Why we're building Willow

My wife Liz is a pediatrician. Anyone who knows us well knows that I delight in drawing way too many comparisons between the challenges in our healthcare system and our education system.

In medicine, we don't just give a patient a “passing grade” and send them on their way; we measure what's working, and not. Yet, in education, we've spent decades focusing on the input (getting students into college) without enough honesty about the output (whether they actually graduate and find economic mobility).

I spent years leading charter schools, and I'll be the first to admit: I was wrong about a lot of things. I used to think a “college-for-all” mantra was the only way to ensure equity. But the data tells a different, more complicated story.

We are a Public Benefit Corporation founded in 2023 with a “North Star” goal: Help 10 million students realize their full potential by 2033.

It's working. In our early pilots, students using Willow were 50% more likely to choose high-ROI programs compared to their peers. We're currently partnering with some of the most innovative schools systems in the country like Achievement First and DSST Public Schools to prove that when students have better information, they make better lives.

Join us in building a better map for the next generation. Onwards,