# Patrick Cook-Deegan

> Patrick Cook-Deegan is the founder and CEO of Wayfinder, a K-12 curriculum company that teaches purpose, belonging, and durable skills to more than 1.5 million students across roughly 4,000 schools. A former All-American lacrosse player turned human-rights advocate in Burma, wilderness guide, and Stanford d.school fellow, he built Wayfinder out of five years teaching character development in an Oakland public high school. He named the company after the ancient Polynesian navigators who crossed oceans without instruments - his bet on how to redesign the American high school for the 21st century.

- **Role:** Founder + CEO at Wayfinder
- **Organizations:** Wayfinder (Project Wayfinder), Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, Back to Earth, Brown University Social Innovation Initiative, Stanford d.school (former lecturer), Big Picture Learning
- **From:** Annapolis, Maryland, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor's degree, Brown University, Officer candidate training, Officer Candidate School, U.S. Marines (Quantico, VA), Education Innovation Fellowship, Stanford Institute of Design (d.school) K12 Lab, Fulbright Scholar, Fulbright Program
- **Known for:** Founded and scaled Wayfinder to 1.5 million+ students across nearly 4,000 schools, Raised approximately $8.1M total, including a $6.6M Series A, Fulbright Scholar

## Career timeline

- **2007** — Began working with high school students on global citizenship and leadership
- **2007-2012** — Human rights advocacy, including work with activists in Burma/Myanmar on a bipartisan effort to bring the junta to the ICC
- **2010-2015** — Taught character development courses at a public high school in Oakland, CA
- **2015** — Awarded education innovation fellowship at Stanford's d.school K12 Lab; began prototyping Wayfinder
- **2017** — Launched Project Wayfinder's first yearlong purpose-learning curriculum for high schoolers
- **2021** — Wayfinder closed $1.5M seed round
- **2022** — Wayfinder closed $6.6M Series A led by Long Night Ventures
- **2026** — Wayfinder serves 1.5M+ students across nearly 4,000 schools

## Achievements

- Founded and scaled Wayfinder to 1.5 million+ students across nearly 4,000 schools
- Raised approximately $8.1M total, including a $6.6M Series A
- Fulbright Scholar
- All-American high school lacrosse player and state-championship team captain
- Former lecturer at Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school)
- Co-founded Inward Bound Mindfulness Education and Back to Earth
- Launched Brown University's Social Innovation Initiative
- Has spoken at 300+ schools and K-12 conferences (NAIS, AVID, Learning and the Brain)

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Wayfinder continues to grow, reportedly reaching over 1.5 million students across nearly 4,000 schools.
- **2022-01** — Wayfinder closed a $6.6M Series A round led by Long Night Ventures with REACH Capital, Not Boring Capital, Designer Fund, and Oregon Venture Fund.

## Links

- Website: https://withwayfinder.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-cook-deegan/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/wayfinder_edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrickcookdeegan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wayfinder.education

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/patrick-cook-deegan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-10