Matthew Candler

Founder and CEO, 4.0 Schools

Mr. Candler is Founder/CEO of 4.0 Schools (4pt0.org), an incubator of new schools, startups and startup communities. To date 4.0 has created 43 organizations by finding, coaching and connecting aspiring founders across the US.

After majoring in switching majors at Duke University, Matt's first classroom/coaching gig was at Casady School in Oklahoma City, OK. Matt went back to his hometown after teaching to help stage the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as a member of the COO's office. After the Games he went to b-school at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, focusing on decision-making and the emerging charter sector. He then wandered the Southeastern US helping local groups start charter schools. He also served as founding co-principal of a K-8 school in North Carolina.

In 2001, Matt joined KIPP Foundation, where his team established 37 new schools across the U.S. In 2004, he moved to NYC to help found the first city-wide charter school incubator in the nation. Since inception, the NYC Charter Center has helped the charter sector grow from 24 schools to more than 197, serving more than 83,000 students. In 2006, Matt moved to New Orleans to serve as the first CEO at New Schools for New Orleans, the nation's first school reform "harbormaster." He also served as Chairman of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, helping it recover after Katrina to become one of the most effective charter advocacy and policy shops in the US.

He started 4.0 Schools in his garage in 2010. Speaking of his garage, Matt likes building electric motorcycles there after his kids go to bed. You can read more about that at nightshiftbikes.com. Matt blogs at 4.0 at futureofschool.org; he's on twitter at @mcandler and on email at mcandler@4pt0.org.