Julie Young

Julie Young is an edupreneur, educator, innovator, and visionary leader renowned for her expertise in school design for diverse educational models, including virtual, blended, and technology-enhanced learning. She joined Arizona State University (ASU) as Vice President of Education Outreach and Student Services, where she was recruited to design and launch ASU Prep Digital, expanding the reach of ASU Preparatory Academy through a fully online model connecting high school, college, and career pathways for students worldwide. She later served as CEO and Senior Advisor to ASU Preparatory Academy and ASU Prep Global, playing a pivotal role in integrating innovative digital strategies into education and blurring the traditional boundaries between K–12 and higher education.

Julie’s pioneering work began as the founding President and CEO of Florida Virtual School in 1997. In that visionary role, she not only embraced virtual schooling but helped lay the groundwork for an entire industry. She envisioned and built FLVS into a trailblazing incubator, continually testing and evolving innovative digital learning models while cementing Florida’s reputation as an epicenter of virtual school advancement. Julie led FLVS as its President and CEO for more than 17 years, building one of the nation’s first fully online public schools. Rapid enrollment growth made it the largest state virtual school in the United States, and her transformative tenure set key precedents for the future of education reinvention in the digital age.

Young is also an author. She co-wrote Virtual Schools, Actual Learning with the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research and recently authored Say Yes: How Virtual Became Reality, sharing insights and lessons from decades of leadership in digital education.

Today, Young channels her decades of leadership experience into executive coaching, management consulting, and strategic advisement for organizations navigating the evolving landscape of innovative education. Drawing on a career defined by building transformative institutions from the ground up, she partners with leaders and organizations to design bold, student-centered strategies that drive meaningful change.

“I believe that if you put the student at the center of your decisions, provide them a teacher who meets them where they are and works tirelessly to take them where they need to be, educational miracles do happen.”