- About Literacy Path
Meet our Team
Behind Literacy Path is a team of educators and builders who believe in the power of meaningful reading experiences.
- ABOUT US
See Literacy Path in Action
Find out how Literacy Path would work for your students and your school.
- Founders & team
The Founder
Behind Literacy Path is a team of educators and builders who believe in the power of meaningful reading experiences. Guided by research and grounded in classroom realities, we are committed to helping every student grow into a confident, motivated reader.
Ali Zari
Founder & CEO
Reading made the world bigger for Ali, and he wants to do the same for every child. He believes that being a competent and proficient reader gives a child security in adult life. That belief set him off on this journey: after two decades in technology and years inside a large ed tech company, he set out to build a tool teachers can easily use in their classroom, one that helps them see not only how their students read but how their students feel about reading. If Literacy Path gets that right, it will send a generation of kids into the world who choose books on their own, long after the bell rings.
- Put educators first in every decision
- Make reading accessible to every child, in every classroom across the country
- Grow lifelong readers, not just better test scores
Executive Team
Literacy Path is led by academic, research, and product leaders. They keep every decision honest about what teaching reading actually takes.
Masud Zari
Co-Founder & CTO
Masud believes the key to understanding the world is through reading, and that every child deserves to hold that key. When kids read well, they grow into adults who can think critically and thoughtfully navigate the world around them. That belief is exactly what brought him to Literacy Path.
Judy Zimmy
Chief Academic Officer (CAO)
Judy Zimmy
Chief Academic Officer (CAO)
Judy is an educational leader with more than 30 years of experience across schools, districts, universities, and national education organizations. A former principal in Dallas ISD and now Chief Academic Officer at Literacy Path, she is passionate about building high-performing teams and effective systems that honor human capacity, creating the conditions for educators and students to achieve what once seemed impossible.
Peter Afflerbach, Ph.D.
Engagement Research Advisor
Peter Afflerbach, Ph.D.
Engagement Research Advisor
Peter Afflerbach is Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park, specializing in reading comprehension, assessment, and literacy. He has served on major national literacy committees and has received distinguished honors, including induction into the International Literacy Association’s Reading Hall of Fame (2009) and recognition as a Research Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (2021).
Development & Product Design
Every feature ships with a teacher’s Tuesday morning in mind. Engineers and designers who make the platform less work, not more.
Catalin Ples
Full Stack Developer
Catalin is a Full Stack Developer with a passion for building software and learning new technologies. With a strong interest in game development, he enjoys turning ideas into fun, interactive experiences. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, photography, and gaming, striving to maintain a healthy balance between technology and a countryside lifestyle that combines his passion for innovation with a strong connection to nature.
Ionut Anghel
Full Stack Developer
Ionut started as a developer and accidentally became a professional problem collector. If a system is broken, a decision is stuck, or a team needs direction, he usually ends up involved. He builds software, makes architectural decisions, mentors people, and helps turn ideas into products. What he actually does depends on what is on fire that day.
Claudia Derevlean
Product Designer
Claudia is a Product Designer and Architect with over 10 years of experience. She is passionate about psychology, art, and people, which is why UX/UI design has been such a fulfilling career for her. She is excited to see this product come to life and help children improve their reading skills while supporting schools. Outside of work, she loves traveling, exploring new cultures, painting, reading, and spending time in nature, but she always finds her way back to technology and business.
Partnerships & Curriculum
This team brings Literacy Path to schools and shapes what students see. Real classrooms in. Real content out.
Sharee Hayes
Growth & Partnerships
Sharee Hayes is an education outreach professional with a background in K-5 education and district enades to Setor south ns that support literacy growth, student engagement, and intervention efforts. At Literacy Path, she focuses on building partnerships and helping schools explore innovative approaches to improving reading outcomes.
Cecilia Diaz
Spanish Curriculum
Cecilia is a bilingual educator who loves to teach and create educational content for people of all ages in multicultural environments. She also enjoys fitness and teaches barre and pilates classes. Outside of work, she loves traveling and exploring new places, and she is a huge sports fan, especially of the Green Bay Packers.
Collene Underwood
English Curriculum
Collene Underwood
English Curriculum
Collene is a middle school educator with a Bachelor of Education who is passionate about creating engaging, meaningful learning experiences. She enjoys helping students build confidence and curiosity while making learning accessible for all. Outside of teaching, you’ll find her at the beach, in a ceramics class, or reading, especially The Hidden Life of Trees. She believes lifelong learning, creativity, and strong relationships are at the heart of education and personal growth.
Want to talk to our team?
Reach out and learn how Literacy Path can support your school or district.
