Dr. Brandi Biscoe Kenner

Brandi Biscoe Kenner, PhD, is a cognitive developmental psychologist, learning scientist, data scientist, and nonprofit organizational development expert specializing in education, child development, and literacy. Kenner’s career spans more than two decades, focusing on expanding access and reducing opportunity gaps for children, families, and communities. Her work includes start-up initiatives, school design and operations, curriculum development, higher education teacher preparation, classroom teaching, and bridging research with developmental practice, policy, and innovative programming and technology.

Kenner began her career as a classroom teacher in an African-centered charter school in Detroit before moving to Atlanta, where she held various teaching positions in public and charter schools. She later transitioned to roles in higher education teacher preparation, charter school development, consulting, independent school executive leadership, and nonprofit and philanthropic executive leadership. Kenner has worked with organizations such as Teach For America, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Atlanta Speech School, and the Rollins Center for Language & Literacy. She also founded two constructivist, dual-language immersion schools prior to establishing her flagship organization.

Kenner is the founder and CEO of Choice-filled Lives Network, a social change organization focused on re-humanizing schools and social institutions to promote agency, choice, and purpose for children, families, and communities. Through this organization, Kenner has advised corporate, philanthropic, and nonprofit clients on business strategy, product design, and research. Her expertise includes strategic planning, governance, organizational development, capacity building, program design and evaluation, research, and revenue strategies.

Kenner is actively involved in language and literacy transformation work and research across the United States and holds an affiliated research scientist appointment with Haskins Laboratories at Yale University. She holds a leadership certification in nonprofit leadership, governance, and finance from Georgia Charter Schools Association and a Google certification in large language models. Kenner is completing a Master of Science in Applied Data Intelligence and Machine Learning from Mercer University and is an Executive MBA candidate at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Kenner received the Malcolm Knowles Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Self-Directed Learning for significant lifelong contributions to the field. She is also the founder and CEO of Cognitive Insights Psychological & Testing Center, overseeing clinical operations and supporting students with diverse abilities and needs in public and private settings. As a keynote speaker, Kenner addresses topics in psychology, education, early childhood education, social activism, philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, and literacy, drawing on her scientific background and experience in educational innovation.