Under Vanessa’s leadership, DC Immersion built a network of local and national influencers and experts, and shifted the paradigm around bilingual education in DC through targeted research, advocacy and leveraging existing best practices from other states. Prior to that, Vanessa advised private sector companies, not-for-profits and inter-governmental organizations on strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and business development. She holds a law degree from Université de Lausanne, a masters of laws from University College London and a master in business administration from INSEAD. She is quoted regularly in publications such as The Washington Post and The Atlantic. vanessa@dcimmersion.org

Linsey has over 15 years of experience working on collaborative problem solving using quantitative and qualitative research and making it accessible through visual communication tools. She worked on major product launches for many national and local non-profits in the areas of health, early childhood development, education and global affairs, including the InterAmerican Development Bank and the U.S. National Park Service. Linsey has designed and led the implementation of DC Immersion’s communications strategy and education and outreach campaigns. She holds a degree in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics and Government from American University and a Master of Fine Arts from the California College of the Arts. She has been a faculty member at American University and is an award winning graphic designer and multilingual publications expert. linsey@dcimmersion.org

Renee is an M.Ed student at American University with a focus on Education Policy and Leadership. She holds a B.A. in French Studies and Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Renee is loves to travel and is passionate about working to allow youth from all cultural backgrounds the opportunity to explore and interact with all that the world has to offer. She has studied and taught English in France, and has served as a tutor and mentor in Chicago. Renee is proficient in French and has limited proficiency in Haitian Creole. renee@dcimmersion.org

Nick is working on quantifying the benefits of dual language programs and multilingualism in the DC context. When not volunteering at DC Immersion, Nick is a graduate student at the University of Maryland, working on his PhD in linguistics. Before starting his PhD, he worked in consulting and business development. He is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese and knows some Malay/Indonesian. nick@dcimmersion.org

Tam is a young professional, who currently works for a bi-partisan consulting firm on Capitol Hill.  Previously, she spent two years teaching ESOL, Reading Intervention, and Adult ESL.  Tam graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park in 2013 with a Master of Public Policy; and, Rice University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts (Cum Laude) in Political Science and French Studies.  During her formative years, she attended French immersion public schools in Montgomery County, Maryland.  Tam speaks French and Vietnamese and has limited proficiency in Spanish. tam@dcimmersion.org