EdExchange – An initiative of the Annenberg Institute at Brown University

THE CHALLENGE

EdExchange had grown into a nationally recognized platform for translating education research into practice, serving policymakers, researchers, and practitioners through a set of distinct but related offerings.

As the initiative scaled, leadership faced a familiar challenge for mission-driven research platforms: how to ensure long-term sustainability and operational coherence while preserving academic rigor, credibility, and public purpose. Individual EdExchange platforms were performing well, but differed in audience, delivery model, cost structure, and growth potential—raising questions about positioning, integration, and future investment priorities.

Leadership sought a clearer view of EdExchange’s strategic role within the education research ecosystem, the models best suited to sustain and expand its work, and the organizational structures required to support those models over time.

THE APPROACH

Quarterdeck worked with EdExchange leadership as a strategic partner, supporting a structured assessment of positioning, market demand, and operating options.

Our work focused on enabling informed decision-making rather than advancing a predetermined solution. We combined stakeholder interviews, market and landscape analysis, and customer discovery to ground strategic discussions in external insight, while integrating internal perspectives on mission, capacity, and constraints.

STRATEGIC INSIGHTS

Clarifying EdExchange’s Distinctive Value

The analysis helped sharpen EdExchange’s value proposition within the broader education research and practice landscape. By synthesizing feedback from users, partners, and internal stakeholders, leadership gained a clearer articulation of where EdExchange creates differentiated value.

The work highlighted EdExchange’s strength as an integrated ecosystem—combining practitioner-facing research translation, academic knowledge-sharing, and applied measurement tools—positioning it uniquely at the intersection of evidence generation and evidence use.

BUSINESS MODEL OPTIONS

Evaluating Paths to Scale and Durability

Building on this strategic clarity, Quarterdeck supported leadership in exploring a range of sustainability and growth models aligned with EdExchange’s mission and audiences. These included different combinations of philanthropic support, partnerships, and earned-revenue approaches.

Rather than recommending a single model, we developed and assessed multiple viable paths forward, each with distinct implications for scale, integration, investment, and organizational complexity. This allowed leadership to explicitly weigh tradeoffs and preserve strategic flexibility.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Translating Strategy into Actionable Choices

To support decision-making, Quarterdeck developed financial frameworks to model the implications of different strategic scenarios and outlined organizational structures aligned with each potential operating model. These tools enabled leadership to compare options on a consistent basis, assess readiness, and plan for phased implementation as EdExchange evolves.

OUTCOMES

The engagement provided EdExchange with a clearer, more structured foundation for long-term decision-making.

 Strategic Alignment

• Clearer articulation of EdExchange’s role and priorities within the education research ecosystem
• Improved alignment across platforms, audiences, and objectives

Market-Informed Direction

• Better understanding of which offerings resonate most with users and partners
• Greater clarity on how to balance mission impact with financial sustainability
• Identification of new product and service areas to explore over time

Decision-Ready Frameworks

• Practical financial and strategic tools to support ongoing planning
• Organizational models aligned with different growth and sustainability paths

Collectively, this work positioned EdExchange to continue securing philanthropic support while creating optionality for new revenue streams—enhancing the initiative’s resilience and adaptability.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Quarterdeck helped EdExchange move from an open-ended question about sustainability to a set of clear, market-informed strategic options. By grounding strategy in external insight and translating it into practical decision frameworks, the engagement equipped leadership to make informed choices about how to sustain and grow EdExchange’s impact in a changing research and funding environment.