Episode 4: The Relentless Entrepreneur | Chris Whittle

In this episode of Ed on the Edge, Michael Moe sits down with Chris Whittle.

Chris Whittle is a pioneering education entrepreneur who has founded multiple influential companies over his career. As CEO of Whittle Communications in the 1980s, he grew it into a major media firm. Whittle founded Channel One, a national in-school television news program first anchored by Anderson Cooper, which reached eight million students daily in 12,000 schools. In 1992, Whittle founded Edison Schools and helped launch the charter school movement by opening over 100 schools serving 60,000 students. He later founded Avenues: The World School in New York City in 2012, which became one of the city's largest private schools. In 2015, Whittle founded Whittle School & Studios with the vision of creating a global system of private schools. As Executive Chairman of Baret Scholars, Whittle's most recent venture offers a global gap year for students transitioning from high school to college. Through his various education ventures, Whittle has aimed to innovate and transform K-12 schooling. He is an influential figure in bringing business principles and models to education reform.