Our vision

We envision a world in which all people, regardless of their circumstance, have access to a learning environment that fosters creative and critical thinking, community, and citizenry.

Our team

Our team combines deep experience in higher education uniquely complemented with wide expertise in understanding community and technology.

Picture of Joel Podolny

Joel Podolny

CEO and Co-Founder

Prior to starting Honor Education, Joel was a Vice President at Apple and the founding Dean of Apple University, where he oversaw learning in areas such as leadership, management, and company culture. Before that, Joel served as Dean and Professor of Management at the Yale School of Management. He previously held professorships at Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

  • Portrait of Shadee

    Shadee Barkan

    Chief Partnership Officer

    Chief Partnership Officer at Trilogy from startup to acquisition, SVP at 2U

  • Portrait of Pooja

    Pooja Brown

    Chief Technology Officer

    SVP at StitchFix and VP at DocuSign from startup to IPO

  • Portrait of Steve

    Steve Guttman

    Chief Customer Officer

    25+ years at Apple, including founding member of Apple University

  • Portrait of Steve

    Steve LaBella

    Chief Strategy Officer

    VP and first marketing executive at Snap, from pre to post IPO

  • Portrait of Kelly

    Kelly Crabb

    SVP Partnerships

    SVP Sales Mainstay, VP Global Sales ExamSoft (purchased by Turnitin)

  • Jihan Quail portrait

    Jihan Quail

    SVP, Business Development

    VP of University Partnerships at 2U, 15+ years in enterprise and education sales

  • Portrait of Katie

    Katie Barcelona

    VP Brand and Design

    Associate partner at Pentagram and head of brand at Pinterest

  • Jeremy Dean portrait

    Dr. Jeremy Dean

    VP Learning Design

    15+ years classroom teaching experience, head of education verticals at Hypothesis and Genius

  • Portrait of Amit

    Amit Karan

    VP Engineering

    Head of engineering for customer facing experiences at DocuSign

  • Portrait of Brian

    Brian Kelley

    VP Product

    VP of Product Development at Noodle specializing in Data Integrations and Learning Tools

  • Sharon Roth, portrait

    Sharon Roth

    VP of Product

    Head of Product developing enterprise machine learning platform at Tamr

  • Portrait of Glen

    Dr. Glen Spencer

    VP Partnerships

    Higher education sales at Apple for 10 years and Pearson Education

Our home office is in San Francisco, but our hybrid team works from over a dozen cities in four countries.

Our motivation

For us, education starts with a moment of genuine connection — between student and teacher, students and students, teachers and teachers. It is not a means to an end, a checkbox or a hurdle. It’s a launchpad. An eye- and mind-opener.

We believe in the kind of education that feeds the soul. The kind that drives humanity’s potential and progress. 

Because learning takes drive and courage,
We honor students.

Because teaching takes wisdom and generosity,
We honor faculty.

Because we’re inspired by the mission of higher education,
We honor colleges and universities.

Because learning today doesn’t begin or end with a degree,
We honor corporations.

We founded Honor Education for you —
for all of us.

Because we love learning,
and we love teaching,
and we honor the joy and the power of both.