Minerva Project Enhances Executive Team to Support Rapid Growth in its Unique Partnering Model

• Geoff Watson, former Guild Education SVP, to join Minerva Project as President and Chief Business Officer
• Betsy Tucci leaves InStride to join as General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer

SAN FRANCISCO, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Minerva Project, the pathbreaking education innovator, completes its senior team by making two new executive hires. Geoff Watson, former Senior Vice-President at Guild Education, will join as Minerva Project's first President and Chief Business Officer, and Betsy Tucci, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at InStride, as Minerva's General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer. 

"This is a watershed moment in Minerva Project's trajectory," said Ben Nelson, Founder and CEO. "We are experiencing rapid growth in our unique partnership model, and having the strong leadership and experience that Geoff and Betsy bring is crucial for our next phase of development. As Minerva Project scales to meet the demands of higher ed institutions and high schools globally, we're excited to welcome two leaders who have deep experience in growing and building world-class, mission-driven companies."

As President and Chief Business Officer, Watson will report to Nelson and will manage all of Minerva's operations and take direct responsibility for continuing to grow the business. Watson was Senior Vice-President at Guild, where he led the build out of Guild's academic partner network. Previously, he led venture incubation at Entangled (which was acquired by Guild), where he helped launch multiple new edtech companies. Watson was also a Partner at Monitor 360, where he introduced a new analytics platform to blue-chip clients, including Gates Foundation, Harvard University, Starbucks, Microsoft, and Pfizer. Earlier in his career, he was President of Intrax, an international education company serving over 50k students annually from 80+ countries. He was instrumental in launching innovative, State Department-sponsored cultural exchange programs, including the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program for Muslim youth and the Korea West internship program. He holds an MBA from Wharton and B.A. from Dartmouth College.

"After spending the last few years working closely with university Presidents and Provosts, I have a deep appreciation for the need to reimagine education for the modern learner," said Watson. "Minerva Project is the 'gold standard' partner for institutions who are embracing innovation and looking for a truly transformational learning experience, combining a cross-disciplinary approach to curricula, outcome-driven assessment, and the world's only Fully Active Learning platform - Forum™. I'm honored to partner with Ben and the talented team to bring 'the Minerva Way' to institutions around the world."

As General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, Tucci will be in charge of all legal, finance and people functions including all regulatory matters such as contracts, intellectual property, and people operations. Tucci was previously General Counsel and Company Secretary of InStride. Prior to InStride, Tucci served as Associate General Counsel for the Boston Consulting Group, where she focused on the firm's BCG Digital Ventures division, which collaborates with clients to develop, commercialize and scale new digital business concepts. Previously, Tucci was the Principal Counsel for the Disney Parks Digital team, supporting digital efforts globally for Disney theme parks and resorts, cruise lines, merchandise, and food and beverage. Tucci has also served as Vice President/Senior Loan Closing Specialist at Wells Fargo and as an Associate at the law firm of Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan. She holds a Juris Doctor degree from UCLA Law School and a B.B.A. from Idaho State University where she graduated with High Honors.

"Higher education is experiencing unprecedented challenges and students today expect more from their institutions than just a diploma: they want to learn how to contribute and make an impact on society," said Tucci. "Minerva Project has successfully partnered with institutions around the world to disrupt the traditional model of higher education, through the creation of a unique platform, pedagogy and curriculum. I am thrilled to join this talented, mission-driven team as the first general counsel and chief administrative officer, formalizing systems and processes, while building on its innovative and agile culture."

Tucci, alongside Noah Pickus, Chief Academic Officer and Brian Fields, Chief Platform Officer will report to Watson.

Minerva Project was founded in 2011 and launched Minerva University (formerly Minerva Schools at KGI) in 2013. Minerva University was the first proof point of a bold reimagining of what a modern university and learning experience could look like, and is now graduating its fourth class of remarkable students. In 2020, Minerva Project started to fully commercialize its integrated curriculum, pedagogical methodologies, and technology to universities, corporations, and high schools around the world.

Minerva's partnerships are wide-ranging, spanning curricular design, pedagogical and program licensing, to co-creating colleges and universities from scratch. Its US partners include the University of Miami, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and Paul Quinn College. It has also partnered with universities, schools and corporations in Mexico, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Korea and Japan.

About Minerva Project
Minerva Project is a pathbreaking educational innovator, designing and delivering top-tier educational programs through educational and corporate partners globally.
Founded by Ben Nelson in 2011, Minerva's mission is to nurture critical wisdom for the sake of the world. Building upon the best traditions of liberal arts and sciences education, Minerva is committed to preparing global leaders and innovators for the complexities of the twenty-first century. Its groundbreaking creation of Minerva university is detailed in the book Building the Intentional University: Minerva and the Future of Higher Education (MIT Press).

For additional information about Minerva Project, visit www.minervaproject.com

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Diana El-Azar
Senior Director, Strategic Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE Minerva Project