As Aligned’s founding President and CEO, Torree Pederson works to ensure public education prepares students across Kansas and Missouri for college, career, and lifelong success. A passionate education advocate, Torree has spent more than 15 years leading business-driven organizations to address workforce development challenges.

Torree has worked with business and education leaders to identify barriers and craft policies that benefit students in the classroom today. Through her leadership, Aligned has secured numerous wins for education, including securing historic levels of funding for early childhood education, creating innovative alternative pathways to teaching, and reforming teacher pay policies.

In addition to her role at Aligned, Torree founded and chairs BotsKC, a regional battle bot competition that inspires middle and high school students to engage in hands-on, real-world learning experiences. Her ability to unite business leaders, educators, and policymakers has been instrumental in addressing critical workforce needs while creating opportunities for the next generation.

Before entering the education advocacy arena, Torree honed her corporate finance, accounting, and audit expertise during her tenure at Sprint and Hallmark in Kansas City. She lives in Shawnee, Kansas, with her husband, Jason, and their two children.