Kate Mullins

Founder & Executive Director, Vega Collegiate Academy

As a mission-driven educational director, entrepreneur, and advocate for social change, I champion equitable learning infrastructures, drive policy change, and boost local engagement to transform underserved areas into sustainable, thriving communities.

With a background in special education for diverse, vulnerable populations, I have collaborated on special teaching task forces to enhance curriculums, partnered with Teach for America (TFA) in improving teacher capabilities, and personally taught many as 180 students at a time. I recently collaborated with the renowned Building Excellent Schools program to establish Vega Collegiate Academy, a new K–8 college preparatory school in Aurora, Colorado, and I currently serve as the Founding Executive Director, where I lead the strategic direction and overall learning methodologies for 550 students in a marginalized area. A few of my noteworthy accomplishments include:

● Launched and scaled Vega Collegiate Academy to make an impact on the underserved community of Aurora.
● Grew Vega Collegiate Academy from 12 staff members with 100 students to 72 full-time employees and 550 students despite the massive educational fallout due to the global pandemic. I led the school in achieving the #1 and #2 rankings across charter schools in reading and mathematics skills, and we were honored with the School of Excellence Award by the Colorado Department of Education.
● Served as an advocate for education policy and a lobbyist for special education services in charter schools. I have been invited multiple times by the Colorado League of Charter Schools to speak at the House Committee. We recently succeeding in passing House Bill 22-1294 to expand special education pathways in charter schools.

: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynrmullins/