Our team
Built by people who know school life.
Teachmate began with first-hand experience of the workload teachers carry. Today, classroom teachers, former school leaders, education specialists and technologists work side by side - with several members of the team still teaching and training schools.
Meet the team
Lee Parkinson MBE
Lee has been a Primary School Teacher for 15 years, during which time he has built a wealth of ideas for how technology can be embedded across the curriculum. He continues to work part time in school and also leads CPD and INSET training throughout the UK and beyond, focusing on raising standards in the classroom through technology. He has supported hundreds of schools and thousands of teachers make better use of technology in their classrooms.
Dr Jonathan Chippindall
Jon Chippindall, known as 'Dr Chips' by his pupils, has been a primary school teacher in Manchester for over 10 years. Jon also supports the primary computing PGCE at The University of Manchester and works with schools nationally to improve computing education. Jon is passionate about supporting schools to deliver high-quality educational experiences for learning whilst ensuring teacher well-being remains a priority.
Ian Cunningham
Ian has been an influential figure in the online technology industry for over two decades. He has advised the UK government on artificial intelligence and is dedicated to ensuring technology is used for good, driving positive impact across society. Having previously led a successful technology company, Ian brings proven leadership experience alongside deep technical insight. A father of three daughters, he is driven by a desire to empower teachers with innovative AI tools that personalise learning for every student, with a particular focus on supporting SEND needs.
Nick Egan
Nick has 15 years’ experience working in English schools, starting as a Teaching Assistant before becoming Head of English and later Assistant Principal. For the past three years, he has worked in EdTech, supporting schools with curriculum resources and helping education companies reach new national and international audiences. Nick is passionate about helping schools leverage tools to improve teaching and learning, enable adaptive learning, and support staff well-being.
Sophie Gornall
Sophie is a former secondary English teacher and Teach First Ambassador with five years of classroom experience. She later led on strategic partnerships and public affairs in the education sector before specialising in marketing, where her expertise spans PR and communications, social media strategy and brand storytelling. At Teachmate, she combines her teaching background with marketing insight to create campaigns that resonate with educators and highlight the impact of AI in the classroom.
Trace Hollister
Trace lives in Cornwall with her husband, four grown up children and her dog Darcie and loves nothing more than a stomp around the beautiful coastline. For the last decade she has worked as a Learning Support Assistant in a secondary school, supporting students with Special Educational Needs. This was an incredibly rewarding experience where she helped students overcome challenges and thrive in their own way. Trace has now joined the operations team at Teachmate to ensure the customer service levels continue to be high and to offer the extra support busy teachers need.
Faye Palmer
Faye lives in the Welsh countryside with her young children and Rocco, the family’s ‘Jug’ (a Pug/Jack Russell.) After living in France, she returned to Wales to complete her Secondary PGCE and has since embraced a variety of middle leader roles, from Teacher Governor to DCF Coordinator and Data and Reporting lead. Faye has a particular passion for improving staff wellbeing and making school life more manageable for teachers. Since joining as our Community Advocate for Wales in August 2024, her role has grown to include tool building and supporting the Community Engagement team on a wider scale. Faye loves finding creative ways to save teachers time and is always looking for new opportunities to support the teaching community across Wales.
Lindsay Round
Lindsay joined Teachmate in August 2024 as a Community Engagement Manager. She believes in the importance of streamlining workload for teachers to support their well-being while leaning in to the expertise that exists within the profession. Lindsay is a psychology teacher who has recently moved back to the UK after spending ten years working in Malaysia, most recently as a Deputy Head. She is now based in Yorkshire, enjoying the cooler weather with her husband and two Malaysian cats.
Mel Edwards
Mel is Head of Operations at Teachmate. Mel has extensive experience liaising with members and organisations having previously been in the Marketing and PR world for 18 years. Mel is always on hand to assist with queries and you’ll often find she is your first point of call to help in any way she can. Mel is diligent and efficient, embodying all that Teachmate stands for, helping streamline processes to ensure teachers have the chance of some well-deserved “me time”.
Leah Magnall
Leah lives in Leeds with her family, including her two daughters, and serves as a governor at a local primary school. She spent over a decade in the classroom as an English teacher and Head of English, giving her a first-hand understanding of the demands teachers juggle every day. Leah is passionate about supporting schools to make teachers' work easier and more impactful, championing tools that free up time so educators can focus on what matters most. She brings that classroom-rooted perspective to Teachmate, always with the goal of helping teachers do their best work both in and out of school.