NLET's Managers, Experts, Consultants & Analysts
Gordon Freedman, President, NLET, Program Design & Collaborative Manager
Marketplace Design | Collaboration Management | Product Design | Thought Leadership
Gordon Freedman is the founder and president of the National Laboratory for Education Transformation (NLET), a California-based R&D nonprofit established in 2011 to design, test, and scale new models connecting education, workforce development, and employment. At NLET, Freedman has directed federal workforce innovation initiatives for the U.S. Department of Labor, National Science Foundation talent marketplace research, and state-level policy connecting education systems to measurable labor market outcomes.
https://nlet.org/people/gordon-freedman/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonfreedman
Ken Sorey, Executive Director, NLET, Project Management & Policy Interface
Large-Scale Project Management | Cross-Program Integration | Budgeting | Compliance
Ken Sorey is the Executive Director of the National Laboratory for Education Transformation. He brings deep knowledge and expertise in improving student pathways from K-12 education to college and the workplace, with a focus on technology-enhanced solutions to improve access and outcomes in education and training. He previously served as Senior Executive Vice President of Educational Results Partnership for 17 years and as State Director of Cal-PASS Plus — the California Partnership for Achieving Student Success — managing statewide and national initiatives providing actionable data to public schools, districts, colleges, and universities leading to improved academic, college completion, and workplace outcomes.
https://nlet.org/people/ken-sorey/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-sorey
Jennifer Oddo, Workforce Ecosystem Design & Project Integration
Academic-Skills Ecosystem Design | Product Integration | Program and Technology Design
Jennifer Oddo brings specialized expertise in the design of academic and skills ecosystems, with a focus on integrating program offerings and technology platforms to create coherent, learner-centered pathways from education to employment.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennoddo
James Thibeau, NLET, Higher Education & Education Technology Expert
Higher Education Strategy | Education Technology | Institutional Partnership
A veteran education technology executive, James Thibeau has over 25 years of experience driving innovation and change at higher education institutions globally. His expertise spans institutional strategy, technology deployment, and the intersection of academic programs, student success, and workforce outcomes.
https://nlet.org/people/james-thibeau/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimthibeau/
Susie Freedman, NLET, Development Director & Workforce Partnerships
Market and Landscape Analysis | Grants | Workforce Development | Career Readiness and Pathways
Susie Freedman specializes in market development, grants analysis, and workforce development with a particular focus on opportunities for often-overlooked populations. Her expertise spans training modalities including pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, non-degree credentials, community college pathways, and career readiness programs.
https://nlet.org/people/susie-freedman/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susiefreedman/
Ajay Sharda, Lead Technologist & AI Development
AI in Learning and Employment | Technology Integration | Platform Architecture
Ajay Sharda is an education technology entrepreneur who founded PragyaSystems and TechiZen, both focused on advancing learning and workforce outcomes through AI and technology innovation. He brings decades of experience building and leading next-generation education platforms and career solutions used across the learning ecosystem, with prior senior leadership at major ed tech and publishing organizations.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajay-sharda-460a16/lhttps://techizen.com/
Julia Phelan, PhD, Learning Scientist
Measurement and Outcomes Design | Program Evaluation | Learner Engagement | Evidence
Julia Phelan holds a PhD in education from UCLA and brings extensive experience in learning engineering, large-scale research and development, efficacy trial design, and assessment development. Her work focuses on engaging educators, researchers, policymakers, and the public in reflection and action to improve teaching, assessment, and learning quality and its measurable link to educational outcomes. https://nlet.org/people/julia-phelan/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliacphelan/
Steven Cederquist, PhD, Digital Credential Expert
Digital Credentialing Infrastructure | Education-to-Workforce Systems | Skills-Based Hiring
Steven Cederquist is a researcher and advisor specializing in digital credentialing infrastructure and education-to-workforce systems. His research examines how digital credentials can support the shift toward skills-based hiring and open new pathways to learning and opportunity across the credential ecosystem.
https://nlet.org/people/steven-cederquist/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-cederquist-ph-d-850ab72b/
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fQIvtpgAAAAJ
Maria Posey, Workforce Development Expert
Strategic Planning | Sector Strategy Development | Data and Evaluation | Grant Writing | WIOA Compliance
Maria Posey helps workforce, education, and social impact leaders connect stakeholders, data, and technology in ways that strengthen storytelling, nurture learning, and improve performance. Her work bridges strategy, evaluation, facilitation, and implementation so organizations can turn insight into action and innovation into impact. She is the founder and CEO of Viking Impact Advisors, a social consulting firm dedicated to strengthening workforce development systems, expanding economic mobility, and improving public services through strategic planning, performance management, and innovative funding approaches.
https://nlet.org/people/maria-posey/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariajposey/
Ethan Kenvarg, Apprenticeship Expert
Registered Apprenticeship Programs | Workforce and Education Solutions | Implementation
Ethan Kenvarg is the founder of Neshe Consulting, a boutique consulting agency specializing in apprenticeship development and workforce solutions. Neshe Consulting helps clients develop, implement, and expand effective workforce and education programs, with specific expertise in Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs).
https://nlet.org/people/ethan-kenvarg/
https://www.nesheconsulting.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-kenvarg/
Sasha Thackaberry, PhD, Online Learning & AI In Education Expert
Online Learning Operations | AI Learning Experience Design | Stackable Credentials | Skills-Based Assessment | Accreditation
Dr. Sasha Thackaberry-Voinovich is the president and founder of Newstate University, bringing two decades of leadership across K–12 ed tech, community colleges, major online universities, an R1 flagship, and global ed tech companies. Earlier roles at Southern New Hampshire University and Cuyahoga Community College inform her expertise in accessible, scalable, AI-first higher education design and accreditation navigation.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sashatberr/
https://solutions.newstateu.com/
Daniel Goldsmith, AI Labor Market Intelligence & Sector Analytics
AI-Driven Labor Market Intelligence | Workforce Technology | Career Navigation
Daniel Goldsmith co-leads Julius, a workforce technology firm focused on emerging industries including the energy sector. Prior to founding Julius, he served as Chief of Staff and Vice President of Analytics and Innovation at Pearson, and as an analytics researcher at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He began his career at the Senate Armed Services Committee and has co-authored more than ten peer-reviewed academic papers on advanced analytical modeling in the social sciences. He holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Brandeis University.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-goldsmith-224978/
Shade Shutters, PhD, Urban Science & Economic Geography Expert
Labor Matching | Skills Gap Analysis | Economic Planning | Industry-Labor Readiness | Complexity Economics
Shade T. Shutters is Research Scientist and Director of Economic Transformations at Arizona State University’s Decision Theater, and a researcher affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. He is also the founder of MetroForesight, a firm applying complexity science and economic geography to regional workforce planning. His published work includes Skills-Approximate Occupations: Using Networks to Guide Jobs Retraining and Constrained Pathways to a Creative Urban Economy.
https://nlet.org/people/shade-shutters/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadeshutters/
https://www.metroforesight.com/
https://search.asu.edu/profile/340746
Bill Bradbury, Web & Communication Design & Development
Creative Direction | User Experience Design | Workforce Technology
Bill Bradbury is a creative director with more than 20 years of experience leading impactful brand, UX, web, SaaS, and digital marketing initiatives for Monster and Monster Government Solutions. His work has supported a wide range of federal, state, and local government programs, delivering strategic, user-focused solutions that strengthen engagement, accessibility, and digital experience outcomes.