Our Staff
At Brightworks we seek to break down the hierarchy between teacher and student to empower kids to be the authors of their own education. That is why we call our educators collaborators.
Leadership & Administrative Team
Dr. Sean Hamer - Head of School
Dr. Sean Hamer believes education is a process that empowers individuals with the resources to experience a life of understanding, promise, and options. Dr. Sean comes to Brightworks after serving as the Head of School at Alta Vista School in San Francisco. Dr. Sean values a school culture where the community of learners, including the teachers, feel safe to take risks. As a former math and science teacher, Dr. Sean has always valued integrating global and multicultural viewpoints across STEAM, the arts, and humanities disciplines. While leading faculty at his former schools, he effectively assisted educators in enhancing their curriculum through content integration and equity pedagogy. His work supporting anti-racist, inclusive practices includes developing affinity group programs and presenting this work at regional and national conferences. He also believes in sharing the fun in students’ lives and extracurricular pursuits by coaching basketball, field hockey, and softball, and being a club leader for chess, robotics, and martial arts. Dr. Sean enjoys time with his family and has interests in personal development, entrepreneurship, hot yoga, karate, film, cooking, and writing. Martial arts is his passion and schools are his second home, so welcome to Dr. Sean’s Dojo.
MICHLENE COTTER - Assistant Head of School
Michlene Cotter is a grassroots educator and community activist. In 2014 she co-founded Ka-Lo Academy, a self-directed program for youth who do not wish to attend traditional high school. Michlene has been teaching and facilitating independent learners in Oakland, across many subject areas, for the past 15 years. As an adult she thinks about all the possibilities that were unknown to her as a child - as an educator she seeks to illuminate these possibilities for young learners.
In “education” she values trusting children’s inherent desire to learn, developing communication with them, preserving their curiosity and letting the idea of liberation lead. She has a passion for equity and equality, writing, gardening, cultivating mindfulness and living in kinship with the Earth.
Michlene studied social science at the New School for Social Research in New York. Along with being an educator, she has also been a childbirth doula for 20 years and is raising three interest-driven, self-directed young people of her own.
Michlene has lived in Trinidad & Tobago, England, Louisiana, New York and California. She loves Prince, birds (especially ravens), cool shoes and dark chocolate.
GEVER TULLEY - Founder and Chief Collaborator
Gever founded Tinkering School in 2005 in order to learn how children become competent and to explore the notion that kids can build anything, and through building, learn anything. A self-taught computer scientist with no formal education, Gever’s expertise is really in… thinking. Gever has taught workshops and made presentations to both kids and adults around the world. He has spoken at TED, twice, written articles for MAKE:, and authored the book Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do).
LIBBY CATZALCO - Human Resources & Curious Educators Coordinator, Special Projects Manager
Libby has been hailed as the most gentle human to ever work in the office at Brightworks school. She grew up in San Francisco as part of a huge family of teachers and educators, and brings the spirit of kindness, true knowing of people, and full-hearted empathy to everyone she talks to. Libby has three amazing children and teaches us about patience and love above all, every day. We could not imagine Brightworks without her.
LISA NOWELL - Director of Admissions & Communications
Lisa is the founder and executive director of the Recess Collective, a community-driven organization that supports families and young children in perinatal education, play, creativity, support, and connection. She has a background in child development and psychology and a decade of experience with children & adults with learning differences. She is an advocate for play as a way for children to develop motor skills, social skills, and language and has worked with the Brightworks admissions team for the past year to promote the program city-wide.
ADRIAN SKAJ - Finance Officer
Adrian is a San Francisco native who is grateful to have brought her gift with numbers to non-profits for over twenty-five years. As Finance Manager, Adrian works with the leadership team to maintain the financial health of the IAT and Brightworks School. Adrian values working with innovative, mission-driven organizations and she enjoys the puzzle-solving and meditative aspects of her work.
Having learned so much as an alumni parent at a cooperative preschool, Adrian is energized by communities of learning and is excited to return to the world of education and child development by joining the Brightworks team.
Adrian is a certified Iyengar yoga instructor and enjoys taking long walks in nature, working in her garden, playing Settlers of Catan, and spending time with her family.
JUSTINE MACAULEY - Transitions and Transcripts
As a founding staff member, Justine has worked since the school’s beginnings to make Brightworks welcoming, accessible, and loving for students and families alike. She was hired to assist in the admissions process, and as the school morphed and changed, so did her job. Along with running admissions, she has worn dozens of hats and engaged in almost every part of the school, from park time and curriculum planning to answering the phone and teaching kids to love writing. Now Justine works as a transitions counselor for students on their way to high school or college and as Mastery Transcript coordinator.
Alexandra Oeffinger - Operations Coordinator
Alex is a community organizer with a background in systems development for at-risk youth in Oregon. It was through that institution (one very different from the Brightworks pedagogy) that she realized her work with kids was a serious and joyful endeavor. This experience, along with her background in office management, has brought her to Brightworks. She’s thrilled to be creating systems, organizing spaces, all while hanging out with the awesome kids of Brightworks
Lower School Collaborators
DANIELLE CONOVER - Early Elementary Collaborator // K-1st
Gever always says, “Brightworks aspires to be the best of pre-school and grad school combined.” Danielle is truly the best of preschool. In her over ten years as an early childhood educator Danielle has honed an approach to our youngest learners that embodies so many Brightworks values. She writes,
“I believe that if children are supported by grown-ups who are not afraid of their feelings, they can grow to trust themselves and rely on their internal compasses in all aspects of their lives. To build frustration tolerance, children need to be allowed to fail, fall apart, and recover. To learn generosity and sharing, children need to feel like they have enough. To learn empathy, children need to feel seen and understood by their grown-ups. To learn discipline, children need to feel connected…I consider my work as a teacher to be my activism. I believe that if children can experience a trusting and respectful experience of being at school, they may grow to expect and protect this experience for themselves and others in their communities.”
Danielle’s playful loving presence, attunement to her students needs, and commitment to parent education make our kindergarten students and families feel welcomed and inspired.
Gee Moloi - Early Elementary Collaborator // 1st-2nd
Gee is an expert blanket fort builder and a strong believer in the power of imaginative play. Her teaching journey began with Montessori education, where she was inspired by the philosophy of following the child and focusing on whole-child learning. Gee strives to create a nurturing and engaging environment where curiosity thrives, empowering children to explore their world.
Gee is dedicated to nurturing independence and fostering a lifelong love for learning in her students. She finds immense joy in navigating the scenic Oakland hiking trails and shares this love for nature with her students, helping them develop a deep appreciation for the natural world.
“With a passion for theatre, my goal is to instill a love for the arts in every child. My background in Film and TV lends a creative edge to my teaching methods, making learning a captivating and imaginative experience. My technical Theatre training allows me to bring the magic of the stage into the classroom, creating an immersive learning environment.”
MARY CATHERINE MUNIZ - Lead Collaborator for Elementary School // 3rd-4th
Mary Catherine is thrilled to be returning to Brightworks after two years away teaching 5th grade in Daly City. Before coming to Brightworks Mary Catherine co-taught at the Chinese American International School and earned her Master’s in Education from BATTI (the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute). She has also spent a few years working in outdoor education at outdoor schools and environmental summer camps noticing how powerful it can be to learn about nature through observing what is going on around you. She feels that she is at her best both as an educator and as a person when she is sharing her joys with others and learning from everyone’s curiosities. She is drawn to education because of the opportunity to be surrounded by a community of inquiry, exploration, and discovery. In her free time Mary Catherine likes to get lost wandering in San Francisco or go for an adventure in the mountains.
CASANDRA ANTHONY - Elementary Collaborator // 4th-5th
Casandra comes to us from the International School in Billund, a project of the Lego group in Denmark. This world-renowned school centers playful learning for students of all ages. At this school, she was a Teacher Researcher through Harvard University’s “Project Zero” which honed her practices as an educator tremendously. In her nearly 10 years teaching abroad in the International baccalaureate system Casandra has honed an approach to students that centers on collaboration. In her teaching portfolio, she shared a project proposal that her 5th-grade students created that shared so much DNA with the Brightworks declaration it was remarkable. As a National Geographic Educator and Forest School Leader, she provided a safe environment where children of all ages could take risks and initiate their own learning while developing an appreciation for the natural environment. From the moment she walked through our doors with her work boots and Keith Haring sweatshirt covered in sawdust from a building project we knew she was a Brightworks collaborator.
ROB AIMAN - Shop & Art Collaborator
Rob is a professional artist who works with as many mediums as possible: wood, stone, and clay as well as paint, pastels, pencils, pen and ink. Drumming is his second love and he currently plays with three bands in the genres of rock, blues and instrumental surf music. He also studies reggae, Latin rock and jazz. In order to put in the 10,000 hours developing his art and drumming, he relied on a construction background to pay the bills. As a carpenter, his specialty was working on San Francisco Victorian homes. After 35 years of building homes, he shifted to work in the hospital setting at Kaiser Permanente.
Rob has been volunteering at schools in their art programs since 1998: at New Traditions Elementary School, at his daughter’s school as an art instructor and drummer for their school choir, and with the New School. During Covid, he taught a neighborhood outdoor art program, and did some volunteer work at Nomad Elementary.
Rob comes to us through Tinkering School and quickly joined the Brightworks family as an all around substitute, shop wizard, and collaborator with the Little Gems bands. He is so grateful for the opportunity to work with the organization and has never been more happy than he is right now working for Brightworks School.
RICHARD PERENYI - Science Collaborator
Rich is a bilingual naturalist, artist, and educator from Michigan. A life-long animal lover, he has a Bachelors of Science in Zoology from Humboldt State University, and a California Teaching Credential with a focus on biology in secondary education. Starting in 2011, Rich worked as a research assistant at the renowned Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, studying the effects of climate change on pollinator diversity loss and flowering plant reproduction. Rich has worked as a naturalist at Camp Winnarainbow and the Mendocino Woodlands Outdoor Science School, and taught biology and physics at Mendocino middle and high schools. He loves the way Brightworks aims to create not only inventive thinkers, but also good human beings.
He would love to build you a super sweet obstacle course.
Upper School Collaborators
SAM PHILLIPS - Lead Middle School Collaborator // 6th
Sam has been helping kids make projects and trust in the power of their ideas since 2009. From facilitating video production workshops in movie theaters across the rust belt of rural Ohio to teaching 6th grade English in Mississippi and Tennessee through Teach for America to partnering with Northwestern University and the YMCA to build a free makerspace for middle-school students in northern Chicago, Sam’s career in education has been (literally) all-over-the-map, yet consistently focused on improving educational equity and leveraging the transformative power of the expressive arts. He has given presentations at the National Art Educators Association Conference and Argonne National Laboratory, was named a 2016 Fellow through the FabLearn program at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, and was a contributing writer to Meaningful Making Vol. 2 published by Constructing Modern Knowledge Press. Over the past two years, Sam has juggled several roles at the IAT, including Aftercare and Park Collaborator and Site Manager of Tinkering School Overnight Camp, and is thrilled to be leading a Band this year. When he’s not at Brightworks, you might find him three rows from the front at the Roxie Theatre, catching up on the latest documentaries, drawing by Lake Merritt in Oakland, or volunteering at the Exploratorium.
SHIRVAN MAHTO - Middle School Collaborator // 7th-8th
After growing up in Trinidad and Santa Barbara, Shirvan moved to San Francisco in 2004 with the notion that he wanted to become a teacher and now here he is. He earned his multiple subject teaching credential from San Francisco State University in 2007 and immediately embarked on a teaching career with the San Francisco Unified School District spanning over thirteen years teaching third, fourth, and fifth grades. He is also a National Board Certified Teacher with a focus on the middle childhood years. 2024-25 will be his third year as a Brightworks collaborator.
Inspired by the Summerhillian philosophy that schools ought to be democratic in nature, Shirvan strives to create classroom communities that are based on collaboration and compassion rather than competition and authority. Although he is experienced in teaching all academic subjects, he is particularly fond of helping students uncover the hidden stories in American history. More generally, he seeks to nurture confidence, creativity, and critical thinking in all learners. In addition to teaching in a classroom setting, Shirvan has also led children in hiking groups, extracurricular clubs, and art classes at a local art studio.
When he's not working alongside children, Shirvan likes to relax with his beloved cat Josie while reading, listening to music, making art, watching hockey, and thinking about cats.
MANDISA LYONS - High School Collaborator
Mandisa began her educational journey at HBCU Philander Smith College where she received a full academic scholarship. She completed her matriculation at UOP earning both a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in communications as well as a Master of Public Administration.
Mandisa brings to Brightworks a diverse background. With the previous service as the Executive Analyst to the Vice-Chair of the Department of Psychiatry of UCSF as well as Assistant to the President of the National Sleep Research Society.
Mandisa worked for five years within the San Francisco Unified School District, in both Payroll and Personnel, and as interim Supervisor of the district’s Substitute Teachers’ office. Prior to joining us at BWX Mandisa served as the Operations Manager, Executive Assistant and 9th grade Student Advisor at the San Francisco Girls School.
She is also a current Brightworks parent to two students in the Brightworks community.
JUN YI - Upper School Math & Science Collaborator
Like so many great collaborators, Jun has had a circuitous path to Brightworks. From being an earth sciences researcher at Yale to working in museum education at the Exploratorium and American Museum of Natural History, to designing curriculum for companies in the US and China, and getting a master of education from Columbia University, Jun has always been led by her curiosity and commitment to inquiry-based learning. Jun truly became a classroom teacher at High Tech High, where she designed and implemented interdisciplinary projects that allowed her students to explore and master complex mathematical concepts. When she came for her demo lesson, she had students and collaborators alike at the edge of our seats as together we discovered the quadratic formula by describing a growing pattern. At the core of her teaching practice is the belief that her students are her most important project. We are so excited for all the ways she is going to continue to build and shape math education at Brightworks.
Support Collaborators
JAMES ALLEN - Support & Aftercare Collaborator
James’s superpowers are his joy and his ability to connect with just about any young person that he comes across. For over ten years as a para-educator in SFUSD, James has built relationships with students of all learning styles and profiles and transformed their learning experience into something more fun than they could imagine!
Working with children is James' favorite activity. Over his years being in their classrooms, students have shown him ways to be a better teacher. He has also learned from coworkers how important it is to have kids want to come to school.
Some of his notable celebrity influencers include Rodney Dangerfield, Dick Van Dyke and Werner Klemperer. Real-life influencers include Marc L.B., Beth G.S. Anthony C.C. and Amber L.F.
A quote James believes in: "I am every man, I am no man".
NATHAN SAVOY - Early Years Support Collaborator
Nathan is someone who takes life as a series of footsteps, one in front of the other. He obtained a Bachelors in Colouring Development (BCD) from Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After studying community design and environmental planning, Nathan came to SF in 2009 and found Brightworks through living in the neighborhood. For the next few years he honed his inner-child, helping kiddos try really hard to collaborate and treat each other well while making mistakes and building something bigger then themselves with Tinkering School, before beginning his role assisting the Brightworks Lower School. Nathan is looking forward to grow, move and sing with the students of the Brightworks community.
GRACE LEARY - Early Years Support Collaborator & Lead Aftercare Collaborator
After graduating from Brightworks, Grace boomeranged right back to it. She has taken classes on child development at City College of San Francisco and is interested in alternative learning approaches. From being a Teaching Assistant at The Little School, to supporting youth artists in Southern Exposure's Mission Voices Summer Program, to helping kids dream big at Tinkering School, Grace has always been passionate about alternative education and working with children. She believes kids should be able to express themselves freely and aims to encourage that notion by helping bring their ideas to life. As an artist, this is especially important, and she strives to uphold a safe and supportive learning environment that promotes unlimited potential.
Whether it's accompanying 4-6 year olds on field trips, helping teachers with projects, supporting 12-21 year olds and their artistic expression at camp, or playing crazy chess after school with 5-12 year olds, when it comes to kids, Grace is happy to help.
When she's not wrangling kiddos, you can find Grace curating playlists, editing photos, collecting interesting things, following intriguing recipes, or gradually checking off flicks from IMBD's list of must-see-movies.
HAILEY NICOLE-WARNER - Support Collaborator & Lead Aftercare Collaborator
As a new assistant collaborator, Hailey is thrilled to begin this journey with such a special group of kids, artists, creators, and educators that is the Brightworks community. The sense of kinship, driven by a dedication to kid-centric learning, is something Hailey is excited to experience and cultivate this upcoming year. Hailey graduated from San Francisco State University with dual emphasis in English and creative writing. She believes that creativity is made possible through genuine curiosity. Because of their curious relationship to language, kids have the ability to render the ordinary in beautiful and unexpected ways. They are natural poets. When she's not writing, Hailey enjoys cooking comfort food for her friends, reading her book club’s pick of the month, caring for her plants, or simply walking around San Francisco and observing the movements of the city.
BETHANY HILLIARD - Learning Specialist
As a long time educator with a passion for fostering each individual’s unique path to learning, Bethany is thrilled to be joining the Brightworks community as a Learning Specialist. With more than 16 years of experience in special education, Bethany has worked with a wide variety of learners in a wide variety of settings and capacities. From public to independent to private tutoring and consultation, she has had the privilege of working with kids and families of all ages across the beautiful patchwork of neurodiversity.
She is inspired every day by the resilience, determination, and creativity she sees in each and every learner she encounters, and is passionate about empowering students to know themselves, advocate for what they need, and feel a sense of confidence, joy, and belonging in their learning space. Bethany has a particular passion for youth impacted by trauma, and for supporting families as they navigate raising and educating neurodiverse youth. Being a parent of 2 incredible humans who experience both gives her a unique insight into this experience and fuels her dedication to making this a world they feel they can belong to, a place where they can know themselves fully, and see themselves reflected and celebrated in the world around them. Bethany sees it as a true gift to be joining this community of curious and compassionate collaborators, students, and families.
Bethany lives in San Rafael with her husband, 2 kids (ages 11 and 13), our giant fluffy Bernese Mountain dog, and a desert tortoise named Susie. She loves being outdoors in this incredible corner of the world we call home, hiking, practicing yoga, biking, reading, and most recently painting by number!
