Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Hyosaka.
Hi Brian, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember, I loved working with kids whether it be volunteering in a refugee center in my hometown or coaching any number of sports. Yet, I initially dreamed of becoming a diplomat. Thankfully, I decided to join Teach for America Colorado back in 2010 and fell in love with the Southwest Denver community and my 4th at 5th graders in Denver Public Schools.
While many other corps members left, I stayed at my placement school for five years before moving abroad(no not as a diplomat), to teach at Colegio Americano de Guatemala. It was there I saw the power of a transformational leader and a well resourced school. It fueled me to grow myself into a version of that model and so I came back to Denver and pursued my Masters in Educational Leadership while serving as an assistant principal in a dual language Montessori school in DPS.
Through the trials and tribulations there, I couldn’t help but feel like even with our innovative model, we were hamstrung by a system resistant to change. At that time, I became aware of a radical new idea, Embark Education, a micro-middle school embedded within two small businesses, a coffee shop and a bike shop.
The moment I heard about it, I knew I’d do anything to join. For me, that meant returning to my roots in the classroom as an educator and helping to bring the bold vision to life. I spent two years in the classroom before transitioning to the Head of School. While we were there, we built a bold model that welcomed guests from around the world to challenge what was possible in school and learning.
Ultimately, due to a shift in funding, we had to close our doors in 2025. This led me serendipitously to Moonshot EdVentures. Moonshot as it turns out was the incubator for Embark in its nascency. While it was incredibly challenging to close Embark, I am now the Program Director of the Innovation Space Fellowship. I am deeply honored to support fellows throughout an intensive nine month fellowship where they design and test their bold ideas with community!
Outside of my professional work, I am father two two beautiful kids, Maya and Julian, husband to a badass educator Holly, and a passionate biker/traveler/cook/board gamer.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While the path has been serendipitous, it has not been smooth. My teaching journey itself was full of learning more than teaching honestly. I don’t like to settle or repeat, so I found myself constantly pushing and evolving which is both invigorating and at times exhausting.
As I stepped into the role of school leader the first time, I reckoned with moving from an individual performer to someone working in support behind the scenes. I truly love teaching and direct service, so this was deeply challenging. I also had to confront my own nature to people please and seek harmony with the realities of leading a school. Conflict and difficult conversations were not a part of my upbringing, so it was particularly rough the first few year or two.
Of course the largest challenge though was closing down a school that I and so many others had poured everything into. It was truly personal building it, and the same felt true for closing it. Everyone there chose to be there, so everyone had to go through their own grief and it was my role to help it be in as healthy and celebratory or a way as possible. While we did pull it off in the end, it was by no means an easy road.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
More than anything else, I love to facilitate learning rather than direct it. I am someone who believes that we are stronger together, and that especially true when coached to be.
I love nothing more than to put a big challenge in front of a team and then build conditions and supports to make that happen. I am someone who can both see strategically into the future and analyze the current reality.
I am also someone who deeply believes in people and has a superpower of giving the right push or support at the moment it is needed.
Finally, I’m not afraid to ask a hard question and push back on a group or a system of power. I take great pride in this, because it stands in contrast to how I have shied away from conflict in the past.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I would argue that consistency is probably the most important characteristic I have. It’s not flashy, but I’ve often said that I am someone you want on your team no matter what that team is trying to do. I show up the same way and you know what to expect from me. It can be boring at times, but I think in general, people value knowing what to expect from someone day in day out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://switchbackstrategies.carrd.co/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-hyosaka
- Other: https://www.whatschoolcouldbe.org/blog/trust-along-the-trail-reimagining-middle-school
