Meilan Akaka Manfre grew up in Hawai‘i and began her education career in 2008 as a Teach For America corps member and special educator at James Campbell High School. While teaching, she became department head of the school's special education department, the largest in the state.

Teach For America alum Leon Chan applied for the organization after learning about the need for teachers with a STEM background.

Phillip Hon currently serves as the dean of culture at Yu Ming Charter School in Oakland, California. As a UnifED fellow, he is working in partnership with the Diverse Charter School Coalition to pursue his dream of starting an intentionally diverse school with a focus on pluralism.