David Cumberbatch
New Market Thoughts
Jul 4, 2025
4
min read
News & Updates
Edtech and Workforce Development News Roundup - 7/4
The articles in this week's News Roundup collectively highlight the urgent need for a student-centered approach in education, emphasizing relationship-building, inclusivity, and empowerment in the edtech space. From addressing chronic absenteeism through welcoming environments and personalized engagement to leveraging AI tools for tailored instruction, the focus is on creating responsive systems that meet students where they are.
Jun 27, 2025
4
min read
News & Updates
Edtech and Workforce Development News Roundup - 6/27
This week's News Roundup highlights pressing challenges and innovative solutions—from tackling the public health crisis of chronic absenteeism to preparing students for an AI-driven economy, improving youth mental health, and breaking down financial barriers to higher education.
Jun 20, 2025
4
min read
News & Updates
Edtech and Workforce Development News Roundup - 6/20
As industry demands shift and traditional education models face new challenges, it’s essential for edtech and workforce development providers to develop tools that foster skills, inform career choices, and support systemic change—ultimately empowering learners to thrive in an AI-driven world.
David Cumberbatch is currently a Senior Advisor for K-12 Solutions, with a focus on commercialization, at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Mr. Cumberbatch is also a Senior Advisor to Apogee Equity Partners, New Markets Ventures, and is a member of the board of advisors for Village Capital and Riiid Labs.
Mr. Cumberbatch served as the Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President at Stride, Inc. (formerly K12, Inc.) from 2014 to 2016 where he focused on K12’s expansion into career readiness and education technology solutions, including the acquisition of LTS. Mr. Cumberbatch also served as the Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer of ACT Inc. (the non-profit leader in college and career readiness assessment in the US) from 2011 to 2014. At ACT, he re-positioned the ACT brand and collaborated on the development of the digital ACT test and the launch of ACT Aspire.
Mr. Cumberbatch has held leadership positions with the start-ups such as Imagitas, and Simpletuition. Prior to that, Mr. Cumberbatch played an instrumental role at Microsoft Corporation where his business development work was featured in Fortune magazine. Mr. Cumberbatch also served as a Brand Manager of Procter & Gamble in Europe, and Latin America. Mr. Cumberbatch earned a B.A. in Computing and Economics (Hons, First Class) from the University of Kent at Canterbury, and an MPhil in Management Studies from the University of Oxford where he attended as a Rhodes Scholar.
He began his working life as an Assistant Teacher in the public school system of his native Trinidad and Tobago and remains passionate about the potential for technology to transform global education. He resides in the Washington DC metro area with his wife and two sons.
