Our Leadership
The CredLens leadership team has deep experience in data privacy and protection, education, and workforce technology, and is forging an impactful education-to-employment pipeline.
President and CEO
Stacy is the CEO of CredLens, a nonprofit affiliate of Strada Education Foundation, with a focus on delivering verified outcomes data for industry-based, professional, and workforce credentials in the United States.
Stacy brings a rich and diverse background in the education and workforce sectors, along with a passion for driving improvements in the systems that support education to employment transitions. Before joining CredLens, Stacy was the General Manager for High School + Career at Penn Foster, a leading workforce development and adult education provider, where she led their work to design and deliver career-aligned and student-centered programs. Prior to Penn Foster, Stacy served as the first CEO of the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC), a nonprofit consortium of schools devoted to re-inventing how students prepare for college, career and life, growing the organization from inception to over 400 member institutions and 100 university partnerships within three years. Stacy’s career also includes senior leadership roles at sector leaders such as The Princeton Review, College Board and Kaplan, where she focused on innovation and expansion of products and services, strategic planning and partnerships, and technology transformation. Earlier, she was a consultant at Bain & Company, Arthur Andersen, and Analysis Group.
Stacy holds an MA in Education and MBA from Stanford University and earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University.
Chief Technology Officer
James (Jim) Baker is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at CredLens, where he leads our engineering, security, and data science functions.
Jim’s career in technology spans more than three decades, featuring leadership roles in diverse sectors such as telecom, digital accessibility, climate and finance tech, typically building and securing large-scale data-centric software as a service (SaaS) platforms. He has deep experience in information security strategy and system development, leading cybersecurity programs and compliance in multiple roles. Recently, Jim was the CTO of Level Access, where he managed all aspects of information technology, engineering, information security and third-party vendor management for the 500+-person company, including responsibility for their Service Organizational Control (SOC) 2 and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance.
Earlier, as the CTO/CIO of Cartesian, which he co-founded, Jim guided the company’s growth from a telecommunications data boutique to become a NASDAQ-listed entity, demonstrating gaining valuable experience in growing a technology business in a highly regulated, data security sensitive sector. Jim studied software engineering at the University of Hertfordshire, UK, and volunteers at Kwaai, an AI democratization not-for-profit.
Senior Vice President, Strategy & Insights
Elliot Gillerman is Head of Product at CredLens, where he’s responsible for crafting the organization's product vision and strategy in service of delivering valuable insights to users and the non-degree ecosystem more broadly.
Elliot’s experience spans multiple education and workforce technology organizations in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors through his work as a product leader and independent consultant with Opportunity@Work, Chegg and Penn Foster. He previously worked in management consulting with Boston Consulting Group, where he advised Fortune 500 clients on workforce and talent strategy. Elliot started his career in the public sector working for the U.S. Congress and Department of Defense.
He holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University.
Vice President, Communications
Jennifer Karan is the Vice President of Communications at CredLens, where she leads external communications focused on sharing the work of CredLens and building relationships and collaboration across the non-degree credential ecosystem. Jennifer also works closely with the CredLens Advisory Boards to ensure that their advice and guidance is effectively translated across the team’s work.
Prior to joining CredLens, Jennifer was the Executive Director of College Readiness Assessments at the College Board, where she was the public face of the SAT Suite of Assessments, speaking at more than 50 engagements annually, in addition to leading communications strategies, staff and constituent training programs, and governance activities. Jennifer initially brought her education, marketing and communications experience together at Kaplan, where she drove record growth as the National Marketing Director, Pre-College Programs and again as the Regional Director of Pre-College Programs for California.
Throughout this time, she represented Kaplan as a national spokesperson with major network broadcast appearances and hundreds of print articles in college, local, regional and national publications. Earlier in her career, she held roles as a senior business analyst at a marketing consulting firm, a senior account executive at a public relations agency, and served in leadership marketing roles for boutique luxury businesses. Jennifer started her career as a high school English teacher, where she also served as a Dean of Students, developed curriculum, and served on the senior administrative committee for which she crafted school philosophy and policies. Jennifer holds an MA from Columbia University Teachers College and earned her bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy from Emory University.
Vice President, Operations & Chief of Staff
Adrienne is the Vice President, Operations and Chief of Staff at Credlens, where she drives strategic initiatives, ensures operational excellence and efficiency, and leads the customer success function.
Adrienne is a transformative executive with over two decades of experience architecting large-scale change across the education and social impact sectors. Prior to joining Credlens, was the Executive Director of Implementation and Outreach at College Board, where she led the implementation and customer success function for the organization’s statewide SAT Suite administration program across 12 high-impact state contracts. In other roles at College Board, Adrienne drove growth and change in training, professional development, policy, and implementation for the SAT Suite of Assessments. Before that, Adrienne led strategic growth at iMentor as the Managing Director of the iMentor Interactive National Partner Program and as Vice President of Education at the New-York Historical Society. Adrienne began her career in education as a classroom teacher at All Hallows High School in the South Bronx.
Adrienne holds an MBA from Antioch University, with a concentration in Leadership and Teams, and is currently completing her Doctorate in Education in Organizational Leadership at Stockton University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Educational Theater from New York University.
Vice President, Engagement
Kate is the Vice President of Engagement for CredLens, where she leads all aspects of business development, revenue, and ecosystem engagement.
Kate brings a diverse blend of industry and nonprofit experience to her current role with CredLens. Prior to CredLens, Kate was the SVP of Employer Partnerships for Climb Hire, an innovative workforce development startup in the non-degree credential space. As the sole revenue leader, she helped grow the organization from an operating budget of $900k-$8mm in four years’ time, and built the org’s inaugural government affairs function. Before Climb Hire, Kate was an Associate Partner with Arete Partners, a boutique SF-based executive search firm, where she ran VP+ level searches for venture-backed startups globally. Earlier, Kate held leadership roles in sales & recruiting at Frederickson Partners in Menlo Park, where she oversaw business development, co-led the consulting & contracting practice, and ran C-level HR searches for marquee companies nationwide. Kate also led internal Talent Acquisition for Public.com, a retail investing startup based in New York.
Kate holds an M.A. in Philosophy of Religion from Yale University and a B.A. in French from the University of Redlands.
Chief Privacy Officer
Ray joined the company on October 1, 2024. He is VP & Associate General Counsel at Strada Education Foundation (parent) and serves as the Chief Privacy Officer for CredLens (affiliate).
Over the past two decades, Ray has strategically covered the entire spectrum of the legal profession. His varied experience includes government, law firms, academia, trade associations, and corporations.
Just prior to joining Strada/CredLens, Ray spent 2+ years at Walmart/Sam’s Club serving as Director & Senior Counsel (Data Privacy & Emerging Technologies). During his 7+ years at IBM, Ray had various roles & responsibilities related to data privacy/protection & emerging technologies, including General Lawyer, Chief Procurement Privacy Officer, Head of Legal Academia – Global University Programs, and a 2-year assignment at the Watson IoT Global Headquarters in Munich, Germany.
Ray is a member of the Diversity in Privacy Section Advisory Board at the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He also served as Vice Chair – Data Protection Committee at the International Trademark Association.
As Adjunct Assistant Professor & Supervising Attorney at Howard University School of Law, Ray founded the Trademark Clinic which continues to operate under the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) – Law School Clinic Certification Program. While on assignment in Europe, he also served as Adjunct Professor (Information Privacy Law) for The George Washington University Law School’s summer program at the Munich Intellectual Property Law Center. Additionally, Ray serves on the advisory boards of the Technology Law & Policy Center at North Carolina Central University School of Law and the Center for Cybersecurity & Privacy Protection at Cleveland State University College of Law.
As a Special Government Employee on respective appointments by the Secretary of the United States: i) Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ray serves as a member of the Data Privacy Integrity & Advisory Committee (Emerging Technologies Subcommittee) to advise the DHS Chief Privacy Officer; and ii) Department of Commerce, he served as a member of the Trademark Public Advisory Committee (International Subcommittee) to advise the USPTO Commissioner of Trademarks.
Ray is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Texas, and Illinois. He holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from American University, Washington College of Law, a Juris Doctorate (JD) from Cleveland State University College of Law, and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York, College at Buffalo. He earned various credentials at the International Association of Privacy Professionals (FIP, CIPM, CIPP/United States, CIPP/Europe); most notably, Ray is a Board Certified-Privacy Law Specialist (PLS).
Chief Brand Experience and Design Officer
Praveen Vajpeyi is the Brand Experience and Design Chief at CredLens, where he leads efforts in creating integrated brand experiences across all user touchpoints. With over two decades of experience in design leadership, Praveen brings extensive knowledge in transforming educational and technological landscapes through innovative design strategies. Previously, Praveen served as VP of Product Design at Penn Foster, enhancing learner experiences through evidence-based ecosystems.
As Executive Creative Director at the College Board, he led a major rebranding initiative, including the SAT redesign. His work at the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC), a nonprofit consortium of schools, was pivotal in brand strategy and translating the digital Mastery Transcript concept into a scalable platform, supporting students, educators, and admission officers. Praveen's leadership at McGraw-Hill and The Grow Network contributed to measurable student performance gains, and his design thinking approach has driven positive change in education. He holds an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design, where he also taught. At CredLens, Praveen continues to apply his expertise and passion for education to shape the brand identity and user experience, ensuring the organization delivers impactful outcomes for its users.
The CredLens Board and Advisory Boards
Our three advisory boards help shape CredLens’ work — offering expert insight on policy, research, and technical design.
The CredLens Board
Chief Executive Officer, Strada Education Foundation
Stephen Moret is CEO of Strada Education Foundation. In his career, he has crafted public-private partnerships and higher education and workforce development programs that have enabled tens of thousands of people to secure better jobs. Moret previously served as CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership where he led Virginia’s successful bid for Amazon’s HQ2. At VEDP, he collaborated with university presidents and policymakers to design and implement Virginia’s $1.1-billion Tech Talent Investment Program, create the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, and launch the Virginia Office of Education Economics. Before VEDP, Moret served as secretary of Louisiana Economic Development (LED), CEO of the LSU Foundation, and consultant with McKinsey. Moret created two of America’s top-ranked state workforce development programs – LED FastStart and the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program. His work has been recognized in The Economist, Forbes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and other publications. He earned an MBA from Harvard and a doctorate (EdD) in higher education, with distinction, from Penn, where his research focused on linkages between higher education and the labor market.
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Strada Education Foundation
Michael Austin assumed the role of permanent chief financial officer in April 2023. As CFO, Austin has oversight and leadership across the financial spectrum of the company playing a key role in shaping and executing all financial decisions, particularly as it relates to asset mix, investment decisions, resource allocation, and future acquisitions. From March 2021 to March 2023, he served as the interim CFO during an important period of leadership and strategic transition.
Austin joined Strada in 2017 to develop its first financial planning & analysis function. As Strada acquired new organizations, he built a playbook for due diligence and provided analysis regarding the financial solvency of each potential acquisition. Austin also helped author Strada’s first long-range plan and assisted its subsidiaries in building a path toward becoming self-sustained organizations.
Prior to Strada, Austin had 25 years of experience in corporate finance, financial operations, consulting, and investment banking. He was previously director and CFO of Laureate Global Partnerships at Laureate Education, Inc., where he led the finance organization for Laureate’s global partnerships and online program management business serving universities and students in the global higher education sector. Previously at Laureate, he was involved in various strategic initiatives, including acquisitions, partnership formations, and the startup of Laureate’s U.S. OPM business.
Before joining Laureate, Austin focused on providing consulting, capital markets, and merger and acquisition advisory services to financial intermediaries and financial institution clients while at various investment banking firms including Milestone Merchant Partners, LLC and Friedman Billings Ramsey.
Austin earned his bachelor’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University.
Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Strada Education Foundation
Chantée Eldridge is Strada Education Foundation's inaugural chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. She also has a dual appointment as a vice president, overseeing the organization's strategic outreach and events team. As the chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, her role centers on developing long-range DEI planning, implementation, and measurement, championing inclusive excellence and belonging, and working closely with leaders, staff, and key stakeholders in promoting equitable outcomes in postsecondary education and the purposeful connection to work and career.
Before joining Strada in 2020, Eldridge worked at the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a communications director. In this role, she oversaw employee communications, community affairs, former student-athlete outreach, and campus engagement, including serving on the national office inclusion team, embedding DEI best practices internally and externally on key initiatives under her area of responsibility. She brings nearly 20 years of experience working in government, energy, nonprofit, and in the private sector leading multicultural engagement, communications, public affairs, and learning and development. Eldridge is equally proud of the origins of her career, working in state government in the Colorado Office of Business Development in the Minority Business Office/Small Business Resource Center and at two small colleges in student affairs, first as an academic advisor and assistant registrar.
Eldridge is committed to community service, evidenced by her roles as a Girl Scouts of Central Indiana and Empowered Families board member. Previously, she was the first woman to serve on Clemson University's PAW Journey 5th Quarter board. She collaborates with various organizations as a moderator, panelist, presenter, and speaker.
A native of Denver, Colorado, Eldridge earned an executive coaching certification from Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business and bachelor’s and graduate degrees from Indiana Wesleyan University. She holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from Maryville University.
Senior Vice President and Chief Data Ecosystem Officer, Strada Education Foundation
Jonathan Furr joined Strada in June 2023 as senior vice president and its first chief data ecosystem officer. As chief data ecosystem officer, Furr will lead initiatives focused on ensuring that students, educators, policymakers, employers, economic development leaders, and others have access to the data and insights they need to make informed choices about postsecondary education and training programs and continuously improve those programs as part of equitable pathways to opportunity.
Furr is a nationally recognized authority in career pathways and integrated education and workforce data systems. Before joining Strada, Furr founded and led Education Systems Center, or EdSystems, at Northern Illinois University as a mission-driven policy development and program implementation unit based within the university’s Division of Outreach, Engagement, and Regional Development. As its executive director, he positioned EdSystems as a key driver of Illinois policy relating to college and career pathways, college and career readiness, and data system development and use. Furr developed the critical legal and governance structures for the Illinois Longitudinal Data System, including the authorizing legislation, the governance and data-sharing agreements, and the federal grant proposals that funded its initial development. Since its establishment in 2012, this system has focused attention toward policies that improve academic and career success. For example, the system spotlighted that too many Illinois high school graduates were enrolling in community college remedial courses, leading to a multi-year, multipronged policy focus that yielded significant reductions in remedial placements.
Furr also led EdSystems and Northern Illinois University in the development of multiple regional data collaboratives, including initiatives focused on secondary and postsecondary programs in the Rockford, Illinois, region and an early childhood data collaborative in Chicago. He also led EdSystems’ development of a cradle-to-career dashboard for regional education and workforce collaboratives that translates education-to-employment data for the collaboratives’ use in regional planning and initiatives.
Furr also served as a consultant to the Education Design Lab to devise and launch an innovative national data collaborative, capturing information on community college nondegree credential program participation and outcomes in partnership with Credential Engine, Brighthive, the National Student Clearinghouse, Georgetown University, and others. In addition, he has provided consulting and legal counsel to a variety of national policy organizations and education technology companies focused on improved collection and use of integrated data.
Related to his field of expertise, he is involved with several education- and career-focused nonprofit organizations, including as a board member for the Work-Based Learning Alliance, which helps high-schoolers and community college students access free work-based learning experiences to connect them with industries and develop in-demand skills, and as board chairman for Liberia Career Pathways, a public-private initiative designed to support college and career readiness for students in Liberia.
Furr previously worked as a partner in the public policy and education practice of law firm Holland & Knight, LLP, and served as the general counsel for the Illinois State Board of Education as well as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. He earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture and history from Washington University in St. Louis, and a juris doctorate and master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Michigan.
Chief Executive Officer, Axim Collaborative
Stephanie Khurana is CEO of Axim Collaborative, a non-profit with a mission to make learning more accessible, more relevant, and more effective in support of strong student outcomes. Axim focuses on the millions of students who are systemically and historically underserved by post-secondary education to work systems and who have yet to realize their education and career aspirations.
Axim fosters and funds partnerships that catalyze innovative digital and education practices that engage students in their course of study, enable them to persist through their programs and excel in their careers to realize greater social and economic mobility. Stephanie brings more than three decades of experience in social venture philanthropy and in the technology innovation space. Before Axim, she served as Managing Partner and COO of DRK Foundation, a global venture philanthropy firm that finds, funds, and supports innovative social ventures tackling complex societal problems.
Her work focused on education equity, college success, and economic mobility, including service as a director on several boards. Previously, Stephanie was on the founding teams of two visionary technology start-ups: Cambridge Technology Partners (CTP) and Surebridge, both of which went on to be sold. Stephanie also served in numerous roles at Harvard University to support student academic progress and build undergraduate communities as a faculty dean, including Presidential university-wide task forces on Inclusion and Belonging and PK-12 Education. Stephanie received her BS from Cornell University and MBA and MPP from Harvard University.
Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Strada Education Foundation
As executive vice president for corporate development, Larry A. Lutz oversees Strada Education Foundation’s business development and merger and acquisition initiatives, with particular focus on supporting the growth and development of Strada Collaborative and its constituent organizations.
Prior to joining Strada, Lutz was chief executive officer of WiseChoice Brands, a Jacksonville, Florida-based creator of online college and career planning tools and resources.
Lutz has 25 years of experience in education finance, serving in executive leadership roles with First Marblehead Corp., Career College Loan Co., Educaid/First Union, and Student Loan Funding Corp.
Lutz is a graduate of Colorado College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English.
Senior Vice President of Employer Engagement and Executive Director of the Strada Institute for the Future of Work, Strada Education Foundation
Over the course of her career, McKay has engaged with 26 states and internationally, as well as with many employers, regions, universities, and community colleges. Her work has spanned a wide range of education and workforce development topics, including educational alignment with the labor market, career and technical education, transfer pathways, prior learning assessment, non-degree credentials, STEM programs, work-based learning, career coaching and navigation, student decision making and major choice, workforce development systems and funding, and performance-based funding models for higher education.
At the Virginia Office of Education Economics (VOEE), McKay developed the Virginia Skills Initiative, a new data set designed to help the state understand where Virginia graduates end up and what skills they possess. She also coordinated the state’s $1 billion Tech Talent Investment Program, a nationally recognized program that is building a pipeline of graduates skilled for the tech workforce. McKay and the VOEE team have also developed dashboards and data visualizations to make state and regional education and labor market data available to practitioners and policymakers for use in decision-making. Prior to VOEE, McKay was the founding director of the Education & Employment Research Center at Rutgers University’s School of Labor and Management Relations, where she worked with nonprofits, educational institutions and systems, and government agencies to help them develop, implement, and examine the impact of new initiatives at the intersection of education and work.
McKay earned a Master of Science in Global Affairs and a Master of Arts in World History from Rutgers University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bryn Mawr College.
Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, Strada Education Foundation
Rhonda Powell joined Strada Education Foundation in January 2023 as executive vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary. Before joining Strada, Powell served as chief legal officer and corporate secretary of BuzzFeed Inc., where she led the company’s legal, business affairs, compliance, and governance functions. In that role, Powell guided the company through the most high-profile events in its history, including going public via a SPAC merger in December 2021; a $300 million Convertible Note issuance in December 2021; and the acquisition of digital media companies HuffPost in February 2021 and Complex Media Inc. in December 2021.
Powell has a proven track record of dynamic, inspired leadership and business experience, helping companies successfully develop strategic goals and maintain growth in changing economic, cultural, and regulatory environments. Powell is a valued partner, working with corporate and business unit leads on enterprisewide corporate initiatives, and a trusted advisor to board members. She is a skilled developer and manager of talented, multidisciplinary teams, having built departments of legal, business affairs, and compliance professionals who advise and protect companies with respect corporate and commercial transactions, litigation, labor union and employee relations matters, regulatory compliance (including privacy and cybersecurity), intellectual property protection, insurance coverage and risk mitigation, and corporate governance.
Powell previously served as senior vice president, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary of Complex Networks, a digital media company formed and owned as a joint venture by Hearst Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. From 2004 to 2016, served in several roles of increasing responsibility at Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. (now part of Warner Discovery Inc.), including director, legal affairs; vice president, business affairs; and vice president, business and legal affairs.
Powell is nationally recognized for her commitment to, and impact on, diversity, inclusion and belonging within the legal profession. She is the 2022 recipient of the National Association of Women Lawyers’ Arabella Babb Mansfield Award for her careerlong advocacy, and is a frequent speaker on diversity and inclusion in legal practice, corporate America, and education.
Powell is a member of nonprofit boards committed to eliminating disparities in educational, resource, and professional access and opportunity, including PowerMyLearning Inc., the John A Reisenbach Foundation, and Food Education Fund. She was the 2021 recipient of PowerMyLearning’s Vision Award in recognition of her impact.
Powell began her legal career as a corporate associate practicing in New York. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University and Radcliffe College and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan, where she was a Clarence Darrow Merit Scholar. She and her husband, Henry Powell, have three children and live in West Orange, New Jersey.
Private Equity Investor
Mimi Strouse most recently served as a senior advisor at Accretive LLC. Before that, she served as managing director and partner at Warburg Pincus LLC from 2002 until 2008. She worked in the Warburg Pincus’s New York office and focused on business process outsourcing and human capital management investing. She joined Warburg Pincus in 2002 and was a member of the media, technology, and telecommunications group at Warburg Pincus and was responsible for leading investments in the business process outsourcing, financial technology, and postsecondary education markets.
Previously, she was a principal at General Atlantic Partners LLC, which she joined in 1996. She also worked as a financial analyst in the M&A division of Credit Suisse First Boston. She is a director of Everspring and serves on the board of the Field School in Washington, D.C., while also serving as treasurer and chair of the Finance Committee. She previously served on the boards of Bridgepoint Education, Fortent, Yodlee, Skillsoft, WNS, MLM, and Rebus. Strouse received a bachelor’s degree in history and African Studies from Trinity College in Connecticut and an honors diploma in African Studies from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Strouse was elected to the Strada Education Foundation board in 2017. She now serves as chair of the National Engagement Committee and as a member of both the Investment and Compensation committees.
Supporters and Channel Partners
CredLens is supported by Strada Education Foundation in alignment with its work to generate Clear Outcomes that empower institutions, policymakers, and employers, with clear education and employment outcomes data to make informed decisions.
Our work is further informed by a growing network of supporters and channel partners. Together, we’re building a better infrastructure for the non-degree credential ecosystem.
Let’s Build a More Valuable Credential Ecosystem
CredLens helps credential issuers, policymakers, employers, and funders use verified data to make decisions that change lives.
See How It Works