K12 CEO Nate Davis Honored with ASU+GSV 2020 Innovator of Color Award

ASU+GSV Summit to honor ed-tech pioneer at October 1 celebration

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nate Davis, K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors, has been named a 2020 Innovator of Color by the ASU+GSV Summit.

Each year, GSV Ventures accepts nominations for a leading global innovator of color who is making a true impact on education and workforce development. The honorees demonstrate a lifelong commitment to innovation and have contributed to the lives of thousands and even millions of people through their work. Davis joins an esteemed list of honorees from across education and technology, including Big Picture Learning Executive Director Carlos Moreno, LEAP Innovations CEO Phyllis Lockett, and former DC Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson.

With a career spanning diverse industries, Davis is a seasoned transformational corporate leader with a record of disrupting the status quo, improving operations, launching groundbreaking new products, and building productive relationships with customers and partners. Davis has served K12 since 2009, serving on the Board of Directors and most recently as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

“If 2020 has reaffirmed anything I’ve learned over the course of my career, it’s that technology can be an incredible disruptor to just about any aspect of our lives,” said Davis. “That must include the way we deliver education. Technology will never replace good teachers, but we are at an undeniable turning point in the way we can combine education and technology to deliver better opportunities to more students, regardless of their background or abilities.”

For more than two decades, K12—the nation’s leading provider of online and blended education—has provided customized learning solutions for students, educators, and school districts across the country. This includes customized curriculum, data management, assessment tools, and teacher training that highlight K12’s commitment to keep students learning, regardless of the classroom setting.

Earlier this year, Davis spearheaded a company-wide commitment to invest in a series of initiatives that support racial and socioeconomic equity and inclusion in and through education. K12’s We Stand Together initiatives include an investment of millions of dollars in new scholarships for Black students; an expansion of learning pathways in law enforcement with a focus on community-supportive practices; partnering with other institutions to design interactive K-12 course content on the history of systemic racism to be made available to schools and district nationwide for free; and a commitment to expanding the number of Black teachers employed by K12.

“The Innovator of Color Award honors executives and educators who are leading their communities and companies with an eye on the future, while remaining committed to supporting students today,” said Deborah Quazzo, Managing Partner at GSV Ventures. “Nate Davis’s career in leveraging technology as a positive changemaker, and the impact K12 has had on millions of students over the years, made him a clear choice for this year’s award.”

Davis joined K12 after serving as Managing Director of the RANND Advisory Group, a consulting group that advises venture capital, media, and technology-based firms. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer and President of XM Satellite Radio and was a member of the company's Board of Directors, where he drove growth and innovation as well as improved financial performance and led the company through its merger with Sirius Satellite Radio.

Davis has also held senior executive positions at XO Communications Inc., Nextel Communications, MCI Telecommunications, and MCI Metro.

Davis earned an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an MS in engineering computer science at the Moore School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a BS in engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Davis will be honored during the 2020 ASU-GSV Summit Awards Ceremony on Oct. 1. This year’s Summit is an all-virtual event, held September 29-October 1, 7 & 8. For details on the award and the Summit, visit www.asugsvsummit.com.

About K12

K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) helps students of all ages reach their full potential through inspired teaching and personalized learning. The company provides innovative, high-quality online and blended education solutions, curriculum, and programs to students, schools, and enterprises in primary, secondary, and post-secondary settings. K12 is a premier provider of career readiness education services and a leader in skills training, technology staffing, and talent development. The company provides programs which combine traditional high school academics with career technical education through its Destinations Career Academies. Adult learning is delivered through K12’s subsidiary, Galvanize, a leader in developing capabilities for individuals and corporations in technical fields such as software engineering and data science. K12 has delivered millions of courses over the past two decades and serves students in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The company is a proud sponsor of the Future of School, a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the gap between the pace of technology in daily life and the pace of change in education. More information can be found at K12.com, destinationsacademy.com, jobshadowweek.com, and galvanize.com.