Jonathan Grayer

Grayer graduated with a B.A. from Harvard College in 1986 and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.{{cite web| url = http://www.washpostco.com/bio-grayer_j.htm| title = The Washington Post Company - Business Properties| access-date = 2007-03-27| archive-date = 2004-03-02| archive-url = https://archive.today/20040302185358/http://www.washpostco.com/bio-grayer_j.htm| url-status = dead}} Over the course of his college career, he served as a summer intern in the corporate development department at The Washington Post Company. Upon completing his M.B.A. at Harvard Business School in 1990, he joined the marketing department of Newsweek, another Washington Post company, where he was eventually named the director of marketing. Grayer joined Kaplan in 1990 as regional operations director, and held several titles before becoming president and CEO in July 1994. He was named Chairman and CEO of the education company in February 2002.(The Washingtonian, June 2005)

When Grayer first became CEO of Kaplan in 1994, the company was an $80 million test preparation business. Through a series of strategic acquisitions that brought Kaplan into the higher education and professional training markets, he was able to diversify Kaplan into a company that provides lifelong learning and had more than $2 billion in revenue in 2007.{{cite web| url = http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=62487&p=irol-reportsAnnual| title = The Washington Post Company - Annual Reports}}

In 2004, BusinessWeek named Grayer one of the best managers of the year for his leadership in establishing Kaplan as The Washington Post Company’s "financial crown jewel". The company’s growth under his leadership has been reported on by other national and international media including Fortune,{{cite news| url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/05/31/370718/index.htm | work=CNN | title=Understated, Underrated, and One Hell of a CEO | first=Andy | last=Serwer | date=May 31, 2004}} Forbes,{{cite news| url=https://www.forbes.com//forbes/2000/0124/6502134a.html | work=Forbes | title=Dr. Cram - Forbes.com | date=24 January 2000}} The Wall Street Journal{{cite news| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB106815531020138300?mod=home_page_one_us | work=The Wall Street Journal | title=Kaplan Transforms Into Big Operator Of Trade Schools | first1=Daniel | last1=Golden | first2=Matthew | last2=Rose | date=November 7, 2003}} and the Financial Times.{{cite web| url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cbacae34-4ee0-11dd-ba7c-000077b07658.html| title = Reference at www.ft.com}} On November 19, 2008, Grayer announced his resignation from Kaplan, stating that he plans to pursue "entrepreneurial activity, investment and philanthropy".{{Cite web|url=http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/081119/20081119006355.html?.v=1|title=Yahoo Finance - Stock Market Live, Quotes, Business & Finance News}}

Grayer founded Weld North in 2010 in partnership with KKR{{Cite news|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704762904575025520478761674|title = KKR and Grayer Form New Venture|newspaper = Wall Street Journal|date = 26 January 2010|last1 = Lattman|first1 = Peter}} to invest in education, health and wellness, media, marketing and consumer services companies. Since its founding, Weld North has made over 50 investments in growth stage companies.

In the K-12 industry segment, Weld North operates its platform Imagine Learning:

• Edgenuity, an Arizona-based 6th-12th grade educational technology and curriculum company, which was acquired in July 2011;{{Cite news|last=Lettman|first=Peter|date=11 July 2011|title=DealBook: Venture With K.K.R. Makes Education Deal|work=New York Times|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/venture-with-k-k-r-makes-education-deal/}}
• Compass Learning, a Texas-based digital curriculum company, acquired in July 2016;{{cite web| url = http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2016/08/01/austin-education-tech-company-bought-by-arizona.html| title = Reference at www.bizjournals.com}}
• Glynlyon, an Arizona-based provider of digital curriculum, acquired in March 2019;{{Cite web|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/weld-north-education-completes-acquisition-of-glynlyon-inc-300815584.html|title=Weld North Education Completes Acquisition of Glynlyon, Inc}}
• LearnZillion, a Washington, D.C.–based provider of digital core curriculum, acquired in December 2019;{{Cite web|url=https://marketbrief.edweek.org/marketplace-k-12/big-digital-learning-firm-weld-north-gobbles-another-education-company-learnzillion/|title=Big Digital Learning Firm Weld North Gobbles up Another Education Company, LearnZillion|date=8 January 2020}}
• Purpose Prep, a Michigan-based provider of Social Emotional Learning curriculum, acquired in June 2020;{{Cite web|url=https://marketbrief.edweek.org/marketplace-k-12/k-12-dealmaking-weld-north-completes-major-sel-acquisition/|title = K-12 Dealmaking: Weld North Completes Major SEL Acquisition|date = 27 July 2020}}
• Imagine Learning, a Utah-based English language learning company, which was acquired in April 2014;{{Cite web|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/former-kaplan-chief-assembling-a-digital-learning-company/|title = Ex-Chief of Kaplan Aims to Build a Rival Digital Learning Company}}
• Assessment Technology, Inc., an Arizona-based educational measurement market leader in K-12 online assessment;Malia Rulon Herman, {{cite web| url = https://marketbrief.edweek.org/marketplace-k-12/k-12-dealmaking-weld-north-education-acquires-assessment-technology-allovue-purchases-equiday/| title = "K-12 Dealmaking: Weld North Education Acquires Assessment Technology; Allovue Purchases Equiday"}}, marketbrief.edweek.org, March 27, 2019.
• BookheadEd Learning, a California-based developer of engaging and effective digital-first curriculum, including the award-winning StudySync, a comprehensive English Language Arts (ELA) program for grades 6-12, acquired in December 2020;{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210204005421/en/Weld-North-Education-Acquires-BookheadEd-Learning-Developer-of-Award-Winning-StudySync-Digital-First-Core-Curriculum|title = Weld North Education Acquires BookheadEd Learning, Developer of Award-Winning StudySync Digital-First Core Curriculum|date = 4 February 2021}}
• Twig Education, a UK-based provider of high-quality science curriculum products designed to improve science literacy globally, acquired in July 2021. Twig’s flagship product, Twig Science Next Gen, is a highly engaging, multimedia-rich, digital-first Science program, grounded in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS);{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210715005667/en/Weld-North-Education-Acquires-Twig-Education-Leading-Digital-Science-Curriculum-Company|title=Weld North Education Acquires Twig Education, Leading Digital Science Curriculum Company|date=15 July 2021}}
• Robotify, an Ireland-based provider of engaging coding and virtual robotics curriculum, acquired in November 2021.;{{Cite web|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imagine-learning-acquires-robotify-innovative-new-platform-designed-to-teach-coding-through-virtual-robotics-simulation-301421187.html|title=Imagine Learning Acquires Robotify, Innovative New Platform Designed To Teach Coding Through Virtual Robotics Simulation|date=10 November 2021}}

In January 2018, Weld North announced it had sold KKR's stake in Weld North Education to Silver Lake Partners.{{Cite web|url=http://www.weldnorth.com/?p=939|title = January 4, 2018 – Silver Lake and Weld North Education Announce Strategic Partnership – Weld North LLC}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/silver-lake-to-buy-majority-stake-in-weld-north-education-from-kkr-1515070005|title=Silver Lake to Buy Majority Stake in Weld North Education From KKR|last=Kellaher|first=Colin|date=2018-01-04|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=2018-01-09|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660}} In February 2021, Onex agreed to make a significant investment in Weld North Education.{{Cite web|url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/02/01/2167725/0/en/The-Onex-Group-to-Invest-in-K-12-Industry-Leader-Weld-North-Education.html|title=The Onex Group to Invest in K-12 Industry Leader Weld North Education|date=February 2021}}

• In February 2018,{{Cite web|url=https://www.peopleadmin.com/2018/02/peopleadmin-acquires-performance-matters/|title=PeopleAdmin Acquires Performance Matters - PeopleAdmin|website=www.peopleadmin.com|date=20 February 2018|language=en-US|access-date=2018-11-01}} Weld North sold its investment in Performance Matters, a Utah-based K-12 data analytics company, to PeopleAdmin, a Vista Equity Partners portfolio company.
• In November 2018,{{Cite web|url=https://newsroom.wiley.com/press-release/all-corporate-news/wiley-completes-acquisition-learning-house-weld-north|title=Wiley Completes Acquisition of Learning House from Weld North {{!}} Wiley News Room – Press Releases, News, Events & Media|website=newsroom.wiley.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-01|archive-date=2019-03-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328165741/https://newsroom.wiley.com/press-release/all-corporate-news/wiley-completes-acquisition-learning-house-weld-north|url-status=dead}} Weld North sold The Learning House, a Kentucky-based service provider to over 100 higher education institutions, to John Wiley & Sons.
• In January 2016,{{Cite web|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160120005852/en/Weld-North-Acquires-Intellify-Learning|title = Weld North Acquires Intellify Learning|date = 20 January 2016}} Weld North acquired a controlling interest in Boston based learning analytics company Intellify Learning.
• Weld North is also an investor in Relationship Science and Voxy.

Grayer is a frequent speaker on education reform, investing, and innovation.{{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bNwESp4mR4| title = EdTech GOAT, Jonathan Grayer}}

Grayer serves on the board of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.{{cite web| url = http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/65956.cfm| title = Reference at www.mskcc.org}} {{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In September 2005, he was named by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to the Commission on the Future of Higher Education.{{cite web| url = http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/09/09192005.html| title = Secretary Spellings Announces New Commission on the Future of Higher Education}}

In June 2016, The Kaplan Educational Foundation honored Grayer with the 2016 Leadership Award in recognition of his role as founder of the foundation when he was CEO of Kaplan, Inc. The Kaplan Educational Foundation, founded in 2006, helps disadvantaged black and Latino community college students complete their associate degrees and transfer to top U.S. colleges and universities.{{Cite web|url=http://www.blackenterprise.com/education/education-30/#.V2r3DO6wRXs.twitter|title=KEF Clears the Path to Success for Low Income Students of Color|date=21 June 2016}}

In 2019, Grayer launched The Grayer Family Foundation to target three areas of need: to provide financial support for cancer care and research, to increase access to higher education for under resourced students, and to create more nutritional options for underprivileged kids before and after school.

In 2021, Grayer launched the Imagine Learning Foundation, created with one principal goal: to foster the well-being of learners and the people who support them at home and in their communities. Imagine Learning Foundation funds a variety of grants to mission-aligned national non-profit organizations that support initiatives to foster well-being of youth, families, and educators with an emphasis on accelerating student achievement.

{{WPO-PNS}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grayer, Jonathan}}

Category:American chief executives of education-related organizations

Category:Harvard Business School alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Harvard College alumni

Category:1964 births