Executive Team
Jose Ferreira
Founder and CEO
Jose Ferreira founded Knewton in 2008. Previously, Jose served as an executive at Kaplan, where he led a company-wide re-engineering effort called "Project Footprint" that created the modern Kaplan course. He also developed early "adaptive learning" applications, launching courses that produced unique study plans tailored to each individual student.
Ferreira is the only person ever to have developed test prep strategies so effective that Education Testing Services (ETS) was forced to remove an entire question type from an exam, admitting that he "broke the code." He also reversed-engineered the scoring algorithms and question pools behind computerized tests, forcing massive revisions that ultimately improved the tests' quality. His constant test-beating activities earned him frequent mention in the press, and the moniker "the antichrist" at the Education Testing Services.
Beyond test prep, Jose previously served as a derivatives trader at Goldman Sachs and a Partner at New Atlantic Ventures (formerly Draper Atlantic), investing in new media and SaaS companies. He was also a strategist on John Kerry's presidential campaign, where he focused on brand strategy, this and that (you need to ask him about it). Jose graduated from Carleton College with a B.A. in Philosophy, and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Pete Miron
CTO
Pete Miron, Knewton's Chief Technology Officer, brings a decade of technology innovation experience from Internet pioneers Vonage and Datek (now TD Ameritrade). As Vice President of Product Development at Vonage, Miron was responsible for rebuilding existing systems to support growth from 240,000 lines to more than 2.6 million lines, while introducing several new features: Contact Manager, Do Not Disturb, and Visual Voicemail. Prior to Vonage, Pete was Assistant Vice President at Datek, where he architected the real-time market data quote plant and Streamer to deliver several innovative, professional quality financial products for the individual investor. Pete earned his BFA in Art History from Syracuse University.
Brian Fitzgerald
Vice President, Product Development
Brian Fitzgerald came to Knewton with 15 years of experience developing digital media consumer products and services. Most recently, he served as Vice President, Education for Audible.com (an Amazon.com company), where, among other initiatives, he created AudibleKids.com. Prior to joining Audible, Fitzgerald worked at Yahoo as an original member of the Yahoo Mail team. He spent 8 years at Yahoo in product management roles in Silicon Valley and Europe, building and managing more than 50 Yahoo products such as Yahoo Auctions, Yahoo Messenger, and Yahoo Small Business. He served on the Board of Directors of the Just Think Foundation. He received an M.A. in Instructional Technology and Media from Columbia University's Teachers College and a B.S. in Entrepreneurship from Babson College.
Amy McDowell
Vice President, Web marketing
Amy McDowell directs Knewton's online marketing and partnerships. At Vertrue, where she served as a Marketing Director, her work on the successful and ubiquitous free credit report programs generated more than 30% of the company's $900 million in annual revenues. She also oversaw the post-transactional cross-sell path for leading online vendors such as Travelocity.com, VictoriasSecret.com, and VistaPrint.com. Prior to joining Vertrue, McDowell was the Director of Account Management at R1, Inc., a boutique marketing agency. She earned a BS in Engineering at Columbia University, where she is also working toward her MBA.
David Kuntz
Vice President, Research
David Kuntz has been involved in every aspect of the large-scale educational assessment business. Over the span of his 20-year career, he has held senior positions at Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). He is the former head of Interactive Learning on ETS' 800-person research team. He also created the first automated test assembly algorithm and system for the current LSAT, the first web-based computer-adaptive test delivery system, the first online AP practice program using real AP graders, and the first large-scale web-based portfolio scoring and management system. He has been awarded four assessment-related patents, with a fifth patent pending. Kuntz holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Brown, an M.A. in Philosophy from Rutgers, and an MBA from Wharton.
Len Swanson
Adaptive Testing Expert
Len Swanson, one of the principal developers of Knewton's test prep programs, ranks among the nation's most respected experts in test design and computer-adaptive technology for educational use. As executive director of technology for Educational Testing Service (ETS), he designed the first operational adaptive testing system and later transitioned high-stakes ETS tests to computer delivery, including the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), and the Praxis Assessment Series for teacher licensure. In 1998, ETS awarded Swanson a Distinguished Presidential Appointment in recognition of his work.
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