It all started when…

Our Story

PEAS USA traces its roots to 2008, when entrepreneur Dan Sutera traveled to rural Zambia in search of a new challenge after a decade building high-growth companies. There, he met David Seidenfeld, who had spent years in Zambia through the Peace Corps, doctoral research, and the creation of a community school alongside colleague Mike Weiss.

Inspired by a shared belief that every child deserves access to a quality education, Dan, David, and Mike founded Impact Network to expand educational opportunities in rural Zambia. Soon after, Reshma Patel joined the organization, first overseeing its finances before becoming Executive Director in 2013 and helping guide the organization through more than a decade of growth and innovation.

In the early years, Impact Network focused on building community schools. But by 2011, it became clear that great school buildings alone would not transform education. The organization shifted its focus to improving learning itself, developing the eSchool 360 model to strengthen teaching, school leadership, and student outcomes while keeping costs low enough to scale.

Over the next decade, Impact Network partnered closely with Zambia's Ministry of Education to demonstrate what was possible in rural public education. Independent research showed significant improvements in literacy and numeracy, and the organization's evidence-based approach helped influence education policy and practice beyond the schools it directly supported.

In January 2025, Impact Network officially partnered with PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools), bringing together two organizations with complementary strengths and a shared vision for transforming education across Africa. The partnership created a seamless pathway from primary through secondary education while combining expertise in school improvement, government partnership, and evidence-based innovation.

Today, as PEAS USA, we support the work of PEAS across Zambia, Uganda, and Ghana, helping improve education in more than 550 partner schools and reaching over 300,000 students each year. Together, we work alongside governments, educators, and communities to strengthen education systems so every child has the opportunity to learn, thrive, and shape a better future.