Acelero, Inc. Names New Chief Executive Officer

Acelero, Inc. Names Charlie Geier Chief Executive Officer as Organization Marks 25 Years of Impact

Acelero, Inc. today announced that Charlie Geier has been named its next Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Co-Founder and CEO Henry Wilde as the organization celebrates 25 years of impact in early childhood education.

The leadership transition comes as Acelero marks its 25th anniversary and looks ahead to its next chapter. Founded in 2001 with a commitment to improving outcomes for children and families through Head Start, Acelero Inc. has grown in both the reach and scope of its work across early childhood education. In Program Year 2024-25, the organization reached nearly 550,000 children across all 50 states, underscoring the breadth of the organization Geier will now lead.¹

Geier joined the organization in 2019 and currently serves as President of Shine Early Learning, one of the organization's two early childhood education divisions. Through Shine Early Learning, Acelero, Inc. partners with early childhood organizations and public systems to strengthen early learning at scale. Geier's leadership of this work has helped expand the organization's reach and impact and has given him firsthand experience across the systems, organizations and communities Acelero Inc. serves. His selection followed a national search led by the board of directors of Acelero, Inc., with representation from the Acelero Head Start Governance and Advisory Council.

"Charlie understands both the responsibility and the opportunity we have to help move early learning forward, and he brings a deep commitment to the children, families and educators at the heart of this work," said Aarthi Sowrirajan, chair of the board. "Throughout our national search, we were focused on finding a leader with the judgment, vision, and sense of purpose to guide the organization forward. We believe Charlie is that leader, and we are thrilled to welcome him as our next CEO."

Geier brings more than 20 years of experience spanning nearly every level of early childhood education. He began his career as a classroom teacher and instructional coach, working directly with children and educators, before moving into school-district and public-sector leadership. As Director of Early Learning and Intervention for the Indiana Department of Education, he led statewide work across early learning, school improvement and other education initiatives. He later held senior leadership roles at the Indiana Youth Institute before joining Shine Early Learning in 2019, where he has led the growth and delivery of partnerships with early childhood organizations and public systems.

"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead an organization and a team I believe in so deeply," said Geier. "I began my career as a teacher, and that experience has stayed with me throughout every role I have held. The work ultimately comes back to children and families and to the people who serve them every day. Looking ahead, I am excited to listen, learn and build on 25 years of progress as we find new ways to deepen our impact and reach more children, families, and communities."

Henry Wilde, longtime CEO of Acelero, Inc., has helped shape the organization throughout its 25-year history. Since co-founding Acelero in 2001, Wilde has guided its evolution from its early roots in Head Start to the broader early childhood education organization it is today. Wilde will transition into a senior advisor role in early 2027, working closely with Geier to position Acelero, Inc. for continued growth and impact under its new CEO.

"Over 25 years, this organization has grown in ways we could only have imagined when we started, but all of our work revolves around the same belief it did from day one - every child has infinite potential, and our opportunity is to help them become champions of their own making," said Wilde. "I have had the joy of working alongside Charlie since he joined our organization in 2019, and I have seen how deeply he cares about our mission and the quality of the work we do. I have tremendous confidence in Charlie and in his ability to lead this organization into its next chapter."