Our Company
Empowering publishers and content creators through modular digital learning tools and blended educational resources
panOpen Education is a learning platform and services company for educational publishers. At a time of increasing consolidation in the marketplace, panOpen Education helps publishers remain independent by delivering their content through a white label platform that can increase sell-through rates of current adoptions, expand opportunities for new adoptions, future-proof their learning platforms, and dramatically lower IT budgets. The platform is branded as the publisher’s own while panOpen Education provides ongoing backend support, from pre-production ingestion of content, through to onboarding and training of faculty, and customer support for all.
Our Vision
To be the best-in-class digital delivery platform that supports all content providers and creators with the industry’s most innovative, user-friendly, and adaptable technology so that educators may focus on providing unique and engaging learning experiences.
Meet the Team
Alejandro Toro
Senior Software Engineer
With more than 10 years of experience, Alejandro has worked on various projects that have helped him diversify his skill set.
Andrés Toro
Senior Software Engineer
Felipe is responsible for maintaining the platform and building new features to improve the user experience
Brian Jacobs, PhD
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Brian is an education entrepreneur who focuses on making instructional content accessible and pedagogically valuable.
Claudia Vahos
Director of Human Development
Claudia is trained as a psychologist, certified in mindfulness, and is passionate about sharing Mind-Body Balance with the team.
Daniel Santamaria
Customer Success Specialist
Daniel is dedicated to ensuring that students and faculty enjoy a seamless experience from day one.
Daniela García Marín
Customer Success Director
Daniela specializes in providing communication, assistance, and clear resolutions for all our adopters.
Diana Morales
Senior Manual Tester
Diana focuses on quality assurance practices that improve processes and user experiences.
Garrett Lang
Chief Technology Officer Consultant
Garrett has 20+ years of experience as a developer and still spends his spare time keeping his technical skills sharp.
Giovanni Vélez
Product Manager
Giovanni is passionate about IT and employee relations, and focuses on product development and team growth.
Isis Orozco
Accountant
As panOpen’s accountant for 2 years, Isis is responsible for managing the company’s financial and accounting systems.
Katrina Berg, PhD
Vice President of Operations
Katrina is responsible for overseeing operations activities and supporting team development.
Ken Brooks
Advisory Board Member
Ken is president of Treadwell Media Group, a publishing and operations consulting firm in the higher ed and trade publishing sectors.
Monica Campos
Content Coordinator
Monica helps oversee the ingestion of materials into the platform and assists in the quality assurance procedures.
Paola Picón
Learning Solutions Specialist
Paola is a highly motivated business manager with a history of building strong long-term client relationships.
Vladimir Franco
Quality Assurance and Content Manager
Vlad is responsible for managing the content processes and maintaining high-quality standards.
Board of Directors
Brian Jacobs
Board Member
Brian is the CEO and Founder of panOpen Education, a blended content learning platform and curriculum services company, and the founder of Akademos, a company that focuses on new models of distributing physical and digital course materials. Prior to education entrepreneurship, Brian was Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Government and Visiting Fellow at the Institute for German Cultural Studies, both at Cornell University. He has received fellowships from the Mellon Foundation, University of Göttingen, and Yale University. He has published various articles and essays in political theory and philosophy, including the book Essays on Kant’s Anthropology, Cambridge University Press, and articles with EdSurge and Inside Higher Ed concerning the growing market for OER. Brian earned a Bachelor’s degree with honors in English and political science at the State University of New York at Albany, and a Master’s and Doctorate in political philosophy and social theory at Cornell University.
Heather R. Parker
Board Member
Dr. Heather R. Parker is Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of History at Saint Leo University. She earned her Ph.D. in history from UCLA where she began her academic career examining interethnic political interaction in mid-20th-century Los Angeles. While she has devoted much of her recent career to administration, she continues to engage in research and is now focused on interethnic religious interaction and the political implications of these relationships in Florida. Related to this work are two ongoing projects. The first of these is her East Pasco County African American History Archive, which houses a collection of digitized images, oral histories, and data chronicling the lives and experiences of African Americans in East Pasco County, FL. The other is her Community Memory Oral History Collection and Archive in which digitized images, oral histories, and documents related to the history of Saint Leo University and its surrounding communities are housed. She has also been researching the ways in which college administrations and faculty can provide effective mentoring for both traditional and non-traditional minority students. The result of this research is the launch of the Saint Leo Minority Mentoring Project in 2018.
John Dennis
Board Member
John Dennis is a seasoned independent investor and family foundation manager who focuses on social impact ventures. For 25 years, he has worked as an international development consultant and project manager. He has worked for Asian Development Bank, Cornell University, Oxfam American, UNDP, and Worldwide Fund for Nature, in countries such as Madagascar, Sudan, Afghanistan, Belize, Thailand, and Cambodia. More recently, John led an assessment of two Pakistani universities that resulted in a large USAID grant to Faisalabad University to create the U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security in partnership with UC Davis. John’s current interests include examining how open source technology developed at Cornell University for the establishment of safe drinking water supplies can be sustainably extended to some of the poorest communities in the world. John holds a B.A. in anthropology and agriculture and a Ph.D. in developmental sociology and agronomy, both from Cornell University.
Paul Carttar
Board Member
Paul Carttar is a social impact investment pioneer with distinctive expertise in enhancing the effectiveness and impact of social-purpose organizations and scaling solutions that work. He is currently Co-Founder and Partner at International Venture Philanthropy Center. Previously, Paul served as the founding Director of the Social Innovation Fund, a priority program of the Obama Administration. As a longtime management consultant for Bain & Co., and an executive in the healthcare industry, Paul also brings considerable knowledge and expertise to for-profit business operations. Prior to the Social Innovation Fund, Paul was an executive partner with New Profit, Inc., where he worked with entrepreneurial nonprofit CEOs to build strong organizations and expand their scale and impact. Previously, he was chief program officer for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he oversaw all programs and grantmaking activities, and Executive Vice-Chancellor for External Affairs at the University of Kansas, where he led government and media relations. Paul is also a former partner and co-founder of The Bridgespan Group, where he now serves as a Senior Advisor. Paul earned a BA from the University of Kansas and an MBA from Stanford University School of Management.
Randy Shuken
Board Member
Randy Shuken is an active investor, board member, and advisor to tech companies in the areas of financial services, education, big data, and analytics. He is also Co-Founder and CEO of Quero Shoes, a disruptive online business that brings to market affordable high quality and customizable handmade shoes. Randy worked for MasterCard Worldwide for more than 25 years. He fulfilled key roles globally in marketing, general management, product development, innovation, and strategy. Reporting to the CEO, he led the crafting of MasterCard’s strategy and growth plan post-IPO in conjunction with the board and executive team. He has over 50 patents filed, and has successfully developed products and services that have received awards and reached broad commercial success globally. Randy graduated cum laude from U.C. Berkeley, with a concentration in international relations. He received an MBA from Columbia University in finance and marketing.