As the founder of Shan Strategies, an Arizona-based consulting firm, I collaborate with companies to create lasting value for their stakeholders while delivering meaningful benefits to society. The name “Shan,” derived from Mandarin, means “to do good” and “to improve”—principles that guide my work every day.

With over 20 years of experience spanning the public, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, I have led transformative efforts that have raised and leveraged over $200 million to enhance education, workforce development, social and economic impact in Arizona. By developing effective public-private partnerships and fostering authentic stakeholder engagement, I help organizations deliver value and drive positive change for their communities.

Bio:

Pearl Chang Esau is a nationally recognized leader for improving education and workforce outcomes. A former teacher and executive with Teach For America, she has dedicated her career to driving educational progress and system-wide improvement. As CEO of Expect More Arizona, Pearl successfully led initiatives to raise Arizona’s academic standards and build partnerships between government, industry, and education to strengthen pathways from early childhood through the workforce.

Her achievements include co-founding the Arizona Education Progress Meter, a tool to track key metrics for academic progress, and co-creating Achieve 60AZ, a statewide effort to ensure 60% of Arizonans earn a degree or credential by 2030. Pearl also led statewide outreach for Proposition 123, which secured $3.5 billion for K-12 schools and received widespread bipartisan support.

Appointed by three Arizona governors to education and workforce leadership roles, Pearl currently serves on the boards of the City of Phoenix Workforce, Teach For America, Aliento Education Fund, and ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy. Among many honors, she has received the US Chamber of Commerce’s “A Profile in Change”, the Arizona Republic’s “Top Arizonans to Watch”, Arizona Business Magazine’s “Top 5 Under 35 Most Influential Women in Arizona,” and the Greater Phoenix Chamber Athena Award.

Pearl holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Policy, and Spanish from UCLA, and a Master’s in International Business with a focus on Digital Transformation from the Thunderbird School of Global Management at ASU. Her work continues to expand opportunities for learners, ensuring they are prepared to thrive in an economy shaped by rapid technological advancements.

Vanessa Valenzuela Erickson is a people operations and talent management leader. Most recently, she served as Chief People Officer at Culdesac - a first-of-its-kind car-free real estate developer. Prior to this, she worked in human resources, business operations, and finance at Opendoor and Salt River Project (SRP). While at SRP, she managed the Rotating Engineers program and supported the reskilling and redeployment of groups of employees through already established and new apprenticeship programs. She started her career teaching elementary school through the Teach For America program. Vanessa holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University and a degree in Economics and International Studies from the University of Arizona.

Born and raised in Phoenix, Vanessa commits time and energy to our great city and the communities it’s comprised of through board service and volunteer opportunities. She is the current board chair for Aliento, a non-profit serving undocumented, DACA, and mixed immigration status families. Her previous board service includes Teach For America/ASU Recruitment Board, Arizona PBS Community Advisory Board, and Teach For America Alumni Leadership Board. She spent years mentoring for Phoenix Metro YoungLives and New Pathways for Youth.