The Mind Trust hires Chief Program Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, announces promotions and additional hires
Indianapolis education leaders Edward Rangel and Cody Stipes to join The Mind Trust’s executive leadership team
INDIANAPOLIS – July 23, 2026 – The Mind Trust has hired proven Indianapolis education leaders Edward Rangel as Chief Program Officer and Cody Stipes as Chief Administrative Officer. Rangel and Stipes join The Mind Trust’s executive leadership team, where they will oversee key organizational functions, ensuring strong program and financial management while advancing the organization’s growing impact across Indiana and nationally.
Additionally, The Mind Trust has promoted Alli Vanneman to Senior Director of Strategy & Data and Alexis Dunlop to Director of Finance & Operations. Bryce Fleming has been hired as Director of Talent Programs; Khalifa Karim as Manager of Connecticut Programs & School Growth; and Quinn Sholar as Manager of Community Engagement through the Orr Fellowship. Alleson Knox will join our staff in August as Director, National Partnerships. This growth reflects The Mind Trust’s expanded impact, demonstrated results, and continued trust from local and national partners.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Eddie Rangel and Cody Stipes to The Mind Trust’s executive leadership team,” said Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust. “Their talent and commitment to organizational excellence will help our team continue making a positive impact on education outcomes in Indianapolis and beyond. I’m equally proud to recognize two promotions and welcome new staff across the team who will play vital roles in advancing our mission.”
New Hires
Edward Rangel, Chief Program Officer
As Chief Program Officer, Rangel will manage several teams that lead key programs and operations, including school supports, Indy Summer Learning Labs, Indiana Learns, and organizational people development. His leadership will ensure cohesive programmatic alignment across the organization and oversee programs that support significant gains in student achievement in Indianapolis and beyond. As a member of the executive team, Rangel will serve as a key external representative of The Mind Trust both locally and nationally.
Most recently, he served as Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Adelante Schools, a K-8 innovation network charter school on the near south side of Indianapolis. During his seven years at Adelante, Rangel led his team to significantly grow student achievement and enrollment, consistently outperforming peer schools on state assessments. Adelante was also highlighted by Indiana’s Secretary of Education, Dr. Katie Jenner, for outstanding literacy practices and IREAD performance. He also served as an administrative leader and teacher in the Tindley Accelerated Schools network and in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS).
Rangel has been a strong public advocate for high-quality charter schools and sound education policy, enabling him to emerge as a well-respected leader among his peers and policymakers alike. In recognition of his outstanding leadership, Rangel was recently appointed to the board of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation.
Rangel earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Redlands, a Master of Arts in Elementary Education and Teaching from Marian University, and a Master of Education in Urban Education and Leadership from Columbia University. He is an alumnus of The Mind Trust’s Innovation School Fellowship and Relay Graduate School of Education’s National Principal Academy Fellowship.
Cody Stipes, Chief Administrative Officer
As Chief Administrative Officer, Stipes will oversee financial management, office operations, technology, and administrative human resources functions. He will manage the finance and operations teams to ensure strong fiscal practices, strengthen operational efficiency, and build systems that support long‑term organizational sustainability. As a member of the executive team, he will also work closely with The Mind Trust’s Board of Directors.
Most recently, Stipes served as Chief Executive Officer at Cold Spring School, a K-8 innovation charter school on the west side of Indianapolis, where he held multiple leadership roles over the last eight years. During his time at Cold Spring, Stipes and his team added middle school grades, increased enrollment, achieved strong academic and financial results, and secured a charter for the school to access additional autonomy and funding. Cold Spring was recently granted the ability to use the charter as an innovation school by the IPS board due to Stipes’ tireless advocacy to enact this crucial change for the school’s students.
Having also worked for KIPP Indy, Teach For America, and Tindley Accelerated Schools, Stipes is a well-respected education leader in Indianapolis. Stipes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Wabash College, a Master’s in Teaching from Marian University, a Master of Education in School Leadership from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and is pursuing a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Marian University.
Bryce Fleming, Director of Talent Programs
As Director of Talent Programs at The Mind Trust, Bryce Fleming will support the team by leading national recruitment efforts to identify and attract school founders and leaders to open and run high-quality public schools in Indiana, Connecticut, New Mexico, South Carolina, and beyond. As The Mind Trust expands its reach across the country, Fleming’s work is central to ensuring that growth is led by visionary educators capable of building schools that transform students’ lives.
Fleming brings extensive experience in talent acquisition and recruitment strategy from his time at Democracy Prep Public Schools, where he helped position the organization among the top-ranked schools nationally on Glassdoor. Before moving into talent acquisition, he spent three years as a middle school math teacher at KIPP Public Schools, Achievement First Public Schools, and Latin Grammar School. Fleming holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy from Georgia State University and a Master of Public Administration from Kennesaw State University.
Alleson Knox, Director, National Partnerships
As Director, National Partnerships, Knox will support the successful delivery of projects in new service regions, such as New Mexico, South Carolina, and beyond. She will help codify and refine the organization’s approach to building and executing national partnerships, as well as support the careful exploration of new partnership opportunities. Throughout her career, she has specialized in helping education systems and communities build stronger pathways to student success through strategic planning, cross-sector collaboration, and organizational capacity building.
Most recently, Knox was the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Chicago Tech Academy. She has more than 10 years of experience leading and fostering K-12 program initiatives, including roles at Chicago Public Schools, Thrive Chicago, and LiberatED Way. Knox earned a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Howard University, a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University, and is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education Policy Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Khalifa Karim, Manager of Connecticut Programs & School Growth
As Manager of Connecticut Programs & School Growth, Khalifa Karim supports the execution of school incubation, school support, and leadership development initiatives across Connecticut and works closely with the Talent & School Growth team in Indianapolis to support team-level administration and operations.
Karim brings more than five years of experience in program operations and community engagement work across mission-driven organizations and higher education institutions. Most recently, she served as a Program Specialist at the UConn School of Business, where she built systems and processes for a new graduate program while maintaining the operations of an established one. She has also held multiple roles at Eastern Connecticut State University. Karim holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance from Eastern Connecticut State University and earned her Google Project Management Certification.
Quinn Sholar, Manager of Community Engagement
As Manager of Community Engagement, Sholar will work closely with the Community Engagement team to advance The Mind Trust’s outreach efforts across Indianapolis, supporting enrollment campaigns, serving as a connector between schools and community-based organizations, and helping connect families to high-quality public school options.
Sholar interned with the organization last summer and is now joining the team full-time as part of the distinguished Orr Fellowship. He recently graduated with honors from Wabash College, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Art.
Promotions
Alli Vanneman, Senior Director of Strategy & Data
Alli Vanneman has been promoted to Senior Director of Strategy & Data. In this role, Vanneman will continue to lead the expansion of Summer Learning Labs with anchor partners across the state, alongside a new set of responsibilities that support The Mind Trust’s expanded national impact. She will lead new strategic partnerships to secure Charter School Program grants in other states and support opportunities to expand Summer Learning Labs outside of Indiana.
Additionally, Vanneman will take on data analysis and research responsibilities to support The Mind Trust’s policy work, ensuring critical data is analyzed to measure important organizational metrics across teams and share results with the broader community. Vanneman will continue to support The Mind Trust’s efforts related to emerging technologies and other special projects.
Alexis Dunlop, Director of Finance & Operations
Alexis Dunlop has been promoted to Director of Finance & Operations. In this expanded role, Dunlop will lead The Mind Trust’s contract process and management software, ensuring our agreements are executed efficiently and that the organization’s financial operations continue to run smoothly.
Additionally, Dunlop will oversee department budget trackers and reconciliations and manage contract payments across the organization, bringing greater structure and oversight to The Mind Trust’s financial operations as the organization continues to grow its impact locally and nationally.
To learn more about The Mind Trust’s staff, visit themindtrust.org/staff.