Our Team

Meet Our Leadership Team.

We are specialists in both international education and educational innovation, forming a diverse team with international experience in both the corporate as the educational environment. As a team we use our knowledge and expertise to create educational impact.

Andrea Buffara is a lifelong educator caught up in a rapidly changing world. She has worked as a special needs teacher, academic services coordinator, principal, and school director. In her many roles, she has implemented, monitored, evaluated, and designed projects and programs in the private school sector. The bulk of her career was spent in two international schools- Graded School in São Paulo and EARJ in Rio de Janeiro before embarking upon school start-ups. Most recently, she co-founded two schools: Escola Americana de Vitoria and Kruger School Primaria. Her recent work is defined by an entrepreneurial role in school start-ups, investment, and advising through Gamut Education. Andrea is a licensed educator that holds a BA in Political Science from Barnard College/Columbia University, an M.Sc. in Development Studies from the London School of Economics, and an ED.M from Teacher’s College/Columbia University in Education Leadership with a concentration in Private School Leadership.

Andrew Neil Sherman was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. His interest in private school start-ups, Latin America, and investment strategies are products of his personal experience, academic preparation and professional situations. Mr. Sherman is actively involved in school development efforts. Andrew’s work consistently focuses on Latin America and this permits his involvement in schools in more than a dozen countries. He co-founded Gamut Education consulting firm dedicated to supporting school start-up projects by implementing initiatives in market studies, government regulatory compliance, facilities design, and school financing strategies. Projects include school turn-around initiatives with GEMS AMERICAS, leadership development with the Galapagos Conservancy, change management and a leadership transition at an international school in Texas, enrollment growth and financing with The American School of Vitoria, Brazil, and post-acquisition merger leadership at Nord Anglia Education.

Zakaria Laaraj is an expert in global and digital skills with international experience spanning over 12 countries. With a deep passion for digital transformation and internationalization, Zakaria leverages his expertise to enable organizations to thrive in our increasingly globalized and digitized world. Recognizing the significant role of education in our ever-changing world, Zakaria has collaborated with esteemed institutions including the Living Lab of the Institute for the Future of Education and Cisco’s Networking Academy. Furthermore, Zakaria also contributes to AI 2030 as a Global Fellow. As a keynote speaker, Zakaria shares his insights and expertise at global events, inspiring audiences with his vision for the skills of the future, internationalization, and digital transformation. Furthermore, as a jury member in the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC), Zakaria evaluated a wide range of categories during the semi-finals of the Ecuadorian phase, further demonstrating his commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation on a global scale.