2U, Inc. Announces the Formation of its First Advisory Board

LANDOVER, Md., Feb. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- 2U, a leading provider of cloud-based software-as-a-service solutions that enable leading nonprofit colleges and universities to deliver their high quality education to qualified students anywhere, today announced the formation of a new advisory board. The board will provide strategic guidance on the company's growth and purpose in the competitive industry landscape, and offer insights on the latest developments influencing higher education and technology.

The new board members include: Bob Kerrey, Josh Jarrett, Adrian Fenty, Binta Niambi Brown, Alec Ross, Haley Scott DeMaria, Joe Rospars, Stuart Ruderfer, and Alan Arkatov.

"We are honored to welcome these distinguished leaders to the 2U family and look forward to the advice and direction they will provide our company," says 2U's CEO, Chip Paucek.

The board represents a variety of diverse backgrounds, including international human rights advocates, elected officials and presidential campaign managers, academic philanthropists, corporate lawyers, and tech CEOs.

Adrian Fenty is the former mayor of Washington, D.C., and current board member of College Track—a nonprofit college completion organization for underserved students. Mayor Fenty turned the spotlight on education in the nation's capital, increasing graduation rates and enrollment, and raising student test scores in D.C. public schools. He continues his advocacy of education reform and accessible education for under-resourced communities.

Alan Arkatov is the former CEO of the Teaching Channel and founder of OnlineLearning.net. He's championed new and effective learning pathways as Chair of the CA. Postsecondary Education Commission, Chief eLearning Advisor for the Los Angeles Unified School District, and as a U.S. Secretary of Education appointee to the Congressional Web Education Commission. Alan has managed political campaigns and created ads at the local, state and national levels, in addition to leading some of the top communications companies in the U.S.

Alec Ross served as senior advisor of innovation to Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. He was named one of Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers and Politico's 50 Politicos to Watch as one of the "Five people who are bringing transformative change to the government." Ross is currently writing a book and is a senior fellow at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

Binta Niambi Brown is the former informal advisor on national security for Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, with a focus on human rights, and a leading corporate technology lawyer. She's been named multiple times among "40 under 40" business leader lists in Fortune Magazine, JET Magazine, and Crain's New York, and was recognized as one of the Root's 100 Most Influential African Americans. She is currently a senior fellow on human rights at Harvard Kennedy School, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Bob Kerrey is a former U.S. state senator from Nebraska and was president of The New School for ten years. He continues to be deeply involved with education policy and is the current executive chairman of the Minerva Institute for Research and Scholarship in San Francisco.

Haley Scott DeMaria is a graduate of the very first MAT@USC online program and author of the book What Though The Odds, based on the true story of her survival and recovery from a fatal car accident in 1995. She has been named "Woman of the Year" at the National Women's Leadership Conference, and is currently an inspirational speaker for businesses and other companies.

Joe Rospars is the founder and CEO of Blue State, a digital agency that works with nonprofits, brands, and campaigns to build communities that take action. For both the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, Joe was Barack Obama's principal digital strategist and advisor, overseeing the digital integration of the unprecedented fundraising, communications, and grassroots mobilization effort.

Josh Jarrett is the former deputy director of Postsecondary Success for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and former engagement manager of Media and Entertainment and Social Sector Practices division of McKinsey & Co. Jarrett is the current founder and Chief Learning Officer of Koru, Inc.

Stuart Ruderfer is an influential marketing executive and co-founder and CEO of Civic Entertainment Group, an experiential marketing agency recently acquired by Ryan Seacrest's Seacrest Global Group. Civic Entertainment is an award winning agency that has launched and produced marketing events for major brands including CNN, Fox, HBO, Netflix, and the NFL. Ruderfer also helped to produce NBC's Education Nation and launched the marketing and events division for New York City under Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Detailed bios and photos of the advisory board members can be found on our website.

About 2U, Inc.
Founded in 2008 by a team of education and technology veterans, 2U enables leading colleges and universities to deliver their high quality education to qualified students anywhere.

Our cloud-based software-as-a-service platform provides schools with the comprehensive operating infrastructure they need to attract, enroll, educate, support, and graduate their students.

Our mission is to enable the education our clients provide to reach its highest potential so students can reach theirs.

To learn more, go to 2U.com. Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/company/2u), Twitter (http://twitter.com/2Uinc), and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/2u).

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SOURCE 2U, Inc.