About Us

@h4 Learning Is For Everyone! Every learner deserves books and educational resources that reflect them—their interests, their abilities, their cultures, their families, their traditions—and inspire them to be curious and informed about the world around them. Learning Is For Everyone! Through Capstone’s original content, students are immersed and completely engaged with a new character, point of view, idea, or experience. With their curiosity sparked, those students are empowered to independently find and understand facts about their newly discovered, real-world interest using [url=https://www.pebblego.com/]PebbleGo.[/url] For students to become successful learners and have fun in the process, they need to access a variety of reading materials in a variety of ways. Whether it’s printed, digital, audio, or visual, kids need options and resources to learn in the way that is right for them. They need to be immersed in stories and facts about the world around them and develop the critical thinking skills to make sense of it all. It is essential for kids to see themselves in those stories to feel connected and to grow and learn.

Who we are

Capstone is the nation’s leading educational publisher of K-5 digital solutions, children’s books, and literacy programs for school libraries, classrooms, and at-home reading. Home of the award-winning PebbleGo™ curriculum-connected learning tool, Capstone has a passion for inspiring students to learn and their communities to thrive. We support great teaching and learning with engaging content that values the work that educators do every day—helping students succeed. Capstone's dynamic content supports your district's implementation of literacy, whether it's core subject areas, English language acquisition, MTSS, health and well-being, or extended learning models. Capstone is your trusted source for literacy. We’ve been fortunate to play this part on behalf of students for over 30 years. Helping districts exceed the expectations of their communities inspires us in planning the next 30 years.

Equity, inclusivity, and accessibility

Capstone is passionate about equity, inclusivity, and accessibility for the benefit of all learners and their communities. There should be no barriers to learning. Students should be able to access books and educational resources that speak to their curiosity, their experiences, their imagination, and of course, their heart. Successful learners create thriving communities, and every day we commit to that.

Where we started

Capstone's roots began in 1885 in the stone quarrying business, owned by the Coughlan family for four generations. If you look closely, you’ll find clues to reflect that heritage throughout our brands and imprints, for example: Pebble. Over 30 years ago in 1990, Capstone Press was purchased by current owner, Bob Coughlan. A reluctant learner with an entrepreneurial spirit, Bob was inspired to ‘solve his own problem’ and dedicate Capstone to engaging students in a more powerful and meaningful way. To this day, Capstone is driven to make sure every learner achieves educational success.

I'm a reluctant learner. I have to be inspired. I would be the classic customer for Capstone, and that's one of the reasons why Capstone's been so satisfying for me over the years, that I see myself in a lot of these students.

*Bob Coughlan,* Owner

Meet Our Leadership Team

Laurie Diethelm

[b]President[/b] Laurie has 20+ years of experience creating educational products ranging from software-as-a-service (SaaS) learning and development platforms to content-rich, multimedia learning experiences. Prior to joining the Capstone team, she worked with brands including For Dummies, Everything DiSC, Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team, The Leadership Challenge, PXT Select, CrossKnowledge, and RMC Learning Solutions. She is a firm believer that the team is the most critical ingredient in the product development process—people from different perspectives and skill sets working together in creative tension will craft something much greater than any individual can create alone. Laurie is a graduate from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus.

Eric Helgason

[b]Executive Vice President of Finance and Operations[/b] Eric joined Capstone in 2018 as an Assistant Controller and was promoted to Controller in 2020. He moved into his current role in December 2024, where he oversees finance and operations – including Fulfillment, Project Management, IT Security, and Risk and Contracts. Eric began his career at Holiday Companies working in a variety of finance and accounting leadership roles. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Concordia University.

Haygood Poundstone

[b]Chief Revenue Officer[/b] Haygood is a strategic and results-driven executive leader with more than 25 years of experience in sales and edtech. Prior to joining Capstone, Haygood was a successful sales leader at Renaissance Learning, where he served as Area Vice President – East. In that role, he directed 100+ sales staff for 8 regions generating $160 million in revenue. Before that role, Haygood was a Regional Vice President at myON where he built and scaled the sales team. He has his Bachelor of Science, Business Administration from Auburn University, Montgomery, AL.

Beth Brezenoff

[b]Executive Vice President and General Manager , Content[/b] Beth started with Capstone in 2006 as an editor and held roles of Assistant Editorial Director and Editorial Director before she was named Director of Product Planning in 2018. She oversees the Capstone Content Team and is responsible for the content development, strategy, and execution of Capstone’s publishing list. Beth began her career at Simon & Schuster and is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College.

Harpreet Sandhawalia

[b]Executive Vice President & General Manager, PebbleGo[/b] Harpreet Kaur Sandhawalia is a digital product and innovation leader with experience across education, media, retail, and manufacturing. Before joining PebbleGo, she served as Vice President of Digital Product at the Minnesota Star Tribune, where she launched new digital products, accelerated experimentation, and delivered significant gains in engagement and revenue. Her career reflects a commitment to human-centered design, data-driven decision-making, mission-driven work, and leading digital transformation. Harpreet holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

Amy Schmidt

[b]Vice President, People Operations[/b] Amy has a 20+ year career at Capstone, helping support the business life cycles and processes that include start-ups, acquisitions, business shutdowns, and sales. She is a seasoned leader of People Operations, focused on providing counsel and support of the strategic vision of the business, creating people programs that can bring that strategy to life, and mitigating risk along with leadership coaching, recruitment, retention, compensation, learning and development, and employee relations. Before Capstone, she worked in banking and higher education. She attended Minnesota State University, Mankato where she graduated with a degree in Business Management specializing in Human Resources Management. She is a Leadership Coach with certification from the Institute for Professional Excellence and Coaching (IPEC) as well as the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She also holds her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from HRCI.

Board of Governors

[b][font 24px]Robert J. Coughlan[/font][/b] [i]Principal and Board Member[/i] Bob was part of the team that acquired Capstone in 1990 and became its sole owner in 2019. Capstone rapidly expanded from its inaugural year of publishing 48 books to an industry leader, annually publishing over 700 titles in a variety of formats and successfully innovating into the digital space with products such as PebbleGo, a subscription database designed to be a K-2 student’s first research experience. Prior to his leadership at Capstone, Bob served in a variety of executive leadership positions in the manufacturing and publishing industries. Bob enjoys being involved in CEO peer to peer roundtables. He graduated from Gonzaga University, Spokane, with a B.A. in History. [b][font 24px]Mary J. Cullinane[/font][/b] [i]Board Member[/i] Mary has spent the last 25 years in leadership positions in the education, technology, and publishing industries. As a former C-Level executive, she has led large organizations responsible for over one billion dollars in annual revenue. She has been responsible for helping drive a company through restructuring and IPO events and has led marketing, communications, and product development organizations in technology and publishing. While at Microsoft, Mary led a team who worked with leaders from around the globe in the quest to improve the teaching and learning process. Mary, a former teacher and author, holds an undergraduate degree from The College of New Jersey and a Master’s degree from Columbia University. [b][font 24px]Teresa J. Marchek[/font][/b] [i]Board Member[/i] For 20+ years, Teresa has helped organizations across healthcare, education, and financial services transform bold ideas into market-winning products. She is the Head of Product and co-founding team member at Blank Metal (an AI-native professional services firm) and brings a decade of board experience with startups and nonprofits, guiding organizations through pivotal growth moments and digital transformations. Teresa earned an MBA from the Carlson School of Business at the University of MN and a BA in Economics and German from Washington University in St. Louis. [b][font 24px]Kristin A. Newhall[/font][/b] [i]Board Member[/i] Kristin has nearly 25 years of experience in private equity, serving in leadership roles across multiple functions. Most recently, Kristin was responsible for Investor Relations and Administration at High Road Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm investing at the small end of the middle market. Prior to joining High Road, Ms. Newhall was a partner at The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm making control investments in growing middle-market businesses. At Riverside, Kristin led 18 acquisitions and served as Chairman or Director on 10 boards of directors. Kristin has experience investing across multiple industries, including health care, manufacturing, and service-based businesses. Kristin holds a BA in American Studies from Brandeis University and an MA in History from Columbia University. [b][font 24px] Jeffrey L. Sugerman[/font][/b] [i]Chair of the Board[/i] Jeff brings more than 30 years of experience in executive management, marketing, and business development within the technology, training, and publishing industries. He joined Inscape Publishing as President and CEO in 2001 to lead its transformation into an independent, growth company. In February 2012, Inscape was acquired by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. and he was named Executive Vice President of the Talent Solutions and Education Services Group. In August 2017, he left Wiley and now works independently as an Advisor and Director to technology-enabled, high-growth companies in the middle market. Jeff received a Ph.D. in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a B.A. from Northwestern University.