Matt Gandal founded Education Strategy Group in 2012 to inspire innovation and accelerate improvement in the U.S. education system. He was driven by the conviction that a robust education system aligned with the needs of the workforce leads to a stronger, more equitable society. ESG’s mission is to work with America’s education, business, and civic leaders to expand economic opportunity and mobility by increasing educational attainment.

 Under Gandal’s leadership, ESG has become a national leader in scaling strategies that drive educational attainment and close equity gaps. As a lead partner in both LAUNCH: Equitable and Accelerated Pathways for All and JPMorgan Chase’s multi-year New Skills initiative, ESG has supported networks of states and cities in expanding access to quality career pathways that prepare students for success in college and good jobs. ESG also leads the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Accelerate ED initiative, which brings together cross-sector teams from across the nation to increase equitable access to accelerated opportunities for students to earn high-value postsecondary credentials. ESG has also spearheaded efforts with postsecondary leaders, policymakers, and employers to ensure that higher education is the engine of a strong economy and that postsecondary experiences are designed to open doors to in-demand careers, including through leadership of Lumina Foundation’s Racial Equity for Adult Credentials in Higher Ed (REACH) Collaborative to build better pathways for adult learners of color. Under Gandal’s leadership, ESG’s work has expanded to reach 35 states and dozens of cities and local communities, including New York City, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Nashville, and many others.

 Gandal brings 30 years of experience leading policy, advocacy, and implementation work in both the K-12 and higher education sectors. During the Obama administration, he served as a senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan where he led a new division responsible for the Race to the Top innovation program. Gandal worked with state schools chiefs, governors, district leaders and other key stakeholders to identify and address their most pressing implementation and capacity challenges. He also served as a member of the Secretary’s Advisory Team that met regularly with the Secretary to take stock of progress and establish priorities for the Department of Education.

 Before joining the Department of Education, Gandal was executive vice president of Achieve, the national organization formed by governors and business leaders to help states raise educational standards. He helped found the organization and was responsible for overseeing its major initiatives, including the American Diploma Project, which helped 35 states advance college and career readiness policies; the Common Core State Standards Initiative, which resulted in 45 states adopting rigorous academic standards; and National Education Summits that brought together governors, CEOs and education leaders from across the country to commit to ambitious reforms.

 Before joining Achieve, Gandal was assistant director for educational issues at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). He helped AFT launch a variety of programs and publications designed to support standards-based reform efforts in states and school districts.

 Gandal, a graduate of the Maryland public school system, earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.