Catalytic Capital: From Recognition to Action in Education-to-Workforce Investing
July 8, 2025 BlogThe education-to-workforce pipeline is under pressure – and changing fast. The World Economic Forum notes that employers around…
Andrea Mainelli
Senior Advisor
- 224.456.0060
- amainelli@tytonpartners.com
- Connect on LinkedIn
About Andrea
Andrea Mainelli serves as a Senior Advisor at Tyton Partners, where she co-leads the firm’s work with impact investors, philanthropies, and mission driven non-profits focused on social impact and systemic change in our education and workforce systems. With deep expertise in validating theories of change, crafting investment strategies across the capital spectrum, and designing frameworks to operationalize and measure impact, Andrea is a trusted partner to clients seeking to drive meaningful, scalable change.
A seasoned executive with more than 20 years of experience in the education sector, Andrea has held leadership roles across strategy, finance, and operations, including serving as CEO, COO, and CFO. Prior to joining Tyton, she was a senior executive at the College Board where she led the global go-to-market organization and CEO of Kaplan Financial and Real Estate, where she led product strategy, market expansion, and the integration of multiple acquisitions.
Andrea’s recent work includes advising on business transformation and sustainability of mission driven non-profits, go-to-market strategies, and supporting the growth of training and credentialing providers. She is a frequent speaker on impact investing in education and recently authored Catalytic Capital: Funding the Missing Middle in the Education-to-Workforce Ecosystem, a guide for deploying flexible capital to expand educational opportunity.
She brings extensive board experience, having worked with private equity and impact investors, and currently serves on the boards of SmartLab Learning, 7 Mindsets, and on the advisory board of JFF Ventures.
Andrea holds an AB in Social Studies from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. She is passionate about expanding access to high-quality learning and helping mission-driven organizations achieve lasting impact.
Industry Focus
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Impact Investing and Venture Philanthropy
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Workforce Development and Future of Work
Publications and Speaking Engagements
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Speaker, ASU+GSV, JFF Horizons, SOCAP, Knowledge Leaders Forum
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Contributing Author, Making an Impact , Finding Your Place , 2020 Career Navigation Technology Market Scan,
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
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Board Member, SmartLab Learning
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Board Member, 7 Mindsets
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Advisory Board Member, JFF Ventures Pilot Fund
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Board Member, Friends of Harvard Field Hockey
Interests and Passion Projects
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College access organizations, including Evanston Scholars and RISE (Rhode Islanders Supporting Education)
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All sports — Former Division I field hockey, lacrosse and basketball player
Education
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AB, Social Studies, Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges, magna cum laude
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MBA, Harvard Business School
Why Clients Love Working with Andrea
“Andrea brings a rare combination of strategic insight, operational expertise, and deep sector knowledge. She doesn’t just advise, she partners with us to solve complex challenges and build strategies we can actually execute. Working with her gives our team the clarity and confidence we need to drive real impact.”