About Us & Contact
Our Mission
To empower diverse learners and educators with rigorous, hands-on STEM learning and innovative energy technology experiences that connect classrooms to real-world careers to develop the next generation of energy leaders.
Our Vision
A future where every school can harness industry-grade STEM and cutting-edge energy learning to prepare students to imagine, design, and lead tomorrow’s energy and technology systems.
NYAS Certification
The STEM Education Framework from The New York Academy of Sciences establishes a standard for STEM teaching based on the latest science and education research. Our materials meet the rigorous standards of the Framework, receiving official STEM Certification.
Our Values
Real-World Authenticity
Teacher-Centered Design
Equity & Access
Community Impact
VoltED Leadership Team
Our leadership team combines deep ORT-system experience, STEM and energy expertise, and decades of work across K–adult learning, high-tech engineering, and education technology.
Dr. David Kanani
CEO
An engineer and scientist with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University, president of Bramson ORT College and Los Angeles ORT College, and a subject-matter expert in photovoltaic system design and STEM program development. He guides VoltED’s technical vision and ensures our programs align with real-world energy and engineering standards.
Annie Burnett
Chief Growth and Sustainability Officer
An education leader with several advanced degrees and three decades of experience across K–adult STEM learning in formal and informal ecosystems, including leadership roles at public, private, and charter schools in addition to senior leadership roles at renowned science and technology organizations. She leads program design, partnerships, and storytelling so that VoltED’s curricula, platforms, and school partnerships are coherent, scalable, and impact driven.
Irit Tzemah
Head of STEM Learning
A former senior design engineer at ASML, bringing advanced semiconductor and photolithography experience into classroom-ready learning at VoltED. She has taught physics, electronics, and applied STEM at the high school and college levels, mentored US ORT high school teachers nationwide, and helped design virtual competitions and online professional development for STEM educators.
Reza Berenjforoosh Azar
Chief Technology Officer
Leads VoltED’s end-to-end digital and edtech infrastructure, translating complex engineering and renewable energy systems into scalable, student-ready learning platforms. Brings decades of IT leadership experience to ensure VoltED’s mini-grid simulations, learning tools, and data systems are secure, reliable, and designed for real-world impact.
Our History
The ORT educational legacy began in 1880 in Saint Petersburg, Tsarist Russia, as an initiative to provide vocational and technical education to impoverished Jewish communities. Over time, ORT expanded internationally, becoming World ORT, a global education network active in more than 100 countries, while broadening its focus from skilled trades to technical, STEM, and workforce education.
In the United States, American ORT was established in 1922, followed by Women’s American ORT in 1927, which grew into the largest ORT affiliate and a major supporter of World ORT’s global mission. During World War II, these organizations jointly founded Bramson ORT in New York to serve refugees and immigrants. Bramson ORT evolved from emergency workshops into a postsecondary technical college serving New York communities.
US ORT Operation was formed in 1983 to manage curriculum and administrative support for ORT-affiliated programs nationwide. In 1985, Los Angeles ORT College (LAORT) opened to meet rising demand for advanced technology education, particularly among immigrant populations. In 2007, American ORT and Women’s American ORT merged to form ORT America, now the primary U.S. fundraising arm for World ORT.
VoltED emerged out of the ORT educational ecosystem, specifically rooted in the Bramson ORT and LAORT traditions. Our inspired position continues their values and pedagogy into a contemporary, independent educational initiative. Our team’s experience in these ORT-founded programs informs VoltED’s contemporary focus on STEM, IT, and teacher training.
