Shaun Yoder is the managing partner of a newly-launched joint venture of the PAST Foundation and StartSOLE. Launched in January 2022, the joint venture seeks to identify, speed, and scale transformative teaching practices that fuel student academic success and workplace readiness, and leverage partnerships to inform policies at the state and national levels.

Yoder began his 22-year career as a special education teacher in rural Madison County, Ohio. His roots as a classroom teacher provided valuable perspective as he went on to staff members of the Ohio General Assembly and Ohio’s 67th Governor, Bob Taft. Yoder’s understanding of education and public policy enabled him to go on to represent the Ohio Business Roundtable on priority education issues, consult with clients across states on education, STEM, and workforce policy and practice matters, and, most recently, hold an executive leadership role as Chief Strategy Officer and Director of External Partnerships at the Ohio Department of Education.

Yoder’s passion for education can be summed up in one word: equity. The third of seven children, Yoder is a first-generation college graduate who believes that education is the great equalizer, and access to a high-quality education is a fundamental right. His passion for education was first ignited in 5th grade when his teacher, Mrs. Tammy Stalnaker, encouraged his vision by giving him the teacher preparation books she used in college.

Yoder has served as lead author and contributor to numerous publications and articles including Each Child, Our Future, Ohio’s Strategic Plan for Education: 2019-2024; STEM Road Map: A Framework for Integrated STEM Education; Seizing the Future: How Ohio’s Career and Technical Education Programs Fuse Academic Rigor and Real-World Experiences to Prepare Students for College and Work; and Standards and Accountability in Schools.

Yoder lives in Columbus and is a loyal Ohio State Buckeye football fan. When he is not spending time with his crazy niece and nephews, he enjoys exploring culinary challenges in the kitchen and traveling the globe with friends. He is a graduate of Anderson University in Anderson, IN.

Email: syoder@pastfoundation.org