Founded in 2013 by Michael Feldstein and Phil Hill and now run by Phil, MindWires is a craft-oriented educational technology consulting practice consisting of experts who have both broad educational and industry perspective and experience getting the work done.
We are an ever-evolving company that is dedicated to meeting the needs of a wide range of EdTech stakeholders. We do this by staying ahead of the game with first-class data and analysis and by leveraging our varied experiences in the education space.
We follow several basic principles in our approach to our work.
Open and Honest
We’re proud of the fact that much of our work comes from people who know us from PhilOnEdTech and elsewhere on the open web. We strive to make the company reflect the values of the blog rather than the other way around.
Flexible
Prospective clients often ask us, “What does MindWires do?” Our answer is, “What do you need?” This isn’t just sales talk. We enjoy solving problems that we haven’t seen before and apply the experience we have to each client’s unique situation. By working with clients across the spectrum of stakeholders, we gain the benefit of a wide range of perspectives on any given issue. We try to bring those different perspectives to every conversation we have with our clients. We also maintain a broad network of consulting specialists and partners so that we can bring in the right people for each job.
Mission-Focused
Whether your organization is a school, an education company, an educational policymaker, or an investor in education companies, you come to the table with an enduring vision of the value that your organization provides. You have a mission. We start by focusing on first principles and identifying the key, mission-related strengths your organization already has that can continue to serve as the foundation for its future.
Strategic but Practical
Some consulting shops primarily provide high-level strategic advice while others are mainly operations-oriented. We think it is important to combine both elements in our practice. While our clients usually come to us for advice about what they should be doing, we aren’t satisfied until we are able to see them achieve their goals. For that reason, we often provide coaching, process consulting, or even operational support as part of our engagements.
Phil Hill (@PhilOnEdTech) is Publisher of the PhilOnEdTech blog and Partner at MindWires, LLC. Market Analyst. Craft Beer Connoisseur. Dad and Grandpa. These are just a few of the hats that Phil Hill wears.
Phil is a lifelong learner who transitioned to educational technology consulting after working in the engineering field for many years. Consulting was a natural fit for him, as he has a unique gift for providing practical, thoughtful advice, and he isn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers. He is notorious in the EdTech world for his ability to spot and describe major trends and implications for the broader market, and his unique graphics and visual presentations have been widely used in the industry.
Previously Phil was an independent consultant and worked with numerous clients, including Western Governors University, California Community College System, UCLA, Bournemouth University, Lumen Learning, Coursera, multiple investment firms, and others.
In addition to PhilOnEdTech, Phil has written for EDUCAUSE Review, Inside Higher Ed, and the Washington Post. He has also been interviewed and quoted at National Public Radio, Inside Higher Ed, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the New York Times, Buzzfeed Education (10 Ways to Tell If Your LMS Is Cheating on You!), and Washington Business Journal.
