The Leadership Academy is pleased to announce the appointment of Brandon Cardet-Hernandez to its Board of Directors. He brings to the board deep experience at the intersection of education, innovation, and systems change. He will serve a three-year term, beginning immediately.
Cardet-Hernandez is President of Mrs Wordsmith, where under his leadership the organization has emerged as a global leader in education, inspiring millions of children to embrace reading and writing thanks to the company’s immersive, research-based tools that marry the science of reading with narrative storytelling and interactive game design.
Before leading Mrs Wordsmith, Cardet-Hernandez made significant impact across K–12 systems and school leadership. As Senior Education Advisor to former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, he guided some of the city’s most ambitious education reforms. His leadership included expanding early childhood education, investing $30 million in restorative justice practices, and launching the Bronx Plan, a bold strategy to incentivize and retain teaching talent in hard-to-staff schools.
Cardet Hernandez also served as principal of The Urban Assembly Bronx Academy of Letters, where he led a dramatic school turnaround grounded in high expectations, student voice, and innovation—yielding improved graduation and college readiness outcomes. In subsequent roles with New York City Public Schools and as Executive Director of Ivy Street Programs, he translated school-level success into system-wide strategies and expanded support for neurodivergent young adults.
His ties to The Leadership Academy are longstanding—he is an alumnus of The Leadership Academy’s Aspiring Principals Program, and is one of nearly 600 New York City educators the nonprofit helped to prepare for the principalship.
“This is a full‑circle moment for me,” said Cardet-Hernandez. “The Aspiring Principals Program shaped how I lead—with urgency, empathy, and a relentless focus on students. Serving on The Leadership Academy’s board is a chance to pay that forward and champion the leaders our communities deserve.”
“We’re honored to welcome Brandon to our board,” said Jonathan Moses, chair of The Leadership Academy’s board of directors. “His experience in education innovation, as a school leader, and as a champion for students is deeply aligned with The Leadership Academy’s mission. We’re also excited that he is one of our own—a graduate of our landmark and transformative Aspiring Principals Program!”
Cardet-Hernandez will serve a three-year term as a member of the board of directors, which will begin immediately. Read more about him and the 14 other distinguished members of the board here.