# Fadl Al Tarzi

> Fadl Al Tarzi is the co-founder and CEO of Nexford University, a Washington, D.C.-based online institution built around a deliberately backward question: what skills do employers need, and how should a degree teach them? An entrepreneur since 18, he moved from Arabic-language software and social-media analytics into higher education after a 2015 summit exposed the gap between training and work. Nexford launched in 2019, later earned DEAC accreditation, and has served learners across more than 100 countries with competency-based programs and monthly tuition.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Nexford University
- **Organizations:** Nexford University, SOCIALEYEZ, News Group International, COLTEC, Magnify Ventures
- **Education:** Bachelor of Business Administration, The American University in Cairo, Management diplomas, George Washington University, Management studies, Middlesex University
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads Nexford University, a licensed and DEAC-accredited online institution based in Washington, D.C., Grew SOCIALEYEZ from two employees to more than 120 across multiple countries., Raised institutional funding for Nexford including a $10.8 million pre-Series A in 2021 and an $8 million Series A in 2022.

## Career timeline

- **c. 1998** — Took a web-development course at UCLA at age 16 while attending high school in Egypt.
- **c. 2000** — Started his first technology company at age 18.
- **Before 2010** — Led COLTEC, an Arabic natural-language-processing software company, from Washington, D.C.
- **2010s** — Launched SOCIALEYEZ within News Group International and grew it from two people to more than 120 across several countries.
- **2015** — While working with producers of Dubai's World Governments Summit, began exploring the mismatch between education and available jobs.
- **2018** — Co-founded Nexford University with Mo Rayes and closed a $4 million seed round.
- **2019** — Nexford gained Washington, D.C. licensure and launched its online programs.
- **2021** — Nexford raised a $10.8 million pre-Series A round to expand its technology and reach.
- **2022** — Nexford raised an $8 million Series A round.
- **2023** — Nexford earned accreditation from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission.
- **2024** — An IFC case study reported close to 6,000 enrolled learners across 110 countries.
- **2025** — Publicly argued that universities should treat AI as a reason to change both what and how they teach.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads Nexford University, a licensed and DEAC-accredited online institution based in Washington, D.C.
- Grew SOCIALEYEZ from two employees to more than 120 across multiple countries.
- Raised institutional funding for Nexford including a $10.8 million pre-Series A in 2021 and an $8 million Series A in 2022.
- Helped build a competency-based university serving learners in more than 100 countries.
- Established a curriculum-development model informed by large-scale analysis of employer and job-market data.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Celebrated Nexford's Class of 2026 in Washington, D.C., emphasizing the work and family obligations many graduates carried alongside their studies.
- **2025-01** — Outlined his expectations for AI in higher education, arguing that institutions would have to redesign teaching rather than rely on prohibition and control.
- **2024-07** — Featured in an IFC case study describing Nexford's close to 6,000 learners in 110 countries and its data-driven curriculum model.
- **2023-01** — Nexford received institutional accreditation from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission.

## Links

- Website: https://www.nexford.edu
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ftarzi
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nexford
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nexford

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/fadl-tarzi
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27