About Meridian Rise
Grounded in academic rigor. Built for institutional and national-scale impact.
Our Story
Meridian Rise grew out of long-standing collaboration within the California State University system, where our founders worked together as faculty, instructional designers, and academic leaders.
Through years of co-teaching, course redesign, program development, and system-level leadership, we saw a persistent challenge: institutions were being asked to modernize digital learning and adopt emerging technologies faster than governance, policy, and capacity could keep pace.
That insight shaped our approach.
We went on to design and deliver large-scale faculty and leadership development initiatives—including the California State University’s systemwide Introduction to AI Tools for Teaching & Learning program—reaching thousands of educators and instructional designers across campuses. As the work scaled, so did our focus on ethics, rigor, and institutional readiness.
Meridian Rise was formed to bring that same research-informed, governance-aware approach to partners globally.
Our Leadership Team
Sarah Evanick, Ph.D.
Sarah Evanick provides strategic and operational leadership for Meridian Rise, guiding the firm’s global partnerships, organizational growth, and long-term vision. With nearly two decades of experience across higher education, instructional technology, and program leadership, she brings a deep understanding of how institutions evolve—and where they often struggle—during periods of digital transformation.
Sarah’s work has spanned domestic and international contexts for 20 years, where she has partnered with universities and educational organizations to strengthen teaching quality, program design, and institutional capacity. As CEO, she leads Meridian Rise’s engagement strategy, ensuring that every partnership reflects academic rigor, ethical practice, and measurable impact.
She is known for building trusted, long-term relationships and for translating institutional values into scalable, sustainable learning systems that serve diverse learners across borders.
Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner
Laura Otero, Ph.D.
Laura Otero leads academic strategy, instructional design, and ethical AI integration at Meridian Rise. With over 15 years of experience in instructional design, digital learning leadership, and educational research, she specializes in building systems that align pedagogy, policy, and technology at scale.
Laura has led and advised large, multi-institution initiatives in the United States and internationally, including work supporting government-affiliated organizations and global education partners. Her experience includes designing and scaling systemwide faculty and leadership training programs, developing governance-ready AI frameworks, and advising senior leadership on digital learning strategy and quality assurance.
Her work is grounded in responsible innovation—ensuring that emerging technologies enhance human expertise, support equity and accessibility, and deliver measurable learning outcomes across varied cultural and regulatory environments.
Chief Academic Officer and Founding Partner
Chief Technology Officer and Founding Partner
Christopher Beem, M.S.
Christopher Beem leads technology strategy, learning systems architecture, and AI-enabled platform development at Meridian Rise. With 20 years of experience spanning instructional design, educational publishing, and technology project leadership, he brings a systems-level perspective to building scalable, sustainable digital learning environments.
Chris has worked across higher education and international educational contexts, designing platforms and workflows that support instructional quality, peer review, and institutional growth. His background in content development, editorial leadership, and instructional technology allows him to bridge technical infrastructure with pedagogical intent.
As CTO, Chris ensures that Meridian Rise’s technological solutions are ethical, reliable, and aligned with institutional goals—supporting innovation that is intentional, sustainable, and responsive to organizational context and learning impact.
Meridian Rise is led by a founding team with decades of combined experience across higher education, instructional design, educational technology, and international consulting—working at the intersection of pedagogy, governance, and ethical innovation.
Our Mission, Vision & Values
Mission
Meridian Rise partners with organizations around the world to improve education and training through the responsible and intentional use of artificial intelligence and digital systems. We provide advisory expertise that helps organizations build high-quality capabilities, strengthen internal capacity, and adopt technology in ways that are purposeful, sustainable, and beneficial to long-term global advancement.
Vision
We envision a world where education and training strengthen human capability, support lifelong skill development, and advance knowledge-driven organizations. Through intentional use of technology and AI, institutions, governments, and enterprises are equipped to build resilient systems, develop future-ready talent, and contribute to sustainable global progress.
How we work
Human Capability at the Center
We design education and training systems that strengthen human judgment, expertise, and creativity. Technology and AI are used to extend what people can do well, supporting learning and development that is meaningful, effective, and enduring.
Intentional Innovation
We approach digital transformation with clarity and purpose. By aligning technology decisions to defined goals, organizational context, and long-term needs, we help partners adopt AI and digital systems in ways that are thoughtful, focused, and sustainable.
Quality and Rigor at Scale
We emphasize strong standards, evaluation, and continuous improvement to ensure education and training remain credible and effective as they grow. Our work supports consistency, accountability, and trust across programs, organizations, and regions.
Capability Building for Long-Term Success
Our engagements are designed to strengthen internal knowledge, skills, and systems. By building confidence and competence within organizations, we support lasting progress that continues well beyond any individual engagement.
Global Progress Through Shared Advancement
We believe progress accelerates when knowledge, expertise, and effective practices are shared across sectors and regions. Our work contributes to a global culture of learning and improvement that benefits organizations and communities worldwide.