Traveling on the I-75 South outside of Atlanta,Georgia, Kenda had an epiphany: she wanted to pursue psychology, but from an optimistic lens. She had a deep desire to better understand the human experience and why people behave the way they do. She researched graduate school programs and discovered a positive psychology program at Life University in Marietta, Georgia still open for enrollment. Kenda applied and was accepted. Everything fell into place.
Kenda’s curiosity is innate. She’s always been the person to lean in, ask questions, and wonder why things are happening the way they are. She doesn’t accept what’s being presented to her at face value; she thinks about things deeply and thoroughly.
As someone who comes from humble beginnings, Kenda’s journey of curiosity has put her “on a trajectory to live the well-balanced life I’m living today,” she said.
“The questions that I’ve asked have led me to lead a life that is full of so much abundance, joy, love, and laughter.”
After teaching science and math, primarily in 5th grade, with Teach for America in Atlanta Public Schools, Kenda wanted to deliver more to student outcomes on a larger scale. So, she pursued opportunities in EdTech because, this way, she felt she could “influence what is in front of students in a more direct way.”
Kenda launched her EdTech career working for a company that creates math and reading assessments and curriculum. From there, she transitioned to an education nonprofit organization. When that organization sunsetted and merged with another company, the original organization’s mission that appealed to Kenda was no longer in operation. This led her to Goalbook.
In this Q&A, Kenda shares her love for math, how she problem-solves through a mathematical lens, and how that mindset has helped in her role at Goalbook.
1. What inspired you to go into education?
I think the inspiration to be a teacher came from the teachers that I had from K–12. There were some really dedicated teachers that cared about my well-being and learning outcomes.
But I believe my passion for teaching, coaching, and leading was cultivated by my pre-calculus teacher, Mr. Todd, at Pelham High School. He ignited my creative capacity and critical thinking skills, inspiring me to develop the skills to teach, coach, and lead others and teams.
I remember one day I was sitting at my desk, at the front of the row, with my math binder opened to a fresh sheet of paper, and my yellow #2 pencil freshly sharpened—ready to learn a new concept. Mr. Todd was introducing a new standard that day, and I asked, “What’s the point of math? Why do we have to learn this?”
His response was that math isn’t just about computing, but “to increase your ability to think critically.” For me, this was a profound statement that expanded my capacity to think differently about calculus. This really expanded my thinking. I learned that you can take anything about life, and math gives you the access to think deeper and more expansively about what the problem you’re currently facing may be.
That quote has stuck with me for decades, and I found myself sharing this quote with my 5th-grade scholars when I taught math at Atlanta Public Schools. The way Mr. Todd taught such complicated concepts and scaffolded them to fit my learning needs inspired me to pursue a career that would allow me to do the same for others. Still to this day, whenever I’m faced with a problem, I approach it from a mathematical lens, considering there are multiple ways to solve the problem.
I was attracted to Goalbook’s mission because we’re equipping teachers with what they need to ensure that all students are successful.
2. What attracted you to Goalbook’s mission?
I thought about my experience in the classroom, teaching my students, and understanding that if all students had different levels of access, then their trajectory would be upwards.
As someone who worked in the Atlanta Public School system, I am passionate about helping all students succeed. I worked in inner city schools, and so much of the student population came from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. I believe that education is a path to elevating your socioeconomic status.
I was attracted to Goalbook’s mission because we’re equipping teachers with what they need to ensure that all students are successful. It’s what I did as a teacher, and what I indirectly do now since I’m working in EdTech.
3. What does your day-to-day look like?
My day-to-day involves a mix of team support, collaboration, and problem-solving. I start by meeting with my direct reports to check in, help remove roadblocks, and provide coaching focused on their growth and development. I also partner cross-functionally with teams across Engineering, Success, and Partnerships to strategize and tackle challenges together.
A big part of my role is project managing the Automated Provisioning (API-based) and Single Sign-On (SSO) initiatives, as well as training the Support team on SSO and Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools. I also work directly with district partners to ensure their API integrations run smoothly, troubleshoot issues, and help educators gain seamless access to Goalbook Toolkit. In addition, I collaborate closely with the Support leadership team to identify opportunities for innovation and improvement within the Support department.
There is a lot of data and account management on the user provisioning level. The goal is to create easier access for educators to Goalbook Toolkit.
4. In your eyes, how does your work support Goalbook’s mission?
My ethos is to positively impact student-level outcomes, whether directly or indirectly.
As a former teacher, I directly contributed to student-level outcomes and provided differentiated instruction so that all of my students had access to standards-aligned instruction. I also understand how time is so precious. You’re back-to-back with your classes. You may have 30 minutes for a lunch break. Time is so important when you’re a teacher and have dozens of students.
As an EdTech leader, I’ve developed technical acumen to provide high-quality support to educators, enabling them to access resources that help them transform instruction so that all students succeed.
I believe that in my role, and the role of the Support team at Goalbook, setting up auto provisioning for our district partners helps support our mission. Educators are able to easily access a resource right at their fingertips so that they can better serve the students with their instructional practice. That also gives teachers some of their time back.
Having this small group of folks that I can connect with about work or personal connections goes a long way. It’s made me feel more a part of the soul of Goalbook.
5. Outside of your role, what are one or two things you love here?
I love the cross-team relationships I’ve built with the “Atlanta Influences Everything” group. This is a geographic group of Goalbook Atlantans. We meet in person monthly at SwitchYards, a co-working space, to work and catch up on both work and personal things. This year, we’re also having a holiday brunch together.
I love building community within the company. I really love it because I’m an extrovert, and so working remotely is sometimes very challenging for me. Having this small group of folks that I can connect with about work or personal connections goes a long way. It’s made me feel more a part of the soul of Goalbook.
I also want to highlight the Team Weeks. I love being around people and socializing. I get so much energy from them.
6. Which team activity has been your favorite?
Probably the escape room at the Mall of America that several members of the Partnerships, Support, and Operations teams participated in during the Summer Team Week 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was a group of seven of us working together to solve a challenging escape room and find hidden treasure.
The experience was team collaboration in action: everyone contributed to the team’s overall goal, which ultimately led to the team’s success. There wasn’t a single leader; rather, co-leaders each played their part and co-created a positive and encouraging environment.
This 60-minute experience was my favorite team activity because it exemplified what I most desire for my team. It was not easy at all, but it showed that when you have good spirits, good camaraderie, and you’re acknowledging and recognizing one another, you can get a lot of things done. We finished the escape room in record time, and we did it with tons of enthusiasm, encouragement, and laughter.
I think the experience will stick with me forever because every time someone found a clue, we were hopping up and down. That clue then connected to another clue that someone else found, and we were so excited every single time.
7. What are you reading/watching/listening to right now?
Listening to: I love podcasts. One of the things that I’m developing is my communication and speaking skills. I love the podcast called Think Fast, Talk Smart by Matt Abrahams, a lecturer of Strategic Communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. It’s a short podcast, so you can listen to it when you’re taking a quick walk, like walking your dog or something like that.
I’m also listening to She’s So Lucky, hosted by Les Alfred. I absolutely love Les. It reminds me to appreciate where I am.
I’m also listening to the audiobook called Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Roy McMillan, and Al Switzler.
Reading: The book Positive Psychology Coaching is on my desk all the time. I pull in a lot of positive psychology research and coaching for my team.
Watching: Abbott Elementary.
8. Early bird or night owl?
Early bird all day. I cannot stay up past 10:00 pm.
