
President
Carlos is an Austin native and dedicated educator with a career rooted in serving students and families in his community. A graduate of St. Edward’s University, Carlos began his career teaching sixth-grade mathematics and currently teaches at the elementary level. As President, his experience working with students and families helps guide the organization’s mission to create meaningful opportunities for students through holiday giving, college savings, and scholarships.

Vice President
John is an Austin educator committed to expanding opportunities for students and supporting their success both in and beyond the classroom. He currently serves as the Special Programs Department Chair at UT Elementary School. John brings his experience in public education and student advocacy to help advance the organization’s mission and create lasting opportunities for Title I students across the Austin community.
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Board Member
Meg is currently the CEO and Chief Consultant of Mission Squared. She previously served as the CEO of the Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, where she grew the organization from a start-up nonprofit to a $3,500,000 annual operating budget.

Senior Advisor
Danny Davis joins A Teacher’s Gift as Senior Advisor, bringing extensive experience in business development, capital strategy, technology, and organizational growth. He currently serves as Vice President of Business Development and Sales at PowerMax.ai and is Co-Founder and CEO of Auralynx Intel Systems, with additional experience advising emerging companies and supporting community-focused initiatives. At A Teacher’s Gift, Danny applies his expertise in strategic growth, fundraising, and corporate partnerships to expand the organization’s reach, strengthen sustainable donor networks, and create long-term educational opportunities for Title I students across the greater Austin area.
A Teacher’s Gift began in 2016 when Dobie Middle School teacher Carlos Velasco and a small group of friends recognized an opportunity to support students and families in their community. Together, they shared a portion of their own holiday budgets to provide Christmas gifts to students and families in need.
What began as a small act of giving grew into a larger community effort, and in 2019, A Teacher’s Gift became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Today, that same spirit of generosity continues to guide our work.
A Teacher’s Gift empowers students in Title I schools by providing Christmas gifts, educational scholarships, and community support that create opportunities and help students reach their full potential.