Philip Martin

Philip Martin is the special projects director on the higher education team at EdTrust. He leads internal and external projects and initiatives that support EdTrust’s mission to dismantle racial and economic barriers embedded in the U.S. education system. Based in Washington, D.C., Phil works with EdTrust colleagues and partners to identify and respond to opportunities that require a short-term surge of capacity to help reach longer-term objectives. His day-to-day work includes meeting facilitation and strategy support for senior leaders, state and federal policy and political analysis, and writing.

Previously, Phil led higher ed communications — speechwriting, media relations, and message strategy — for EdTrust and served as director of higher education policy implementation.

Prior to joining EdTrust in 2017, Phil served as a two-term Obama administration official at the U.S. Department of Education, led the education technology marketplace initiative for Digital Promise, advised students and created programs at Princeton University’s Pace Center for civic engagement, managed field operations for the 2008 Obama campaign in east Akron, Ohio, coordinated education and arts outreach for the national United We Serve initiative, coached clergy and lay leaders for interfaith community organizing work with IAF, and was a substitute high school teacher.

As a consultant, Phil conducted market research, produced digital content, and advised senior leaders at Campus Compact, the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and iCivics.

Phil served two terms of national service in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps in the western region. He holds a Global MBA in Entrepreneurship from EDHEC Business School in Nice, France and a bachelor’s in economics with minor in psychology from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?

Growing fruit trees in our alley and being part of the community garden.