Arturo Ruelas

About Arturo Ruelas

Visionary education executive and strategic systems leader with 19 years of cross-cultural experience across the United States and China, specializing in building high-impact schools, scalable curriculum systems, and mission-aligned learning organizations. As Founding Education Advisor at PopStock, a venture-backed EdTech startup, I led the end-to-end design of an AI-integrated financial literacy curriculum, competency framework, and instructional architecture, positioning the platform to drive equity, engagement, and real-world financial capability among youth and emerging adults.My leadership spans launching and growing international, charter, and independent schools; integrating diverse global curricula (IB, AP, IGCSE, A-Level, Montessori, Reggio Emilia); and advancing academic strategy, accreditation, and compliance across complex contexts. I bring deep expertise in talent development, instructional design, board relations, and adaptive operational leadership.Driven by a belief in learner agency, cultural responsiveness, and system-level innovation, I build learning ecosystems that prepare students for purpose-filled futures, while empowering educators to lead with clarity, character, and curiosity.Now seeking opportunities to lead transformative education initiatives as a Chief Education Officer, Head of Learning Strategy, or Executive Director of Instructional Innovation in mission-aligned EdTech or education systems.Areas of Expertise:Strategic Leadership• Strategic Leadership & Planning• Transformative Leadership• Mission-Driven Growth Strategy• Startup & Scale-Up Leadership• Change Management• Talent Development & Leadership• Stakeholder Engagement• Equity-Informed Policy Development• Data-Driven Decision Making Educational Innovation • Curriculum Development & Integration• Innovative Educational Strategies• Digital Learning Ecosystems• Instructional Technology Strategy• Culturally Responsive Leadership• Professional Learning & Development• Community-Centered Collaborations• Global Partnerships & Collaborations• Educational Innovation Operational Excellence• Project Management• Organizational Development• Budget Planning & Fiscal Stewardship• Public-Charter School Law & Policy• Board Governance & Compliance Oversight• Cross-Functional Collaboration• Performance Improvement• Regulatory Compliance & Accreditation• Revenue Diversification & Fundraising

Experience

1. Education and Business Advisor (Founding Contractor Executive Track)

   Popstock Educational Services

   Apr 2025 — Present · Beaverton, OR, US

   Provide senior-level strategic leadership in curriculum design, product-aligned pedagogy, and partnership development for a venture-backed Fintech/EdTech startup redefining youth financial literacy through gamified, culturally responsive digital experiences. Appointed to founding team with 3% equity and designated transition to Chief Education Officer (CEdO) upon Seed round close.• Spearheaded the creation of PopStock’s flagship Curriculum Narrative, integrating financial literacy standards, behavioral economics, and learning sciences into a sequenced, multi-phase digital learning system.• Designed the Competency Framework and Core Components, structuring cross-domain competencies, performance dimensions, instructional features, and developmental phases to support equity, modularity, and adaptive progression.• Authored the Curriculum Integration & Platform Architecture Guide, building backend tagging logic, metadata schemas, and AI-aligned instructional mappings for scalable content generation and UX coherence.• Led strategic alignment of pedagogy and product, ensuring core learning outcomes were embedded into gamified simulations and student-centered user experiences across the digital platform.• Directed early-stage district and nonprofit partnerships, developing pilot protocols, professional development resources, and educator onboarding aligned to curricular fidelity and platform adoption goals.• Collaborated directly with C-suite to define PopStock’s education brand identity, theory of impact, and market entry strategy, supporting investor engagement and go-to-market planning.• Created executive-facing communications for board presentations and fundraising decks, translating instructional impact into measurable outcomes and growth potential.

Education

• Victor Valley College

  Associate's Degree

  1998 — 1999

• California State University, Monterey Bay

  Bachelor's Degree

  1999 — 2002

• Portland State University

  Principal License

  2013 — 2014

• Chapman University

  Master's Degree

  2004 — 2006

Skills

• People Management
• Organizational Development
• Differentiated Instruction
• Coaching & Mentoring
• K-12
• Organizational Learning
• Learning Management Systems
• Higher Education
• Team Leadership
• Program Development
• Management
• Training
• Curriculum Design
• Classroom
• Nonprofits
• E-Learning
• Instructional Design
• Crossfunctional Team Leadership
• Research
• Team Learning
• Tutoring
• Leadership
• Public Speaking
• Leadership Development
• English as a Second Language (Esl)
• Strategic Planning
• Organizational Behavior
• Lean Six Sigma
• Esl
• Project Management
• Program Management
• Change Management
• Literacy
• Classroom Management
• Curriculum Development
• Event Planning
• Staff Development
• Elementary Education
• Collect, Analyze, and Utilize Data
• Community Outreach