Natalia Allen is an Engagement Manager at Luminary Labs. With a background in education and school administration, she can prioritize and solve problems quickly in fast-paced environments. Natalia understands the importance of multiple perspectives, and collaborates closely with clients to create actionable solutions and real impact for a wide range of stakeholders.

Before joining the team at Luminary Labs, Natalia served as the Special Education Department Chair at Uncommon Charter High School in Brooklyn, New York, where she had also held instructional and school operations roles during her nine-year tenure. Natalia’s main area of expertise is in special education, particularly navigating the different support services offered to students in a charter school setting. Natalia developed a systematic approach to tracking student growth and achievement for students performing far below grade level, and her work was recognized with a 2019 Uncommon Knowledge Grant. Natalia’s work is rooted in the belief that that a supportive and well-rounded education is inclusive and supportive of each student’s neurotype, race, gender, gender identity, sexuality, location, social status, immigration status, native language, and income — among all the other things that make each of us unique in our learning needs.

Natalia graduated from Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Public Policy. She received a Master of Arts in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education in Middle Childhood Education and Students with Disabilities 7-12. She is a lifelong reader, and can often be found visiting independent bookstores all over New York City or browsing the shelves at the Brooklyn Public Library. She loves recommending books to everyone, particularly kids who claim to hate reading. Natalia is a native Spanish speaker.