About Us & Contact
Our Mission
As a non-profit organization, we want to empower diverse learners and instructors 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 learners 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.
POWERED BY OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH RENOGY
Renogy Partnership
VoltED partners with Renogy to strengthen hands‑on solar and energy learning through real‑world technology, materials, and implementation support. Powered by our partnership with Renogy, educators and students connect classroom concepts to practical off‑grid energy systems and authentic STEM applications.
Our Values
Real-World Authenticity
Instructor-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.
Kelli Holubeck
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
An education and nonprofit leader with more than a decade of experience designing impactful learning experiences for both youth and adult learners. Her work spans curriculum development, educator training, and educational technology, with a focus on hands-on, project-based learning that connects knowledge to real-world application. With her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction, she is passionate about empowering learners through transformative learning experiences to solve meaningful challenges, think creatively, and develop the skills needed to make a positive difference in the world.
Reza Berenjforoosh Azar
Chief Technology Officer
With more than two decades of IT leadership experience, he leads VoltED’s technology strategy, digital infrastructure, and platform development. He drives the design of secure, scalable systems that translate complex engineering and renewable energy concepts into student-ready digital learning experiences. From simulations and learning tools to operational systems and data infrastructure, he ensures VoltED’s technology ecosystem is reliable, forward-looking, and built for real-world educational impact.
Suzy Robins
Director of Strategic Partnerships
With more than a decade of experience in strategic partnerships, fundraising, and educational consulting, she helps schools, districts, nonprofits, and education-focused organizations achieve sustainable growth and student-centered outcomes. Her strong background in K–12 education, professional development, strategic partnerships, and relationship management enables her to lead impactful state and district initiatives, secure funding opportunities, and foster collaborative solutions that drive meaningful results. Passionate about connecting people, ideas, and resources, she is committed to creating lasting opportunities that strengthen communities and support student success.
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 instructor training.
