Rob Watson, Jr.

Rob is the inaugural executive director of EdRedesign, lecturer on education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and faculty affiliate of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University. At EdRedesign, Rob leads an interdisciplinary team of staff, fellows, consultants, research affiliates, and students supporting communities across the U.S. to develop cradle-to-career systems of opportunity.

His work has focused on themes of civic engagement, community development, and educational equity in the U.S., Latin America, and Africa. Prior to joining EdRedesign, Rob served as a consultant and advisor to organizations that include the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, Harvard College, Tufts University, The Social Impact Studio, FUSE Corps, The Foundation for Louisiana, The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, The Obama Foundation, and Harlem Children’s Zone.

A former Peace Corps volunteer and winner of the Peace Corps’ 2023 Franklin H. Williams Award, Rob has co-founded five civil society organizations in Paraguay, including Teach for Paraguay, a member of the global Teach For All Network and the Paraguayan Government's first national youth service program. Additionally, he partnered with the mayor, superintendent of schools, and community stakeholders from his hometown of Poughkeepsie, New York to launch the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet, a collective impact organization that convenes leaders across sectors to develop a citywide cradle-to-career agenda for children, youth, and families. Rob is also a co-founder of the Poughkeepsie Service Accelerator (PSA), a place-based service year collaborative that aims to attract and retain local talent to pursue social impact careers in the Mid-Hudson Valley region of New York State.

In January 2024, Rob was selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar. Rob is a member of the Board of Directors of the Children's Funding Project, former World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and former Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Millennium Scholar. In January 2025, Rob joined the StriveTogether Board of Directors. He holds a B.A. from Harvard College, an Ed.M in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Mid-career Master's in Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard Kennedy School.