The Institute for Learning Innovation Welcomes Dr. Kimberly Howard Robinson as New Chief Executive Officer

The staff and board of the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) are pleased to welcome Kimberly H. Robinson as our new Chief Executive Officer, effective September 29, 2025. Her appointment follows a national search led by the Institute’s Board of Directors, with significant input from staff, and signals an exciting new chapter in our mission to support lifelong free-choice learning as a mechanism for helping solve the major challenges facing humanity.

Kim is a seasoned leader with more than two decades of cross-sector experience in research, policy, and practice spanning education, philanthropy, and nonprofits. She has led continuous improvement systems building and applied research and practice initiatives at national organizations and large public-school systems, with a focus on using data and research evidence to improve opportunities and outcomes for young people, families, and communities. Her experience spans roles at the Forum for Youth Investment, where she served as the Managing Director of the Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality, program and evaluation officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and leadership roles in public school systems in Baltimore City and New York City. Kim is a connector of people and ideas, experienced in building collaborative partnerships to support program implementation and continuous improvement at scale.

 “I am thrilled to be joining the Institute for Learning Innovation as its next CEO,” said Robinson. “ILI has a long-standing legacy of working collaboratively with a range of community-based institutions and governmental organizations to create experiences that advance learning for all, work that is critically needed to support healthy and thriving young people, families, and communities.”

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are incredibly excited to welcome Kim as the Institute for Learning Innovation’s next CEO,” said Nik Honeysett, Chair of ILI’s Board of Directors. “Kim is a real champion of how learning happens, inside organizations and across communities. Her cross-sector experience and passion for using data and research to drive positive change align perfectly with ILI’s mission of advancing lifelong, free-choice learning. We look to her visionary leadership to build on the Institute’s work and expand our influence in the months and years to come.”

Kim succeeds John H. Falk, the founder and long-time CEO of ILI. John’s vision established ILI as a significant voice in promoting the understanding of the critical role of lifelong, free-choice learning in society. The Board and staff extend their deep appreciation to John for his steady leadership and commitment to the Institute’s mission.

Kim’s background and vision will help ILI build new partnerships and relationships as it continues its efforts to support more robust and resilient educational ecosystems, forging alliances between professionals, researchers, and policymakers, and building greater understanding of and appreciation for the learning that people do every minute of their lives.

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About the Institute for Learning Innovation

The Institute for Learning Innovation conducts and communicates high-quality research, evaluation, and consultation that supports learning across the lifespan for children, adults, and communities. For nearly 40 years, the Institute has partnered with cultural institutions and a wide range of non-profit and governmental organizations, both in the U.S. and abroad, to strengthen, support, and amplify how learning happens.

Posted Sep 18, 2025