Details

First Name	Brandi
Last Name	Peterson
Pronouns	she/her
Name Pronunciation	BRAN-dee p EE – t er – s un
Nickname	Brandi
City and State	Portland, Oregon

Journey

I'm here because	I grew up in a small, religious community where I was unaware of the vast educational opportunities available beyond high school. Learning and education were often regarded with fear, as they could introduce ideas that didn’t align with the narrow worldview of my community. However, my parents, despite the environment, instilled in my brother and me a sense of curiosity and the importance of questioning everything. This cognitive dissonance eventually pushed me out of my small community and into college, the Peace Corps in Nepal, teaching English in Thailand, and pursuing graduate school in New York. In these new environments, I found that I could embrace curiosity and question systems that were harmful and rooted in fear. It was a transformative experience to finally find spaces where my inquisitiveness was not only allowed but also encouraged. This shift ignited a passion within me to create similar spaces for others, where curiosity is embraced rather than repressed. Throughout my career, I have carried this curiosity and love for questioning into all aspects of my work. I firmly believe that as adults, we have a responsibility to foster environments where students can learn, grow, and authentically show up as their complete selves. Many traditional education systems have stifled natural human learning and curiosity, but we have the power to disrupt these systems by creating spaces that enable students to thrive academically, while also cultivating critical thinking, empathy, innovation, and readiness for their diverse and ever-changing futures. Leaders in the Portico community understand that this is a moment in time when it is clear that old structures and systems are no longer serving our communities and have been harming students of color and LGBTQ students since the beginning. As the Director of Portico, I get to work with a team of folks who are passionate and committed to this work and are ready to do whatever it takes to support leaders as they create spaces where students thrive! That’s why I’m here and truly believe we can build a better future for our students.
I got here through	Curiosity has been and still is my top Life Ready skill. I constantly want to know more about the people I meet and the world around me. As a serious introvert, this skill has constantly gotten me to venture out of the comfortable environments I love. My growth both personally and professionally has come from not being able to resist finding out more about the why in each new situation I encounter.
My hope for this community	My greatest hope for leaders in the Portico community is that they feel empowered to advocate and stand alongside students and families to ensure that education is a relevant and joyful experience for every student. I hope that the feeling of empowerment comes from having a coach who knows what it is like to be their role, through the relationships they build with leaders in their Counterpart groups, and that they have the resources and tools they need to do this transformative work with their school communities.
I can support you with	I am here and ready to be supportive however is needed for our school leaders, their coaches, and the Portico staff so we can all focus on what is most important…our students!
My story	I came to Inflexion in 2010 after moving back to Oregon from New York City. There, I facilitated customized partnerships between New York City business leaders and principals to inspire innovation in public schools. I originally moved to NYC to earn my master’s degree in nonprofit management at The New School—Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy after teaching English in Thailand and doing youth development work in the Peace Corps in Nepal.

Brandi Peterson