Robyn Chapel

Head of Studio

Robyn Chapel is an experienced global educator dedicated to fostering agency and empathy in her students. A California native, Robyn began her career more than thirty years ago as a bilingual social studies teacher in the Bay Area before moving abroad and serving in leadership roles in Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom. Robyn most recently served as the director of teaching and learning at the American School in London and has served as the high school division head at both the American School of Valencia in Spain and the American School Foundation in Mexico City. Robyn returned to the Bay Area to join the founding leadership team of Avenues Silicon Valley in 2020.

Robyn earned her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her M.A. from Stanford University. Robyn lives in San Jose with her partner Miguel and their two children. Robyn loves swimming, reading, discovering original recipes and traveling to new places.

Sarah Markhovsky

Associate Head and Director of Enrollment

Sarah was director of admissions and enrollment at Avenues Silicon Valley, and will continue to manage enrollment for Studio as Associate Head and Director of Enrollment. She joined Avenues from the Dallas-based Greenhill School—an independent school serving more than 1,300 students in pre-k through 12th grade—where she served as director of admissions since 2014. Prior to her time at Greenhill, Sarah spent seven years at the Severn School outside of Washington D.C., first as the associate director of college counseling before being promoted to director of college counseling. She began her career in admissions at her alma mater, the University of Chicago, where she served as the assistant director of college admissions for four years. In addition to her extensive experience in admissions, Sarah brings strong leadership skills and commitment to cultivating a diverse and inclusive community to Avenues Silicon Valley.

A native of the Washington D.C. area, Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree from Macalester College and her master’s degree from the University of Chicago. Before starting her career in education, Sarah was a professional actress and singer working with film and theater companies in Minneapolis, Chicago and New York. She remains an avid theater lover and is also a devoted Star Wars fan. Sarah and her husband Russ have two children.

Lisa Kopacka

Faculty and Director of Community Engagement

Lisa is one of the Founding Members of our first FCP class in 2022. As an Interdisciplinary Project Teacher, she co-teaches various 6-week projects that are interdisciplinary, project-based and connected to the community, from 6th grade to 10th grade.

Lisa joined Avenues Silicon Valley after ten years at Shanghai American School, where she served as the 6th grade science teacher and most recently the Microcampus Coordinator. As a science teacher, Lisa focused on opening her students’ eyes and minds to the fun, creativity and wonder of science. In her last two years in Shanghai, Lisa and her husband Matt led the school’s Microcampus program, which brings students to rural areas of China for experiential education. In that capacity, Lisa designed and delivered experiences that enabled students to grow in ways that transcend the traditional classroom.

Lisa earned her B.S. from Lafayette College and her M.S. from New York University. In her free time, Lisa enjoys plant-based cooking, being active and exploring new places with her husband.

Jamie Tuttle

Director of Family and Student Experience

Jamie Tuttle will be joining Studio Silicon Valley as the Director of Family and Student Experience. Jamie was a founding faculty member for both the Avenues Silicon Valley and Avenues São Paulo campuses. He brings nearly 20 years of educational experience to our team and is excited to help build a positive school culture with students and faculty alike. He is passionate about ensuring a sense of belonging at school for all and is committed to offering a safe and healthy bridge of communication between students, parents and faculty.

Jamie's counseling career started in Athens, Georgia where he held the positions of School Counselor for Clarke Middle School and also Lead Middle School Counselor for the Clarke County School District. Jamie moved on to serve roles as the Middle School counselor at Graded: The American School of São Paulo, and as Guidance Director at Mason Preparatory School in Charleston, South Carolina before joining Avenues.

Jamie earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from the College of Charleston and a master’s degree in education with a concentration in school counseling from the University of Georgia.

In his free time, Jamie loves to spend time with his wife and daughter. He loves hiking, reading, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, seeing live music, traveling, meeting new people from different cultures, and being with the people he loves - his friends and family.

Robert Cortez

Director of Technology, Faculty

Robert, a Bay Area native, is a seasoned IT professional with over two decades of experience in the education sector. Throughout his career, he has held various pivotal roles including Director of Technology, Systems Administrator, and Department Lead/Mentor. Having been part of two startup ventures, Robert deeply values the importance of cultivating a vibrant community. He firmly believes a thriving community is essential for effectively embracing and advancing an organization’s mission

With a unique blend of expertise spanning both school leadership and technology, Robert possesses a keen aptitude for understanding and addressing the diverse needs of academic divisions and departments, ensuring alignment with overarching organizational goals. Robert enjoys the beauty of the outdoors and continues to find ways to create memorable moments with his wife and six children.

Mike Maccarone

Director of Teaching and Learning

Mike Maccarone joined Avenues in 2012 as a founding faculty member of the New York campus, where he served as a science teacher and curriculum specialist for several years before moving into the role as global academic dean. Over the past decade, in addition to classroom teaching, Mike has taken leading roles in the launch of Avenues campuses in São Paulo, Shenzhen, Online, and Silicon Valley working across teacher development and training, curriculum innovation and implementation, and facilities design. He also led multiple study abroad programs and “Os Primeiros,” a founding class-style program offered to 9th grade students enrolled for Avenues São Paulo’s first year.

Mike began his career as a public school math, science and engineering teacher with Newark Public Schools, New Jersey. He holds degrees in both physics and mathematics. Outside of his teaching practice, Mike is a member of NASA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program, through which he has flown on missions with NASA's SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy), and enjoys listening to and playing live music.