John Phillips

John Phillips is an educator, author, adjunct professor, and educational innovator who believes every student deserves an environment where they can thrive. With a career spanning classroom teaching, educational technology, and professional development, he challenges traditional approaches to learning and inspires educators to think differently about student success.

In 2025, John received the Most Innovative Professional Development Provider in the Midwest award from Tech & Learning Magazine. His work spans artificial intelligence, game-based learning, esports, and maker education, creating opportunities for students to discover their strengths and find belonging.

His debut book, Built for This: Making a Case for the Misunderstood Student, challenges educators to stop asking why students struggle to fit into traditional systems and start asking how those systems can change to better support every learner.