FullBloom Expands Leadership Team with Key Appointments

Service industry veterans joining to accelerate growth across the leading child development services platform in the preK-12 market

PHILADELPHIA, April 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FullBloom, the leading child development services platform for academic, behavioral, and emotional intervention, today announced the expansion of its executive leadership team with the appointments of Akosua Kankam as chief revenue officer (CRO), Timothy Hickey as chief marketing officer (CMO), Steven DeVore as president of its Little Leaves division. Each executive will play a pivotal role in propelling FullBloom’s mission forward, focusing on the organization’s strategic vision of nurturing the whole child and providing holistic professional development for educators.

“As FullBloom enters its next phase of growth, the collective expertise of Akosua, Steve, and Tim will be instrumental in bolstering our market position and fostering trusted partnerships to address the needs of the communities we serve,” said Jeffrey Cohen, FullBloom chief executive officer. “I look forward to working alongside each of them to see the impact of their leadership on our mission to provide solutions that lead to better life outcomes for children and families.”

Kankam brings her seasoned expertise in healthcare corporate strategy and business development to the role of CRO. She will plan and direct all aspects of the organization’s sales, including go-to-market strategy, new customer acquisitions, key account growth and overall pipeline management. Kankam joins the company from Cityblock Health, where she served as senior vice president (SVP), head of corporate development. She was responsible for generating, managing, and executing the company’s growth, with a focus on building corporate strategy and developing strategic partnerships. Prior to Cityblock Health, Kankam served as vice president of corporate development for the Midwest operating group at DaVita Kidney Care.

DeVore is an experienced healthcare services executive who worked in leadership roles spanning different sectors of healthcare and within organizations of various scale and structure. He joins FullBloom after serving as president and CEO of Pediatric Therapy Holdings Inc., whose education services business provides specialized occupational, physical, and speech therapy to students in 115 school districts throughout Pennsylvania, and whose outpatient business (formerly Theraplay, Inc.) operates more than 30 facilities, providing pediatric occupational, physical, and speech therapy.

Hickey was promoted to the newly created role of CMO after serving as FullBloom’s SVP of sales & marketing, a role he held since 2017. Hickey has a proven track record of driving profitable growth across a diverse set of industries – education, healthcare, finance, and government services – with a focus on public-private partnerships. Prior to joining FullBloom, he was vice president of marketing for North America at DFC Global, a consumer and commercial finance provider with more than 800 retail branches across North America. Previously, Hickey was associate vice president of marketing at Aramark.

The leadership team expansion comes on the heels of FullBloom’s acquisition of EmpowerU, a premier provider of evidence-based programs that improve student motivation, behaviors, and mental health. Addressing the urgent mental health crisis facing America’s students is a top priority for FullBloom as it works to deliver critical services that support students academically, emotionally, and behaviorally.