stadler, Chairman

Stadler is an accomplished educator, businessman, and start-up entrepreneur with an extensive background in China. He has personally founded or co-founded several companies and nonprofits. Clearpoint Research Corporation, a manufacturer of add-in hardware and software for minicomputers in the 1980s and 90s, grew from nothing to $70M in revenue and over 300 employees, all of whom reported to Stadler. The Francis Parker Charter Essential School was one of the first Charter Schools in Massachusetts, and still the most successful. Stadler wrote the original Charter application, raised the capital, hired the faculty and leadership team, and was the first CEO and Chairman. As the school became more established, Stadler focused on teaching, where he was awarded certification as a Master Teacher of High School Mathematics by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. Stadler went on to found several more companies and schools, many in China between 2002 and 2020. Stadler has also trained teachers for Teach for China, written two books on International Education in China, and is now CEO of PlanetLabs.Earth.

Harvard College, ’76; magna cum laude (Economics); Harvard Kennedy School, Masters in Public Policy, ’79. PhD Candidate and Teaching Assistant, Kennedy School, ’80-81 (ABD).

May Wu (Chengnan)

May Wu is a Harvard Kennedy School graduate with a master’s degree in public policy. She has extensive teaching and managerial experience in the field of education. Her professional journey has spanned seven countries, encompassing China, the United States, Switzerland, Norway, and Finland, where she has been committed to the development of international education including in schools and summer camps. Mrs. Wu is passionate and experienced in school administration, curriculum development, teacher professional development, parent communication, marketing & admissions, and summer camp design and operations. She is currently the International Deputy Principal in a Shanghai-based international school. She has directed curriculum development teams and headed international summer camps. She has been in the classrooms and camps working with children and educators for 14 years, and she continues to enjoy that.

Joel Gurin

Gurin is an Internationally known expert on open government data and its application. He is President and Founder of the independent nonprofit, the Center for Open Data Enterprise (CODE), that works to maximize the value of open and shared data for the public good. Gurin is the author of the groundbreaking book Open Data Now: The Secret to Hot Startups, Smart Investing, Savvy Marketing, and Fast Innovation . During the Obama Administration, Gurin was Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Chief of the FCC and Chair of White House Task Force on Smart Disclosure. Formerly, Gurin was EVP of Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, where he led the development of ConsumerReports.org, then the world’s largest information-based paid-subscription website. He has also served as Senior Open Data Consultant for the World Bank, and as a Federal Senior Executive Service member. Recognized as one of the FCW 2023 Federal 100, Gurin is a frequent writer and speaker on data, government, and public interest. Gurinl graduated from Harvard College, Phi Beta Kappa, majoring in Biochemistry.

Allen Tian

Allen Tian is the visionary founder of Xedventure, an innovative experiential learning company based in China. Holding degrees from the University of Michigan and CheungKong Graduate School of Business, Allen brings a wealth of academic and professional experience to his role. Prior to founding Xedventure, he served as an admission officer at the prestigious Guanghua School of Management, Peking University.

 

During his tenure from 2012 to 2015, Allen made a significant impact as a program manager at Teach for China, a leading rural education initiative and global partner of Teach For America and Teach For All. Through his leadership, Allen played a pivotal role in raising over 300 million USD for innovative educational endeavors, resulting in revenues exceeding 2 million USD. As a successful entrepreneur, Allen is deeply committed to bridging the gap between educational and business values, with a steadfast dedication to delivering quality education to children worldwide and establishing Chinese education practices on the global stage.