Education technology
Sales professionals in Education technology
These ten professionals have held sales roles at education technology companies. A reader can learn how schools, districts and universities evaluate and buy learning products, how funding and procurement shape those deals, and what drives adoption after a purchase.
Professionals to explore
01—10Barb Essenmacher
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Head of Adoption Sales · Cengage
Vice President, Head of Adoption Sales at Cengage since 2024, with open-ended Vice President, Solution Sales (since 2026) and Vice President, Head of Field Sales (since 2022) rows there. Former Cengage roles are Regional Vice President of Sales - Southwest Region (2019–2022) and Director of Sales- Midwest Region (2013–2019). Her summary describes revenue growth in the education technology space and $600M+ in annual revenue as Vice President of Adoption Sales.
Becky Klais
LinkedInExperience: Regional Sales Director · Renaissance Learning
Former Regional Sales Director (2020–2023), Regional Vice President (2023–2026) and Inside Sales Manager (2016–2020) at Renaissance Learning. She has been Director of New Business at GoGuardian since 2026 and was Vice President of Sales at Intervene K-12 (2026). Her summary describes 15+ years as an enterprise SaaS sales leader building teams and leading complex, multi-stakeholder sales.
Brian Mihalik
LinkedInExperience: Regional Vice President of Sales · Promethean
Former Regional Vice President of Sales at Promethean (2019–2024) and Business Development Manager at GoGuardian (2016–2019). Other listed roles include Director, Education Sales at Samsung Electronics America (2024–2026) and Regional Channel Manager - Western North America at SMART Technologies (2015–2016). His summary describes 20+ years leading high-growth K-12 EdTech, SaaS and AI-enabled learning technology organizations.
Cheryle Gehrlich
LinkedInExperience: Sr. Director, Parchment Higher Education Sales · Instructure
Sr. Director, Parchment Higher Education Sales at Instructure since 2025, and former Director, Parchment Higher Education, Award Sales there (2024–2025). Former roles at Parchment by Instructure include Director, Higher Education Award Sales (2023–2024) and Manager - Higher Education, Award Sales (2022–2023). Her headline describes multi-layer SaaS sales, territory architecture and cross-product strategy in higher ed.
Greg Bishop
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Sales · Imagine Learning
Vice President of Sales at Imagine Learning since 2026, and former Regional Executive Director there (2008–2026). Also listed are High School Principal at Cousino High School, Warren MI (2000–2008) and Mathematics Department Head at Detroit Public Schools Community District (1997–2000). His summary describes a history in the e-learning industry, with skills in sales, learning management, educational technology and SaaS.
Jeannine DePaul
LinkedInExperience: Regional Vice President of Sales · Discovery Education
Regional Vice President of Sales at Discovery Education since 2023, with an open-ended Sales Director Mid-Atlantic row there since 2023. Former roles include Regional Vice President-Sales Mid-Atlantic at Renaissance Learning (2017–2022) and Manager of Business Development at Compass Learning (now Edgenuity Inc.) (2013–2014). Her summary describes 20+ years in leadership, sales and customer success within education, EdTech and financial services.
Jess Awtrey
LinkedInExperience: Strategic Account Manager · Instructure
Former Strategic Account Manager at Instructure (2023–2024), and former Vice President, Sales- North America (2024) and Head of Americas (2024–2025) at Inspera. Her current row is Senior Vice President, Sales at BoodleBox since 2025. Her summary describes a passion for making education accessible and for using EdTech to drive positive change for learners and educators.
Lauren Wrosinghert
LinkedInExperience: Director, New Business · Blackboard
Director, New Business at Blackboard since 2025. Former Anthology Inc roles include Senior Regional Sales Manager (2025–2026), Account Executive (2022–2025) and Client Experience Manager (2021–2022). Her summary says she manages new business for the West region at Blackboard and matches technology solutions to customer needs, drawing on almost ten years of experience in higher education.
Mike Kisow
LinkedInExperience: Head of Sales · MagicSchool AI
Former Head of Sales at MagicSchool AI (2024–2025); he has been Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) there since 2025. Other listed roles include Head of K-12 Sales at Varsity Tutors, a Nerdy Company (2021–2023), Vice President of Sales at Bridge (2020–2021) and Vice President Sales - Clever Goals at Clever Inc. (2018–2019). His headline describes him as an EdTech revenue leader with experience in SaaS, public sector and education.
Sonia Cruz-Cassatt
LinkedInExperience: Director of Sales · Aeries Software
Former Director of Sales (2016–2024) and Sales Executive (2014–2016) at Aeries Software. Other listed roles include Director of District Partnerships at Stages Learning (2024–2025) and Account Representative Inside Sales, Parent & Community Engagement at Blackboard (2014), plus a current Senior Technical Partnerships Manager, K12 row at Western Governors University since 2025. Her summary, written as Director of Sales for an enterprise EdTech solution, describes over 15 years in EdTech.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's market to your decision, since selling to K-12 districts and to higher education institutions involves different buyers, budgets and calendars. Check whether their relevant role is current or past and which region or product line it covered.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01Who makes the final purchasing decision for a new learning product in a school district or university?
- 02How do funding cycles and procurement rules shape the timing of an edtech deal?
- 03What drives classroom adoption after a contract is signed, and how do vendors support it?
Reaching sales professionals in Education technology
How can I contact one of these sales professionals in Education technology?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 9 companies, including Cengage, Renaissance Learning and Promethean, based on profile data retrieved on October 1, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach sales professionals in Education technology?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. It includes Instant Expert's 20% fee, so an offer that pays the person $100 costs you $125. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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