A Native Hawaiian and Chinese American leader raised in Hawaiʻi, Meilan Akaka Manfre is the Executive Director of Teach For America Hawaiʻi. A 2008 corps member, she began as a special education teacher at James Campbell High School and later co-founded DreamHouse ʻEwa Beach.

Meilan spent 10 years on TFA's staff, serving as Managing Director of Regional Team Initiatives and representing Hawaiʻi on several national advisory councils. Most recently, she was Punahou School’s first full-time growth coach, launching its K–12 growth and development program, while also coaching leaders through Akaka Manfre Coaching and CoachEdPlus.

She holds degrees from Wellesley College and UH Mānoa, multiple coaching certifications, and an active Hawaiʻi teaching license. Meilan lives in Honolulu with her husband and two daughters, and enjoys reading, musical theatre, exploring, and gardening.

Teach For America alum Leon Chan applied for the organization after learning about the need for teachers with a STEM background.

Phillip Hon currently serves as the dean of culture at Yu Ming Charter School in Oakland, California. As a UnifED fellow, he is working in partnership with the Diverse Charter School Coalition to pursue his dream of starting an intentionally diverse school with a focus on pluralism.