-Designer and builder of experiences that transform American education
Bryan Setser serves as the Entrepreneur in Residence at rpk GROUP. Bryan partners with the team to develop the overall firm strategy and lends his expertise to higher education, strategic partner development, and emerging technology solutions for the industry. Bryan’s work in higher education has included leading the higher education practice at 2Revolutions, a leading national design firm where his portfolio included multiple foundations, universities, HBCUs, membership organizations, and community colleges.
Bryan’s entrepreneurial models work has included clients such as the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Davidson College and Edx, Building a Culture of Innovation for Higher Ed with EDUCAUSE, Change and Innovation Labs for the American Council on Education, and a Breakthrough Models Incubator with NGLC. Bryan has also personally launched a statewide virtual school, a consulting practice, and helped three organizations navigate through merger and acquisition of their models.
In his third decade of innovative leadership for results in the education sector, Bryan has been a Chief Quality Officer, a Chief Design Officer, and CEO of the nation’s 2nd largest virtual school in the k-12 sector as well. Dr. Setser is also a national Baldrige examiner for the United States Department of Commerce, and his award-winning career has included being selected by three different Governors for e-learning and school technology commissions. He was instrumental in the development of North Carolina’s Learn and Earn Early College efforts online, and has served as an adjunct professor to masters and doctoral students in e-leadership theory and practice at North Carolina State University.
-Responsible for executive coaching, organizational development, and supporting the higher education practice
-Launching the k-12 consulting practice and developing entrepreneurial work with schools, districts, CMOs, organizations, networks, and SEAs
-Identifying new partnerships, opportunities, and markets for rpkGroup where innovation meets return on investment, impact, and results
-Responsible for coaching and organizational analysis and development of the C-suite along with school principals and leadership teams
-Launched the company's first accelerator program in Washington, DC and Matchbook's third school in Indianapolis with the Mind Trust Foundation
-Oversaw all school design and support services management for all direct managed and accelerator sites; sample projects include entrepreneurship high school, badge portfolio, digital artifacts, PLC design, and community engagement
-Managed four direct reports
-Responsible for strategic vision, leadership, and operations for a national consultancy practice in k-12 and Higher Education
-Designed and developed state, network, district, and school solutions for future of learning models for over 30+ clients
-Provided internal consultation for blended curriculum design, platform, and digital integration strategies for central team members
-Managed nine direct reports
-Responsible for overall strategic plan and outcomes related to the nation's 2nd largest state virtual school
-Supervised a 31 million dollar state budget, 21 direct reports, and 1030 total staff members
-Accomplished enrollment, satisfaction, and student performance results that exceeded state and national averages in multiple State Board and NCLB target areas
-Strategic planning champion for National Malcolm Baldrige Award District
-Led district through SACS Accreditation Process - 1st of 30 in the United States to go through the new district process
-Established district as a National Best Practice Site for Staff Development by the APQC
-SAT and High School AYP Course results exceeded state averages
-Responsible for 5 million budget, 6 direct reports, and 40 staff members
-Served as a middle school principal and a founding 21st Century High School Principal
-Met or exceeded district, state, and school improvement goals
-Completed doctoral internship under the Superintendent
-Designed and launched first high school in Union County in 40 years
-Served as the assistant principal of curriculum and instruction
-Met or exceeded all district, state, and school improvement goals for the 8th grade for which I was responsible
-Completed the Principal's Executive Program and won most outstanding school improvement project
-Designed and launched school and district character education program
-Taught general and college prep English classes
-Met or exceeded all district, state, and school improvement goals in my English courses
-Completed the Technology Trainer Certification TRAC with the district
-Served as school improvement chair
Completed all doctoral work required as well as a dissertation on The Failing High School: An Examination of the Relationship Between Constructivist Leadership Roles and High School Achievement in North Carolina. Degree earned in 2004.
Completed all requisite coursework, internship, and service requirements entailed in the Certificate for Advanced Study Program at UNCC. Degree earned in 2004.
Completed all masters course requirements, an internship, and thesis project work related to educational leadership. Degree earned in 2000.
Completed an English degree, writing specialization, and teaching credential for secondary education. Degree earned in 1993.
Strategic Planning
Fundraising
Philanthropy
Design thinking
Entreprenuership
Intrapreneurship
preK-26 Practice Development
Leadership
1:1 Digital Environments
Project Management
Coaching and Evaluation
Organizational Management
Curriculum Development
Business Models
Blended Learning
Digital Curation
Marketing
Internet of Things
Open Education Resources
Business Development
Social and New Media
Partnership Development
Solutions Consulting
Digital Learning Council
NC E-learning Commission
NC Technology Commission
NC Education Cloud Team
NC Race to the Top Team
State Virtual Leaders Alliance
INACOL State Lead
Baldrige Examiner
Published Author
ERDI Consultant
BLE Consultant
Gates Foundation Advisor
NASDSE Advisor
Principal of the Year
NC State Adjunct Professor
Keeping Pace Report Contributor
Speaker - Education Week, DODEA (Italy, Japan, and Germany) SXSW, INACOL, BLPL, etc.
Crucial Conversations Trainer
National English Teacher Award
Presenter - Blackboard Europe, Virtual Schools Symposium, IT/ISEC, AERA, ASCD, and ISTE
Jack McCall Award - UNC Chapel Hill
Apple Executive Academy
Moodle Instructor Credential
Blackboard Instructor Credential
Edmodo Instructor Credential
North Carolina Superintendent's Certification
South Carolina Superintendent's Certification
Baldrige Examiner Credential
Certified in Facilitative Leadership
North Carolina Principal Certification
North Carolina Teaching Certificate
Principal's Executive Program
Principal as Technology Leader Credential
Certified Technology Trainer
National Reviewer US Office of Special Education
Mary Ellis - Former Superintendent - Union County Public Schools - 704-634-1079 - mabrooksellis@gmail.com
Susan Allred - former CAO Iredell Statesville Schools & Assoc. Commissioner of Education in Kentucky - susanallred@att.net - 828-712-0423
JB Buxton - Former Deputy Supt. of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction - buxton.jb@gmail.com - 919-605-6430
Amy Swan - CAO - Matchbook Learning - amy@matchbooklearning.com -859-562-9269
Andy Caulkins - Deputy Director - Next Generation Learning/EDUCAUSE - acalkins@educause.edu - 978-821-2575