Jon spent two decades designing, launching, and directing innovative charter schools and entrepreneurial education startups, including Hiawatha Academies (2005-09) and national Next Generation Learning Challenges awardee Venture Academy (2012-19) in Minneapolis, along with the Minneapolis school district’s Office of New Schools (2009-11) and SchoolStart (2000-05), a charter incubator that helped launch 25 new schools.
His experiences as a leadership coach and mentor to Walter Cortina and other under-resourced students led to his appreciation of the genius and leadership potential of youth overcoming extreme adversity. Jon earlier was the education advisor to the Mayor of St. Paul (1996-2001) and taught American history to Czech students who catalyzed the 1989 Velvet Revolution. A graduate of Georgetown University and Minnesota public schools, he discovered a calling for youth voice and leadership as a shy 13-year-old entering an out-of-school public speaking competition.