Dan Sommer
I'm an education entrepreneur and serial founder. For over two decades I've built companies and nonprofits around how people learn, work, and grow — nine in total. I founded Trilogy Education, which grew to 2,500 employees across 7 countries before being acquired for $750M. Many Trilogy alumni have gone on to found companies, lead organizations, and shape the future of education and work. The thread through all of it is helping people build real skills and take ownership of their futures.
The best education does not just transfer knowledge. It changes what a person believes they are capable of.
I'm a graduate of Cornell University (BS, Applied Economics) and New York University (MS, Integrated Marketing). When I'm not working I'm learning Hebrew, playing tennis, doing Krav Maga, and spending time with my wife, two teenage sons, and two dogs.
Trilogy Education
I founded and served as CEO of Trilogy Education, a workforce accelerator that partnered with the world's leading universities, including Columbia, Northwestern, and UC Berkeley, to help people break into new careers and bridge the digital skills gap. Trilogy grew to 50 university partners across 55 locations, 750 employees across 7 countries, generated over $150M in revenue, and served more than 50,000 students. It was acquired by 2U, Inc. for $750M in 2019. Across all my ventures, I've helped more than 100,000 people build real skills.
Before Trilogy, I served as President of Global Education at Zeta Global (NYSE: ZETA), where I led 5x revenue growth, and as CEO of Study Interactive, expanding online learning to students in 153 countries. My earlier ventures include Caridan Marketing Labs, acquired by Zeta, and a founding role at one of the earliest email service providers. I began my career at digital agencies Digitas and Sapient.
A lot of my time goes into people.
I coach and mentor students, founders, and nonprofit leaders, sit on boards across education, and teach entrepreneurship when I can. I've also built outside of business. I founded Krav and Kesher, a nonprofit that teaches Krav Maga and self-defense skills to students on more than 40 campuses, which has since merged with Community Security Service, where I serve as Vice Chair of the board. I also serve as Treasurer on the board of United Hatzalah of Israel, a network of more than 5,000 volunteer first responders.
Get in touch.
If you're working in education or the future of work, I'd like to hear from you.