Here at HopSkipDrive, our mission it to create opportunity for all through mobility. To celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re sharing the stories of seven women who have made lasting contributions to educational equity through transportation solutions.
These seven women all share connections to HopSkipDrive, and we couldn’t be prouder to feature their stories.
As she reached new heights in her career, Anderson knew virtually nothing about transporting students with special needs — and she was the first to admit it. Fortunately, she was willing to put in the hard work to learn, and quickly.
When she began work as central director of transportation for Jefferson County Schools, Anderson oversaw every aspect of student transportation, not just yellow school buses. She prioritized mobility for students with special needs, those for whom English is a second language, and those experiencing homelessness.
Anderson now owns two businesses devoted to helping students thrive by ensuring they can always get to school. In particular, TM Anderson Consulting is determined to help school districts overwhelmed by inefficiencies that stand in the way of educational equity.
Read this Q&A with Teresa to learn more about her.
She now serves as president of A. Robinson Consulting, a company committed to improving access to education for everybody, all over the world. For Robinson’s insights on back to school staffing concerns in the time of COVID, trends in special education transportation and more, watch her Transportation Trailblazers video interview.
By joining HopSkipDrive’s Safety Advisory Board, Dr. Afoh-Manin helped all stakeholders prepare for the return to in-person learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Her medical expertise and commitment to supporting equitable access to education serve to ensure that all children have safe and consistent transportation to school.
Before co-founding HopSkipDrive in 2014, Joanna spent 15 years in product management, building and scaling businesses for top technology brands, including WeddingChannel, Green Dot, and YP.com. Prior to that, she spent time in investment banking and private equity.
Joanna is on the board of several industry trade associations including the Flex Association, Marketplace Collaborative, and LA-Tech.org, a nonprofit that connects LA’s tech community to talented, underrepresented individuals and drives economic opportunities and job creation for underserved LA residents. She is also an investment partner at XFactor Ventures, where she leads pre-seed and seed-stage investments in female-founded companies.
Creppy’s dedication to protecting children is significant, and she has spent years pushing both research and public health strategies to create a safer world for kids — both on the road and off.
She directed the Safe Kids Worldwide's Buckle Up program, which is considered by many to be the most complete passenger safety program for children in the world.
Robinson also serves as a spokesperson for safer transit, especially for employer- and governmental-funded transportation.
Want to learn about more amazing women who are pushing for more equity in education?
Check out this article about 10 phenomenal women in pupil transportation, featured on School Bus Fleet.