FOUNDER | PRESIDENT

Dr. Tracy White is a national keynote speaker, and an educational change agent dedicated to creating equitable learning opportunities for over 30 years. With decades of experience in curriculum development, professional development, and strategic planning and leadership, she has spearheaded local and state-wide initiatives that drive deep systemic change. Dr. White’s work bridges research to practice, empowering educators, families, and strategic partners to support lifelong learning for all.

VICE PRESIDENT

Stacy Bynes is a leader in marketing, media, and business development and is strongly committed to education. A graduate of the Dan Rather School of Communications at Sam Houston State University, she has held key roles at KHOU-TV, creating and managing television campaigns, and Southern Living Magazine, developing regional partnerships. Currently, she is the publisher of community magazines with Best Version Media, helping connect businesses and residents across the greater Houston MSA.

SECRETARY

Phillip Henry is a Financial Advisor at SmartWealth, a financial services firm based in Orlando, Florida. He has over 15 years of experience in the financial industry, including time as a mutual fund trader for Bank of New York Mellon. Phillip is also active in his community and serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including IDignity and Crave of Florida. Phillip is passionate about helping underserved populations and assisting those with a leg-up over a hand-out.

TREASURER

Dr. Danette Maldonado has over 30 years of education experience.  She is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. She has served as a school principal, coordinator for residential treatment centers, professional school counselor, school district director of the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Department, and school director of multilingual programs.

BOARD MEMBER

Stephen Mehlo brings over 16 years of experience in education technology, data analytics, and consulting, with a career rooted in both classroom practice and executive leadership. His service began as a classroom math teacher and spans serving as a school board member, Professionally, Stephen has held leadership roles at Scholastic and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where he built and scaled data systems, dashboards, and business intelligence services to support school districts and state education agencies nationwide.

BOARD MEMBER

Daphne Bernicker is the founder of Bernicker Leadership Advisory, where she works with founders, CEOs, and C-suite executives navigating the leadership challenges of rapid growth.

A former CFO with experience in capital markets and board governance, she brings financial rigor and executive perspective to every engagement. She is an ICF Professional Certified Coach, holds an MBA from Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business, and has worked with innovative leaders of rapidly scaling enterprises for over sixteen years.

Daphne joins the Upstream Education board because she believes the most important work any leader can do is leave things better than they found them.

BOARD MEMBER

Brigitte Ruckman is a seasoned business leader and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in both corporate and small business settings. Brigitte is co-owner of Defined Renovations, and Founder of My Assistant Now. Her background includes organizational structure, operational excellence, business administration, executive support, finance, and retail management.