About SOM Coaching
Education support, built by people who’ve actually done the work.
We’ve built schools, designed curriculum, managed growth, navigated conflict and learned things the hard way.
Space of Mind Coaching grew out of years of supporting founders who were doing incredible work - often with very little guidance.
School founders don't need motivation.
They need clarity, structure and someone who can see the whole system.
Space of Mind has a coach for that.
We believe passion isn't a system.
Learning happens everywhere.
Human-centered schooling reduces stress and increases connection.
Small environments create big outcomes.
Creative, life-based learning builds capable humans.
Everything we do is grounded in the Space of Mind philosophy:
Learn how you learn - so you can lead how you lead.
Ali Kaufman
Ali Kaufman is the brains, heart and glitter cannon behind Space of Mind, a modern schoolhouse and educational services company that has basically told traditional education, “Thanks, but no thanks” since 2004. As Founder & CEO, Ali has spent the last 21 years turning chaos into creativity, stress into structure and burnt-out brains into curious, confident humans – all while wearing metaphorical roller skates and juggling really big ideas.
With a degree from Brandeis University and a resumé that reads like a choose-your-own-adventure of youth programming, education reform, nonprofit leadership and entrepreneurship, Ali’s work is equal parts coach, camp counselor, CEO, and stand-up comic with a clipboard. She founded Space of Mind to give students (and their families) a better way to learn – one that celebrates individuality, supports neurodivergent minds, and actually prepares people for life.
She also launched and runs the Community Classroom Project, a 501(c)3 nonprofit initiative, because why stop at rethinking school when you can reinvent the entire community experience through workforce training, arts engagement and human connection?
Ali’s passion projects include mentoring young entrepreneurs, volunteering at Hospice and actively championing equity in education and mental health access. When she’s not launching the next big thing in learning, she’s either underwater as a SCUBA diver, working on her first book (Learning Curves: A Memoir of a Renegade Educator), or daydreaming about Boston’s seasons and moving to Italy, all while living it up in Delray Beach, Florida.
In short? Ali Kaufman is an educational rebel with a cause – and a calendar full of ideas that haven’t even been conceived yet.
Christina Seamster
Dr. Christina Seamster is an experienced educator and former founding head of a microschool within a national network focused on social and emotional learning. She has worked across public, charter and private schools and currently serves as an adjunct professor in higher education. In her current role, she is partnering on the launch of a national program with a strong track record of re-engaging students who have experienced school refusal. With over 20 years in the field, Christina is committed to designing learner-centered environments where mental health, belonging and academic growth go hand in hand.
Christina brings a wide-ranging perspective shaped by her leadership across K–12 and postsecondary education. Her work reflects a deep commitment to inclusion, mental health advocacy and reimagining school as a place where all students feel safe and supported.
