Press Release

Media Contact: Steven Shapiro
(303) 886-6342
sshapiro@commstratgroup.com

EDUVENTURES LAUNCHES HIGHER EDUCATION CONSULTING GROUP

Veteran Consultant and Educator Rob Birdsell Tapped to Lead Group

(Boston, MA) January 23, 2007 - Eduventures, the leading research and consulting firm serving the education market, announced today the launch of its Higher Education Consulting practice, a strategic management consulting practice dedicated specifically to the needs of higher education institutions. As part of the launch, Eduventures also announced the appointment of veteran consultant and former educator Rob Birdsell as managing vice president to lead the group.

"The increasingly complex challenges facing postsecondary institutions, from accountability to student acquisition to retention to development, require new responses from university leadership," said Rob Birdsell. "Eduventures has a proven track record in helping university leaders put data, evidence, and expertise to work in defining effective strategies to drive institutional success."

The Higher Education Consulting practice (HEC) follows Eduventures' launch in 2004 of its Learning Collaborative programs, the membership-based research programs that already have attracted a significant membership base. HEC was the logical extension of the Learning Collaboratives and Eduventures' expanding consulting practice as it combines the research with Eduventures' unparalleled expertise in the education market toward developing tailored solutions to complex strategic, marketing, and operational challenges.

Appointment of Rob Birdsell

To lead the Higher Education Consulting practice, Eduventures has hired Rob Birdsell, a veteran consultant and former educator. Prior to joining Eduventures, Mr. Birdsell was a managing director at Clark Consulting, where he served as part of the firm's Higher Education Group. Mr. Birdsell was also a member of Clark's management team and responsible for managing the firm's Midwest region. Mr. Birdsell's consulting engagements have focused on strategic human capital issues and driving efficiencies in an organization's finances.

Before his tenure in consulting, Mr. Birdsell spent seven years working in education as an English teacher. Today, he continues to serve on the Executive Committee of the Chicago Cristo Rey High School Feasibility Study and plays a leadership role on Nativity Jesuit Middle School's Academic Committee. Mr. Birdsell holds a B.A. in English literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.B.A. from the Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"Eduventures has been fortunate enough to attract many of the sharpest minds in business and education to join our growing team," said Thomas Dretler, CEO of Eduventures. "Rob Birdsell's experience and commitment to education make him a natural for leading the Higher Education Consulting practice."

For more information on Eduventures' Higher Education Consulting practice, contact 847-418-3868 or rbirdsell@eduventures.com.

About Eduventures
For more than a decade, Eduventures has been the most trusted name in the education market for research, consulting services, and peer networking. Its clients include senior administrators and executives from leading educational institutions and companies serving the K-12, higher education, and corporate learning markets, as well as decision-makers in government agencies and the investment community.