who we are
The Clever Noodle Team
We are parents, educators, and reading experts who are committed to improving literacy for all children.
We share a passion for family game nights, laughter, and learning. We’re deeply committed to testing our ideas with kids, families, and teachers – and leveraging the latest evidence-based research to ensure that every game sparks joy and boosts reading!
CHIEF GAME TESTERS
Madden, Helena, and Alex
These three board game visionaries are instrumental to Clever Noodle’s work. Their feedback influences every aspect of game development, including gameplay, art design, and even box sizes that best fit children’s hands.
Alex, Madden, and Helena have been at the table since the very beginning. Madden is Jacquelyn's son and his learn-to-read journey as a child with dyslexia was the original inspiration for Clever Noodle and all our games.
Beyond the Clever Noodle games they help design, Alex loves Scrabble, Helena chooses Spy Alley, and Madden votes for Dragonwood or Happy City for family game nights.
FOUNDER & MOM-IN-CHIEF
Jacquelyn Davis
Jacquelyn Davis’ North Star is making a meaningful difference for children and families. She has been living this value for decades as a teacher, school leader, trainer of principals, nonprofit leader, and advisor to the nation's leading education nonprofits and foundations. From launching an innovative charter school to co-founding a social impact venture fund, she has seen first-hand what works and what doesn’t.
She has served on the boards of many nonprofit organizations, authored seminal education reports, and been a national presenter and speaker. Jacquelyn holds a BA from Brown University and JD from Georgetown Law Center. She was a Fellow and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Bellwether Education Partners to launch Clever Noodle.
Jacquelyn’s ideal game night involves pizza, family friends, and one of the many options from their dedicated game bookshelf!
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Ali Fuller
Ali has always been inspired by finding solutions to seemingly intractable problems, especially when it comes to kids. After 5 years of teaching, she went to business and public policy school to prepare to address some of of our education sector’s toughest challenges. After graduate school, she continued her training at Bain & Company, gaining invaluable business and problem-solving skills and then returned to her passion for education at Bellwether, a nonprofit strategic advising organization that serves school districts, charter schools, nonprofits, for-profits, and foundations. While at both firms, she worked on a range of strategy, business planning, organizational effectiveness, due diligence, and growth strategy projects.
Ali has served on the boards of many nonprofit organizations and engages deeply in community development and growth efforts in her local community. She holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA and MPP from the University of Chicago.
Ali’s ideal game night involves yummy food, good music, and any game that gets the whole family moving and laughing together!