Transcend is thrilled to welcome Adeola Whitney, CEO of Reading Partners, to our Board of Directors. In her CEO capacity, Whitney works in partnership with communities to provide students with the proven, individualized support they need to read at grade level by fourth grade—equipping students with greater opportunities to succeed in school and beyond. Her understanding of community partnership and program design will strengthen Transcend’s efforts to create and spread extraordinary, equitable learning environments.
“The way Transcend embraces innovation to support young people is inspiring,” shared Whitney upon joining Transcend. “While Reading Partners is a different organization, I definitely see similarities to Transcend in terms of our respective organizational values and our approaches to working with communities. I’ve been following Transcend’s work for a long time and I respect how Aylon, Jeff, the staff, and the board have evolved the organization over the years. I am delighted and honored to be part of the Transcend board and broader community.”
“Adeola brings incredible energy, experience, and perspective to Transcend’s Board of Directors,” said Aylon Samouha, co-CEO of Transcend. “We are privileged to have a deep and diverse board who are committed to helping all learners realize their infinite potential. Adeola brings unique assets to this already strong team, and we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome her.”
Whitney’s belief that all students deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential in school and beyond is informed by over twenty years of education leadership experience. Since becoming CEO of Reading Partners in fall 2020, Whitney has led the organization through the development of a new strategic plan, the rollout of an online tutoring platform and several new partnerships, an increase in the size and diversity of the national board, and strengthening the organization’s commitment to race equity, diversity, and inclusion.
In a prior role at Reading Partners as Chief Regional Operations Officer, Whitney oversaw 85% of the organization while managing over a dozen Executive Directors across the country. As Chief Regional Officer of iMentor, she led the expansion and implementation of the college-success program and managed executive leadership in the Bay Area, Baltimore, Chicago, and New York City.
Whitney has also held leadership and management roles with Playworks, Kaplan, and McGraw Hill. She was named one of the Top 100 Influencers in EdTech in the 2023-24 State of EdTech report and is a 2024 Pahara Fellow. Whitney holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College in English and African-American studies.
