Chris Hodges is the President and Founder of Global Schools for Change. After retiring as President of Emerald Housing Partners, an owner and developer of affordable housing in the US, he continued his lifelong passion for international travel and began to recognize the need for better schools in Bangladesh and other developing countries. Chris has served on numerous charitable boards and is currently a director of Hutsonwood Inc., a non-profit provider of health care services and affordable housing.

Chandan is an Assistant Professor at the  Institute of Education and Research of Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has authored multiple textbooks and teachers guides under the government’s new, competency based education curriculum and has published more than 150 analytical articles on education, disability rights, and other developmental issues as a feature writer for The Daily Star, a local English daily newspaper.  Chandan has served as a consultant to GSFC since 2023 and advocates for high-quality, inclusive education as a fundamental right for the marginalized population of Bangladesh. 

Ira earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Eastern University in Bangladesh and has competed internships with an Advocate of the Bangladesh Supreme Court as well as the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Service Trust.  She also worked as an associate with LexConsultium, a leading legal research and services firm. In her role with GSFC, Ira helps identify social barriers that prevent children—especially girls—from attending and staying in school and is also involved in community outreach and awareness-building efforts to help families understand the long-term value of education.