Vanessa Kranwinkel

Vanessa was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to New York City at an early age, inspired by the city’s opportunities. Her mother, a former educator, sparked a passion for education that helped Vanessa embrace learning a new language.

Vanessa earned a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and Women and Gender Studies from the College of the Holy Cross and began her career as a first-grade teacher in the South Bronx through Teach for America. As a teacher, Vanessa truly enjoyed teaching her students using the “Socratic Method” by engaging in shared dialogue, posing questions, and allowing them to feel ownership and excitement in their learning.

While teaching, she earned a Master’s in Childhood Education from Fordham University. Her classroom experiences led her to join Educators for Excellence to ensure teachers have a voice in educational policies. Vanessa believes in the power of collective teacher advocacy to create equitable and positive learning environment for students to succeed. Before joining E4E as Regional Development Manager, Vanessa was a Senior Project Manager at a research center’s Development department and a Development Manager at PowerMyLearning, managing fundraising, events, and gift tracking. Her work at E4E is driven by her commitment to teacher-led change in education.