Dr. Matthew Wunder is the CEO/Superintendent and a founder of Da Vinci Schools, a Los Angeles network comprised of five high schools, a TK-8 home school-hybrid model, and a college and career program with 330 employees, 2500 students across 122 zip codes, and an annual budget of $31 million.

Da Vinci Schools has earned global recognition as an education reform innovator, developing responsive new school models that incorporate college and career readiness, real world learning aligned to employer needs, and competency-based learning. Matt believes that greater alignment between K-12 schools, colleges, and employers is needed to close opportunity and skills gaps to ensure students are prepared to live happy, purposeful, and reliably sustainable lives. Matt is especially interested in building high-quality schools that overcome antiquated and under-resourced systems which often lead to education inequality. Matt was recently selected for the Pahara Institute Fellowship, a one-year, cohort-based program that brings together high-integrity, values-driven leaders to reimagine public education.

Prior to Da Vinci, Matt served as Principal of Wiseburn School District’s Richard Henry Dana Middle School from 2002-2008, where he led the school to becoming a California Distinguished School and a National Forum Middle School To Watch.

Matt has taught graduate classes as an adjunct professor in educational leadership, school business, and school counseling. He currently serves on the boards of Schools That Can and Portal Schools, both nonprofit organizations. He has previously served on the board of trustees of Palisades Charter High School, Association of California School Administrators ACSA/CAPEA Committee, the statewide CERTICC educational reform committee, and as an educational consultant for the California League of Schools, where he developed curriculum for school administrators and facilitated professional development sessions.

Matt is frequently invited to speak at conferences and panels on the future of education, reimagining schools, and competency-based learning, among other topics.

Matt earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona. He holds a Master of Education degree, teaching credential, PPS credential in School Counseling, and Tier II Administrative Credential from Loyola Marymount University. He earned his doctorate in Education Technology with a focus on service quality dimensions as indicators of school quality from Pepperdine University.