About Azadi Partners

Capacity, built around the people who serve students.

We are a New York State– and New York City–certified minority- and woman-owned educational consulting firm — led by practitioners who understand how instructional and system-level change actually happens.

Certified

A New York State– and New York City–certified MWBE.

Azadi Partners is an officially certified minority- and woman-owned business enterprise in both New York State and New York City — ready to serve as a credible, qualifying partner on district, city, state, and philanthropic initiatives.

New York State Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) certified seal

New York City Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) certified seal

آزادیAzadi · freedom

Azadi comes from the Persian word for freedom. We believe that all students deserve the freedom to pursue their full potential, and that the organizations serving them deserve the tools, time, and strategic capacity to help them get there.

We are a New York State– and New York City–certified minority- and woman-owned educational consulting firm led by former teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and edtech practitioners. We bring firsthand experience from classrooms, central offices, and education organizations to support partners navigating complex instructional and system-level challenges — particularly those related to AI, technology integration, and instructional improvement.

Our work is grounded in an honest understanding of how schools and school systems operate. Whether we are supporting teachers through hands-on professional learning, helping an organization navigate district partnerships, or contributing as an MWBE partner on a large RFP, we focus on solutions that are feasible, human-centered, and designed to last.

Two experienced educators talking together in a school hallway lined with student artwork

Who we are

Led by people who have done the work.

Azadi Partners is led by practitioners who have worked across classrooms, schools, districts, and education organizations — and who understand how instructional and system-level change actually happens.

Anusheh Hashim Byrne

Founder & President

Anusheh is an experienced educator and instructional leader with deep roots in classroom practice and teacher development. She began her career teaching in PreK–4 classrooms and has spent more than a decade supporting educators through curriculum design, coaching, and professional learning.

Her work focuses on helping teachers and school leaders design rigorous, student-centered learning experiences and thoughtfully integrate new tools — including AI — into instructional planning and practice. Anusheh brings a strong grounding in curriculum, pedagogy, and equity, and is known for designing professional learning that is practical, reflective, and immediately usable by educators across roles.

Paul Byrne

Co-Founder & Vice President

Paul is a former teacher, school leader, and district-level strategist with extensive experience working inside large public school systems. He previously served as Chief Strategy Officer for New York City Public Schools' Division of School Planning, where he led and supported major systemwide initiatives, cross-sector partnerships, and school planning efforts.

Paul has also worked in the educational technology sector, supporting go-to-market strategy, district partnerships, and implementation for education organizations. His work bridges instructional practice, system design, and organizational strategy — helping schools and organizations navigate complexity and move from planning to execution.

Samantha Nadal

Facilitator

Samantha is an educator and curriculum strategist with experience across early childhood and elementary classrooms in public, charter, and independent schools. Her role as a teacher leader and mentor to graduate students led to work in curriculum design, instructional leadership, and school change. Grounded in a dual focus on special education and educational equity, she is known for helping schools strengthen support for neurodiverse learners while broadening the narratives at the center of school curricula.

Her work centers on translating research on executive functioning, Universal Design for Learning, and inclusive pedagogy into practical systems teachers can use right away. She designs and facilitates professional learning that helps educators thoughtfully integrate AI and other tools into planning and instruction, and she has partnered with school leaders to build curriculum, coaching protocols, and assessment structures that make classrooms more accessible and rigorous for every learner.

Our approach

Defined by a few core principles

We work alongside educators and education organizations to turn ideas into practice in ways that are thoughtful, feasible, and grounded in real-world conditions.

Practitioner-informed design

Our work is shaped by firsthand experience in classrooms, schools, districts, and education organizations — ensuring strategies and solutions are grounded in how schools actually operate.

Human-centered, ethical use of technology

We approach AI and educational technology as tools to support professional judgment, instructional quality, and equity — not as replacements for educators or systems.

Capacity-building over dependency

We design professional learning, partnerships, and implementation support to strengthen internal capacity so our partners can sustain and extend the work over time.

From strategy to implementation

We focus on helping partners move from vision and planning to high-quality execution, with clear structures, practical workflows, and attention to follow-through.

Section: Work with us

Let's add capacity to your team.

Whether you're strengthening classroom instruction, aligning a product with school-system realities, or assembling a credible, certified MWBE partnership — we'd welcome the conversation.

Start a conversation