Our Team
Our Founders
Tyson Smith
Dr. Ann Sharp
Heidi Sonnenberg
Carol Solomon
Our Directors
Laura Axtell
Chairman of the Board
35 years experience working with struggling readers and English language learners, state coordinator for the America Reads Program, Tutor for RISE, Masters Degrees in Special Education and Counseling and host of the educational podcast, “Podclassed”
Tyson Smith
Board Member
President of Reading Horizons (an international publishing enterprise), founder of nonprofit RISE Institute for Literacy, Bachelors Degree in Business Management from University of Utah and MBA from BYU, expert in the literacy field for over 20 years
Aaron Lund
Board Member
Managing partner with Bangerter, Lund & Associates, licensed CPA, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting from Utah State University and a Master of Professional Accounting in Tax from Weber State University
Our Staff
Maggie Madsen
Education and Operations Manager
Maggie lives in Syracuse with her husband and holds a degree in Nutrition Education from Weber State University. She has been with Rise for over a year, managing operations and tutoring. She loves helping children build confidence as they learn to read and thrive in a supportive environment.
Angie Smith
Tutoring Center Support
Angie lives in Kaysville, Utah and is a wife and the mother of 5 children. She was part of a humanitarian effort in Thailand and India that taught teachers effective English teaching methods. Angie is an expert tutor, having volunteered as a tutor for the past 10 years.
