NEIA is proud to announce that the NEIA Board of Trustees has formed a senior advisory group to counsel us on areas of improvement in all aspects of the school and to serve as a resource as we refine our curriculum and program. The members we have invited to the group all have specific areas of expertise that will be invaluable to us as we grow.
Rick Hardy
Former Head of School Emeritus
Concord Academy
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-hardy-5616571a/)
Rick is a longtime friend and advisor who has been an invaluable resource to NEIA since its founding. With almost 40 years of experience as Former Head of School at Concord Academy and in many leadership roles at Milton Academy, we have sought and will continue to seek Rick’s wise advice on best practices in school management and governance. Many of you already know Rick from his consistent presence on campus over these past two years.
Amir Reza, PhD
Babson College
Dean, Babson Academy for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurial Learning
(https://www.babson.edu/professional/entrepreneurship-education/)
Dean, Global Education
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amir-reza-ph-d-59792245/
World-renowned for teaching entrepreneurship, Babson College established the Babson Academy for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurial Learning to provide educators, universities, and students the educational tools to empower current and future entrepreneurial generations worldwide. Amir has been a valued partner for NEIA since our founding and has worked with our academic and collaboration teams to bring Babson’s unique and highly effective approach to social entrepreneurship into our NEIA classrooms. Amir is sure to play an important role as we continue to build out our middle and upper school entrepreneurship programs. Amir has visited NEIA on a number of occasions related to the Babson programs we ran last year and this past summer, and we look forward to his more regular presence on campus going forward.
Erdin Beshimov
Senior Director, MIT Open Learning
(https://openlearning.mit.edu/)
MIT Sloan School of Management, MBA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erdin-beshimov/
One of the goals of MIT Open Learning is reinventing education, and Erdin is a thought leader in this area. With years of experience teaching entrepreneurship in MIT Bootcamps (https://openlearning.mit.edu/courses-programs/mit-bootcamps), Erdin helps learners find the connection between innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. Erdin will contribute greatly to our entrepreneurship program, Innovation Studio, and other exciting programs that we will launch this year. Erdin will be familiar to some students, teachers, and parents and guardians as he has made innovation presentations to NEIA students last year and during NEIA NEXT this past summer.
Hear directly from our new advisors, in their own words:
“Some years ago, when I first talked with my friend Jane Du about her vision–to build a school that would be a laboratory for testing new ideas about education, a model for schools across the world, and a place where kids could thrive–I was excited. Now, after seeing NEIA take shape over the past two years, I am even more thrilled to be here. It is a privilege to be around students and teachers once again, and to feel that unmistakable energy of a true learning community, one whose values–empathy, creativity, and community–are ones I deeply believe in. I also believe that the world needs NEIA because it is built on a vital principle: that a school must have the capacity to evolve, to respond to changes in the world around it, and thereby to inspire students to be thoughtful stewards of that world. NEIA is just such a school, and I am honored to be a part of it.” – Rick Hardy
“I’ve been involved in NEIA programs, the school as well as summer programs, the last couple of years and I can tell that the kids are just amazing. It’s an honor for me to work with them; I learn so much from them.”
– Erdin Beshimov
“I immediately became more curious [in NEIA]. For me, it’s that type of institution that has this fantastic trajectory… as we brainstorm different ways in which we can bring entrepreneurial learning to these students, not just a way to start a new business, but how do we make them into changemakers?” – Amir Reza, PhD
