Beth Peng, President
Beth is mother to a first grader and transitional kindergartener in the Mandarin Immersion Program. She is honored to serve as President of the PlayThrive Board of Directors and thrilled to support PlayThrive’s hands-on, project-based approach to learning. Beth brings 15+ years of education experience to the Board, with the last 14 years being at local Sequoia High School. When not teaching, Beth enjoys coaching soccer, camping, and traveling.
Albie Fong, Treasurer
Albie is the father of a first grader and has been a PlayThrive and Orion Mandarin Immersion parent since 2024. He is honored to serve as Treasurer of the PlayThrive Board of Directors. Albie is passionate about PlayThrive’s bilingual education model, which allows students to proactively develop in an environment centered around project-based learning, social-emotional learning, and exploratory play. He is a VP of Business Development at a global PV solar panel manufacturer, and his family moved to Redwood City specifically for the Mandarin Immersion program.
Hai-Ching Yang, Secretary
Hai-Ching is the mother of a kindergartner and is deeply committed to bilingual education. She believes that bi-cultural fluency is essential for global citizenship and leadership. As a lawyer at an AI company and an educator in AI law, Hai-Ching brings expertise in AI, privacy, compliance, and cross-border transactions. Born in New York City, her lifelong connection to Chinese culture has been shaped through language learning in the U.S., family visits to Taiwan, and academic and professional experiences in China- strengthening her belief in the transformative power of Mandarin immersion. She is passionate about creating spaces where children can celebrate their cultural heritage while developing the skills and confidence to thrive in a global community.
Hana Ma, Board Member
Hana is a parent of a 5th grader and kindergartener, who are in PlayThrive and Orion Mandarin Immersion, and is honored to support PlayThrive as a board member through her experience in education policy, philanthropy, and non-profits. She grew up in Taiwan and San Jose and speaks Mandarin, French, and English. Hana is passionate about equitable access to multilingual education and supporting families to partner with educators to ensure that their children experience joyful learning and thrive.
Birdie Nguyen, Board Member
Birdie is the mother of three children and is honored to serve on the PlayThrive Board of Directors. She serves as Medication Safety Officer at a major Bay Area health system, where she leads quality improvement initiatives, regulatory compliance, and safety policy development—skills she looks forward to applying to PlayThrive’s governance, operational oversight, and strategic growth. Birdie is passionate about PlayThrive’s whole-child philosophy and the way it weaves language immersion with social-emotional learning. She is excited to bring her experience in building systems that prioritize safety, equity, and continuous improvement to help nurture a joyful and inclusive learning community.
Michelle Stroebe, Board Member
Michelle is the mother of a first-grader and a TK student in Orion’s Mandarin Immersion program. She currently works as a clinical dietitian and has a background in professional development and teaching. Michelle is passionate about bilingualism and childhood education and believes PlayThrive’s approach enriches the learning experiences of Orion students through immersive exploration of language and culture.
Please feel free to reach out to our board at board@playthrive.org.