KAREN GOULD
Education Director

Involved in launching Language Stars in 1998, Karen has taught hundreds of Language Stars French programs, grown our Lincoln Park center, and overseen the creation and development of our FunImmersion^® curriculum. Into the future, Karen will develop Language Stars audio-visual products to complement and reinforce our programs at home. Karen earned her undergraduate degree at Princeton and has worked and lived in France, Switzerland, Italy and Australia. Karen holds an M.A. in applied linguistics with a focus in second language learning and teaching and has presented her research at international linguistic conferences. Karen taught and managed programs at bilingual schools before joining Language Stars.

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EDWIN BARRERA
Regional Training Director

Since joining Language Stars in 1999, Edwin has taught hundreds of Spanish sessions and has increasingly impacted all Language Stars programs through his role as teacher trainer. All new Language Stars teachers receive extensive FunImmersion^® training which Edwin conducts and oversees. Beyond his role in developing and refining Language Stars’ teaching method, Edwin was himself raised bilingually in Spanish and English. He earned a degree in Spanish Literature from University of Chicago.

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KEN FRYSZTAK
Chief Operating Officer and Chicago Regional Director

Ken has spent more than thirteen years creating, managing and growing organizations and businesses that serve the educational needs of children. Prior to joining Language Stars, Ken owned and ran several Huntington Learning Centers, which he expanded throughout the Chicago area. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA from Harvard Business School. Married and a father of three, he intertwines his passion for teaching children with his home and work life. Ken’s children are currently enrolled in multiple language programs at Language Stars.

LESLIE LANCRY
Founder & President

Leslie has taught and directed foreign language immersion programs for children since 1985. She founded Language Stars in 1997 and has grown the organization to include over 4,000 children at its 8 Chicagoland locations. Before founding Language Stars, Leslie was Manager of Strategic Planning for Disney Consumer Products and a consultant for Bain & Co. in France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom. Leslie earned her undergraduate and MBA degrees from Harvard. She speaks fluent French, Spanish and Russian and is conversant in German and Japanese. Leslie has two children who are being raised trilingually.

KIRSTEN McCARTHY
Human Resources Director

Kirsten joined Language Stars with extensive experience in human resources and a BA from the University of Illinois in sociology. Since joining Language Stars in early 2006, she has selected and hired more than 100 successful teachers, managers and interns as a result of the 5,000 candidacies that she has actively overseen at Language Stars. She has also shaped the company’s teacher transition program, through which Language Stars invites talented teachers from over 20 countries and provides support and training as they transition into their professional assignments at Language Stars. Throughout their professional tenure at Language Stars, teachers participate in a professional development program led by Kirsten that ensures meaningful performance reviews and successfully leverages internal talent to build skills ranging from teaching methods to curriculum development to leadership.  In her broader human resources role, Kirsten oversees a constantly improving benefits plan to provide state-of-the-art health, dental and vision benefits to the growing number of employees.