About Us
From the academy to the arena
Brian Jacobs came to educational technology through an unusual path. After earning a PhD in political philosophy and social theory at Cornell, where his work on Immanuel Kant's concept of autonomy explored the tension between self-determination and the foundations of the human sciences, he held fellowships at Cornell and Yale, edited and contributed to an essay collection on Kant's Anthropology for Cambridge University Press, and published articles in his field.
But he was drawn to a practical problem: ensuring that where a learner starts doesn't determine where he or she can go. Higher ed remains too expensive, too rigid, and too disconnected from how people actually learn and what they need after graduation. Technē Studio Group exists to address that.
Building at the intersection
In 1999, Brian founded Akademos, one of the first online college bookstore platforms. He scaled it to the first $10M, serving dozens of colleges and universities, before transitioning to its board, on which he served as the company grew to $45 million in annual revenue and was ultimately acquired by VitalSource Technologies in 2023.
In 2013, he founded panOpen Education, an award-winning courseware platform focused on Open Educational Resources (OER) that has served tens of thousands of students across 300+ institutions. panOpen was selected for the Kaplan/Techstars EdTech Accelerator (3% acceptance rate) and pioneered the integration of AI-powered learning coaches with OER.
Along the way, Brian has raised capital, has mentored founders through StartEd and Techstars Rising Stars, and has been a speaker at industry conferences, including ASU-GSV (San Diego), EdTech World Forum (London), and LEAP (Riyadh).
Brian Jacobs came to educational technology through an unusual path. After earning a PhD in political philosophy and social theory at Cornell, where his work on Immanuel Kant's concept of autonomy explored the tension between self-determination and the foundations of the human sciences, he held fellowships at Cornell and Yale, edited and contributed to an essay collection on Kant's Anthropology for Cambridge University Press, and published articles in his field.
But he was drawn to a practical problem: ensuring that where a learner starts doesn't determine where he or she can go. Higher ed remains too expensive, too rigid, and too disconnected from how people actually learn and what they need after graduation. Technē Studio Group exists to address that.
Building at the intersection
In 1999, Brian founded Akademos, one of the first online college bookstore platforms. He scaled it to the first $10M, serving dozens of colleges and universities, before transitioning to its board, on which he served as the company grew to $45 million in annual revenue and was ultimately acquired by VitalSource Technologies in 2023.
In 2013, he founded panOpen Education, an award-winning courseware platform focused on Open Educational Resources (OER) that has served tens of thousands of students across 300+ institutions. panOpen was selected for the Kaplan/Techstars EdTech Accelerator (3% acceptance rate) and pioneered the integration of AI-powered learning coaches with OER.
Along the way, Brian has raised capital, has mentored founders through StartEd and Techstars Rising Stars, and has been a speaker at industry conferences, including ASU-GSV (San Diego), EdTech World Forum (London), and LEAP (Riyadh).
Why a consultancy, and why now
Two decades of building taught Brian something that most consultants do not usually learn firsthand: what it actually takes to implement technology in an institutional context — the politics, the pedagogy, the procurement, the faculty dynamics, the IT constraints, the budget realities. That experience is what institutions need right now as they make decisions about AI adoption, content strategy, and workforce preparation that will shape their futures for years to come.
TSG is not a vendor with a product to sell. It is a partner with the expertise to evaluate, design, and execute — and then ensure that institutional leaders retain full control over what has been built.
The name
Two decades of building taught Brian something that most consultants do not usually learn firsthand: what it actually takes to implement technology in an institutional context — the politics, the pedagogy, the procurement, the faculty dynamics, the IT constraints, the budget realities. That experience is what institutions need right now as they make decisions about AI adoption, content strategy, and workforce preparation that will shape their futures for years to come.
TSG is not a vendor with a product to sell. It is a partner with the expertise to evaluate, design, and execute — and then ensure that institutional leaders retain full control over what has been built.
The name
Technē is an ancient Greek concept that unites purpose, art, craft, and practical knowledge. It is the kind of expertise that can only be gained by actually doing. It's the root of "technology" and the philosophical basis of what we now call applied knowledge. It's the name for a practice built on the conviction that the best guidance comes from people who have built things.
