our board...
At Montessori Origins we are determined. We believe every child deserves a bright beginning and we’ve come together to make this a reality for as many children as we can reach.
board of directors
ADAM ROTELLO
FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
An Illinois native with a big heart (and nerdy brain), Adam has spent most of his career as a fixed income and commodities trader in Europe, Asia and the U.S. His background in Finance and Macro Economic Forecasting means he sleeps with one eye open assessing market trends and world events. A devoted father of three Montessori Children, Adam spends his spare time making his wife’s (big) dreams come true and building spreadsheets.
NINA ROTELLO
FOUNDER, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
The brainchild of Montessori Origins, Nina has a gift for finding unique solutions. Born in Bosnia, she is a full-time mother of three Montessori children and brings her hugely diverse background to our team. Alongside culinary diplomas and the ever-useful BA in French Literature, Nina holds an International Diploma from Sciences Po. She has worked at two of the largest law firms in the USA, volunteered for the UN, and translated cases for asylum seekers. She even makes her own Nutella. She is an unstoppable force (trust us, we’ve tried) but she always ends up making the world a better place.
LYDIA STEHLING
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
A Montessori mother, Lydia serves as the on-staff diplomat, marriage counselor and public relations maven. She draws on her PR background for large corporate clients, such as Nokia and Samsung, and a Masters degree in Public Health Education to communicate and expand MO’s mission. Growing up in Northern Ireland, the Middle East and the US, Lydia brings her wealth of international experiences to our board meetings and strategic development. And if she can’t fix it, a dram of whiskey will.
LAUREN DICKSON
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
Montessori mother, accountant, and Junior Olympics athlete, Lauren, is our all-American all-star. With a BA in Business and a 6 minute mile, she brings experience as a financial analyst for KPMG and Apple. Lauren brings a passion for charity work, particularly in childhood enrichment. She leads with reality checks and cheerleading, and always holds our toes to the bottom line. (And her advice is always gluten free).
EDWARD LOWE
BOARD DIRECTOR
Fresh from retirement as an Executive officer for a Fortune 500 company, Sandy brings grandfatherly wisdom and a lifetime of international business to our supervisory board. He spent more than 35 years working in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Northern Europe. Sandy imparts sage advice and grounded optimism, anchoring our team with his compendium of axioms.