L. Michael Golden

L. Michael Golden is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE), where he serves as a faculty member teaching in master’s and doctoral programs. He is the founder and leader of Catalyst @ Penn GSE, an initiative focused on designing innovative educational practices and scaling actionable solutions across preK-12, higher education, and executive learning. His career spans roles such as CEO of the non-profit Educurious, Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and leadership positions at Pearson and Microsoft.

• Ed.D. in Education Leadership, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
• M.B.A., Harvard Business School
• B.A., Williams College

Dr. Golden’s research emphasizes creating equitable educational systems and leveraging entrepreneurial practices to address institutionalized inequities. His work explores design thinking, virtual reality, and digital teaching to reimagine education, with a focus on preparing learners for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He has secured a multi-year grant from the McGraw Family Foundation to support the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education Innovation.

He has spearheaded initiatives like the Catalyst Innovation Summit, EdTech Week, and the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition, fostering collaboration between educators, entrepreneurs, and researchers. His leadership also includes developing virtual accelerators such as Catapult and pioneering statewide education technology reforms in Pennsylvania.