Jason Palmer, Deputy Director, Postsecondary Success leads the foundation’s efforts to improve the postsecondary success of low-income students with innovations like online and blended learning, digital courseware, student coaching and advising systems, competency-based learning, guaranateed credit transfer, and employer pathways.
Prior to joining the foundation, Jason founded and grew three investor-backed technology and services companies before holding a series of executive positions at Microsoft, SchoolNet, Kaplan, and StraighterLine. At Microsoft Education, Jason was responsible for planning and launching the world’s first K12 learning management system for tablet-based education. At SchoolNet, Jason was responsible for helping establish assessment partnerships with Scantron, The Princeton Review, Kaplan and ETS. During his five years at Kaplan, Jason led three education businesses as general manager or president, in addition to founding the company’s venture capital effort and serving as a board member to startups like Moodlerooms, iProf India, and StraighterLine, where Jason also served as chief product officer. Immediately prior to the foundation, Jason also worked as an entrepreneur-in-residence at New Markets Venture Partners, a leading education-focused VC.
Jason holds a B.A. in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and also serves on the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education Board.
