Built by educators, for educators, with students at the heart
Our mission
Founded to address classroom gaps, Inquiry By Design began with a simple belief: there had to be a better way. Our founder designed a curriculum around intentionally complex and engaging inquiry that successfully captivated every student, regardless of proficiency level.
Today, we’re a team of educators who believe a curriculum should be a powerful tool for your best work, not just a list of standards. That’s why our English and Spanish materials are built on fundamental principles of literacy instruction, not passing fads. This intentional approach gives students a consistent, high-quality experience; provides educators with the time and freedom to truly teach; and offers administrators an equitable, proven solution they can trust.
From a single thread to a woven foundation
The garage where it all began, a place where big ideas, hard work, and a passion for building things from the ground up came together. This ispirit still drives us today.
Our story is built on a strong educational foundation, thread by thread. These curriculum resources represent the core of our approach: a belief that rigorous, thoughtful instruction is the key to creating lasting impact and woven into every partnership.
Creativity and collaboration are at the heart of innovation. Our team workshop offered a way to weave new ideas and perspectives into the fabric of our company culture.
OUR TEAM
Built by educators, for educators
We’re not suits in board rooms guessing what schools need. Our team is a group of former educators and administrators with nearly 150 years of combined experience. We’ve graded papers at midnight, celebrated breakthrough moments with students, and navigated complex budget cuts.
Because we’ve lived the challenges you face every day, our curriculum doesn’t just look good on paper—it works in real classrooms with real students.
Chief Executive Officer
Nick Resick
My first job out of college, teaching in Oakland, quickly illuminated how a quality education sets children up for a life of choice and opportunity. With no curriculum, students were at the mercy of teachers with little expertise in design or standards alignment. Later, at districts like Long Beach Unified, I saw how a guaranteed viable curriculum across classrooms and grades drove equity and access for all students. These experiences fuel my passion to ensure all students have access to an excellent curriculum, no matter their zip code, school, or teacher.
Chief Product Officer
Tammy Baumann, PhD
For me, creativity is a form of practical problem-solving. While I love traditional art forms, my personal artistic self comes out when I’m given a big objective and set loose to design the setting and the process for creation. I thrive on those initial parameters—the resources, the vision, the timeline—because they give me the framework to start building. I’m energized by the detective work of hunting for solutions, the flow of seeing a process click into place, and the ultimate satisfaction of bringing a great curriculum product to life.
Director of Publishing Operations
Karee Galloway
I’ve always considered myself a reader and a writer, but for most of my life I thought of these as solitary pursuits. School reinforced that idea again and again. Reading was something you did quietly with a book, and writing was something you produced alone and then handed in for a grade. It wasn’t until I came to Inquiry By Design that I began to understand that the true power of reading and writing lay in social and collaborative practices that open conversation, build community, and deepen understanding.
Director of Sales
Dean Guzman
Director of Marketing
Dawn McAvoy
There was a moment in grad school when everything clicked for me. I was working as a public information officer at a rural North Carolina community college, watching newly single mothers train for careers that could support their families, older men learn new technology to keep their jobs, and seeing brilliant kids who couldn’t afford university find their path forward anyway. That’s when I understood what real equity in education looks like. It’s why I’ve spent my career in educational technology and publishing ever since.
Senior Manager of Curriculum
Cara Zatoris, MEd
In high school, an English teacher made me feel genuinely seen and valued, which was such a comfort during a time when I felt a bit lost and misunderstood. That experience lit a fire in me, leading me from teaching to supporting other teachers, and now to creating something I hope will make their lives enormously easier. I believe students deserve instructional materials that help them feel the same sense of connection and possibility I once felt, and I’m grateful every day to play a part in making that happen.
Director of Product Development
Genya Devoe
Books have always been door-openers for me, and I want students to feel that same rush of possibility when a story speaks to them. One of my favorite things is when a student says, “I never thought of it that way before.” Watching them connect their own experiences to a story keeps me passionate about this work.
Language Arts Curriculum Specialist
Sophia Reichert
Reading and writing have always helped me make sense of the world, and that love led me to the classroom. While teaching, I witnessed firsthand how powerful it is when students see themselves in the texts they read and have the tools to tell their own stories. As a curriculum writer, I work to bring those experiences to more classrooms.
ELA/SLA Content Specialist
Gwendolyn Olvera
As a literacy and language teacher, my proudest accomplishment has been getting students to understand the value of reading and writing, not just in the classroom, but beyond. My students learned the importance of clear communication, and the doors it would open for them. Whether in their studies, their personal lives, or in the professional realm, students learned that reading and writing are the key to making the world a more just and equitable place, for themselves and others.
Content Writer
Matt Homrich-Knieling
Content Writer
Caio Posner
Content Writer
Elizabeth H. Watson
Reading The Outsiders in the seventh grade turned me into a voracious reader, and ignited a passion to reach those who don’t think that they’re good enough. I love watching reluctant readers, students who think they’re ‘not smart’ , and those who others deemed unreachable dive into something that interests them, develop into savvy critical thinkers, and find their voices.
Content Writer
Stephanie Kane-Mainier, PhD
“🤬, Stephanie.” I was sitting in a too-warm Cathedral of Learning classroom as the man with a grey ponytail barked at me over my paper. I was an aimless undergraduate, unsure why I was even back in college at all. But somehow in that moment, despite his seeming gruffness and irritation, it became clear: he cared about what I was trying to say, and he wanted me to write better, clearer, smarter. For the first time, I had an audience—and someone who expected me to live up to that responsibility. That moment and that man, William E. Coles, Jr., made me a teacher of writing.
Content Writer
Alexandra Boggs
One thing that always stuck with me from my days in the classroom was the magic of watching young people encounter new stories and recognizing themselves in them. That’s why I think a lot about choosing the right texts and how important it is for creating quality curriculum. There’s something about excellent texts- it’s an effect that can’t be captured through standards or assessments. It’s the feeling of questioning all that you know, of imagining, of being inspired to build something new. And more than ever these days, young people need to feel inspired to build something new.
Content Writer
Tressie Norton
I live at the base of the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains with my husband and two gigantic dogs, Caesar and Cleo. I enjoy fitness, and I’m lucky enough to help others on their fitness journey by coaching at a local gym. I often put my fitness to use by rearranging furniture and gardening. A lover of nature, color, and whimsy, I’m more likely to be found in a thrift shop than a shopping mall.
Content Writer
Corey VanHuystee
I’ve been a literacy educator and curriculum writer in beautiful Memphis, Tennessee for almost fifteen years. I love creating units that inspire curiosity and encourage students to take action to support and build connections in their local community. When I’m not writing curriculum, you can find me traveling, practicing yoga, running, biking, or reading with my cat, Bernard.