Meeting Street Schools serves about 1,700 students across four campuses in Charleston and Spartanburg. The network launched in 2008 with just 33 students in a downtown Charleston church.
About Us
Empowering children with the excellent, life-changing education they deserve
Our Values
Every student deserves the opportunity to receive an exceptional education, and all children have the ability to excel in the classroom.
Exceptional Teaching
We believe excellent teachers are the key to unlocking students’ potential. We are committed to identifying, supporting and empowering outstanding educators who hold themselves accountable to create transformative learning experiences.
Life-Changing Student Achievement
Our driving focus is to provide an excellent education that builds optimism about the limitless opportunity in our country. We strive to achieve dramatic academic gains and instill the beliefs and resilient habits in students that will allow them to transform their lives.
Innovation and Growth Mindset
We embrace an entrepreneurial, innovative spirit and growth mindset. We constantly challenge ourselves to get better, take calculated risks and evolve our approach to change the status quo. We are humble because we believe there is always room for improvement in our pursuit of educational excellence.
Gratitude and Responsibility
We appreciate the incredible purpose in our work. We recognize the responsibility of being entrusted by families with the education of their children. We hold a high bar for ourselves and expect the same responsibility from others.
Giving All Children Opportunities
Meeting Street Schools was founded to provide a transformational educational opportunity.
Our History
Beemok Education
Beemok Education is the portfolio of education initiatives spearheaded by Ben and Kelly Navarro. Beemok Education creates opportunities and changes lives through its network of schools, performance bonuses for teaching excellence and college scholarships.
Executive Leadership
Josh Bell
President of Beemok EducationJosh Bell, a visionary education leader and advocate for education reform, serves as president of Beemok Education. He launched Teach for America in South Carolina, recruiting and developing hundreds of teachers who served in high-needs schools across the state. He later led the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund, broadening access to higher education for under-resourced students. Josh is dedicated to transforming education and creating opportunities for all students.
Javeria Khan Richman
Chief Schools OfficerJaveria Khan Richman oversees our school model strategy and monitors the progress of schools and principals. She’s a nationally recognized leader in education reform, a National Blue Ribbon Award-winning principal, and an experienced manager of high-achieving schools.
Jere Stille
Chief Operating OfficerJere Stille is responsible for the day-to-day operations and management of Meeting Street Schools. Previously, he held numerous leadership roles with Boeing, including chief financial officer of Boeing South Carolina and managing senior executive director of finance for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Nisha Vasavada
Chief Academic OfficerNisha Vasavada directs the instructional vision, strategy, implementation and educator development for Meeting Street Schools. Previously, she was the founding school leader for KIPP SoCal Public Schools and principal-in-residence at Achievement First in New York, a National Blue Ribbon award-winning school.
Marcus Backman
Chief Financial & Data OfficerMarcus Backman manages all finances and data dashboards for Meeting Street Schools. His previous experience includes controller and senior accountant for the Trident United Way of the Midlands and accountant for the Midlands Housing Alliance.
Diette Casey
Director of Communications of Beemok EducationDiette Casey leads communications and marketing for Beemok Education. Previously, she managed corporate communications for Roper St. Francis Healthcare during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and won national awards for her work as an education reporter with The Post and Courier newspaper.
