Our Team

To meet the changes in the education market, we've transitioned to a dynamic, on-demand staffing model that allows us to scale our production capacity precisely to match customer needs. This shift means we now bring in our specialized team members specifically when large orders are placed. 

This change moves us towards a more collaborative forecasting approach. The more advance notice you can provide (ideally 4-8 weeks for larger orders), the more seamlessly we can align our production schedule with your timeline. 

Julia Volkman, Founder/President

Julia has been teaching children and mentoring teachers in private and public schools since 1997. She is a Faculty member of the Brain Health Initiative, a guest lecturer for Harvard University's Neuroscience of Learning course, an educational researcher affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and a teacher mentor consulting with public and private schools across the nation. 

Julia earned her Master’s degree from Harvard University and her AMI 3 to 6+ diploma from the Montreal Montessori Training Centre (a bilingual program). Her graduate research on early literacy won the Harvard Dean’s prize for outstanding research. Her work focuses on transforming education into a transdisciplinary, scientific pedagogy grounded in mind, brain, and education. 

Among other things, Julia has been the teacher’s representative to the Advisory Panel for the Annenberg Foundation's course Neuroscience & the Classroom (developed in conjunction with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), a literacy consultant for Bezos Academy, the founding teacher trainer and primary consultant for the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS), and a columnist for the Public School Montessorian (now Montessori Public).

Ms. Volkman regularly speaks at conferences and schools around the world and has offered keynotes across the US as well as in Spain, Poland, Canada, and Japan. If you would like information on inviting Ms. Volkman to speak at your event, contact us.

Veronica Burbano, Teacher Mentor

Veronica has over 16 years of experience as an educator. After taking her Montessori training in 2012, Veronica established the bilingual Casa de Niños program at the Amherst Montessori School where she worked for over 10 years. Veronica currently serves as an AMI Primary Trainer at the Montessori Training Center of the Northeast in Hartford, CT (MTCNE). She has also offered consultation services to new guides at the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS) and the Cambridge Montessori Institute (CMI).

Veronica has a strong passion for social-emotional development and is currently working on an AMI research paper titled, “How the Brain Supports the Integration of Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Development in Early Childhood and its Relation to Dr. Montessori’s Theory of Social Development in Children.” Veronica enjoys beekeeping with her husband and cooking with her two children. She also enjoys swimming, gardening, hiking, snorkeling, and frequent trips to her native country of Ecuador to spend time with extended family.

Listen to Veronica's podcast with the Greenspring Center for Lifelong Learning.

Ken Archer, Partnership Development/CMO 

Ken is a versatile marketing executive with over 20 years of experience spanning education, consumer, and the technology industries. His expertise includes strategic marketing leadership, marketing, and sales operations. Throughout his career, working both independently and at Big 4 consultancies, he has overseen high-profile and partnership-based campaigns incorporating leading messaging practices, implementing supportive technology and AI to drive results for organizations of every size. His expertise includes account-based marketing, content strategy, sales/marketing team development, with an extensive record in crafting compelling narratives across the full range of multimedia. Holding advanced degrees from the London School of Economics, Trinity University, and international studies in Japan, Ken is also a long-running tutor for those who have fallen behind in educational performance.

Kim Whitaker, Production Director

Kim is Maitri's lead teacher/maker with over a decade of teaching, education, and research experience. She has taught in both public and private schools in special education and general elementary education. While she was teaching, she worked on the Harvard Early Learning research study as a data collector and assessor. Her experience in education makes her particularly skilled at supporting customers and aiding in the design of Maitri products. Kim also has many years of experience in managing others and has an unique ability for bringing out the best in her team.