Aspire Public Schools CEO and leadership

Mala Batra joined Aspire in 2011 and has managed various functions including strategy, growth, and operations - overseeing the launch of six new Aspire schools, designing the organization’s strategic planning process, leading Aspire’s expansion into Memphis, and supporting the spinoff of Schoolzilla to share Aspire’s data tools with the sector. Mala served as Aspire’s Chief of Staff for 3 years before serving as interim CEO in 2018.

Prior to joining Aspire, Mala held strategy and project management roles at Levi Strauss & Co. and Gap Inc. and worked as a consultant for Deloitte. Mala holds a B.S. from University of California, Berkeley and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School.

Dan’s most recent role was Head of the School Management Office for Success Academy Charter Schools in New York. In that role, he led efforts to scale school supports effectively and efficiently during the organization’s rapid growth to 45 schools. Additionally, he supported superintendents and school teams with data reporting and analytics, enrollment matters, policy development, special education, crisis management, and conflict resolution Dan also brings legal expertise, having served previously as Success Academy’s Assistant General Counsel. Prior to joining Success Academy, Dan worked in the Juvenile Rights Practice for the Legal Aid Society, representing youth in juvenile justice and child protection matters. Dan is a proud graduate of UCLA and Georgetown, where he earned his law degree.

Dan does this work because he believes that education is the most effective lever for achieving personal and societal progress. Both of Dan’s parents are Jewish-Iranian refugees, who fled to the U.S. in 1979 just prior to the Iranian revolution. He is keenly aware of the opportunities that were afforded to him and his family by accessing a high-quality public education, and is committed to ensuring access and opportunity to underserved communities.

Mary joins Aspire with over 20 years of experience in business management, operations and information technology. Having spent the majority of her career with Gap, Inc., Mary has extensive experience leading teams, transformative projects and navigating organization-wide change while running domestic and international businesses. In her role, she will oversee Aspire’s Operations, People, Data & Assessment and Technology teams. Mary also serves on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

An equity-centered senior leader dedicated to serving scholars and families in historically marginalized communities.

20+ years of experience leading in the public and private sector. Strength and passion in developing high-performance cultures tied to an organization's values and mission. Uniquely balances adaptive and technical leadership to support teams to achieve their potential.