Springboard Collaborative today announced the appointment of Dr. Shelly Shires as president, effective immediately. Dr. Shires, who has served as chief product & service officer since August 2023, succeeds Sanjeev Midha, who will return to the organization’s board of directors following the successful completion of our three-year strategic plan. Dr. Shires brings deep organizational knowledge and broad product and technology leadership to accelerate Springboard’s next phase of growth.
Proven Leader and Innovator
At Springboard, Dr. Shires has been instrumental in aligning product development with the organization’s mission and board priorities, including integrating Future Forward Literacy, acquired earlier in 2025. Her leadership has expanded evidence-based programming and sharpened the vision for reaching more students, families, and school districts.
Dr. Shires’ leadership builds on extensive experience in education and technology. At Pearson Virtual Learning, she served as senior vice president of product and technology, leading nearly 600 employees to deliver innovative learning products for hundreds of thousands of students. Previously, she held leadership roles at Shutterstock and Wall Street English, driving curriculum design, product development, and large-scale digital innovation.
“The next phase of our strategic plan calls for Springboard to double down on evidence-building and expand our offerings to meet more district needs, as demonstrated by our recent acquisition of Future Forward Literacy,” said founder and CEO Alejandro Gibes de Gac. “Dr. Shires’ experience and skill set is tailor-made for the role of president,with a strong track record of developing and scaling best-in-class products. Shelly is also a world-class operator — someone who brings strategy to life by aligning people, systems, and execution. With her leadership, I have no doubt Springboard will continue to scale impact and thrive.”
Vision for Growth
As a product visionary, Dr. Shires will strengthen Springboard’s family engagement model and continue expansion of programs. The recent acquisition of Future Forward Literacy represents one example of how Springboard will expand learning accelerators, interventions, and community-based programming as part of Springboard’s growth plan.
“I’m honored to lead Springboard Collaborative at this pivotal moment,” said Dr. Shires. “Our proven approach works because it makes families an essential partner for learning. I’m excited to lead Springboard as we bring this approach to more communities, with more innovations to come.”
Experience and Recognition
Dr. Shires began her career at the Baltimore County Public Library, creating digital tools including e-books, databases, and self-checkout systems. She holds a doctorate in education in curriculum and instruction from Liberty University, a Master of Science in information systems management, and a Bachelor of Arts in geography and environmental systems from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She was recognized among the Top 50 Women CPOs of 2024 by Women We Admire.
Continuing Springboard’s Mission
Springboard Collaborative has established itself as a leader in family-centered literacy programming, operating summer, after-school, and in-school programs that close the gap between home and school. Dr. Shires’ appointment signals the organization’s commitment to expanding its evidence-based offerings and helping more schools connect families and classrooms.
“This leadership transition marks an exciting new phase in our growth,” said Sanjeev Midha, outgoing president and board member. “Shelly has established an impressive track record of not only developing new products and features, but also continuously improving our already best-in-class service delivery and NPS.”