Chris, an entrepreneur with more than 25 years of leadership experience in the fields of education and publishing, conceived and founded Edison Schools in 1992. He was founder and chairman of Whittle Communications, one of America's largest student publishers. In 1989, Whittle converted its print businesses to electronic ones, launching Channel One, the first national electronic news system, which today serves 12,000 middle and high schools throughout the United States, providing 8 million students with domestic and international news each morning. Channel One's programming has received a host of awards, including the Peabody Award, one of television journalism's highest accolades. The company was sold to K-III Communications in September 1994. From 1979 to 1986, Chris was also chairman and publisher of Esquire magazine. Chris is an active alumnus of the University of Tennessee, where he currently funds 50 academic scholarships.

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