Education
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
We have supported several series of strategic inquiry and partnership exploration on behalf of Northeastern, including a broad-scale change management initiative that launched a dynamic series of communities of practices. These communities engaged a diverse staff across the Northeastern College of Professional Studies and the global campus system to reposition them together to become the leading edge of the Northeastern strategic plan (Northeastern 2025). Our work has supported the restructure of leadership and bold new initiatives—catalyzing CPS into becoming a premier provider of education to post-traditional learners on campuses in Boston, Charlotte, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Toronto, and two new international campuses pending.
Most recently a special assignment helped us conceive and ignite an international network of experiential learning practitioners all the way from K to PhD to begin to share best practices and galvanize a national movement focused on more impactful, relevant learning and discovery in the age of artificial intelligence.
PBS EDUCATION
Working closely with our partners at Tucker Capital Corp., we launched a series of communities of practices within PBS to assess its educational value proposition in a fast changing educational landscape. Our recommendations proved instrumental in the restructuring of PBS leadership as well as the creation of PBS Education (PBSe) as an integral part of PBS Kids. PBSe has a renewed and disciplined focus on serving the professional development of teachers and is actively concentrating on the Pre-K to 3 market. In addition, PBSe and PBS KIDS are partnering to link parents, teachers and caregivers in giving young children the best chance possible as they prepare to enter into school.
REBUILDING THE GED
Kemp led an 18 month strategic planning initiative, helped conceive and negotiate the re-launch of the GED Testing Service (GEDTS) as an innovative public-private partnership between PearsonVue, Inc. and the American Council on Education (ACE). He was asked to join the board as one of four representatives of ACE and has served since the inception of the joint venture. The GEDTS is actively pursuing test preparation and assessment innovation on behalf of learners seeking both additional academic credentials and career opportunities.
POST TRADITIONAL LEARNERS
Kemp helped conceive and negotiate a partnership between ACE and the Association of College and University Educators to credential faculty in the evidence-based teaching practices necessary for student success. He has also served as a strategic advisor on several industry convenings, partnerships, and panels under the last two Presidents. Currently, we are exploring the changing landscape of formal leadership training opportunities at a time that post-secondary education is fundamentally being disrupted.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S PUBLISHING DIVISION
For over a decade, we acted as the chief strategist behind the development of The National Geographic Society’s school publishing business. From a modest, unprofitable library business, we helped to build – through innovation (product development) and acquisition (Hampton-Brown, Carmel, CA) – a robust, profitable division selling supplemental and basal materials with over $130MM in revenue.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LEARNING
We helped negotiate a comprehensive partnership between the National Geographic’s School Publishing Division and Cengage Learning (renamed National Geographic Learning). The complex deal included the sale of select educational assets as well as a global license for use of the Society’s brand in classrooms around the world. We also helped conceive and negotiate a successful prior partnership between Cengage Learning (formerly Heinle/Thomson) and NGS to launch English language teaching institutions around the world.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAPS
Originally an in-house service provider of supplement maps to the magazine, the Maps group had no relationship to consumers or external partners. We negotiated the Society's first acquisition (Trails Illustrated in Boulder Colorado) and architected a joint venture (including an ownership stake) with Geosystems (later to become MapQuest). NG Maps is now a successful creator and distributor of maps selling into a wide array of retail and specialty channels.
BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA
Kemp was chair of the publishing advisory board and chief strategist for Birds of North America, a joint venture between the American Ornithologists Union and Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. He helped conceive and implement a self-funded, innovative network publishing plan that resulted in the creation of the most comprehensive ornithological resource ever developed for North American birds. After 10 years the project was completed and the entire enterprise was transferred to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
GENETICS
GENOMEWEB
In addition to working with media and educational companies, we are deeply involved in the emerging genomics/genetic testing industry. We are founding investors in GenomeWeb, the premier news and information provider to the genomics industry.
GENETIC ALLIANCE
Kemp is a long term council member for the world’s leading nonprofit health advocacy network committed to transforming health through genetics. He works alongside a dynamic team of experienced health activists to assist this organization to foster open dialogue and innovation supporting the nation’s health.
DNA DIRECT
As an original investor, Kemp served seven years as a board chair of DNA Direct, a San Francisco-based provider of guidance and decision support in genomic medicine and directly negotiated the sale in 2010 to Medco, a Fortune 50 pharmacy benefit manager. He also chaired Direct Medical Knowledge, a digital medical information provider to consumers, until its sale to WebMD in 1999.