Heather's Unique Journey to a Career in EdTech and Customer Success

Heather Peltack, Actionaly's Head of Customer Success, has built a distinctive career spanning multiple sectors before finding her path in educational technology.

Early Career Transition

Peltack earned a Bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising/Marketing with plans for corporate work. After six months in her initial role, she realized this path wasn't fulfilling. Drawing on her genuine passion for helping others, she contacted a former teacher—now a principal—who hired her as a paraprofessional working with two boys with autism in fifth grade.

Specialized Education Focus

This experience sparked her commitment to behavior analysis. She pursued her master's degree and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification, returning to the same school district in a BCBA position. Her work included classroom accommodations and designing individualized support strategies. She then launched a private practice offering sleep interventions with families and providing services after-school, discovering the power of family engagement in the process.

Academic and EdTech Roles

Peltack served as an Adjunct Professor at Saint Elizabeth University, supporting aspiring BCBAs while gaining perspective on broader special education challenges. She identified significant gaps in teacher data collection processes and joined LiftEd, an edtech startup, as the first employee—where she helped develop solutions directly informed by classroom experience.

Moving Into Customer Success

Her transition to customer success stemmed from understanding educator challenges firsthand. She recognized that technology, while powerful, could become "one more thing" for already-stretched staff. She prioritizes building trust and rapport, having experienced various educational roles herself.

Joining Actionaly

Peltack joined Actionaly to advance family engagement, especially important following pandemic disruptions. She sees this role as the "next step" in her broader mission to support educational communities.

First Year Highlights

During her first year, Peltack emphasized learning from the Actionaly team while maintaining educator connections. She characterized the culture as collaborative and supportive, describing the experience as "growing and glowing."

What Customers Can Expect

Peltack describes herself as offering:

• A trusted person with a bubbly personality
• Someone willing to find the right answer rather than giving just an answer
• Someone who can stay on task, stay focused on results

She emphasizes relationship building and helping customers see growth: "You're in good hands. Trust me, and I'll get you to where you want to be."