Meet the Founder

Founder & CEO, Shiftra
Harvard Doctoral Candidate | Former Principal | Equity-Centered Systems Strategist

Tommy Gonzalez is a nationally recognized strategist, former public school principal, and equity architect with over a decade of experience transforming schools and systems to deliver breakthrough results, especially for historically underserved communities.

As principal of a high-performing public high school in California, Tommy led one of the most ambitious school turnarounds in the state, raising college and career readiness, literacy rates, and progress for multilingual learners (MLLs) by double digits. Under his leadership, the school became a proof point for systemic equity gains and a model for what is possible when vision, coherence, and deep instructional leadership align.

Tommy holds a double B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master of Arts in Public School Building Leadership from Columbia University, where he graduated with distinction. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) at Harvard University, where his research explores adaptive change, liberatory design, and systems thinking as levers for institutional transformation.

He has served as a featured speaker at statewide conferences, a trusted advisor to public education leaders across California, and a thought partner to mission-driven organizations shaping the future of learning.

Through Shiftra, Tommy partners with school systems, nonprofits, foundations, and civic organizations to bridge the gap between bold vision and lasting impact, blending data, strategy, and equity-centered design to shift outcomes at scale.

“Education is not just preparation—it is liberation.”
— Tommy Gonzalez

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Vision

We envision a future where learning ecosystems adapt, uplift, and liberate—where equity is intentional, brilliance is nurtured, and every person is seen in full.

Mission

Shiftra equips equity-driven leaders in schools, organizations, and systems to design and scale liberated, data-driven learning ecosystems that cultivate brilliance, redesign institutions, and honor every learner’s humanity.

Through adaptive strategy, research-aligned instruction, and culturally affirming leadership development, we help partners:

  • Build instructional ecosystems grounded in mastery, equity, and identity

  • Implement data-informed diagnostics that surface root causes and shift adult mindsets

  • Lead adaptive change that transforms culture, capacity, and outcomes

  • Design project-based, postsecondary-aligned pathways that unlock student potential

Grounded in adaptive leadership theory and systems thinking, Shiftra develops leaders who do more than merely respond to change. They shape it to shift outcomes!

Our Core Values and Commitments

Our Core Values and Commitments

Collaboration Nerds. We build with, not for.
We believe in co-designing with the people closest to the challenge—students, families, educators, and community organizers. Our work is relational, not transactional.

Student Centered. Students are policy and program architects.
We center student voice as a principle. Shiftra actively includes youth in strategic planning, leadership design, and systems transformation. We believe young people are not preparing to lead—they are leading right now.

Data Nerds. Quantitative and Qualitative with soul.
We believe data must be used to illuminate, not intimidate. At Shiftra, we approach metrics with humility and curiosity. We combine sharp analytics with deep context to surface the stories systems often miss. We disaggregate with purpose, track what matters, and turn insight into action.

Liberation. We facilitate transformation, not compliance.
Our work is not about checking boxes. It is about shifting power. We design processes that interrupt inequity, awaken clarity, and re-engineer institutions to serve the full humanity of every learner, educator, and leader. Liberation is the standard.

Results-Driven. We measure transformation.
At Shiftra, results are not about checking boxes. They are about shifting what matters. We define success by clarity gained, systems changed, and lives impacted. Every engagement is outcomes-driven, process-oriented, custom-aligned, and designed to move the needle toward equity, coherence, and excellence.