Vidya Sundaram
Co-founder & CEO
Family Engagement Lab
San Francisco, CA USA
“If you really want to get involved in family engagement, it’s so important to connect with lots of families. It will change you forever. It changed me.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationVidya Sundaram
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
As a child, I was inspired by the social and ethical aspects of my father’s work as a civil engineer and decided that I wanted to go into engineering as well.
I initially went to school for software engineering but realized that it was missing the specific ethical aspect I was looking for.
After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, I knew I wanted to further my education in order to influence society in a different way.
I went to UCLA and did a dual master’s program in business and public policy.
The program gave me a good foundation in learning how business operates in the context of policy and how nonprofit organizations can support innovation at the intersection of business and policy.
After graduating, I spent a good portion of my career with Great Schools, where I gained a lot of experience in family engagement.
I saw that there’s a great need for more focus on family engagement, so I co-founded Family Engagement Lab to help bridge classroom curriculum and at-home learning.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Graduate
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
UCLA
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
UCLA
Graduate
Education Policy
UCLA
Education Policy
UCLA
Career
Co-founder & CEO
I lead an organization that aims to improve student outcomes in low-income and linguistically diverse communities.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Non-Profit Organizations
Helping People
Day to Day
I spend most days collaborating with my colleagues on many different types of projects, all related to improving family engagement in learning. We spend time together setting goals and planning how we will meet them. I also devote time to learning from peers and experts outside of Family Engagement Lab through one-on-one conversations, webinars, articles, and research papers.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
I'd first recommend getting a teaching credential and working in the classroom. Then, if you want to get involved with family engagement, start connecting with the families all around you. Ask the families you connect with what their hopes and dreams are for their children.
