Brandon Cardet-Hernandez is the Founder & CEO of Medley Learning, an education technology company that helps multilingual learners engage with rigorous content while building language skills. He was previously the President of Mrs Wordsmith, a company that blended the science of reading with game-based learning to help students become more confident readers.
Throughout his career, Brandon’s challenged convention to drive lasting change across classrooms, school systems, and cities. As Senior Education Advisor to former New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio, he led initiatives that reshaped the nation’s largest school system—expanding early childhood education, investing $30 million in restorative justice, and launching a groundbreaking effort to attract and retain teachers in high-need schools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped sustain learning for 1.1 million students.
As principal of The Urban Assembly Bronx Academy of Letters, Brandon led a turnaround that became a model for urban school transformation. His approach—rooted in high expectations, innovation, and student voice—raised graduation and college readiness rates while empowering students to lead change.
He later served as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the NYC Department of Education and as Executive Director of Ivy Street Programs, where he expanded access for neurodivergent young people and advanced disability justice. Brandon remains active in advocacy today, serving on the Boston School Committee and the Massachusetts Council for Latino Empowerment.
An alumnus of The Leadership Academy’s Aspiring Principals Program, Brandon holds master’s degrees in educational leadership and as a teacher of students with disabilities, both from The City University of New York. He also earned a School District Leader certification from Queens College and a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from The New School.
