Our Team is Now Your Team
Learn more about who we are, where we came from, and what excites us most about Shifting Schools.
Jeff Utecht
Big Dreamer & Founder
Jeff is an educational consultant and presenter. He began his career in the Elementary Classroom in Washington State. In 2001, he was the recipient of a Bill and Melinda Gates Grant, the Technology Leadership Program. This started his journey into the world of connecting students and using the world as his curriculum. From 2002 – 2012 Jeff taught at International Schools moving from a classroom teacher into technology roles and administrative positions. He has authored books, worked as a consultant for technology startups, and continues to speak at schools and educational events around the globe. He gave a TEDx talk at the first TEDx event in Bangkok, Thailand focused on education. In 2018, he was invited to the Global Knowledge Summit in Dubai to be part of global conversations about the future of education in this Knowledge Economy. Today, Jeff makes his home in Seattle, WA having worked with and supported over 20 1:1 deployments, both within the US and Internationally. During the COVID-19 pandemic Jeff supported the State of Washington and it’s educators in shifting through multiple school scenarios. As you can tell, Jeff brings a very global perspective to his trainings and conversations. His passion is inspiring and working long-term with schools and districts in supporting educators in prepare students for their future not our past.
Tricia Friedman
Director of Learning and Strategy
Tricia is proud to be entering into her 20th year in education. She has worked as a classroom teacher, service-learning coordinator, and as an instructional coach. She's also served as a volunteer in the Peace Corps. She loves exploring and curating conversations between educators that directly lead to change in the classroom, and in the broader 'culture of learning.' As a proud queer educator, Tricia authors the Be a Better Ally newsletter and podcast to continue the dialogue about what an LGBTQ+ inclusive school might be.
Sagheer Muhammad
Podcast Producer
Hailing from the North of Pakistan, Sagheer is a passionate musician and multi-instrumentalist, skilled in playing more than five indigenous instruments. His deep love for music is what drives his commitment to enhancing audio quality and delivering polished podcast productions. As a podcast producer, he specialize in bringing stories to life through impactful sound design and seamless editing, helping podcasts like Shifting Schools engage and grow their audience. He also focus on expanding reach across platforms like YouTube and social media.
You can check out more of my work and connect with me here:
Portfolio: Portfolio - Podcast Producer - Sagheer
Chrissy Hellyer
Design & Code Magician
Based in New Zealand, Chrissy lives in Western Southland. She is a 15+ year veteran of teaching and learning with digital technology, working with students and teachers around New Zealand, the US, and International Schools in Asia. Elementary trained, Chrissy has been a classroom teacher in Grades 2 through to Grade 6 and worked as a Technology & Learning Coach K-12. Her Master’s Degree is in Science and Multidisciplinary Studies. Passionate supporting and engaging learners in an online environment and the potential it has for helping educators around the world develop and expand on their skills in the classroom, Chrissy has authored and facilitated many online learning pathways & co-authored a book with Jeff.