Aya Takemoto

Aya Takemoto is a Director at Watershed Advisors.

At her core, Aya is a teacher and problem-solver who has spent her career turning ambitious ideas into sustainable solutions that can thrive in classrooms and communities. She began as a teacher with the Peace Corps in Madagascar and later taught in classrooms in Japan and New York City. These experiences shape, inspire, and drive her commitment to supporting teachers and students, especially in the ever-evolving realities facing schools and classrooms today.

Across her nonprofit and advisory roles, Aya is known for providing deep consultative support and thought partnership to leaders, helping them unstick challenges and chart paths from problems to solutions. At College Board, she led national initiatives that required navigating state-by-state politics, policy, and funding landscapes to pilot and scale college and career access programs and products; and at Executives Partnering to Invest in Children, she guided business and community leaders through complex regulatory and funding environments to invest in child care solutions.

Through it all, Aya has built a reputation for tackling big, sticky problems and advancing strategies that center the communities they are meant to serve. She holds degrees from Occidental College and Columbia University, and lives in Denver with her husband, two children, and their polydactyl cat, Leroy.