“I’ll just build it myself.”
Brandi Biscoe Kenner, Ph.D. and Executive MBA ’26, has never been content to wait for someone else to solve a problem. Throughout her career spanning education, entrepreneurship, research, and innovation, she has repeatedly stepped into unfamiliar territory and created solutions when no clear path existed.
She learned that resilience firsthand. Kenner’s father, Dr. Charles E. Biscoe, founded an ophthalmology practice and was the first Black ophthalmologist in Oklahoma. Her mother, Dr. Belinda Biscoe, built a career at the intersection of social entrepreneurship, executive leadership, and education, often working long hours to expand opportunities for others.
Kenner still remembers late nights spent in her mother’s Oklahoma City office, where she and her younger sister, Ashley, brought sleeping bags and used office supplies to play school while their mother raced to complete grant applications before federal deadlines.
That legacy of social responsibility, lifelong learning and tenacity led Kenner to found schools and launch organizations focused on expanding opportunities for children in the Atlanta area, the nation, and the world.
Putting Children and Communities First
Kenner's passion for education stretches back generations. Her grandmother was among the first Black teachers to integrate Atlanta Public Schools. Her mother founded a school serving children experiencing homelessness and later worked in higher education executive administration. Growing up surrounded by educators and entrepreneurs, Kenner developed a deep commitment to learning and community impact.
She began her career as an early childhood and special education teacher and higher education instructor, and eventually expanded her work into school leadership, nonprofit management, research, and entrepreneurship. Along the way, she launched organizations and initiatives designed to improve outcomes for children, families, and communities.
“I've always had a very grounded understanding of who I am and the impact that I want to have in the world,” Kenner said.
That sense of purpose shaped every opportunity she pursued. As she evaluated clients, partnerships, or new ventures, Kenner looked for alignment with her mission and life’s purpose.
“If we couldn't see a through line to that mission and vision, then we would respectfully decline,” she said.
For Kenner, entrepreneurship became a way to accelerate that impact.
“Paving my own path was most frequently the path of least resistance to start fueling the types of outcomes that I wanted to have in the world,” she said. “I don’t have patience for incremental change.”
An MBA for All Seasons
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When Kenner enrolled in the Georgia Tech Scheller Executive MBA program in Fall 2025, her resume already reflected the ambitions of a lifelong learner. She held a doctorate and had returned to school to pursue a master's degree in applied data intelligence and machine learning. She had also founded and led Choice-Filled Lives Network, a research and development company, and co-founded Village Nanny, a technology platform that connects families with caregivers. In recognition of this work, she was awarded a 2024 Camelback Ventures Fellowship.
Village Nanny sparked her interest in gaining a deeper understanding of product development, go-to-market strategy, and business operations. She found insights into those missing pieces at Scheller.
Kenner credits the program with providing “a more technical and codified deep dive into some of the important aspects of running a business.”
The lessons extended beyond the classroom. Over her first two semesters, her experience at Scheller evolved. Where she once envisioned applying every lesson directly to her own ventures, she now finds herself mentoring classmates and advising fellow entrepreneurs.
That shift reflects what she views as the program's greatest return on investment.
“I think it is the mentorship to others and the relationships that I've been able to build and form, not only with my cohort and other colleagues and alumni, but also professors,” she said.
For Kenner, the Executive MBA’s most meaningful return has been the opportunity to build community and give back.
The Role of a Lifetime
Kenner is channeling every degree and business-building experience into a new role as chief learning officer at Bezos Academy, a nonprofit committed to expanding access to preschool in communities across the United States. She leads the organization’s learning strategy, helping ensure that children leave Bezos Academy preschools with the social, emotional, and academic foundation needed to thrive in kindergarten and beyond. While the move represents a significant career pivot, she sees it as a natural extension of the entrepreneurial journey that prepared her for the opportunity.
After beginning the Executive MBA program in Fall 2025, Kenner received a message from a recruiter at Bezos Academy. As she reviewed the job description, she immediately recognized something unusual.
“I read the position description and thought, ‘I've literally prepared my whole life for a position like this,’” she said.
The role brought together the many threads of her career, combining expertise in learning science, data science, educational leadership, product advising, and startup strategy and implementation. As she learned more about Bezos Academy's mission to ensure children have access to the strong foundation that early education provides, she became increasingly convinced the opportunity aligned with her life’s purpose.
“My life’s work has been around child preparedness and the opportunity gaps that we’re able to close when we know that we can start from a very early age,” Kenner said. “I see Bezos Academy as working to accomplish this at a large scale and impacting the rest of our sector from the inside out.”
Although she now works within a large organization rather than leading her own company, Kenner sees the move as an evolution of her entrepreneurial journey rather than an ending.
“Even though I'm no longer in an entrepreneurial role, I feel as though my entire career and entrepreneurial journey have positioned me really well to make a difference in this role,” she said.
Looking Ahead
The building blocks of Kenner's career have been education and entrepreneurship. She has shaped a career dedicated to expanding opportunities for children and families. Today, it is easy to see how her life’s work uniquely prepared her for the next chapter at Bezos Academy.
As she reflects on the best advice for fellow entrepreneurs, Kenner stays grounded in advice from her friend and mentor Robert Blazer, founder of Your DeKalb Farmers Market, who encourages her to continue adopting a "life for life" philosophy.
“What Robert means by life for life is that the best ventures are those that serve a larger purpose,” Kenner said. “If your only goal is to become successful and make a bunch of money, the business will suffer and likely not be successful. The best businesses are the ones that give something to people that they really need. It makes their lives better, easier, and more fulfilled.”
Whether she is launching a school, building a company, or pursuing a role she has spent a lifetime preparing for, Kenner never waits for someone else to create opportunity. She builds it herself.