Small and Mid-Sized Districts
You're expected to have an AI plan, and the people who would build it are already running everything else. We bring the capacity and K–12 experience to do it with your team.
K–12 AI strategy & implementation
Every School Is Navigating AI.Few Have a Plan.We build that plan with you.
THE CHALLENGE
AI Is Moving Faster Than Schools Can
AI is moving faster than most schools, districts, and nonprofits can respond to. Some schools are banning it outright, others are adopting it without a clear policy, and many don't have visibility into what's already being used across their organization. This is the natural result of technology shifting faster than schools and districts are built to move, especially when staff, time, and budget are already stretched thin. Edtech companies face a related challenge: building for schools without always having a direct line into how those schools actually operate day to day.
Without a coordinated strategy, well-intentioned decisions made in isolation can create new problems (inconsistent policy, unmanaged risk, missed opportunity) and leave unsolved the problems AI was meant to address.
THOUGHTFUL, PRACTICAL PARTNERSHIPS
AI Strategy Built
Around Your
Organization
We help you implement AI with intention, whether that's policy, tools, or planning, built around what your stakeholders actually need. We work with schools, districts, nonprofits, and edtech companies alike, bringing the capacity and expertise to do this work well.
See our case studies →Clear Strategic Direction
Practical roadmaps grounded in your context & values
Boutique & Collaborative
No pre-set packages: we begin with your reality
Future-Ready Schools
Start small, solve real problems, build trust through results
WHO WE WORK WITH
Built for Teams Without a Deep K–12 Bench
We partner with organizations that want to get AI right and don't have a large in-house team of K–12 experienced staff to lead the work.
Charter Schools and Networks
You can move quickly and keep your community close. We help you turn that agility into a shared policy, a clear plan, and staff who feel ready.
EdTech Companies
You're building for schools without a large team of former educators. We help you understand how schools operate day to day, reach the right partners, and support them after they say yes.
WHAT WE DO
Three Areas of Work
Choose one service, a few, or a full partnership.
Strategy & Governance
AI Strategy & Direction · Strategic Planning · Leadership Advisory · Ethical Use & Policy Development · AI Steering Committee Leadership · Grant & Funding Support
Instructional Transformation
Teaching & Instructional Integration · Professional Learning · School Redesign Leadership
Operational Efficiency & Tools
Smart Technology Decisions · Operational & Back-Office Applications
OUR APPROACH
We Meet You Where You Are
Schools are encountering AI at very different stages. Some aren't sure where to start, others are beginning to engage but lack dedicated time or in-house expertise, and some are looking for clarity to guide their multi-year strategy. Our process begins with listening.
Every engagement, whichever services it includes, moves through the same three phases.
- ASSESS
Landscape Audit & Opportunity Mapping
We begin by listening: understanding your community, auditing existing tools, mapping pain points, and scanning stakeholder readiness. Every system is different, so we begin with your reality.
- DESIGN
Strategic Roadmap & Governance
We help your team move from scattered experimentation to a clear, actionable AI roadmap. We support you in prioritizing use cases, establishing governance protocols, and aligning strategy with your financial resources and staffing capacity.
- IMPLEMENT
Pilot Support & Change Management
Together, we define scope and outcomes. We support pilot design, building staff capacity, and planning for sustainability and scale with clear metrics for equity, security, and measurable impact.
OUR TEAM
Meet the People Behind the Work
We bring together deep expertise in education leadership, strategic planning, grantwriting, and education technology, united by a commitment to thoughtful, equitable AI integration.
Mariah Cone, Ed.D.
Lead Facilitator & Professional Developer
Mariah Cone is the founder of Holonomy Consulting, where she partners with K–12 schools and organizations to strengthen leadership, design innovative solutions, and facilitate transformative learning experiences. With deep expertise in adult learning theory and liberatory design, Mariah helps teams tackle complex challenges by centering those most impacted, whether students, teachers, or families, and building collaborative processes that generate lasting, equity-focused change. Described as someone who 'strikes the rare balance of being both brilliant at problem solving and adept at navigating workplace relationships,' Mariah is currently leading Value Schools' Future Ready Schools Design Team through a year-long initiative to reimagine education in an AI-infused world.
Elizabeth Zimmerman, PhD
Strategic Planning & Organizational Design
Elizabeth has extensive experience in and passion for strategic planning and implementation, organizational culture and design, and stakeholder engagement. She has provided consulting services to clients including The Colorado Department of Education, aiEDU, New York City Center, and New Schools Venture Fund. Before consulting, Elizabeth served as Senior Executive Director of Alumni Engagement at New Leaders, where she launched a new department to engage a community of nearly 3,000 alumni school and system leaders. She previously served as Chief of Staff at Educators for Excellence and began her career at Teach For America, where she taught high school and held both regional and national roles.
Carissa Holsted
Grant Strategy & Fundraising
Carissa partners with organizations to design and implement grant strategies that are both fundable and sustainable. With over 20 years of experience in grantwriting, fundraising, and organizational leadership, she supports leaders across the full grant lifecycle: from prospect research and grant calendars to budgeting, proposal development, and reporting. She served as Development Director, Chief External Affairs Officer, Chief of Staff, and Interim Executive Director at KIPP Delta Public Schools. Over the past five years, her work has supported clients in securing more than $50 million in federal and philanthropic funding.
Kate Finnefrok
Education Technology & Product Leadership
With over two decades of experience in education technology, Kate has established herself as a distinguished product leader specializing in K–12, higher education, and workforce learning. She has led product organizations at respected companies including Amplify Education and Guild Education, and developed innovative solutions for leading organizations such as the College Board, Gates Foundation, and Walton Family Foundation through her consulting work. Kate has also served on the boards of industry associations and nonprofits advocating for the advancement of education technology and effective uses of AI.
Elana Feinberg
Curriculum, Instruction & EdTech
Elana Feinberg is a school and organizational designer and coach with over 25 years of experience in education, edtech companies, nonprofits, and social enterprise organizations. She comes from a non-traditional background and spent five years in technology startups before she was an educator, which led to her deep beliefs in equity, iteration, and continuous improvement. Her work lives at the intersection of education and technology, connecting the dots and translating needs and wants, and improving outcomes for those furthest from opportunity. Elana has expertise in curriculum and instruction, project management, technology implementation, school and organizational operations, multilingual learners, social-emotional learning, and leadership coaching. Through her work with Camelback Ventures, Learn Launch, New Schools Venture Fund, and other organizations, she has designed and launched 10+ schools, and advised 10+ edtech companies.
Get in touch
Let's start a conversation
Tell us about your organization
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Prefer to talk it through?
30 minutes
No pitch, just listening and figuring out if we're a fit.
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Pick your time
See Mariah's live availability, no back and forth.
I have left every interaction with her a better leader and person.
Shyam Kumar
Former client
Prefer email? Reach Mariah at mariah@holonomyconsulting.org