About Us
Our Story
Stellar Virtual was founded in 2019 with one school in Texas and the mission to Empower Families and Unleash Potential. Today, Stellar Virtual has grown to four schools across several states. Stellar Virtual is committed to providing families with Education with Destination through our full-time, online public schools. We believe in educating the whole child with essential support to succeed socially and academically.
Our “School of One” approach offers a safe, flexible, and personalized experience to meet every student's unique educational needs. We go beyond traditional school curriculum goals to measure both content and application of learning in authentic ways.
Stellar Virtual’s’ K-12 schools lay the foundation for each extraordinary individual to succeed in college, career, and life with the support of caring and nurturing teachers who deliver high-quality, engaging learning.
We provide educators with access to and support for non-downloadable software for teaching, administration, enrollment, student progress monitoring, development, customization, and delivery of online courses, lessons, and exams.
Our Team
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Chief Executive Officer
d.fen@stellarvirtual.orgDori Fenenbock is the former board president of the El Paso Independent School District. She served as state director of the Texas Association of School Boards, the national director of the Council of Great City Schools, and special advisor to the Texas Deputy Commissioner of Education.
She has served on private and public school boards for more than 17 years. She is a lawyer and former owner-operator of a national packaging business.
In 2016, she was named El Pasoan of the Year following the historic passage of a $668 million bond for the El Paso ISD.
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President
j.cab@stellarvirtual.org
Juan E. Cabrera is a former bilingual teacher, school superintendent, and international corporate attorney. He is also the founder of a Texas non-profit school operator and a statewide virtual school.
In 2013, Cabrera left his law practice to serve as superintendent of the El Paso Independent School District and led one of the most successful turnarounds of an urban school district. EPISD went from a “state-takeover” district to one of the highest-performing urban districts in the country. He started many student-focused initiatives during his tenure, but his proudest achievements were opening 44 two-way dual language campuses and 12 Problem-Based Learning campuses.
Cabrera is co-founder of the Texas Urban Superintendents Council and the Texas Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (TALAS). He was selected as 2015 TALAS Latino Superintendent of the Year, 2016 El Pasoan of the Year, 2020 Region 19 Superintendent of the Year, and was a finalist in 2019 Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year.
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Vice President, Academics
l.col@Stellarvirtual.orgDr. Lisa Collins is passionate about providing quality virtual education to students. Previously, Dr. Collins was the Vice President of Academic Services at Stride (formally K12) where she oversaw over 750 teachers serving students worldwide. She was the founding High School Director for Arizona Virtual Academy Powered by K12. She had the pleasure of supervising the Head of Schools for George Washington University Online High School, Keystone Academy, and K12 Private School.
She has been instrumental in educational program development and started the education department at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.
Dr. Collins has taught gifted and special education grades K-12 in rural, urban, and virtual settings and she ran a statewide special education teacher training program at the College for Lifelong Learning (now called Granite State College) in Concord, New Hampshire.
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VP Growth & School Business Services
j.sol@stellarvirtual.orgJosh Solomon is an accomplished and creative leader possessing multifaceted experience and demonstrated success in driving financial and operational excellence in highly regulated industries and challenging business environments. He spent 12 years at Pearson Virtual Schools (formerly Connections Education), developing and leading the School Business Services department and supporting expansion efforts.
Having spent the last 17+ years working in the education sector, supporting educational institutions, education tech companies, and education service providers, Solomon is charged with expanding Stellar Virtual’s footprint in line with its mission.
Solomon and his family reside in South Bend, Indiana, where he is active in his community and serves on the executive boards of two local private schools.
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VP Operations
k.kel@stellarvirtual.orgKelli Kellen has been involved in virtual education since 1999, first as a parent homeschooling two children and then through her work at Stride (formerly K12). Kellen brings a wealth of personal and operational experience to Stellar Virtual, having spent 10 years at Stride, where she served in diverse roles, culminating in the Vice President of Operations.
Her role involved overseeing all non-academic domestic and international operations for Stride’s private school business. Her extensive experience in diverse operational roles uniquely positions her to work with teams and individuals to improve performance and drive effective operational processes and procedures.
In addition to her commitment to virtual education, Kellen spent the last four years as a certified leadership, executive, and business coach, working with leaders in private and non-profit businesses to streamline and grow their teams and businesses. Kellen's distinct skillset and experience are a timely alignment at Stellar Virtual when they are experiencing rapid growth and expansion.
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VP Partner Success
j.lop@stellarvirtual.orgJose Lopez has worked in public education for over 20 years and brings a wealth of expertise, having served as the Director of External Funding, Executive Director of Strategy and Accountability, and Chief of Staff for the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD).
During his tenure at EPISD, Lopez was a key member of the Superintendent’s Cabinet and was responsible for central coordination of major initiatives to ensure information flow to and from the Office of the Superintendent. He provided leadership in the decision-making process by ensuring accurate data analysis and managed district change processes, keeping central office teams on track as the District shifted to major initiatives aligned with the district’s vision, mission, and goals.
At Stellar Virtual, he oversees district and charter partnerships.
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VP Strategy and Administration
s.bar@stellarvirtual.orgSam Barnes is a seasoned executive with a proven track record in leadership in the education tech industry. His responsibilities encompass growth initiatives, procurement, Human Resources, project management, and IT.
Barnes is a change-maker. He implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) at Stellar Virtual, fostering clarity and accountability across the organization. He developed several administrative functions including in-house IT and a project management office, establishing new Standard Operating Procedures and developing supporting functions for the entire organization. I
n HR, he championed compliance and improved recruitment and retention strategies. Before his role at Stellar Virtual, he founded Star Tutoring Centers, an independent center-based tutoring concept focused on serving students with ADHD. His hands-on approach covered all aspects including establishing a new brand, fostering a customer base, establishing all levels of operations, and building a retail customer experience that resulted in a successful exit.
Barnes has an additional 15+ years of experience in ed tech and educational publishing. With experience as a Chief Operating Officer at ECS Learning Systems and Senior Director at K12, Inc., his accomplishments include launching new product lines, negotiating contracts, and orchestrating successful acquisitions. Barnes combines strategic vision with operational excellence, driving growth and efficiency in every role.