09 Jul Tom Vander Ark
Speaker: Tom Vander Ark
Author of “Getting Smart”, “Smart Cities” & “Smart Parents” and former Executive Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Speech Topics Include:
- Education: leadership, policy
- Learning: technology, the shift to personal digital learning, blended learning, deeper learning, learning innovations
- Business: leadership, strategy, innovation, public-private partnerships
- Good Work: finding and doing mission-driven work, non-profit leadership, philanthropy, community leadership
- Smart Cities That Work for Everyone: 7 Keys to Education & Employment
Tom Vander Ark served as the first Executive Director of Education for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, overseeing one of the largest and most ambitious education reform efforts in American history. He has since founded Getting Smart, an education advocacy and advisory firm, and become one of the most prolific writers on learning innovation in the country, with thousands of published articles and more than thirty-five white papers on digital learning, school design, and educational technology.
The Case for Transformation
Vander Ark’s keynotes make a direct and research-backed case for why the traditional model of schooling is structurally mismatched with what students need to succeed in the modern economy. He speaks on personalized learning, competency-based education, the role of technology in creating more equitable outcomes, and what communities and institutions can do to support the transition. His presentations are built for education audiences and for business leaders who care about the workforce and talent implications of how schools are performing.
From the Classroom to Venture Capital
Beyond Getting Smart, Vander Ark is a partner in Learn Capital, an education venture fund focused on edtech startups, giving him a practitioner’s view of where learning innovation is actually headed. He is a board member of multiple education nonprofits and writes regularly for Education Week.
Tom Vander Ark keynotes are booked for events focused on education innovation, digital learning, school reform, education technology, workforce readiness, and the systemic changes required to prepare the next generation of students for a rapidly changing world.
Education: leadership, policy
Learning: technology, the shift to personal digital learning, blended learning, deeper learning, learning innovations
Business: leadership, strategy, innovation, public-private partnerships
Good Work: finding and doing mission-driven work, non-profit leadership, philanthropy, community leadership
Smart Cities That Work for Everyone: 7 Keys to Education & Employment
