TeachUNITED Announces Diego Adame as Chief Executive Officer
Co-founder Heather Hiebsch transitions to Strategic Advisor after a decade of leadership
Press Release
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, July 8, 2026 – TeachUNITED, a global teacher training organization working to strengthen education systems and improve learning outcomes for 5 million students by 2030, today announced the appointment of Diego Adame as Chief Executive Officer. Diego, who has served on the TeachUNITED Board of Directors since 2024, brings fifteen years of leadership in global education, philanthropy, and systemic change to the role. Co-founder Heather Hiebsch, who has led the organization as CEO for the past decade, will continue her service as a Strategic Advisor.
A Decade of Impact
When Heather Hiebsch co-founded TeachUNITED ten years ago, the organization was a bold idea built on a simple conviction: that supporting teachers is the most powerful lever for helping students learn, stay in school, and build a better future. Today, TeachUNITED has reached more than 50,000 educators and over 2.5 million students across Africa, Latin America, and the United States, operating in partnership with local governments, grassroots organizations, and schools.
This transition reflects the organizational strength that Heather and the TeachUNITED team have built, and it comes at a moment when the organization is well-positioned for its next chapter of growth.
TeachUNITED Leadership Perspectives
“We are incredibly grateful for Heather’s visionary leadership over the past ten years, which built TeachUNITED from a grassroots pilot into a high-impact global network. As we look ahead to our next chapter, the Board is fully confident that Diego Adame is the right leader to scale our impact. His commitment to TeachUNITED’s mission combined with his extensive track record managing global education portfolios and his deep understanding of how to create systemic change will ensure TeachUNITED continues to deliver lasting, measurable results for teachers and students worldwide.”
– Terry Nealon, Chair of the TeachUNITED Board of Directors
“I have spent ten years building an organization I believe in deeply, alongside a team I admire enormously. The thing I am most proud of is the sustainable culture of leadership we have built together. Knowing that our next CEO is someone of Diego’s extraordinary caliber is exactly what I hoped for when we began planning this transition. As a board member, Diego has already shown a deep alignment with our mission, and I look forward to supporting him and our global team as an advisor.”
– Heather Hiebsch, Co-Founder and Outgoing CEO
“TeachUNITED’s mission is grounded in a truth I have seen throughout my career: that no investment in education matters more than the one made directly in teachers. I’ve seen firsthand the difference a great teacher makes in a student’s learning. TeachUNITED’s model backs that up with evidence: students taught by TeachUNITED-trained teachers gain two additional years of growth in reading fluency and three and a half in math, compared to similar schools. I am honored to lead TeachUNITED into its next chapter, and I look forward to working closely with our regional teams and partners to advance student learning outcomes at scale.”
– Diego Adame, Incoming CEO
About Diego Adame
Diego Adame brings fifteen years of experience working at the intersection of education, philanthropy, and systemic change across Latin America, East Africa, and Europe. An economist by training with an MBA focused on nonprofit organizations, Diego spent a decade at the LEGO Foundation, serving as a member of its Executive Leadership Team, where he oversaw global investment portfolios in education and early childhood development. He also served as Chief Impact Officer at the Human Practice Foundation, leading education programs in Kenya, Nepal, and Denmark.
Diego’s background combines firsthand classroom teaching experience with deep expertise in training instructors, designing supportive educational programming, and developing data systems to measure student progress. Originally from Mexico and currently based in Copenhagen, he has served on the TeachUNITED Board of Directors since 2024.
About TeachUNITED
TeachUNITED supports teachers to prepare the next generation of students with the skills to graduate, increase their earning potential, and break cycles of poverty. Designed by teachers, for teachers, and delivered by local expert coaches, TeachUNITED’s evidence-based model builds local coaching capacity inside school systems, creating lasting gains in student achievement and teacher well-being. TeachUNITED is working to strengthen education systems and improve outcomes for 5 million students by 2030.
For more information about TeachUNITED and its initiatives, explore our website or contact Joanna Watkins, Associate Director of Development and Communications, at joanna[at]teachunited.org.
