Meet Our Team-Board and Staff
The TAFT Foundation is steered by a team of dedicated and experienced professionals who are deeply passionate about advancing educational equity. Our board and team bring together a wealth of experience in the education sector, and is committed to empowering students and transforming education and communities.
Dr. Yajuan Ding, Founder|Board Chair| |CFO|Secretary|Director Of Education Research
Dr. Ding’s nearly 30 years of experience in the education sector have equipped her with a deep understanding of the needs of students and educators alike. Her roles have ranged from a middle school English teacher to a university librarian, an adjunct English lecturer, and a teacher and advocate for gifted and talented education. Dr. Ding’s diverse experiences, coupled with her academic achievements, including an M.A. in Educational Administration, a Graduate Certificate in English, a Ph.D. in Humanities, a Johns Hopkins University SOE’s Graduate Certificate in Gifted Education, Stanford University School Leaders Program, Harvard University Graduate School of Education Leadership Entry, Leading for Excellence and Equity: A CAEL Module, and Harvard Business School Online Certificate of School Management and Leadership (CSML) programs make her a driving force in the TAFT Foundation’s pursuit of educational equity.
Grace Yang | Independent Director
Cross-sector Leader in Technology Innovation & Educational Governance
Ms. Grace Yang serves as President of Beijing Liangye Biotechnology and is the Funding Principal of Beijing Miyun Huixue Training School, with over 20 years of executive leadership in technology R&D and educational innovation. Her strategic vision has been molded by key roles at global companies. She led China market expansion for IDEX’s biometric solutions as Country Manager.
Led APAC commercialization of biometric products at Synaptics.
Built Gemalto’s OEM electronics business ecosystem across Asia.
Ms. Yang, a systems thinker with dual expertise, holds an Electronics Engineering degree from Jilin University and an MBA from Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management. Her early career at China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology has given her a unique perspective on STEM talent development.
As an education innovator and principal of a private school, she transformed Huixue Training School into a leading K-12 STEM institution, incorporating engineering methods into its teaching. At the TAFT Foundation, she manages strategic compliance for ed-tech projects, aligning with the mission: “Advancing educational equity through empowering students in innovation and technology.”
“True education transformation lives at the intersection of technological accessibility and human-centered design,” embodies Ms. Yang’s governance philosophy for TAFT.
Dr. Tawheedah Abdullah, CEO
With a career that began as a middle school teacher and later transitioned into an assistant principal role, Dr. Abdullah has firsthand insights into the challenges and opportunities within the educational landscape. Her tenure as the Director of the Stanford University School Leaders Program saw her developing leadership initiatives for school leaders, further honing her expertise in educational leadership. Her commitment to educational equity and her strategic vision drive the TAFT Foundation’s mission forward.
Laura Seminario-Thornton | Independent Director
Education Policy Advocate & Champion for Educational Justice
Guided by her lifelong dedication to the common good, Laura brings over 25 years of expertise in promoting equity for marginalized communities. As the founder of a Maryland daycare center, she empowered hundreds of immigrant and low-income families through culturally responsive education, demonstrating how constitutional principles drive poverty alleviation in market economies.
Holding a Master of Education in Gifted Education from Johns Hopkins University (2025), Laura’s research advances legislative protections for special education rights, with a scholarly focus on gifted children overcoming socioeconomic barriers.
As an Independent Director, Laura provides essential and unbiased oversight of TAFT’s multicultural program compliance and legal governance under Georgia Nonprofit Code §14-3-860. Her expertise in political science and gifted education ensures that the TAFT Foundation’s operations align with its mission while promoting educational justice through systemic advocacy.
In a world of competition, choosing the common good is revolutionary.
