about ryse
Ryse is a social venture start-up dedicated to supporting families in making great educational choices for their children and supporting a strong education eco-system for all children.
the Genesis of ryse
Ryse was launched in the spring of 2024 by a Charlotte mom and data analyst who was tired of seeing families misled about their school options and struggling to access the information they needed to choose school they would love.
When her own children were starting school, she was excited to discover that they had 45 different public school options—STEM programs, arts-based choices, nature schools, and more. She downloaded spreadsheets of school data and created scatter plots of their options, using all she had learned from her master's degree in education policy. She knew to avoid school ratings like those from Niche and U.S. News & World Report because she had read the research showing how such ratings mislead families, drive inequity in communities, and unnecessarily undermine public school support. However, she realized that this school selection approach was unrealistic for most families and that there were few tools to simplify the process.
For years, she shared her findings with friends and neighbors. Now, she is launching Ryse to provide all families with the insights and information they need to choose the best school for their children—without the need for scatter plots.
Ryse is supported by a dedicated group of advisors with expertise in a variety of fields, who have provided encouragement, insights, and invaluable support. Without them, Ryse would not exist.
OUR FOUNDER Savannah Keith Gress
Savannah Keith Gress has nearly two decades of experience in education. She has worked in school districts, led nonprofit learning and evaluation teams, supported families and school staff in collaborating to improve their school, been a Harvard Strategic Data Project Fellow, and partnered with schools and districts to address education inequities.
She holds undergraduate degrees in International Development and French from the University of Mississippi, and a master’s degree in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Savannah is dedicated to building a more just education system. When she’s not advocating for families through Ryse, you can find her hiking, learning how to leverage entrepreneurship for social impact, and being an engaged community member working toward justice with her two children and husband.