About
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James Willcox is the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Growth Partners, a social venture focused on supporting the growth of emerging and established Charter Management Organizations through a comprehensive facilities solution and strategic support.
Prior to his current role, James was Aspire’s CEO from 2009-2015. During Mr. Willcox’s time at Aspire, the organization grew from 17 schools serving just under 6,000 students in California, to 39 schools serving over 15,000 students in California and Tennessee. During this rapid expansion Aspire continued to be one of the highest performing, high poverty school systems in the state, and widely known for its collaborative partnerships with states, districts and other charter school organizations across the country.
James remains on the Board of two independent organizations that were co-founded by Aspire during his tenure as CEO. Schoolzilla, an edtech company, now serves over 1 million students nationwide and brings powerful data analysis tools to charter and district schools alike. Alder University is expanding Aspire’s highly effective Teacher and Principal Residency program and replicating it to serve other school systems.
Prior to Aspire, Mr. Willcox served as the founding COO for Education for Change, a Principal at NewSchools Venture Fund, a consultant at Bridgespan, and over seven years as a U.S. Army officer and Blackhawk helicopter pilot. He holds a B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point, as well as a Masters in Education and M.B.A from Stanford University. He is a Fellow of the second class of the Aspen Institute-Pahara Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
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