The Heart of the Gro Academy
Behind every course is an educator passionate about helping others grow. Our team brings decades of classroom, leadership, and professional development experience to every learning opportunity, equipping educators with practical guidance, genuine encouragement, and lasting support from day one.
Sherry Picha
Founder • CEO • Lead Instructor
For more than 30 years, Sherry Picha has dedicated her career to strengthening early childhood education through leadership, advocacy, and educator development. As Founder and CEO of The Gro Academy, she combines decades of classroom, program leadership, and professional development experience to help educators build confidence and thrive.
Holding degrees in Child Care & Development and Elementary Education, along with a Master's degree in Servant Leadership, Sherry brings both expertise and heart to every course she teaches. Her work extends beyond the classroom through mentoring, conference presentations, and advocacy that helps strengthen the early childhood profession.
Whether she's teaching a first-time provider or coaching experienced leaders, Sherry's goal remains the same: to cultivate confident educators who create extraordinary learning environments for children.
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Arielle Brandt
Lead Instructor
With more than a decade of experience in early childhood education, Arielle Brandt is passionate about helping educators build confidence from the very beginning of their careers. Her classroom experience, leadership, and supportive teaching style create an encouraging environment where every learner feels welcomed, capable, and inspired to grow.
Holding a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, Arielle brings practical knowledge, patience, and genuine enthusiasm to every course she teaches. She understands the challenges educators face because she's lived them, and she's committed to making professional learning approachable, engaging, and immediately applicable.
Whether she's guiding someone through their very first CCFT course or helping experienced educators strengthen their practice, Arielle's goal is simple: to help every educator leave feeling more confident than when they arrived.
Our Root System
Behind every thriving educator is a team tending the systems that help educators grow. From technology and operations to communication, design, and strategic support, our behind-the-scenes team keeps The Gro Academy connected, organized, and ready to serve educators, centers, and early childhood organizations.
Wes Brandt
Systems Architect • Technology & Operations
Wes is the technology strategist behind The Gro Academy's digital infrastructure. From our website and learning systems to automations, databases, and day-to-day operations, he builds and maintains the technology that keeps everything running smoothly.
With expertise in software development, systems integration, and process automation, Wes quietly solves the complex challenges that make seamless experiences possible for educators, training partners, and organizations alike.
Whether he's improving workflows, building new tools, or developing the next generation of learning resources, every system Wes builds is designed with one purpose in mind: giving educators and organizations the reliable tools they need to learn, grow, and thrive.
