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Endorsements

Higher ed leaders and industry professionals

Kirsten Heiss, MD

Founder & CEO OpenCampus, GmbH

Brian combines deep higher education expertise with practical technology strategy. In our US market entry work, he helped us sharpen our positioning, identify key product gaps, and turn both into a clear plan. He has a strong understanding of how institutions make decisions. He’s been a highly valuable partner.

Catherine Peebles, PhD

Director Hamel Honors College University of New Hampshire

Brian is a rare asset: he understands the world of higher education deeply, and from many vantage points: student, faculty, community partner, administration, IT. The synthesis of these experiences and perspectives is what is lacking in most of us, and, I think, part of why so many institutions are struggling today to define which challenges are the most important to take on.

Heather Parker, PhD

Dean, Arts & Sciences, St. Leo University, former Director, panOpen

Brian Jacobs is uniquely positioned to partner with institutions to apply innovative and proven solutions to the unprecedented challenges faced by colleges and universities today. His vast experience as a scholar and as a successful and trusted entrepreneur in the dynamic world of education technology make him a valuable resource for institutions seeking to leverage forward-thinking solutions to address their needs. Perhaps most importantly, Brian embodies the value of integrity. There is no substitute for partnering with a consultant who is unequivocally committed to providing services grounded in an ethical approach to business relationships.

Jean-Louis Velaise

Investor

Artem Kudymovsky

CEO, Co-owner, ITRex Group

Don Burton

Managing General Partner, LearnStart

I have worked with and invested alongside Brian for nearly 20 years. Over that time, he has consistently demonstrated integrity and steadiness, the qualities that matter most when navigating the uncertainties of building a company. Drawing on deep experience as both an academic and an entrepreneur, he brings a clear view of where EdTech is heading and how to position for it. He is a trusted partner over the long term.

I have known Brian since 2003, when he hired me as a young software developer. He gave me responsibilities that stretched me far beyond anything I had done before, including the opportunity to help establish and lead the Ukrainian office as General Manager. What impressed me then, and still impresses me today, is Brian's ability to take an idea on paper and turn it into a real business. Brian was also consistently fair. He understands education not only as a market, but as an intellectual and human system. He is one of the clearest and most principled strategic thinkers I have had the privilege to know.

I first met Brian in 2013 as Managing Director of the inaugural Techstars/Kaplan EdTech Accelerator, where panOpen was one of our first cohort companies. I've watched him navigate the challenges of building education technology companies in a uniquely demanding market ever since. Brian combines the perspective of a founder, operator, and strategist with a deep understanding of how colleges and universities make decisions, thinking beyond products to the institutional, financial, and organizational realities that determine whether innovation succeeds. I recommend him to higher education leaders, education companies, publishers, and investors seeking practical, thoughtful counsel from someone who has built, led, and advised through multiple waves of change.