Hi everyone,
‍
We’re Steve Mesler and Dr. Leigh Parise, the co-founders of Classroom Champions. While competing in bobsled for Team USA, Steve would visit schools to talk about the lessons and experiences that had brought him to the top of his sport. Steve's view was that if he could change one kid’s life with his experience and his stories, it would be worth it. But then Leigh asked him, what if he could make a bigger impact? What if he could be a mentor, a consistent presence in kids’ lives?

In 2009, entering Steve’s final Olympic Games where he won a gold medal, he and Leigh decided to put this idea into practice, and the first stage of Classroom Champions was born. The first mentor, Steve, and nine classrooms scattered across the United States and Canada connected monthly for consistent mentorship. Since then, Classroom Champions has grown exponentially and experienced incredible moments including:

Hosting live video chats from the Olympic Village at the 2010, 2018, 2020 and 2022 Olympic Winter Games

Winning the International Olympic Committee’s Olympism Award

Being classified as a Certified Mentorship Program

Receiving the International Fair Play Diploma - the only North American NGO to win the award

Partnering with the Costa Rican Olympic Committee and Fundacion Joven to serve schools in Costa Rica

Received two of P&G's international Athletes for Good grants

Partnered with major institutions in sport, media, and education; including the Buffalo Bills, NHL, Minnesota Vikings, NBC Olympics, Teachers College and the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees. 

Today, Classroom Champions has connected 250 Olympians, Paralympians, College Student-Athletes and Pro Athletes to millions of students across the U.S., Canada, St. Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, Costa Rica, and American military installations in Germany.

And it works! Just see our impact on student mental health, wellness, and academic achievement here. 

Don't miss our Board of Directors, Champions Board and Athlete Advisory Board below.

Are you a teacher and want to learn more? Try out Classroom Champions today! Together, we can help our kids become better and better.

Steve Mesler
Co-Founder  
Olympic Gold Medalist

Dr. Leigh Parise
Co-Founder  
Education Researcher

Hi! We're Steve Mesler and Dr. Leigh Parise, Co-founders of Classroom Champions...

We're hiring, so check out the ways you can join our team!

A three-time American Olympian™, Steve led his team to gold at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic™ Games in 4-man bobsled. This was the U.S.’s first gold medal in the event in 62 years. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic™ Committee (USOC) where he also serves on the Compensation Committee.

Under Steve’s vision and leadership, Classroom Champions has grown from Steve being the only athlete involved in the pilot and working with 200 students in 2009, to today having more than 100 World-Class athletes, Olympians™, Paralympians™, College Student-Athletes and NFL Players mentoring more than 25,000 students across the globe.

Steve is an internationally recognized leader in the world of sport and education programming and philanthropy. He is a sought-after presenter at education and other conferences around the world, including Dubai, Sochi, Tel Aviv, Guatemala, and across the U.S. and Canada. He has also collaborated with the likes of TED, Big Think, and others to increase awareness of the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) in young students.

As a finalist for the International Champion for Peace award, Steve was named one of Sports Illustrated “Athletes Who Care” alongside the likes of Grant Hill and Larry Fitzgerald. He is also a member of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, and the University of Florida’s College of Health and Human Performance Alumni Hall of Fame, where he earned his bachelor’s degree with honors. Steve was also named one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 as well as one of United Way’s “Do-Gooders”.

Andrew J. Rotherham is a co-founder and partner at Bellwether, a national nonprofit organization working to support educational innovation and improve outcomes for underserved students. He is also a contributing editor to U.S. News & World Report and a senior editor at The 74, an education news and analysis publication. Rotherham writes the blog Eduwonk.com, teaches at The University of Virginia, and is a senior advisor for Whiteboard Advisors. Among other positions Rotherham previously served at The White House as special assistant to the president for domestic policy during the Clinton administration, as a member of the Virginia Board of Education, education columnist for TIME, and executive editor of RealClearEducation. In addition to Bellwether, Rotherham has founded or co-founded two other education organizations and served on the boards of several successful education startups. Rotherham is the author or co-author of more than 450 published articles, book chapters, papers, and op-eds about education policy and politics and is the author or editor of four books on educational policy. In addition to Classroom Champions he serves on the boards of directors for the Curry School of Education Foundation at the University of Virginia, the Virginia Board of Education and The 74.

Christian Taylor is a multiple World and Olympic Champion in the sport of track and field. In search of an opportunity to inspire the next genereation, Taylor partnered with Classroom Champions. Seven years later, Taylor credits his students and teachers as the driving force behind his success. Taylor has recently launched an independent athlete group to correct the power embalance that lies in the sport of track and field. The main aim of this association is to magnify the athletes’ voice and to give its members influence in their sport. This association strives to hold the governing body accountable while helping produce the best product possible. Taylor is also a proud University of Florida Alumni, recently finishing his undergraduate degree in December of 2019. He plans on starting his masters degree in sports management in the fall after the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.

Christie currently oversees the Family Foundation and is actively involved in both advising and providing operational support to its partners. Prior to the Family Foundation, Christie served as CFO of Viagogo, a multinational live event ticketing platform, where she spent 9 years as part of the executive team responsible for growing the business from less than $20 million to over $650 million in sales. Before Viagogo, Christie spent two years at The Carlyle Group where she evaluated private equity investments in the Industrials space and two years as an investment banking analyst at Merrill Lynch. Christie graduated with Honors from the University of Virginia in 2003.

Dr. David Steel is executive director of UL Standards & Engagement, leading the nonprofit organization’s development of safety standards and translation of the knowledge gained from safety science research into practical campaigns and advocacy.

An experienced corporate reputation leader, Steel guides the organization’s efforts to develop policy partnerships and campaigns focused on improving human health and safety. He spent more than two decades working across global communications, public affairs, marketing, and corporate citizenship in senior roles at Samsung Electronics. Most recently, he was Samsung’s executive vice president and head of corporate affairs for the United States.

Prior to joining Samsung, Steel worked at McKinsey & Company and as a researcher at Argonne National Laboratory. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Oxford University, an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago, and a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Steel spent 2017 as an Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University, where his project was Transforming the Landscape Around Disabilities Using the Power of Sport. He is a member of the US Paralympic Advisory Council and the Executive Committee of the Agitos Foundation (the development arm of the International Paralympic Committee).

Jay King is a partner in the Securities Group at Cassels. Jay’s practice focuses on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and regulatory compliance including corporate governance, continuous disclosure and Canadian stock exchange related matters. He has developed specialized skills in the mining sector, and also represents clients in the cannabis, aviation, real estate and technology sectors. Jay routinely acts as counsel to both public and private issuers and investment banks.  Prior to attending law school, Jay earned an honours degree in music (B.Mus.) from Wilfrid Laurier University, studying voice under the direction of Dr. David Falk. In 2000, Jay performed the title role of Thésée in the Canadian premiere of Jean Baptist Lully’s opera by the same name.

Dr. Leigh Parise holds a Ph.D. in Educational and Social Policy from Northwestern University, with a specific focus on teacher quality and professional development.  Leigh earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s in Teaching from Pace University. She has spent more than ten years teaching and researching educational policy, teacher professional development, and school leadership in public school systems. Prior to that, she was a public school teacher in New York City.  Together with her brother Steve, Leigh co-founded Classroom Champions in 2009 with the goal of inspiring kids and helping them realize their potential by pairing Olympic™ and Paralympic Athlete Mentors with teachers and students.  Sitting on both the U.S. and Canada Boards of Directors, as Head of Education at Classroom Champions Leigh helps guide the team’s education planning and priorities. In addition, Leigh is a mixed-methods Research Associate at MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education and social policy research organization focused on improving the lives of low-income individuals, families, and children. Her work at MDRC has led her to working with the Gates Foundation and school districts across the U.S. analyzing the effectiveness of programs and policies for various ages and populations.

Lex Gillette is the most successful completely blind long jumper and triple jumper in the history of U.S. Paralympics. He is a Five-Time Paralympian (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) and five-time Paralympic medalist (a silver medal at each Paralympic Games). He is also a three-time World Champion, a fourteen-time National Champion, and the only totally blind athlete to pass the 22-foot mark in the long jump. Lex lives by his mantra: “No need for sight, when you have a vision.” Lex lost his sight at age eight after recurrent retinal detachments, numerous hospital visits, and 10 surgeries. Lex was introduced to the long jump in high school, where he became co-captain of the track and field team. Lex competed in college before earning his first trip to the Paralympic Games at only 19 years old. 

Lisa grew up in the Philadelphia area and graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a degree in East Asian Studies. Her first job out of school was with the Japan Exchange Teaching Program and her love of travel, teaching and writing has never waned. She joined Deloitte in 1996 and has held many types of marketing and communications roles in the areas of industry, recruitment brand, and talent. Most recently, Lisa leads communications for the organization’s flagship leadership and learning center, Deloitte University. 

Schools turn to Classroom Champions for inspiring Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum and mentorship programs to improve engagement, build growth mindsets, and inspire positive classroom culture.

Hello! We're Classroom Champions

Hi! We're Steve Mesler and Dr. Leigh Parise, Co-founders of Classroom Champions...

Team Members

Join Us!

Board of Directors

Steve Mesler, Board Chair

Andrew Rotherham

Christian Taylor

Christie Jacobs

Dr. David G. Steel

Jay King

Dr. Leigh Mesler Parise

Lex Gillette

Lisa Monarski

Dr. William (Bill) Hite

David Pottruck, Board Chair Emeritus

Champions Board

Dave Pottruck

Andrea Hopps and Micheal Mezei

Andrea Proske

Brendan McCracken & Brigid Hogan

Chris Swonger

Christian Taylor

Christie & Ben Jacobs

Craig Senyk, CFA

Don Schaaf & Nancy Auslander

Elizabeth Hamilton-Keen

Jason and Trisha Jaskela

Athlete Advisory Board

Alex Cavallini

Christian Taylor

Colin Hodgson

Genevive Lalonde

Isabelle Weidemann

Reid Ferguson

Sam Bosco

Our Programs

About Us

Support Classroom Champions

Hello! We're Classroom Champions

Hi! We're Steve Mesler and Dr. Leigh Parise, Co-founders of Classroom Champions...

Hi! We're Steve Mesler and Dr. Leigh Parise, Co-founders of Classroom Champions...

Team Members

Join Us!

Board of Directors

Steve Mesler, Board ChairM.S.M., OLY, Co-Founder, Olympic gold medalist, Former CEO of Classroom Champions

Steve Mesler, Board Chair

Andrew RotherhamCo-Founder and Partner, Bellwether

Andrew Rotherham

Christian Taylor2x Olympic & 4x World Champion-Triple Jump

Christian Taylor

Christie JacobsJacobs Family Foundation, Former CFO of Viagogo

Christie Jacobs

Dr. David G. SteelExecutive Director, UL Standards & Engagement

Dr. David G. Steel

Jay KingPartner, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

Jay King

Dr. Leigh Mesler ParisePH.D., Co-Founder, Head of Education

Dr. Leigh Mesler Parise

Lex Gillette5x Paralympic Silver Medalist, 14x National Champion, Track and Field

Lex Gillette

Lisa MonarskiSenior Manager, Deloitte Services LP

Lisa Monarski

Dr. William (Bill) HiteCEO, Knowledgeworks; former Superintendent, Philadelphia School District

Dr. William (Bill) Hite

David Pottruck, Board Chair EmeritusFormer CEO of Charles Schwab, Wharton School of Business Professor

David Pottruck, Board Chair Emeritus

Champions Board

Dave PottruckFormer CEO of Charles Schwab, Wharton School of Business Professor

Dave Pottruck

Andrea Hopps and Micheal MezeiRetired, former President Mawer Investment Management

Andrea Hopps and Micheal Mezei

Andrea ProskeOlympic Gold Medalist, Rowing

Andrea Proske

Brendan McCracken & Brigid HoganPresident and CEO, Ovintiv

Brendan McCracken & Brigid Hogan

Chris SwongerCEO of DISCUS and Responsibility.org

Chris Swonger

Christian Taylor2x Olympic & 4x World Champion-Triple Jump

Christian Taylor

Christie & Ben JacobsManaging Partner & Chief Investment Officer at Anomaly Capital Management

Christie & Ben Jacobs

Craig Senyk, CFAPresident and Vice Chair, Mawer Investment Management

Craig Senyk, CFA

Don Schaaf & Nancy AuslanderRetired Entrepreneur and Retired Educator

Don Schaaf & Nancy Auslander

Elizabeth Hamilton-KeenInvestment Counsellor, Mawer Investment Management

Elizabeth Hamilton-Keen

Jason and Trisha JaskelaCEO, Headwater Exploration

Jason and Trisha Jaskela

Athlete Advisory Board

Alex Cavallini2 x Olympic Medalist, Hockey (USA)

Alex Cavallini

Christian Taylor2 x Olympic Gold Medalist, Track & Field (USA)

Christian Taylor

Colin HodgsonProfessional Curler (CAN)

Colin Hodgson

Genevive LalondeOlympian, Track & Field (CAN)

Genevive Lalonde

Isabelle Weidemann3 x Olympic Medalist, Speedskating (CAN)

Isabelle Weidemann

Reid FergusonFootball (USA)

Reid Ferguson

Sam Bosco2 x Paralympic Bronze Medalist, Cycling (USA)

Sam Bosco

Our Programs

About Us

Support Classroom Champions