By Kristin Umland, IM CEO and Cofounder
Twelve years ago, Illustrative Mathematics® (IM) was just a scrappy startup with very few resources, held together by five founders who shared a conviction that we could help educators across the United States elevate their math instruction and help their students learn math for life. Today, IM® Math is used in thousands of classrooms across the country by more than three million students. What started as a small team with a big idea has evolved into a national organization recognized for developing one of the highest-quality math curricula in the country.
This month, I officially stepped into the role of CEO as my cofounder and dear colleague of more than a decade, Bill McCallum, transitions into a new role as senior advisor.
Bill and I always dreamed that IM would outlast our partnership and become an institution bigger than the two of us. This transition is an important step toward that vision.
Building IM has been like turning a flywheel. It started slowly—but with every pilot, every new partnership, and every classroom success, we gained a little more momentum. Twelve years in, that flywheel is spinning faster than ever, driven by our 90-person team and more than a decade of focused, relentless work.
As we grow, what grounds us is unchanged: connection, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to student sense-making. And we’ve learned that the more we work in partnership, with each other and with the field, the greater our collective impact becomes.
I can’t wait to see what we’ll build together in this next chapter.
Our North Star
Improving the classroom experience and fostering students’ math learning and identities is our north star, and no matter how the world shifts around us, we’ll keep navigating toward it. If I had to name what makes IM different, it’s this: We never lose sight of that ultimate goal. In this next phase, our work will include (1) expanding our pre-K offerings, and (2) scaling targeted, curriculum-aligned interventions for students more than a year behind grade level.
We’re thinking not just about how IM can make an impact, but how we can lift up others to do the same. Our strength has always come from staying focused on what we do best—and partnering with others who bring their own strengths to the table. That’s how we’ve grown so far, and how we’ll continue to grow.
One of the things Bill said to me early on that has deeply shaped my thinking is that you gain power by giving power away. This philosophy has defined his leadership and how we work at IM. When we partner with organizations that complement and elevate our work, we strengthen the whole ecosystem. And when the ecosystem thrives, so do students and teachers.
Changing what happens in math classrooms is hard work. There are so many interconnected forces that influence what kids experience, and they all need to align to create coherent, meaningful math instruction.
At IM, we’ve always taken a systems view. We collaborate with school leaders, coaches, partners, and advocates to build coherence through curriculum, professional learning, and implementation support. People may come to us for curriculum, but what they get is so much more: dedicated colleagues who are in it with them for the long haul.
As we look toward the future, we’re holding fast to what’s always mattered most: ensuring every student has access to mathematical learning opportunities that are both coherent and engaging.
Everything we do points back to that. I feel incredibly proud and deeply grateful to lead IM into this next chapter.
Next Steps
Explore more on this leadership transition:
- Kristin Umland Named CEO of Illustrative Mathematics®
- Celebrating Bill McCallum’s Accomplishments as CEO of Illustrative Mathematics®
- A Farewell and a Look Ahead
Kristin Umland
IM CEO and Cofounder
Kristin Umland is a mathematician, educator, and visionary leader committed to transforming how students experience math. As CEO and cofounder of Illustrative Mathematics, she leads the organization’s vision to help all learners know, use, and enjoy mathematics.
Formerly mathematics faculty at the University of New Mexico, Kristin spent over two decades teaching math, leading K–12 initiatives, and researching how students learn. Since cofounding IM, she has served as vice president of content development, chief product officer, and president—roles through which she helped shape IM’s curricula and professional learning.
A recipient of the AMS Award for Impact on the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics and the Louise Hay Award from the Association for Women in Mathematics, Kristin remains a tireless advocate for helping all students see themselves as mathematicians.
