Our Team

Massachusetts Distinguished Educator Michael Delman founded Beyond BookSmart in 2006 and serves as its CEO.  An educator since 1991, Michael’s primary mission has always been to make learning relevant and to help young people discover and develop their strengths. His undergraduate degree is from Brown University and he earned his Master’s in Education from Lesley University.

Michael is a pioneer and leader in the area of Executive Function coaching. He originated the application of Dr. James Prochaska’s Transtheoretical Model of Change to help students improve academic performance. Beyond BookSmart's adaptation of this evidence-based model of behavior change has been endorsed by Dr. Prochaska.

A dynamic presenter, Michael has presented at conferences such as The Learning Disabilities Association of America, the 2018 International Conference on ADHD, Lynn University Transitions Conference, the Association of Experiential Education, Independent Educational Consultants Association, Parents of Accelerated Learners in NYC, and to numerous neuropsychological practices and schools throughout the United States. He has been featured in The Times of London, CBS Boston affiliate WBZ TV, and dozens of media outlets across the country. In 2018, he published his first book, Your Kid’s Gonna Be Okay: Building the Executive Function Skills Your Child Needs in the Age of Attention, which gained critical acclaim from Kirkus Reviews and BookLife.

With hundreds of trained Executive Function coaches, Beyond BookSmart coaches students and adults online nationwide and worldwide. 

Michael is the co-founder of the McAuliffe Regional Charter Public School in Framingham, Massachusetts, a middle school in its 15th year of operation teaching over 350 students through the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound school model. He served as McAuliffe’s founding principal. Prior to that, Michael taught in the Southborough Public Schools for eight years. During that time, he received the Anti-Defamation League’s Teacher Incentive Award for creating a superior learning environment for his students. 

As President of Beyond BookSmart, Rachel presides over the operation of Beyond BookSmart and WorkSmart Coaching. Rachel leads the implementation of the company’s strategy and works closely with the CEO to oversee the creation of that strategy. She manages all senior leaders of the company and seeks out the best ways for the company to achieve its mission. Prior to becoming President at Beyond BookSmart, Rachel served as COO overseeing all aspects of the coach’s experience and the continual improvement of Beyond BookSmart’s coaching program, as well as overseeing Human Resources.

Larry also uniquely provides perspective, not only as the CFO, but also as a client whose youngest daughter is a successful recipient of Executive Function coaching. He credits Beyond BookSmart as a large reason for her high school success and admission to Oberlin College in Ohio.

Larry is a Managing Partner of Foundation Management Associates (“FMA”). FMA provides outsourced bookkeeping to CFO services to small to mid-sized businesses, primarily non-profits but also several for profits, venture firms and venture backed portfolio companies. Larry, who joined the firm in late 2011, brought to FMA nearly 30 years’ experience in various public and private organizations. He has held key senior financial roles in public companies such as GE and NewsEdge/Thomson, privately owned technology firms, Boston area top tier venture capital firm North Bridge, and Boston money management firm Pioneer Investments in leveraging his accounting, finance, and operations experiences. His education includes GE Financial Management program experience, along with his Boston University MBA, followed his Rutgers University Economics and Finance program.

Larry is an active volunteer and fundraiser with Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCFA), Boston Take Steps Walks, The Pediatric IBD Foundation, and many others. He is also a past Board member of Boston’s Financial Executive International Chapter and its Career Services Committee in helping thousands of individuals in transition.

As Director of Operations for Beyond BookSmart, Tricia Butler fields customer outreach and is a key support and point of contact for families throughout the client inquiry and start-up process as well as for Intake Coordinators, coaches, and supervisors. Tricia supports the Chief Operations Officer in recruiting and hiring new Executive Function coaches. In her spare time, Tricia volunteers on the Board of Directors and as Transport Coordinator for Animal Rescue Front, a dog rescue organization in MA.

Human Resources Manager Lisa Cambra has 15 years of expertise in strategic human resource practices and operational leadership. Lisa’s experience includes talent acquisition, organizational development, performance management, and compensation and benefits. Prior to joining Beyond BookSmart, Lisa worked for a successful Boston design/build firm as the Director of Operations and Human Resources for ten years, where she was responsible for attracting the right candidates for various roles, coaching and development of employees, compliance, and culture development. Lisa earned a degree in Business Administration and has been a member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) since 2017.

Mimi Fernandez is the Director of Customer Success for Beyond BookSmart. She analyzes the customer journey and seeks out new opportunities that support the Executive Function skill-building process and experience. She is also responsible for building new pathways of communications to Beyond BookSmart customers to support their experience and outcomes.  She is passionate about collaborating with the entire team to foster a connection with customers and support their goals.

Before joining Beyond BookSmart, Mimi was a customer success leader for PR and marketing agencies to grow their business and expand their services through strategies and new product offerings. She has a broadcast journalism degree from The University of Texas and she also attended Fordham University to pursue a masters in social work focusing on behavioral change.

John is responsible for designing and implementing research projects across company departments and guaranteeing the continuous innovation of products and services for all stakeholders including clients, parents, coaches, employees, and Leadership Team members.

Before joining Beyond BookSmart, John was a postdoctoral research fellow at Brown University and an adjunct instructor at New York University, where he taught both undergraduate and graduate-level courses on the psychology of human learning, group dynamics, research methods, and abnormal psychology. He earned his doctorate in Counseling Psychology from New York University and completed his Internship in Clinical Psychology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. John received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Leadership Studies from the University of Richmond. John is currently enrolled in Duke’s business analytics master program (MSQM) at The Fuqua School of Business.

Susan has a background in brick and mortar and online education, instructional coaching, staff development, and asynchronous training design. Susan earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Augustana College in English Literature and Speech Communication and a Masters degree in Teaching. To better serve her adult clients, she is currently working towards a second Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership. Remaining true to her core value of growth, Susan encourages others to find their passion, continue to grow it, and use it to make a difference in the lives of others.

Laura McMaster, Ph.D. is the Director of Coach Development. In this role, she leads a department supporting the development of the Beyond BookSmart coaching staff, including hiring, coach training, and ongoing mentorship and support to develop the skills of the coaches further and, therefore, improve the client experience. She is an educator with nearly two decades of experience working with students of various backgrounds in both traditional and nontraditional settings. Laura specializes in helping individuals achieve their goals by developing their ability to take on multiple perspectives, navigate transitions, and articulate a plan of action. Laura has expertise in supporting individuals with diverse executive function challenges, as well as a deep understanding of the evidence-based methodology of behavior change. Laura earned her Ph. D. in Educational Leadership from Clemson University. She earned a Master's in Education from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Teresa Zawacki-Chapman has a passion for training and mentoring teams to build long-lasting relationships with trust to provide the best solutions for families and students. A native of Rochester, NY, Teresa earned her BS in Psychology and Sociology from Ithaca College.

Her professional background includes event planning, digital and media marketing, retail sales, and business development. Teresa has a wealth of experience working with various sized teams locally, regionally, and nationally.