CHICAGO, IL – Cooper Coleman LLC has recruited Savita Raj as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at BootUp Professional Development (BootUp), a leading nonprofit organization specializing in computer science education programs. Ms. Raj was selected following a national search led by Paul Towne, executive search consultant with Cooper Coleman LLC. A seasoned nonprofit leader with extensive experience in expanding access to STEM education programs, Ms. Raj was recruited for the role based on her impressive track record of developing innovative STEM programs, with a special emphasis on girls and underrepresented communities.
Raj brings a wealth of experience to BootUp, having previously served as the Chief Program Officer for Girl Scouts of the USA and Executive Director for the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering. Throughout her career, she has been a tireless advocate for equity in education and has worked to expand access to STEM programs for students at the local, state, and national levels. She has also volunteered with several education-focused organizations, including the Texas Girls Collaborative Project and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
"I am excited to return to my roots and advance BootUp's mission." said Ms. Raj. "Equitable access to STEM education is critical for the future success of our students and society. BootUp's work is more important now than ever, as we continue to see a growing need for high-quality computer science education across the country. I am honored to lead such a talented and dedicated team, and I look forward to working together to empower teachers and students with the skills they need to succeed."
"We are thrilled to welcome Savita, a respected leader in STEM education, as our new CEO.” said BootUp Board Chair, Todd Ullah, Ed.D. “Her impressive experience in the sector, along with her leadership qualities align perfectly with BootUp's mission and values, making her an excellent choice to lead our organization. We are confident that her leadership will help to expand our reach and achieve our vision of a more equitable and inclusive future for all students.”
"Savita is an exceptional leader who brings a unique combination of technical expertise, programmatic vision, and a deep commitment to equity and inclusion," said Paul Towne, the Firm’s executive search consultant who led this search. He continued, "we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to place Savita with BootUp and are confident she will make a tremendous impact on the organization's work in the tech for good sector."
Raj's appointment as CEO is effective immediately.
About Cooper Coleman LLC
Cooper Coleman LLC is a full-service retained executive search and consulting firm partnering exclusively with nonprofit organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions to drive meaningful growth. Its team moves organizations forward by placing the right leaders in the right roles at the right time and helps to strengthen their management and fundraising capacity to amplify their mission and impact. Founded to solve a gap in service delivery to the social sector, Cooper Coleman focuses specifically on redefining how search firms represent nonprofit clients and centering the candidate experience throughout a search to maintain each candidate’s dignity—particularly those candidates not chosen for a role. Furthermore, Cooper Coleman prioritizes making the essential services of executive search accessible to organizations across the social sector, knowing the transformational impact having the right leaders in the right roles can have on an organization and its mission.
Cooper Coleman partners with clients spanning the social sector, including those focused on civil rights, global health, arts and cultural institutions, tech for good, and LGBTQ+ issues, among others.
Founded by CEO Johnny Cooper, who has over 16 years of leadership experience in the social sector, Cooper Coleman prioritizes making essential executive search services accessible to organizations across the social impact sector. With a team of experienced consultants and a commitment to providing first in class search services to its clients, the firm has established itself as a leader in the field and was named a Top 60 Nonprofit Executive Search Firm by Hunt Scanlon in 2022. Cooper Coleman is also proud to have co-founder William B. Coleman, Jr., a veteran executive search consultant with over 25 years of experience in the field, as part of its leadership team. Together, they bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table and are dedicated to helping nonprofits and other social impact organizations achieve their goals.
Paul Towne is an executive search consultant with an extensive background in fundraising and promoting technology for charitable giving and organizational effectiveness. He previously served as Sr. Director of Institutional Partnerships for Resilia, where he secured partnerships with innovative funders to strengthen grassroots and BIPOC-led nonprofit organizations. Paul has also held roles with United Way Worldwide, CyberGrants, and IBM. He has represented organizations across the charitable sector and has also led technology sector engagement for international NGOs, including CARE and UNICEF USA. Paul holds a Master of Business Administration from Emory University's Goizueta Business School, a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology (all but thesis) from Loyola University Maryland, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Nazareth College. He resides in Columbus, Ohio and serves on the alumni board of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.
For more information on Cooper Coleman LLC and Paul Towne, visit their website at www.coopercoleman.com and find them on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coopercoleman.
About BootUp Professional Development
BootUp PD is a national nonprofit specializing in district-wide elementary computer science initiatives focusing on creativity and problem-solving. Since 2015, BootUp has worked with more than 700 elementary schools in twenty-one states, impacting over 260,000 students. BootUp prepares teachers to facilitate open-ended coding projects that are project-based and personally meaningful. Students are empowered with creative and interactive curricula that allow them to explore their personal interests through coding with design, music, animation, games, or stories.
BootUp believes in creating a world where true and measurable equity is paramount. We strive to empower those who can most positively, and brilliantly, affect change for centuries to come – our historically underserved and underrepresented students.
For more information on BootUp Professional Development, visit www.bootuppd.org.