Our Chief Servant Leader
Kevin Schnieders
Chief Servant Leader / CEO
Kevin Schnieders
Chief Servant Leader / CEO
Kevin Schnieders is the CEO and President of EDSI (Educational Data Systems, Inc.). EDSI helps great companies and communities retain great people. The company focuses on providing innovative solutions to close workforce skills gaps around the country.
Kevin started with EDSI as a Training Consultant in 1994. He gained additional responsibilities as the firm’s HR Manager and Director of Operations, before serving six years as the Chief Operating Officer. In 2007, he assumed the role of CEO, or as he refers to it, the “Chief Servant Leader,” and the company has tripled in revenue and number of locations, added 400 new employees and increased profitability since Kevin made this transition. This success can be attributed to putting others first, listening closely to their insights and needs, and helping them understand their unique strengths. Kevin says, “I had the humility to understand that I had purchased a great company, a tremendous respect for the legacy left by our Founder, and an unwavering desire to help people.”
Outside of EDSI, Kevin mentors a high school student for Building Bridges, a charity that inspires children to believe in themselves by connecting them with caring adults. He has also been a partner to a grade-school student at Cornerstone Schools since 2007, and he serves as a board member for the Rainbow Connection, an organization that helps dreams come true for Michigan children with life-threatening illnesses and provides support to their families.
He over-achieved when he married his wife, Wendy, and is the annoyingly proud father of two exceptional girls, Lauren and Riley. Kevin is a lifelong resident of Michigan. He completed his undergraduate degree at Albion College, and graduated with a Masters of Science in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University.
Kevin Schnieders
Chief Servant Leader / CEO
Kevin Schnieders is the CEO and President of EDSI (Educational Data Systems, Inc.). EDSI helps great companies and communities retain great people. The company focuses on providing innovative solutions to close workforce skills gaps around the country.
Kevin started with EDSI as a Training Consultant in 1994. He gained additional responsibilities as the firm’s HR Manager and Director of Operations, before serving six years as the Chief Operating Officer. In 2007, he assumed the role of CEO, or as he refers to it, the “Chief Servant Leader,” and the company has tripled in revenue and number of locations, added 400 new employees and increased profitability since Kevin made this transition. This success can be attributed to putting others first, listening closely to their insights and needs, and helping them understand their unique strengths. Kevin says, “I had the humility to understand that I had purchased a great company, a tremendous respect for the legacy left by our Founder, and an unwavering desire to help people.”
Outside of EDSI, Kevin mentors a high school student for Building Bridges, a charity that inspires children to believe in themselves by connecting them with caring adults. He has also been a partner to a grade-school student at Cornerstone Schools since 2007, and he serves as a board member for the Rainbow Connection, an organization that helps dreams come true for Michigan children with life-threatening illnesses and provides support to their families.
He over-achieved when he married his wife, Wendy, and is the annoyingly proud father of two exceptional girls, Lauren and Riley. Kevin is a lifelong resident of Michigan. He completed his undergraduate degree at Albion College, and graduated with a Masters of Science in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University.
Mindful Minute Videos
Kevin often jokes that his head is overflowing with information and that he could talk forever! With the knowledge that people prefer bite-size information, we’ve trimmed down the weekly Grace and Gratitude videos he shares with employees every Thursday so that people beyond our company can hear as he shares a “Mindful Minute” of his people-focused perspective and leadership inspiration.
Podcast Playlist
Kevin is passionate about lifelong learning and leadership, and is often invited to provide his perspective on the many life experiences and encounters he has had over the years, both professionally and personally. Get inspired and motivated by listening to these great podcasts.
Culture Architects Podcast with David J. Friedman (Part 1)
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Culture Architects Podcast with David J. Friedman (Part 2)
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CEO Thought Leadership Series with Jennifer Kluge
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You, Me and Your Top Three (CGS Advisors) with Gregg Garrett
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Bridge Between- Return on Generosity Podcast with Shannon Cassidy
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ASE Eagle Eye Podcast
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Leadership Excellence with Danny Langloss
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Phoenix Partners- Culture Eats Everything podcasts
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THINK Mentorship LIVE – Jon Dwoskin
Listen NowNewsletter Articles
For those of us who know and love Kevin, we greatly admire and appreciate his gift of storytelling! He loves to share knowledge from his own experiences as well as wisdom from his mentors, heroes and everyday people he encounters. We hope you find the following articles pulled from our monthly internal newsletter both inspiring and practical.
- December 2023 - We Are Doing Wonderful Work and There is Much Work To Do
- September 2023 - Expectations & Agreements
- February 2023 - Leaning Into Crisis and Learning
- October 2022 – How Do You Do Trust?
- September 2022 – Chatter
- March 2022 – How Are You Doing/Happiness
- November 2021 – What’s Your Mental Model?
- June 2021 – Consciously Living Our Best Life
Kevin’s Kernel
Not everyone has the gift of digesting, reciting and sharing endless learning and life lessons, but Kevin does! We make it a point to capture and document these kernels of knowledge so that others can reflect and apply the information that resonates with them.
Blog Posts
Kevin’s gift of gab continues in the blog he wrote about generational stereotypes, focusing on millennials. This blog is one of the most-read pages on our website. The Top Three Millennial Stereotypes and How to Address Them - EDSI (edsisolutions.com)
Books That Help to Make EDSI Great
To say Kevin loves reading is an understatement … he’s been a book lover for as long as he can remember. Kevin enjoys sharing his favorite titles with colleagues, often gifting them with a book and enclosing a personal note inside. Check out this list of books hand-selected by Kevin centering around leadership, coaching, and communication that have been most impactful during his EDSI journey.
