Chuck Melley

Managing Partner

Chuck Melley, Managing Partner, brings over two decades of executive leadership in government relations, strategic advocacy, and global market expansion to help organizations navigate today's complex political landscape while identifying pathways to sustainable growth and new revenue opportunities.

As a senior executive at both the world’s largest global education company and the largest educational nonprofit, Chuck led high-performing international teams and oversaw multimillion-dollar budgets, driving strategic initiatives that generated hundreds of millions in annual revenue. He directed government relations, media, and marketing teams across domestic and international markets; built the company’s ESG and sustainability strategy and team; and expanded access to more than 80 countries. 

Chuck's foundation in public service includes his tenure as a Presidential Appointee at the U.S. Department of Commerce, where he managed public affairs strategies for multiple federal agencies and participated in high-level trade and policy missions across four continents. His expertise spans bipartisan political environments, international regulatory frameworks, and complex cross-functional initiatives that drive both market expansion and risk mitigation.

A sought-after speaker at premier international conferences and a trusted advisor to C-suite executives and board members, Chuck has worked on five US presidential campaigns and served on multiple boards, including the Software and Information Industry Association and the United Nations Transforming Education Summit Advisory Committee.

Senior Advisor

Brandon Pinette brings over 20 years of experience in building and leading integrated public affairs campaigns designed to open up markets, influence the regulatory environment, and advance legislation at the Federal and State levels. 

With experience in stakeholder management, government relations, communications, and strategic planning, Brandon has developed strategies to help clients navigate ever-changing political and policy environments. In senior leadership roles at software and education companies, he developed federal and multi-state lobbying programs that strengthened the company's brand among policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders. His strategic programs also aligned corporate strategy across multiple states to achieve market expansion goals.

Brandon has previously worked in public relations at Pearson, the world's largest education company. He has worked on multiple successful US Senate and Gubernatorial campaigns, including helping to put Senator Tim Kaine into the Virginia Governor’s mansion in 2005. Brandon has served on several local and trade association boards, including the Software Information Industry Association (SIIA). 

A graduate of Loyola University Chicago, Brandon lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and two daughters. 

Senior Advisor

Dan Kaufman has more than two decades of mission-driven strategic communications and advocacy experience in education and workforce issues in the non-profit, for-profit and public sector. He led the Gates Foundation teams responsible for using communications and advocacy and developing policy to help strengthen U.S. education and economic mobility. 

Before coming to the foundation, he was a managing director at Finn Partners (formerly Widmeyer Communications), leading the firm’s Pre-K through 12th grade communications practice. During that time, he also served as an appointed member of the Prince George's County Board of Education, taught courses on strategic communications at The George Washington University and education policy at American University, and authored a bi-monthly column on strategic communications for American School Board Journal, the flagship publication of the National School Boards Association. 

Previously, Dan worked in communications at the National Education Association and its Maryland affiliate, leading successful integrated campaigns around reforming the No Child Left Behind Act, increasing school funding and boosting teacher pensions, and at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, where he focused on federal and state policy around education, health care, tax reform, and Social Security. 

Dan’s professional experience in education began as a bilingual/ESL public school teacher in Atlanta, where he grew up. He has also taught college- and graduate-level courses at Georgetown University and the Catholic University of Chile, where he served as a Fulbright scholar while he was conducting his dissertation research. In the past, he also served as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow and provided communications assistance to several political campaigns.

Dan earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of California at San Diego, and B.A. in Political Science from Swarthmore College.