Jeff Wetzler

Dr. Jeff Wetzler is an expert on adult learning and leadership development. He brings over 25 years of experience as a successful entrepreneur, operating executive, and advisor to top corporate and NGO leaders around the world. He is co-founder and a board member of Transcend, former Chief Learning Officer of Teach For America, and a two-time author. Jeff’s career is dedicated to unlocking human potential by helping people learn more deeply and transform their mindsets to realize bold new possibilities for themselves, their organizations, and their communities.

Jeff’s recent book Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs In Leadership and Life, was named an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Books of 2024, a Next Big Idea Club Top Leadership Book of 2024 and a “Must Read,” and immediately became a #1 new release in multiple categories. It has been widely endorsed by experts and leaders such as Jim Collins, Adam Grant, Kim Scott, Seth Godin, Bill George, and Amy Edmondson, who wrote the book’s foreword. Jeff is also the co-author of the forthcoming book, Extraordinary Learning for All (Wiley, Nov 2024). His work has been featured in leading publications such as Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and Psychology Today.

In 2015 Jeff co-founded Transcend, a leading organization for driving innovation in the education sector. Since its founding, Transcend has been one of the fastest growing and most diverse organizations in the field of education innovation, working with hundreds of cutting-edge schools and districts in over thirty U.S. states and a vibrant network of 10,000+ innovators. Under Jeff’s leadership as co-CEO until 2024, Transcend raised over $80M of investment. Its resources have been translated in multiple languages and have reached communities worldwide, from Estonia to India to New Zealand. Jeff currently serves as Head of Transcend Labs and is a Board member at Transcend.

Prior to Transcend, Jeff served as Chief Learning Officer of Teach for America, one of the nation’s largest and most respected social impact organizations. During his decade-long leadership, Jeff played a key role in supporting growth of the organization’s reach by over 300%, leading teams to increase the performance of tens of thousands of teachers serving in the nation’s most challenging schools.

Jeff’s career started at the premier global consulting firm Monitor Group (now Monitor-Deloitte), co-founded by Harvard Business School’s Michael Porter. Jeff advised top executives in many industries on issues from strategy to leadership to organizational development. At Monitor, Jeff worked alongside and learned from Professor Chris Argyris and Dr. David Kantor, as well as their protege Dr. Diana Smith, who chaired the Human Dynamics and Change in Organizations doctoral program which Jeff completed.

Jeff is a Fellow in the Aspen Global Leadership Network, an international community committed to strengthening freedom and equality. As an Edmund Hillary Fellow, Jeff is also part of a select global network of entrepreneurs and investors creating global impact. Jeff holds a B.S. in Psychology from Brown University and a Master’s degree and Doctorate in Adult Learning and Leadership from Columbia University. His doctoral dissertation focused on developing a new methodology called “collaborative organizational innovation” to unlock the collective genius that often lies dormant in organizations. He lives in New York with his wife, Dr. Jennifer Goldman-Wetzler, their two teenagers, and their dog Breeze.