Wang brings proven leadership to accelerate Presence’s growth and technology innovation as schools face increasing need for trusted special education support

NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Presence, a leading provider of K–12 special education technology and teletherapy services, today announced Jess Wang has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Kate Eberle Walker, who has transitioned to Executive Chair of the company’s Board of Directors. The transition marks the next chapter for Presence as the company builds on its national scale, strengthens its technology offerings, and expands its ability to help more schools meet the evolving needs of students with special needs.

Wang, who has served as Presence’s Chief Operating Officer since 2024, steps into the CEO role with deep knowledge of the business, strong relationships with customers and clinicians, and a proven track record of strengthening operational performance. Her appointment is a leadership transition designed to provide continuity, accelerate innovation, and position Presence for sustainable long-term growth.

The transition comes as schools face persistent staffing shortages, growing administrative demands, and increasing pressure to deliver effective special education services. More than ever, districts need trusted partners that combine experienced clinicians, purposeful technology, and dependable support.

Experienced Leadership for a Critical Moment in Special Education

Wang brings decades of experience spanning education, technology, and workforce development, with a proven track record of building and scaling national education organizations. She began her career as a public high school social studies teacher and Master Teacher, mentoring the next generation of educators. She later held senior leadership roles at education technology company 2U, Inc., where she built and led large, distributed teams, developed graduate programs for speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and counseling professionals, and launched and scaled technology-enabled education services. Her experience driving enterprise-wide operational transformation, combined with her firsthand understanding of the classroom and the challenges of developing a qualified workforce, gives her a unique perspective on the evolving needs of schools, educators, and clinicians.

“Schools are being asked to do more than ever to support students with diverse learning needs, often with fewer resources,” Wang said. “They need partners they can trust, technology that solves real problems, and services they can depend on. Presence is uniquely positioned to deliver on those needs. We have an exceptional team, innovative technology, and a clear vision for making special education more connected, efficient, and effective. I’m excited to lead our next chapter with a focus on delivering for the schools, clinicians, and students who count on us.”

Building on a Strong Foundation of Growth and Innovation

Wang succeeds Walker following eight years of significant growth that transformed Presence into a national leader in special education technology and services. Under Walker’s leadership, the company expanded its reach, invested in technology innovation, and completed strategic acquisitions that broadened its capabilities and strengthened its position in the market.

Today, Presence partners with more than 11,000 schools across 47 states, supports a network of more than 2,000 licensed clinicians, and has delivered over 8 million remote evaluations and teletherapy sessions. Strategic milestones, including the acquisition of Global Teletherapy and Education Modified, have expanded Presence’s ability to deliver critical student services, streamline special education workflows, and give schools greater visibility into student supports.

“Leading Presence through eight years of growth and transformation has been one of the greatest privileges of my career,” Walker said. “I’m incredibly proud of the company we’ve built, the talented team behind it, and the millions of students we’ve helped support. We’ve established a strong foundation and tremendous momentum, and I couldn’t be more confident in Jess as the leader to take Presence forward.”

Walker will remain actively involved in supporting Presence’s long-term strategy and mission in partnership with Wang and the Board.

Accelerating Purposeful Technology Innovation and Customer Impact

Under Wang’s leadership, Presence will continue advancing its technology strategy while maintaining a strong focus on serving more students and schools.

Through its expanding technology offerings, Presence is helping schools reduce administrative burden, improve coordination, and gain greater visibility into student services. The company is also advancing responsible applications of artificial intelligence that support educator and clinician expertise while keeping qualified professionals at the center of student engagement.

Presence recently promoted Felipe Murillo to Chief Technology Officer, reinforcing its commitment to secure, scalable, and intelligent technology. Murillo oversees engineering, cybersecurity, and AI strategy as Presence builds a more integrated technology experience for schools and clinicians.

With an experienced leadership team, established customer partnerships, and continued support from investors including Spectrum Equity, TPG Rise Fund, and Bain Capital Double Impact, Presence is positioned to accelerate growth and help schools deliver more effective, connected special education services.

About Presence

Presence is a leading provider of teletherapy services and technology for K–12 schools. Since 2009, Presence has helped schools address students’ special education-related and mental health needs by connecting them with a nationwide network of licensed clinicians, award-winning technology, and end-to-end clinical support. Presence is helping schools, students, and clinicians succeed, wherever they are.

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Hyundai and Orange County Schools Bright Futures Foundation Award $150,000 to 15 Public Schools in Orange County, California

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hyundai Motor America, through its corporate social responsibility initiative Hyundai Hope, in partnership with Orange County Schools Bright Futures Foundation, announced the inaugural recipients of the Future Innovators Initiative by Hyundai, a new STEM education funding program designed to expand science, technology, engineering and math learning opportunities for students across Orange County, California.

Through the initiative, Hyundai and Orange County Schools Bright Futures Foundation are investing $150,000 in 15 Orange County public schools, with each selected school receiving a $10,000 grant to support hands-on STEM programs and projects that encourage problem-solving, critical thinking and innovation while helping prepare students for future educational and career opportunities.

“Orange County is home to our North American headquarters, and we’re proud to invest in the students and educators who are shaping the future of this community,” said Brandon Ramirez, director, corporate social responsibility, Hyundai Motor North America. “Through the Future Innovators Initiative, we’re helping schools create meaningful STEM experiences that can spark curiosity, build critical skills and introduce students to new possibilities for their futures.”

Hyundai celebrated the inaugural grant recipients during an event at its North American headquarters in Fountain Valley, bringing together educators, community partners and Hyundai representatives to recognize the selected schools and spotlight the innovative STEM projects the grants will help bring to life.

“Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the privilege of seeing firsthand the extraordinary innovation taking place across these 15 Orange County public schools,” said David Blair, executive director, Orange County Schools Bright Futures Foundation. “Orange County is home to incredible talent, and our students and educators have the potential to create generational change. Hyundai’s leadership and investment demonstrate what is possible when education, philanthropy, and community leadership come together. This is more than an investment in 15 schools. It is an investment in Orange County’s future and an example of what we can accomplish through strong community partnerships. The talent is here. Innovation is happening. Together, we can build on this momentum and make Orange County a model for educational excellence.”

The Future Innovators Initiative puts resources directly into the hands of local educators, helping bring innovative STEM projects from concept to classroom and giving students more opportunities for hands-on learning.

Investing in Orange County’s Future

The Future Innovators Initiative builds on Hyundai’s broader commitment to Orange County, home to the company’s North American headquarters. Through this investment, Hyundai is helping strengthen local schools while encouraging students to explore STEM pathways and future career possibilities.

“Across Orange County’s 28 school districts, our educators are doing extraordinary work to help students see what’s possible,” said Dr. Stefan Bean, Orange County Superintendent of Schools, Orange County Department of Education. “The Future Innovators Initiative by Hyundai reminds us how much more we can accomplish when businesses and community partners come alongside our schools. Through Hyundai’s investment and the Orange County Schools Bright Futures Foundation’s leadership, 15 public schools are gaining opportunities to bring innovative STEM learning to life. I’m grateful to everyone who is helping turn those classroom ideas into meaningful experiences for students. No one gets there alone, and when we come together to invest in our students, we build a brighter future for all of Orange County.”

The 15 inaugural grant recipients represent public schools across Orange County, with each receiving $10,000 to support innovative STEM programming.

Together, these projects will help foster curiosity, creativity and problem-solving while inspiring the next generation of innovators.

Hyundai Hope
Hyundai Hope is a corporate social responsibility initiative from Hyundai Motor North America, committed to the principle of Progress for Humanity and the goal of improving the wellbeing of society. Hyundai Hope dedicates time and supplies resources to nonprofit organizations that support the health and safety of individuals and foster positive growth in communities. For more information, visit www.HyundaiHope.com.

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company’s Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, several cutting-edge R&D facilities and more than 855 independent dealers. These operations are part of Hyundai Motor Group, which is investing $26 billion in the U.S. from 2025 to 2028. For more information, visit www.hyundainews.com.

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Prestigious Annual Awards Program Recognizes Companies and Products Driving Innovation in the Global Legal Industry

NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Elite, the AI financial operations platform purpose-built for the world’s largest law firms, today announced Data Connect has been named “Overall LegalTech Data Solution of the Year” in the 7th annual LegalTech Breakthrough Awards program conducted by LegalTech Breakthrough, a leading independent market intelligence organization that evaluates and recognizes standout legal technology companies, products, and services around the globe.

Data Connect is a core part of Elite’s unified AI financial operations platform. It connects governed financial and operational data across 3E®, Elite Validate™, and eBillingHub®, giving firms one foundation to improve financial performance, power analytics and apply AI across their operations.

Data Connect makes financial and operational data usable in near real-time across firms. It delivers governed near real-time data from 3E®, Elite Validate™, and eBillingHub® directly into Microsoft Fabric alongside other firm systems, eliminating the need to build and maintain complex data pipelines. By making 3E data available inside the same environment as billing, CRM, and operational data, leakage becomes visible and stoppable. With governed 3E data live in Fabric, firms have visibility into profitability, staffing, and collections as work happens.

Built on Elite’s Data Fabric, Elite manages the infrastructure, security, and governance, delivering a continuously updated, trusted single source of truth across work in progress, billing progression, accounts receivable, and realization. Data Connect provides the necessary data around law firm financial concepts, including work in progress, realization, and matter-level profitability, so firms can apply their own calculations without first having to identify and map the underlying data.

The foundation also prepares firms for embedded and agentic AI capabilities in the future.

“AI and analytics investments across the legal industry are only as good as the data feeding them. Most firms have invested heavily in AI tools while their underlying financial data remains siloed, delayed, and unreliable. This is the problem Data Connect was built to solve. Pilot customers report cutting reporting time by 50% and eliminating multi-step manual processes for routine financial reporting,” said Mark Dorman, CEO, Elite. “We’re thrilled to accept ‘Overall LegalTech Data Solution of the Year’ from LegalTech Breakthrough. Data Connect gives firms the governed, continuously available data foundation they need to get more value from Elite’s unified AI financial operations platform.”

The mission of the annual LegalTech Breakthrough Awards program is to recognize the innovators transforming the global legal landscape with breakthrough technology. The program conducts a comprehensive analysis of the companies redefining how legal services are researched, drafted, managed, and delivered. From AI-driven research and drafting platforms and contract lifecycle management to eDiscovery, case and practice management, regulatory compliance, legal spend analytics, and access-to-justice solutions, these innovations are enabling legal organizations to work more efficiently, serve clients better and shape the future of the legal profession.

“Data Connect offers firms a more deliberate and practical approach to improving how financial and operational data is accessed and used across their business, ensuring AI investments deliver real business value. For years, firms have lived with financial and operational data trapped in fragmented systems, reassembled by hand every month. Most firms can’t see where revenue slips away, relying on lengthy manual investigations,” said Bryan Vaughn, Managing Director, LegalTech Breakthrough. “With Data Connect, 3E data becomes actionable in Fabric alongside CRM, HR, billing, and operational data, creating one unified dataset across the whole firm without the need to reconcile disconnected systems. The result is an AI-ready foundation, reduced reconciliation effort, and faster, more confident decision-making.”

About Elite

Elite is the trusted automation platform for law firm operations across the world’s largest and most successful law firms. Founded in 1947, Elite has guided firms through every technology shift and today delivers an AI-enabled SaaS platform that unifies financial, invoice, time, and data management into a single system of action. With embedded AI, predictive analytics, and integrated payments, Elite’s products enable firms to shorten billing cycles, reduce write-offs, and unlock firm-wide insights, making financial operations the foundation for law firm innovation and growth.

About LegalTech Breakthrough

Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership, the LegalTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in legal technologies, services, companies, and products. The LegalTech Breakthrough Awards program provides a forum for public recognition around the achievements of LegalTech companies and solutions in categories including Artificial Intelligence, Access to Justice, Case Management, Contract Management, Court Technology, Data and Analytics, eDiscovery, Legal Operations, Legal Research, Practice Management, RegTech, and more. For more information visit LegalTechBreakthrough.com

Tech Breakthrough LLC does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in our recognition programs, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with award designations. Tech Breakthrough LLC recognition consists of the opinions of the Tech Breakthrough LLC organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Tech Breakthrough LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this recognition program, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose[CS1] .

Elite®, 3E®, Validate® and eBillingHub® are registered trademarks of Elite.

[CS1]Add appropriate trademark attribution statements.

Media Contact

Elite PR, Elite, 1 800-354-8337, heath@ward6marketing.com, www.elite.com

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