Courtney began her career in strategy consulting with Swander Pace & Company, working with consumer products clients to evaluate corporate growth opportunities. In 2001, she transitioned full-time to the education sector and served on the investment team of NewSchools Venture Fund, a venture philanthropy firm dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs to transform public education. In 2004, she took a role in operations and finance with Parternships to Uplift Communities, a nonprofit creating new public schools in high-need communities in Los Angeles.

Courtney graduated with Honors from Stanford University with a degree in Public Policy. She worked on K-12 education policy as an intern in the Clinton Administration at the US Department of Education. She is currently pursuing an MBA and an MA in Education at Stanford University.