Heather Staker is an education senior research fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute, formerly the Innosight Institute, a nonprofit think tank devoted to applying the theories of disruptive innovation to problems in the social sector. Staker is one of the world's foremost experts on K-12 blended learning. The research reports “Classifying K-12 blended learning,” which she co-authored with Michael B. Horn, and “The rise of K-12 blended learning: Profiles of emerging models,” rank among her more influential work. Other recent research topics include competency-based learning, digital learning policy, and high-speed broadband connectivity. Staker appears regularly throughout the country as a keynote speaker, workshop leader, legislative expert, and conference panelist on the topic of blended learning. Scholastic named her as one of 5 people to watch in education in 2012.

Prior to joining the Clayton Christensen Institute, Staker served under Governor Pete Wilson’s administration as a member of the California State Board of Education. She was a teaching fellow at Harvard College and a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and received an MBA, with distinction, from Harvard Business School. She is the mother of five pre-K and elementary school students.