Dean Elson

As Head of Program & Impact at Jumpstart Kids, a national nonprofit that has spent over 30 years closing the literacy gap for preschoolers through play-based Learning Conversations, Dean leads program vision and impact strategy to drive scale and enhance impact across diverse settings. He leads the Program & Impact Team's work on program design and scaling, service delivery and partner experience, and innovation and future readiness, while also contributing to organizational strategy, financial sustainability, and culture as a member of Jumpstart's leadership team.

Previously, as Chief Knowledge Officer at Reading Partners, Dean guided student assessment, curriculum, program development, and evidence-based practices, including the design and oversight of pilot programs and evaluation studies. He oversaw the development and implementation of Reading Partners Connects, the organization's online tutoring program platform. He is committed to improving the lives of children in families experiencing economic hardship and who face inequitable access to high-quality education. Earlier in his career, Dean held various roles in nonprofit leadership, program development and evaluation, and K-12 data analysis and policy. He is also a Board member of the Omni Institute in Denver.