sam has spent over 20 years working in, designing, launching, and writing about schools and youth programs. this work has happened while working at some pretty great organizations, including AS220, Big Picture Learning, City Year, and the Stanford d.school.

after his first book, Hip Hop Genius was released in 2011, he spent several years touring the world, speaking with educators and students, leading professional development sessions for and consulting to school districts, nonprofits, and foundations.

he has worked with young people to design new schools and out-of-school programs. and he has led teams of designers in the creation of some cool stuff—from a career exploration reality show for high school students to several national fellowships for teachers and education leaders.

sam has co-authored/co-edited four books: From White Folks Who Teach in the Hood, Creative Hustle, Changing the Conversation about School Safety, and Hip Hop Genius 2.0. his writing has also appeared in The Washington Post, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Education Week, The 74, Voices in Urban Education, and UnBoxed.

before he started working in and on schools, he went to some, including Graham & Parks Alternative Public School, Cambridge Rindge & Latin, The Mountain School, and Brown University, from which he graduated with a degree in Education and a teaching certification. he is an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University, and has served as a Visiting Practitioner at Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Scholar-in-Residence at Columbia University's Institute for Urban and Minority Education, and a Community Fellow at the Rhode Island School of Design.

sam has been a member of the Circle for Justice Innovation for over ten years.