About Rooted School
Our Mission
Rooted School’s mission is to rapidly reduce America’s wealth gap by connecting underserved and talented teenagers with career and financial pathways.
43%
of college-bound graduates are first in their family to go to college
1 in 4
graduates earn 4+ industry training credentials
$1,000,000+
in merit scholarships and grants earned by 2021 Rooted School graduates
$32,000+
yearly wage of Green Balloon Fellows right out of high school
100%
of graduates choose a college or jobs-related path
1 in 4 graduates
earn 4+ industry training credentials
The Future of Rooted School
We’ve laid the groundwork—and we’re just getting started
Since 2014, the Rooted School Foundation has fought to reduce America’s racial wealth gap by developing the roots of career and financial stability among underserved students through innovative approaches to education. Our goal is to accelerate upward mobility and lift children out of poverty by getting youth into good jobs sooner in their lives, providing the skills and resources needed for our high school students to achieve career and collegiate success.
We’ve achieved great things since our founding, and we have a lot more planned in the coming years. By 2024, we aim to open 2–3 additional schools in new cities, to grow the Green Balloon Fellowship to at least 2 regions supporting 50 fellows total, and to expand the Youth Cash Transfer Study to 230+ students in New Orleans and Indianapolis.
Timeline
2014 – Rooted School Foundation created
2015 – New Orleans charter approved
Fall 2017 – Rooted School New Orleans opened
2019 – Indianapolis charter approved
2020 – Youth Cash Transfer pilot launched
Fall 2020 – Rooted School Indianapolis opened
Winter 2020 – Vancouver, WA charter approved
2021 – Green Balloon Fellowship Pilot 1
2022 – Green Balloon Fellowship Pilot 2
Spring 2022 – Clark County charter submitted
Fall 2023 – Rooted School Vancouver to open
Fall 2023 – Rooted School Clark County to open
Our Team

Jonathan Johnson, Founder and CEO
Jonathan Johnson is the Founder and CEO of Rooted School Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to rapidly reduce America’s racial wealth gap by connecting underserved and talented teenagers with career and financial pathways.
He’s received numerous industry accolades for his work, including being nationally lauded as a “Change-Maker” by The 74. He received the Fishman Prize for Excellence in Teaching and was recognized as being among the one percent of entrepreneurs in the world by Echoing Green. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet’s “The Giving Pledge” campaign recognized Jonathan as one of the country’s most innovative school builders. Jonathan is also a member of the New Orleans Workforce Leadership Academy, Class of 2019, part of the Economic Opportunity Fellows Network run by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program.
Before founding the Rooted School Foundation, he taught for Teach For America in New Orleans and spent 4 years as an 8th-grade teacher for KIPP Central City Academy. He received his B.A. in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Chapman University.
Our Board of Directors







Our Foundation Team
Regional Executive Directors and Board Chairs
Every moment is a chance to build your reputation
We are unprepared to do something for the first time, always.
Contact
Motivation is for amateurs.
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Frank Ingargiola
Chief Operating Officer
Frank Ingargiola is the COO of Rooted School Foundation. He is a founding member of Rooted School New Orleans and is a 40+ year veteran of education in New York and New Jersey. He brings a wealth of experience from multiple perspectives as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and interim superintendent.
Frank received his B.A. in English from Fordham University and his M.A. in English Education from Columbia University.

Talia Livneh
Director of Programs
Talia Livneh is the Director of Programs at Rooted School Foundation. She is also a founding member of Rooted School New Orleans and currently works as the Director of College and Career Transition and the Director of the Green Balloon Fellowship at Rooted School. In these roles, she supports students in finding individualized pathways to financial freedom, whether that be by enrolling in college, or starting a career.
Prior to joining Rooted, Talia taught for Teach for America in New Orleans and spent 7 years teaching High School Mathematics. She received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon and her M.A. in School Organization and Leadership from Teachers College and Columbia University.

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