Founder & CEO

Alexis started her career as a camp counselor, then taught reading in immigrant communities and supported families as a bilingual behavioral clinician for children with disabilities. She was a reading researcher and taught teachers at San Francisco State University, then became executive director of Mission Learning Center. After all those years indoors, her love of reading, nature, children, and community have come together in Words in the Wild. Alexis earned her PhD in special education with an emphasis in cognitive science from UC Santa Barbara, and also works as a consultant for libraries, schools, and other organizations. She is also a certified word nerd, with a B.A. in linguistics, and is the happy mama of a loquacious little one.

Operations Director

Carol comes to Words in the Wild with 20 years of experience in nonprofit administration and leadership and a passion for supporting the work of visionaries and program staff who are making a difference in the world. Carol has a B.A. from Western Washington University in Organizational Communications and Political Science, a certificate in FundRaising Management from Indiana University School of Philanthropy and completed post-bacc work at Northern Michigan University in adult learning, training and development. When not poring over spreadsheets and reports, Carol can be found in her garden, hiking with her family or traveling to new places around the globe.

Senior Consultant/Client Coordinator

Erin is a strengths-based leader who knows and values educators in order to foster their growth and reflection. Erin's culturally responsive & interdisciplinary approach to capacity building supports new & veteran teachers. Focused on building upon the strengths of an institution, Erin has engaged in curriculum reviews, faculty coaching and valuation, schedule design, classroom management, and interdisciplinary initiatives.
With a wealth of skills from her 25 years as a 6-12 classroom teacher, instructional coach, & administrator, Erin specializes in collaboratively identifying the values & beliefs that make up a pedagogical philosophy. 
​Erin earned her BA in English from Denison University (Ohio) and her MFA in English (Writing) from the University of Utah. She is also a National School Reform Faculty certified Critical Friends coach.

Teaching Fellow

Kiku is an avid reader, writer, and advocate for Environmental Justice. They graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and an emphasis in sustainability and social justice. This informs their passion for building community and ensuring that resources and support are distributed equitably within the education system. Kiku has a background in organizing for social causes, such as alleviating student debt and educating youth in the Bay Area about Environmental Racism and Injustice. They find joy in working with kids and building meaningful connections with people from all walks of life. Kiku believes that everyone has the capacity to express their brilliance, each just as valuable and admirable as the next. Kiku brings compassion and empathy to the classroom as a second-year teaching fellow. They enjoy going on walks, binge-reading a good book, spending time with friends, and cuddling with their cat.

Learning Specialist

Leah holds a masters in Educational Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University and a B.A. in Deaf Studies with a concentration in Education from CSU Northridge. Leah grew up in the Bay Area and has worked with students from preschool through high school, with experience as teacher and paraprofessional, providing support for students with various disabilities. She volunteered as a tutor and assistant teacher at the California School for the Deaf and is fluent in American Sign Language, which she frequently incorporates in her work with students. After completing our 2-year teaching fellowship she joined Words in the Wild as a full-time learning specialist, supporting students through small-group and individual reading & writing intervention. She is passionate about making education accessible and engaging to all students and incorporating their strengths and interests into their learning. She enjoys musical theater and spending time with her adorable nephew.

Fellowship Director

Lindi is pursuing a PhD in Education at Johns Hopkins University where she conducts research at the intersection of the learning sciences and environmental education at Dr. Hunter Gehlbach’s Social Psychology in Environmental Education Lab. Lindi developed an interest in the learning sciences as a teacher, inspired by watching students play and co-construct knowledge in community. After 15+ years in the classroom, she moved into curriculum development and teacher education, supporting teachers across the globe as an instructional coach with the Center for the Professional Education of Teachers. She brings this passion for educator learning to her work with Words in the Wild, as the director of our teaching fellowship program. Lindi holds a B.S. in Special Education from the University of Georgia and a M.A. in Cognitive Science in Education from Columbia University. When she isn’t knee-deep in research, you can find her doing yoga, poking around her garden, or exploring wild spaces with her best (four-legged) friend, Lu.

Teacher in Residence

Nathalie’s passion for learning can be traced back to her childhood, when reading the dictionary or gathering intriguing rocks sounded like fantastic ways to pass the time! Her keen interest in the world around her led her to complete a B.S. in Biology and an MS in Zoology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium. Finding research to be too confining, she returned to her roots 17 years ago and never looked back; she has been working to inspire generations of children and adolescents as a Montessori guide ever since. Nathalie believes that, when given the opportunity, all children are eager to learn and have immense strengths to share with the world. As a second-year teaching fellow, Nathalie supports students in individual and group settings by honoring and following student inquiries to the many surprising, joyful places they lead. When she isn’t teaching, Nathalie can most often be found with her four bright and quirky children, ideally out in the backcountry. 

Administrative/Marketing Assistant

Priscila holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from San Jose State University as well as a Certificate in Marketing Management and Graphic Design from De Anza College. She joins Words in the Wild with over 7 years of administrative experience. She is proficient at coordinating tasks and keeping records. As a previous Academic Consultant, she loved working with students and their families to establish and commit to their goals. She truly believes that learning can be an exciting and fun experience for everyone. Priscila enjoys arts and crafts, traveling, and spending time with her family. Her little toddler and 2 dogs brighten her home every day.

Founding Naturalist & Instructional Coach

As a Master Garden Teacher and Science Curriculum Advisor Ryan is key to integrating literacy and the outdoors using scientific observation as well as music, drawing, and cooking. He also teaches experiential environmental education at a school garden in Oakland with kindergarten through eighth-grade students, and has been part of the team since 2016. He earned his B.A. in Environmental Education from Warren Wilson College and has since been teaching in a variety of ecosystems from the sandy coast of North Carolina to the oak woodlands of the East Bay. He is looking forward to being able to explore, read, and write again soon with students in the diverse gardens that Oakland has to offer.

Teaching Fellow/Program Coordinator

Zainab is a “teaching ecologist” who holds a Bachelors of Art in Biology from Mills College. Born and raised in Oakland, Zainab has worked with local communities exploring animal behavior and outdoor education. She has a background in non-profits, helping things run smoothly on the programmatic and administrative side. Zainab is passionate about providing space for “the outdoors” to be accessible and centering interdisciplinary approaches to the sciences. In her free time, Zainab enjoys hiking, writing short stories, and reading sci-fi and horror books.

Teaching Fellowship Graduate

Ella joined Words in the Wild as a teaching fellow in our inaugural Summer Institute (2019). After completing a 2-year teaching fellowship with Words in the Wild, she helped lay the foundation for our cycle of educator and student support as a Words in the Wild Learning Specialist. She currently supports East Bay students and families as an Executive Function Coach, incorporating her knowledge of special education, neuroscience, strengths-based teaching practices, and mindfulness to create individualized learning pathways. She holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Literacy and a focus in Special Education as well as a minor in Child and Family Development from San Diego State University. She earned her M.A. in Educational Therapy from Holy Names University.

Teaching Fellowship Graduate

Paige first joined Words in the Wild as a volunteer supporting remote WordLab in 2020, which influenced her decision to pursue a reading specialization through her graduate studies. She earned her M.A. in Teaching Reading at the University of San Francisco and holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in Literature. As an educator, Paige is committed to creating a nurturing and community-oriented environment in which every student can learn. A lover of books and baseball, Paige has been to nearly every bookstore in San Francisco and many, many Giants games.

After completing a 1-year teaching fellowship with Words in the Wild, Paige accepted a full-time position teaching Kindergarten with SFUSD and continues to support both teachers and students by creating joyful, inclusive learning communities.