Meet our team
KATE DAO
Parent & Founder
Kate is a lifelong learner. She believes children should have the freedom to explore their natural curiosity and creativity. When this happens, children are happy. They are self-motivated because learning becomes a joy. Kate founded Acton Academy East Bay to create a space for students to experience an education that encourages critical thinking, imagination, creativity, and exploration. Her mission is to allow all students to test their ideas to discover how and why things work and to find answers to their questions in a caring and nurturing environment.
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For over 18 years, Kate has worked as an educator developing individualized programs for K-12 students that emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving. Her work has helped countless students succeed academically and realize their full potential.
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Kate lives with her family in Pleasanton, California. She likes to read, hike, and enjoy good food with friends and family.
MARGARET SMITH
Guide
Born and raised in Clarksville, Tennessee, Margaret loves to hike and explore the outdoors. She received her biology degree from Florida State University studying sea slugs & more in the Gulf of Mexico. While attending university, Margaret began her journey as a young learner's educator at Ann's Preschool & Kindergarten.
Since moving to California in December 2023, Margaret has worked in a variety of educational roles as a nanny, an after school teacher, and a nature camp director. Her experiences led her to discover a desire to be a cornerstone in childhood outdoor education, leading young learners to a life of loving to learn, and showing them educational opportunities at every turn.
She is excited to begin a career with Acton Academy as it ties similarly with her educational path as a little girl. Margaret was homeschooled for the first 9 years of her education, learning through programs such as Khan Academy and other resources that encouraged independent learning. In her free time, you'll find Margaret camping, doing trivia and identifying California wildlife.
MICHELLE AZARIE
Guide
Michelle earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, Sacramento, specializing in Applied Behavioral Analysis. Driven by a profound passion for helping others, She is dedicated to empowering individuals to improve themselves through guidance, modeling, and motivation.
With three years of experience teaching in a traditional school setting, she recognizes that every individual has a unique learning style. She believes in celebrating strengths and supporting the development of areas that need growth. This belief fuels her excitement to be part of Acton Academy, where she is equipped with the tools to help each child realize their full potential.
As a mother of two boys, Michelle deeply understands the desire for better educational alternatives and shares the concerns of parents seeking the best for their children.
Outside of her professional life, she prioritizes staying active and fit. She enjoys taking her boys on long bike rides, frequenting the gym, and exploring nature on mountain hiking trails.
JULIE BENGE
Guide
Julie graduated from California State University East Bay with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. She also has her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from University of Phoenix. Her desire to inspire students through teaching comes from her own core values that learning and growth should be continual and fundamental aspects of life.
Growing up with parents that were also teachers who deeply value education, as well as an older sister who exposed her to studying Psychology at a young age, she has been on a journey herself to find her niche in the world of teaching and inspiring learning.
Previously having taught and worked with children in various capacities, Julie has been able to expand her own views around teaching and seeks to continue to grow in her abilities as an educator. In her free time, she may be found reading, writing, drawing, going on walks, or exploring new places with her husband.
PREZLEIGH COLBURN
Music Guide
Prezleigh Colburn has been a lover of music her entire life. Having been a professional musician for the past 10 years she views music as a language and hopes to instill a love and passion for music before anything else. She has studied at Berklee College of Music and obtained a B. M. in Commercial Music from Azusa Pacific University. There she focused heavily on classical guitar and audio engineering. She has gotten to mix and master large sound libraries, video game scores, and many live shows. Since moving back to the Bay Area she has been running her private studio with her husband called Good Vibes Music Academy where they both teach music lessons and record students of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. When she's not playing or writing she loves all of her animals (Guinea pigs, hamster, hedgehog, bearded dragon, dogs), beekeeping and mountain biking. Above all, she cherishes life with her incredible husband Joshua and two kids Jack (12) and Henry (10).
KAYLEE HERRERA
Instructional Design and Curriculum Advisor
Kaylee graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. She is currently working toward obtaining her Master's Degree in Instructional Design. Her continuous excitement for learning motivated her to focus her future on helping students discover the same passions in education. Kaylee is an advocate for the individual student; she understands that students may learn differently. She holds communication as a top priority when helping students achieve their goals.
In her free time, you can find Kaylee exploring local backpacking trails, completing DIY projects, and cooking in her kitchen. Kaylee often spends her weekends playing with her daughter and two dogs.
Our Advisors
LAURA SANDEFER
Advisor
Laura lived on both US coasts and in between as a child, then settled into Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies in the College of Arts and Science.
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After being awarded the highly competitive Walter Wattles Fellowship at Lloyd’s of London, Laura worked in the aviation insurance industry in New York City. Deciding to follow her calling into the world of education, Laura returned to Nashville and earned her Master of Education at Peabody College. This led her to her work at the Oklahoma Arts Institute, creating fine arts education programs for teachers and talented high school students.
Laura married Jeff Sandefer and is the happy mother of Sam and Charlie and step-mother to Taite. It is the inspiration of these children that led Laura and Jeff to co-found Acton Academy.
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Her greatest hero is her mother who was a Master Teacher. Her wisest mentor is her father who sent her off to college with two words of advice: "Be curious".
JEFF SANDEFER
Advisor
Jeff Sandefer lives a dual life as an entrepreneur and a Socratic Guide.
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As an entrepreneur, he founded his first company at age 16 and went on to found or co-found seven successful businesses.
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As a Socratic teacher at the University of Texas, Jeff's students five times voted him the school's Outstanding Teacher and Businessweek named him one of the top Entrepreneurship professors in America. Jeff went on to co-found the Acton School of Business, an MBA program perennially ranked by the Princeton Review among the best in the nation. In 2012 The Economist honored him as one of the top fifteen Business School professors in the world.
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Jeff is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, where he served for over twenty years on the school's governing committees. He was a longtime director of the Philanthropy Roundtable and National Review magazine and one of the youngest members ever elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame.