OUR TEAM

Pearl Esau

Pearl Chang Esau

Founder & CEO

  • Pearl Chang Esau is a nationally recognized leader for improving education and workforce outcomes. A former teacher and executive with Teach For America, she has dedicated her career to driving educational progress and system-wide improvement. As CEO of Expect More Arizona, Pearl successfully led initiatives to raise Arizona’s academic standards and build partnerships between government, industry, and education to strengthen pathways from early childhood through the workforce.

    Her achievements include co-founding the Arizona Education Progress Meter, a tool to track key metrics for academic progress, and co-creating Achieve 60AZ, a statewide effort to ensure 60% of Arizonans earn a degree or credential by 2030. Pearl also led statewide outreach for Proposition 123, which secured $3.5 billion for K-12 schools and received widespread bipartisan support.

    Appointed by three Arizona governors to education and workforce leadership roles, Pearl currently serves on the boards of the City of Phoenix Workforce, Teach For America, Aliento Education Fund, and ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy. Among many honors, she has received the US Chamber of Commerce’s “A Profile in Change”, the Arizona Republic’s “Top Arizonans to Watch”, Arizona Business Magazine’s “Top 5 Under 35 Most Influential Women in Arizona,” and the Greater Phoenix Chamber Athena Award.

    Pearl holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Policy, and Spanish from UCLA, and a Master’s in International Business with a focus on Digital Transformation from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at ASU. Her work continues to expand opportunities for learners, ensuring they are prepared to thrive in an economy shaped by rapid technological advancements.

Adriana Murrietta

Co-Founder

  • For nearly two decades, Adriana Murrietta has been an unwavering advocate for advancing educational outcomes for students. Her passion for education is deeply rooted in her own experiences; as a teenager and an undocumented immigrant from Colombia, she was told that higher education was beyond her reach. This determination to pursue a university education ignited her commitment to transforming the educational landscape for others.

    As a philanthropist, Adriana excels at identifying and nurturing talented changemakers within the education sector. As president of the Pharos Foundation, she has led initiatives that fund and implement systemic changes to enhance access to quality educational opportunities for all students, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Collaborating with nonprofit organizations, government entities, industry leaders, and educational institutions, Adriana has played a pivotal role in funding innovative educational strategies and recognizing key leaders in the field. In a groundbreaking effort to meet the demand for educational flexibility, she was instrumental in the establishment of PHU City, a hybrid high school that blends innovation with flexibility to meet the real-world needs of students.

    Understanding the vital role that Arizona’s Latino community plays in the state’s future, Adriana has been a strong supporter of All in Education. Beyond financial contributions, she has dedicated her time and expertise by serving on the board of All in Education, working to create equitable access to opportunities and justice for Latino students and their families. Her impactful work has earned her recognition from the Phoenix Business Journal and Valle del Sol, including the prestigious 40 Under 40 and Exemplary Leadership awards, as well as being named among the Women Achievers by the Arizona Capitol Times and Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

    Before her tenure at the Pharos Foundation, Adriana served as the Director of Multicultural Community Engagement at Expect More Arizona, where she spearheaded statewide outreach and mobilization efforts within the Hispanic community and acted as a liaison and Spanish spokesperson for the media. She further expanded her role in education advocacy and policy as the Operations and Development Manager at Stand for Children Arizona. Adriana began her career in education as a board member of the Unitarian Universalist Early Education Cooperative Preschool in Paradise Valley, which she later managed as interim director.

    An active and engaged community member, Adriana serves on the advisory boards of Arizona Leads, the Desert Botanical Garden, and The Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation. She is also a Pahara Next Gen Fellow and a graduate of both the Hispanic Leadership Institute and Valley Leadership. Adriana resides in Phoenix with her husband, two daughters, and three beloved pets.

Robin Shapiro

Grants and Operations Manager

  • Robin Shapiro is a project and operations leader with more than 15 years of experience managing complex initiatives across education, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. She has served as Senior Program Manager with Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, where she led cross-functional projects such as the nationally recognized Verizon Innovative Learning Lab program. Earlier in her career, Robin spent over a decade at Event 360, Inc., directing operations for large-scale fundraising events nationwide and managing budgets, logistics, and volunteer engagement for thousands of participants each year. Across these roles, Robin has built a track record of coordinating executive-level communications, overseeing multimillion-dollar grants, and fostering partnerships that expand access and drive mission impact.

    Robin holds a Master’s degree in Instructional Design and a Bachelor’s degree in English Education, along with a Google Project Management certification. A passionate advocate for equity and access, she invests in youth development through volunteer and nonprofit leadership. She is the Co-Founder of the Swappow PLUS Foundation, an Arizona nonprofit that provides personal and workforce development to youth in foster care through skateboarding, and she also serves as a middle school cross country and track coach in her community.

ADVISORS

Brian Harrison

Founder and Managing Partner, Rolling Creek Advisors

  • Brian Harrison is a seasoned high-tech executive with over 40 years of global leadership experience spanning the full spectrum of the technology business cycle, from engineering and operations to executive management. Over his distinguished career, he has served as CEO twice, COO twice, and held senior leadership roles including Vice President of Operations, Vice President of Sales and Marketing overseeing more than $10 billion in sales, and Vice President and General Manager of a major P&L business unit.

    As President of TSMC Arizona, Brian led all aspects of the largest private investment in U.S. history—TSMC’s $65 billion effort to establish the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the country.

    Today, as a consultant, Brian partners with organizations driving the high-tech renaissance in and around Phoenix. He has multiple clients supporting the growth of the semiconductor industry in the U.S., including two major semiconductor companies, leading project management and cost estimating firms, general contractors, design firms, Taiwan-based contractors and suppliers expanding to Arizona, Arizona State University, and several city and state economic development groups.

    In addition to his consulting practice, Brian serves on three boards:

    • ElectraMet – High-tech water purification company

    • Mack Real Estate Group (Halo Vista Development) – Real estate development group

    • TechSmart– Nonprofit focused on workforce development

    With a proven record of strategic leadership, operational excellence, and cross-industry collaboration, Brian continues to help advance America’s high-tech manufacturing and workforce development ecosystems.

Sandra Watson

President & CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority

  • Sandra Watson is an economic development professional with over 30 years of leadership experience in business attraction and expansion, innovation, entrepreneurship, economic policy and workforce development. She and her teams have worked with more than 1,379 companies that have committed to creating more than 316,000 quality jobs and investing more than $197 billion in new capital in the state.

    Currently, Ms. Watson serves as the President & CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), a public-private partnership that leads statewide economic development. The unique structure of the ACA brings together leaders from private industry, academia and all three branches of state government. She previously oversaw the Workforce Arizona Council and Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, a data-driven team focused on economic and labor market analysis. In addition to leading the ACA and serving on its Board of Directors, Ms. Watson serves on Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’ leadership team as her Senior Economic Policy Advisor.

    Ms. Watson is a member of the U.S. Investment Advisory Council, advising the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on policies to attract foreign direct investment. In addition, she serves as a founding member and Chair of the State Economic Development Executives Network Board of Directors, is a founding partner on the Institute for Automated Mobility Board of Directors and serves on the board of the National State Science and Technology Institute.

Tyler Whitmire

Partner, City Fund

  • Tyler is a Partner at City Fund, working with local leaders across the country to expand high-quality public school options and dramatically improve outcomes for students in urban areas.

    For the last twenty years, Tyler has been a leader in the movement to build durable political and advocacy infrastructure for the education reform sector. She has extensive experience in electoral work, candidate development, community organizing, lobbying, and building advocacy organizations.  She founded the community organizing wing of the California Charter School Association, and helped grow the organization into a political force at the state and local levels.

    Tyler began her career as a community organizer in Portland, Oregon.  She is currently on the board of AZ Leads, Futuro San Antonio, and Charter Schools Now.  She is a graduate of Brown University, and lives in Sacramento California with her husband, two children, and two dogs. 

Lorenzo Chavez 

Executive Director, Education & Scholarships

  • Lorenzo Chavez serves as the Executive Director of Education & Scholarships at the Arizona Community Foundation. Prior to his role at ACF, he worked in Arizona’s public K-12 and higher education sector in roles in the K-12 system and higher education system. His previous role at Arizona State University as Associate Vice President for Community Outreach and Partnerships provided the space to impact Arizona’s education system through the development of innovative public, private, and municipal partnerships. He has an extensive background in education and specializes in developing ecosystems that are designed to close the education attainment gaps in Arizona, particularly for underrepresented groups.   

    Under his leadership, ASU was able to convene and advance educational attainment and economic development in partnership with community-based organizations, corporate partners, local and state agencies, and elected officials. Chavez specializes in federal and foundation grant writing and secured several million-dollar grants that have removed barriers from students from first-generation, low-income backgrounds who want to pursue a postsecondary background. 

    In his role, with ACF, he leads the scholarship program, education grant making, and the education focus area of the foundations strategic plan. He works to connect resources and donors with programs and initiatives that impact Arizona’s P-20 students and education system. Through grant making and strategic partnerships, Lorenzo has impacted early literacy, postsecondary attainment, and teacher workforce. 

    His community leadership includes service on the board of the Arizona SciTech Council and as the Valley Leadership’s Education Impact Chair and postsecondary attainment team lead. 

    Chavez received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from The University of Arizona and a master’s degree in education leadership from Northern Arizona University. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the college of education at Northern Arizona University where his research focuses on administrative leadership and supporting attainment from students in underrepresented communities.  

Taylor Pineda

Vice President of Community Engagement & Impact, Arizona Community Foundation

  • Taylor Pineda is the Vice President of Community Engagement & Impact at the Arizona Community Foundation. In this role, she drives the development, implementation, and evaluation of community programs, grantmaking, and impact strategies. Her work inspires donors and community members to invest in nonprofits and initiatives that address Arizona’s most pressing needs, including education, housing, the environment, and other key areas.

    Before joining the Foundation, Taylor served as the Senior National Director of ASU Local, overseeing the growth and operations of ASU’s world-class educational programs in communities across the country. She led a team of over 25 educational experts, expanding access to transformative education and creating new pathways to higher education.

    Taylor’s career began as a researcher for the Ford Foundation at the School of Transborder Studies. She then continued her commitment to equity and access at Chicanos Por La Causa, where she led strategic planning for a high-growth community development organization. In this role, she advised on growth strategies for 40+ business lines and 1,200 employees, impacting over 70,000 people annually.

    Taylor is a double alumna of Arizona State University, holding a Master’s in Educational Policy and a Bachelor’s in Communication. Her prior leadership roles include serving on the Board of the Chandler Coalition for Civil and Human Rights, the Si Se Puede Foundation, and as Staff Liaison for ASU’s Chicano Latino Staff and Faculty Association. In 2015, she was named Chandler-Gilbert Community College’s Partner of the Year for her leadership in a college-readiness program for high school students.

    Currently, Taylor serves as a Board Member for the Prestamos CDFI Women’s Business Center and Landings Credit Union. She is also a small business owner, employing part-time staff and contributing to the local economy. Through her various ventures, Taylor is committed to enhancing access to economic opportunities that have shaped her own life’s trajectory.