"Participating in the New Sector RISE program was a transformative experience that deeply enriched my understanding of social impact and leadership, while also connecting me with some of my closest lifelong friends. These bonds, formed during this essential early-career phase, have significantly bolstered my efforts and resolve to bridge gaps in access and achievement. Now, as the VP of People at Merit America and a Leadership Longevity Fellow, I continue to leverage these insights, striving to lead teams that are uncompromisingly engaged, inclusive, and high-performing. My journey, from teaching in Hong Kong and Malaysia as a Fulbright Scholar to scaling startups like Coursera and Kingdom Supercultures, has been profoundly shaped by New Sector. This path has been an incredible catalyst, intensifying both my professional growth and my personal commitment to making a substantial impact in the world."

Mark's mission is to close gaps in access and achievement by building teams that are uncompromisingly engaged, inclusive, <i>and</i> high performing. Currently at Merit America (a nonprofit creating pathways to family-sustaining careers), Mark leads the People function as the VP of People.

As the first People exec at several Series A-C startups, Mark has scaled tech orgs like Section School (business skills), Kingdom Supercultures (AI research lab in sustainable food), Newsela (differentiated K-12 reading), and Coursera (adult learning). He also serves on the board of Breakthrough Collaborative (college readiness programs) in San Francisco.

With his Education degree from Penn, Mark's journey working towards educational equity started with teaching high school English and hip hop dance in Hong Kong and Malaysia as a Fulbright Scholar.

Mark feels at home when he's in San Francisco with his partner, finding voluminous food over quality food, coaching wrestling at a local high school, not following prescribed choreography in dance classes, attempting to limit his competitiveness to just Settlers of Catan, and writing in the third person.