@ritaferrandino
I specialize in helping education companies drive growth through strategic development, investment, revenue acceleration, cost optimization, and overall organizational strategy to transform learning and drive impact.
Embracing Our Differences Exhibit, and this piece, "Eyeversity" stopped me. 👁️✨. 5,000 students and artists from 125 countries submitted their visions to this "outdoor classroom," proving that kindness is a universal language.
Always fun to see my talented friend Scott Thomas.
⚠️ TRAVEL ADVISORY: Experts are warning that airfare could spike within the next WEEK due to rising oil prices. 📈
Full breakdown here: thepointsguy.com/news/airfare...
🌴 Status: Out of Office for 2 Days (and into the Sun)
The laptop is closed, the notifications are silenced, and I’ve officially traded my morning coffee for something with a little umbrella in it. 🍹☀️
Spring Break!
See you all on the other side of the tan lines! 🌊🕶️
Breakthrough to Scale Program: LearnLaunch Fund + Accelerator have opened applications. It’s a 10-week, hybrid program that helps companies grow with an initial investment of $50k The application deadline is March 20th. learnlaunch.com/our-program-2/
🚀 Bridging the Gap: From Knowing to Speaking
Had an great session with Dasha Smirnova, a total powerhouse from @penngse.bsky.social ! 🎓
Dasha is currently building Ava—an AI-powered English coach that is changing the game for non-native speakers in the U.S.
The Architecture of Impact: Observing the Next Generation of EdTech. 🏛️🎓💡
Friday was spent at @penngse.bsky.social sitting in on pitch practice for the Education Entrepreneurship class.
At The Palestra—the "Cathedral of College Basketball"—to watch Penn take on harvard . There is energy in that building that you just don't find in modern arenas. Since 1927, it has been the heartbeat of Philadelphia hoops, and last night’s 64-61 Penn victory proved exactly why. @penngse.bsky.social
National Science Foundation (NSF) is making a difficult strategic pivot: cutting down on the number and size of grants. This is a major high-leverage shift for the research community! 🏛️📉
www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...
Washington Square Park transformed into the ultimate New York University student sculpture garden tonight! ❄️🗽🏛️
STEM EDUCATION: Nothing captures the raw, kinetic energy of New York City quite like the street performers in Times Square! 🗽✨
#stemeducation #PhysicsInMotion #timessquare #TimeSquareNewYorkCity #nyc #learningoutdoors #innovation #education #STEM #STEAM #projectbasedlearning
Watching these street performers in Times Square isn't just entertainment—it’s a live demonstration of STEM in motion! 🗽🧬
In my work scaling the future of learning, when we bridge the gap between textbook theory and the high-energy reality of TS, we ignite a different kind of curiosity in students.
Finding the perfect vantage point in NYC is like looking through a window to the world. 🌆🍎
There’s a reason this city remains the global epicenter for innovation, mission-driven leadership, and sheer energy. 🎓
Checking out the Pop Up Grocer was such a masterclass in brand storytelling and curation! 🍎🛒. It’s not just a grocery store; it’s an incubator for the next generation of mission-driven brands. An essential "launchpad" to test the US market without the massive overhead of traditional retail.
rita.ferrandino.5
Major shifts in FL & US landscape, and the latest data from Palm Beach District is wake-up call.🍎
District is facing a massive enrollment drop—nearly 7,900 students lost this year, projections showing another 3,300 student decline for 2026-27.
pineapplereport.com/palm-beach-c...
Awe-inspiring moment at Yale standing before the portrait of the first seven women to earn their PhDs from the university in 1894. 🏛️🎓
The courage to challenge the status quo is timeless. 🍎🎓📚
Sterling Memorial Library at yale reminds us of how far we’ve come.🏛️
Remember the Card Catalog? Before we had AI and "Command+F," we had massive wooden drawers and the Dewey Decimal system. It was the original "Google," just a lot slower.
Times Square
What a fun afternoon at the Palentines Party hosted by the @penngse.bsky.social Makerspace! 💖 🎓
I loved the Light-Up Card Making session—it was the perfect blend of my love for STEM topics like electrical circuits and a nod to my personal brand, the lightbulb! 💡
Fun evening at "SXSW EDU is back in NY" meetup! 🍎🎓📚
Lots of energy in the NYC education community coming together. As a strategist and coalition-builder, I believe building these regional communities is vital to our industry's growth.
The Wharton VIP-X Spring Mixer! 🍎🎓📚
A personal highlight was connecting with Serena Ainslie, an MBA candidate at Wharton and the founder of Girl Math Capital. Serena is a standout example of innovative leadership in finance. Our team @penngse.bsky.social is here to support!
PeopleBench visit with Project HERO team! 🍎
This research partnership between @penngse.bsky.social & PeopleBench—is doing the critical work our education sector needs right now: addressing the chronic staff shortage by focusing on Helping Educator Resilience & Optimism (HERO).
At the Comcast Headquarters in Philadelphia for the kickoff of the 2026 Winter Olympics! ❄️🏅. As a proud partner of Team USA, Comcast is bringing the magic of the Milano Cortina 2026 Games home in a big way.
🍎 "State-as-Textbook Publisher" Model - a major shift (existential threat?) is happening in the #K12 publishing landscape, and Florida is the latest state to signal a move toward state-published instructional materials.
Read the full story here: pineapplereport.com/floridas-edu...
Student Meetup at the Philly EdTech Meetup! 🔔
A personal highlight was connecting with Isaiah Bryant from @penngse.bsky.social
I invite you to join our Philly EdTech Meetup community-we are building a strong local ecosystem: www.meetup.com/phillyedtech/
Full-house turnout for the Philly EdTech Meetup last night! 🔔
Powerful getting the Philly EdTech community together to talk about the "big challenges." As a strategist, I find my highest leverage work happens in these group settings where interesting people share real-world insights.
Philly EdTech Meetup - Wednesday at 6pm! 🔔
As a strategist and advisor who is energized by having an impact on educational outcomes, I'm excited to hear from this lineup of Philly-based founders:
Free Event: 📅 Wednesday, February 4, 2026 🕕 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
RSVP here: www.meetup.com/phillyedtech...
This news hits incredibly close to home. 🏠❤️
I grew up in Berks County, and with my family still living there, seeing ICE purchase a local warehouse for $87.4 million in taxpayer money is deeply unsettling.
www.wfmz.com/news/area/be...
University of Pennsylvania is asking its schools and centers to reduce “certain expenditures” by 4% for the coming fiscal year as it adapts to changes.
www.highereddive.com/news/penn-bu...
🌎 Bumped into Amit Parihar at Techspo! Our connection goes back to when Amit attended my "Selling into the US Education Market" workshop hosted by EduGrowth: Australia's EdTech Hub. Seeing that global connection come full circle at a conference in Atlantic City is why I love the education.
