Matt Thompson

Lead Learning DesignerSuperintendent Pipeline


Portait photo of Matt Thompson, Lead Learning Designer

A former teacher, coach and entrepreneur, Matt loves the challenge of designing adult learning spaces that model deeper learning while empowering the developmental approach found in coaching.

Matt began his career with Accenture, consulting on process and change initiatives in a range of industries. Wanting to test his entrepreneurial tendencies, he started his own retail business before learning how to retire a struggling business. From there, he routed into an operations role for Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (Pottery Barn, West Elm), creating and running their fair labor practices program focused on improving working conditions in their network of international manufacturing partners.

The draw of more meaningful work was hard to resist, so Matt became a high school teacher in Austin ISD where he taught multiple digital media and technology electives. He was fortunate to get exposure and training in project-based learning during that time, which led him into a coaching role with New Tech Network supporting school and districts in aligning their systems in pursuit of deeper learning for each student. That role allowed him to coach hundreds of schools and districts across the country over the course of a decade or more.

Matt remains passionate about deeper learning experiences, particularly extending those rich learning opportunities to marginalized communities. He’s spent a lot of time thinking about coaching and believes in its power to empower individuals and systems to learn their way forward. (His wife and kids are less of a fan of his “coaching.”)

Matt is a proud husband and Dad to two. Time outside on various adventures anchors him back to himself and what matters, and he will rarely pass up the chance to grab a meal with friends.