Pat is a three-time social and two-time technology entrepreneur who has founded two companies that were recognized by Inc. Magazine as being among the fastest growing software companies in the United States in its annual Inc. 500 rankings.

Pat’s experience directly led to his vision as a social entrepreneur in education and inspired him to found the Alain Locke Charter School, in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. The school achieved the #1 test score gains in the history of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT)—and was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as “one of seven charter schools in the United States best at closing the achievement gap.” Recently, U.S. News & World Report named Alain Locke one of the best schools in Illinois.

Education reform is something Pat has been passionate about for thirty years. That passion led him to start Accelerate Institute where the focus continues to be on developing transformational school leaders who will work tirelessly to close the achievement gap.

Pat holds a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a Juris Doctor cum laude from the Northwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, and the Commercial Club of Chicago. Pat is a Trustee of Northwestern University and a member of its Executive Committee, as well as past Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Northwestern School of Education and Social Policy. Pat has been named a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, as well as one of the 100 Global Leaders for Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In 2006, Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management named Pat Social Entrepreneur of the Year for his innovative work in urban education. Pat and his wife, Lydia, live on Chicago’s North Side with their three children.