William D. Gibson serves as the President & CEO for Helping Education where his work focuses on promoting educational equity through the implementation of learning interventions. He is a first-generation college graduate who sees education as a gateway toward growth and economic mobility for all. A life-long learner, Gibson is an innovator and social entrepreneur known for solving ambitious problems at scale. He has more than 25+ years of blended nonprofit and private sector executive management experience and is a leader of innovation strategies, social entrepreneurship, and CBO collaboration.

Prior to joining Helping Education, Gibson served as the Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Partner for Seattle-based Sustineri Group, Inc., a consulting firm that focuses on positive social change through social entrepreneurship and innovation. Prior to that, as an executive director, he led a diverse team in the Pacific Northwest for nearly eight years in social innovation and social impact work as a part of a 21-year social justice career with The United Methodist Church. His efforts cultivated and supported innovation projects and programs in Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and small parts of Canada, ranging from social enterprise, community and economic development, to financial and programmatic support of local school districts serving economically marginalized communities.

In the private sector, Gibson spent more than 16 years in business startup and marketing, where his focus was strategy development, corporate communications, product development, and creating a culture where teams could thrive. He has led and collaborated on several new startups companies—ranging from a national restaurant chain to a brand/clothing line to an electronic interactive trading card to a patented promotional tool—supported by more than $5M of VC and angel investor funding.

He completed his doctorate at George Fox University (Portland, OR) focusing on semiotics/future studies, with an emphasis on identity formation in American consumer iCulture and social and technological advancement. He completed his master’s at Duke University (Durham, NC), with a focus on social entrepreneurship. Gibson also completed a Certificate of Specialization in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Harvard Business School (Online). He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Tombolo Institute at Bellevue College (Bellevue, WA) for their Customer Experience (CX) Program, as well as Women-Sew Global Foundation, which creates global awareness and response to women and girls engaged in sewing collectives for economic and leadership development. Gibson is the author of the book, Sustainable Engagement: Strategic Planning for Positive Social Change.