About Matthew…

Matthew Levey writes about knowledge, history, and the future of American education.

In 2014 he founded of the International Charter School (ICS) in Brooklyn. In five years, ICS grew from an idea into a thriving K–8 school serving more than 400 students and employing over 60 educators and professionals. The school operated on a $10 million annual budget without relying on significant philanthropic subsidy. The New York Times described Levey as one of the “few local charter leaders explicitly invested in creating more diverse schools.”

At ICS, Levey recruited the founding Board of Trustees, set the school’s academic strategy, built the leadership team, and led external engagement across Brooklyn. His work was profiled in The New York Times and Reason Magazine.

Before founding ICS, he spent a decade as a management consultant advising financial services, nonprofit, and manufacturing organizations in the United States and abroad. He earned his MBA with honors from Columbia University.

Earlier in his career, Levey served as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department, with postings in Ecuador, Romania, Bosnia, and the Czech Republic. In Washington, he worked as an analyst in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research. He speaks Spanish and Romanian.

Today, Levey writes and advises on knowledge-rich curriculum, civic education, institutional strategy, and the long-term conditions that make durable reform possible. His essays - published on Substack and in national outlets - explore the relationship between literacy, history, and the intellectual foundations of democratic life.

He works with nonprofit leaders, boards, and founders seeking clarity of mission, strategic coherence, and operational durability.
👉 Read Matthew on Substack
👉 Connect on LinkedIn
👉 Inquire about advisory work