Superpower Mentors Welcomes Tim Castanza as Chief Learning Officer

Tim Castanza, founder of New York's first public charter school for students with dyslexia, joins Superpower Mentors as Chief Learning Officer.

The founder of New York's first public charter school for students with dyslexia will lead the development, quality, and evaluation of Superpower Mentors’ mentorship model as the company scales.

NEW YORK, September 2026 Superpower Mentors is excited to announce that Tim Castanza has joined the company as Chief Learning Officer. Tim joins the senior leadership team to lead the continued development, quality, and evaluation of Superpower's mentorship model, and to help shape the company's growth alongside schools, universities, foundations, and public systems.

Tim comes to Superpower Mentors after more than a decade building and leading programs for students who learn differently. He founded Bridge Preparatory Charter School on Staten Island, New York's first public charter school designed specifically for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences, and served as its Head of School, Executive Director, and Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, Bridge Prep became a model for how a public school can serve neurodiverse students well, grounded in evidence-informed instruction, sustained investment in educator development, and close partnerships with families and the surrounding community.

Before founding Bridge Prep, Tim held leadership and instructional roles within the New York City Department of Education, including Director of Special Education and Specialized Programming. He began his career as a special education and English teacher and later served on staff at Teach For America. He holds a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Tim's influence extends well beyond the schools he has led. He has served on New York City's Literacy Advisory Council, contributed to the New York State Education Department's Path Forward Initiative to strengthen early literacy instruction through educator preparation, and served on the New York Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Task Force. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Education Week, and the New York Post. He is a recipient of the Cahn Fellowship for Distinguished School Leaders, was named an Exceptional New Yorker by the New York City Public Advocate, and was recognized on the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation's 20 Under 40 list.

For Tim, the move to Superpower is a continuation of the work that has defined his career.

“The work we do to develop, empower and invest in young people is among the most consequential work we can do for the future of our communities and society. That belief has shaped my career and is a big part of what drew me to Superpower Mentors. I believe deeply in this organization’s potential impact and am excited to bring my experience building organizations and forging cross sector partnerships to expand opportunities for what’s possible for Superpower Mentors and help shape what comes next.”

Tim Castanza, Chief Learning Officer, Superpower Mentors

At Superpower Mentors, Tim will oversee the educational and mentorship model end to end: program efficacy, mentor training and readiness, quality assurance, curriculum and methodology development, and the systems used to measure participant progress and outcomes. His mandate is to ensure that Superpower's programs remain developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed, and operationally consistent, and that quality holds as the company reaches more young people.

The appointment marks a deliberate step in Superpower Mentors's next stage. As the company grows from a scaling service into a structured, technology-enabled organization serving both families and institutions, Tim will also help shape its broader growth and institutional strategy, including partnerships with schools, universities, foundations, government agencies, and other mission-aligned organizations. He brings to that work the credibility of someone who has built and run an educational institution inside a complex public system, and who has spent his career earning the trust of families, educators, and policymakers alike.

Superpower Mentors is proud to welcome Tim to the team. His arrival brings a rare combination of classroom experience, institutional leadership, and system-level perspective to the work of helping young people who learn differently recognize what they are capable of. We look forward to the work ahead.

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