Cooper is the Founding Director of Finance and Operations of PAVE Academy Charter School, an elementary school in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to PAVE, Cooper was a founding teacher of a 9-12 program at The Pine School in South Florida and a finance associate in BB&T bank's Management Development Program. Cooper holds a B.A. from Wake Forest University, an M.A.T. from Johns Hopkins University, and an Ed.M from Columbia University. Cooper is married to Dasha Rettew who is also a Gotham Fellow.