Sean Vereen, Ed.D., is the President of Steppingstone Scholars, Inc. For two decades, Steppingstone has worked with families, students, partner schools, universities, and sister nonprofits to create pathways for educationally underserved students to college and the workforce in the Philadelphia region. Under Dr. Vereen leadership Steppingstone has launched a number of innovative programs and strategic partnerships that have increased the organization impact and scope. Steppingstone now serves 2,000 students (300% increase over his tenure) and has grown Its budget from $1.2 million to $2.9 million, supporting 24 full-time staff members and 100 part-time. Steppingstone’s goal is to be Philadelphia’s first K – College/Workforce pathway initiative that will increase college graduation and the employment opportunities of youth in Philadelphia.

Sean is the Vice Chair of the Mayor’s Education Nominating Panel that nominates members for the School District of Philadelphia’s Board of Education, board member of the Philadelphia School Partnership which is focused on increasing high performing school options for students in Philadelphia, and member of Johns Hopkins Access Advisory Board, a national advisory board working with John Hopkins Undergraduate Admissions Office to support their efforts to realize the goals of Michael Bloomberg’s $1.8 billion gift to Hopkins to increase the population of low-income and first generation students. He is a co-instructor of an open online course created in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania focused on first generation college applicants called How to Apply to College on the Coursera platform with 18,000 enrolled learners from around the world. He is a lecturer in the Higher Education Division at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Vereen received his Ed.D. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education in 2005. His research focused on how leaders of minority focused resource centers navigate a complex higher ed institution. He is a guest lecturer on issues of social and educational mobility and inequality, narrowing the achievement/service gaps for educationally underserved students, and how to diversify educational institutions.