CEO & Co-Founder
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Technology Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Academics Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Growth Officer & Williamsburg Academy Private School Headmaster
Nels Jensen
CEO & Co-Founder
Nels Jensen is CEO and Co-Founder of Williamsburg Learning. He is passionate about helping others learn, grow, and transform themselves, their families, and communities. Nels is working toward the goal of creating millions of transformational learning experiences in the next ten years.
A native of the Rocky Mountains, Nels grew up in Idaho and Utah and has lived and traveled abroad on five continents. He studied the liberal arts as an undergraduate and received an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the Acton School of Business in Austin, Texas. As a father to five energetic children, Nels loves to coach and support them as they grow into young adults and prepare to lead unique lives of meaning. In his personal life, he is an avid reader, weight lifter, cyclist, and yoga instructor. His deepest purpose is to use his talents to help reduce suffering and elevate consciousness.
Adam Hailstone
Chief Operating Officer
Adam is passionate about building a vibrant and expanding community to support your student in their adventure through online learning. In his words, “I love inspiring parents and students to get a great education and overcome the barriers in their way. My role directly aligns with my life’s mission, so it’s as much a calling as it is a career.” Adam joined Williamsburg in 2010 as a mentor, and has designed and taught much of The Williamsburg Curriculum. He has presented talks on alternative education throughout the U.S. and Canada and loves finding creative ways to expand and enhance the Williamsburg tribe.
Adam holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from George Wythe University. He lives with his wife, Laura, of thirteen years and their son Emmett in Denver, Colorado. Adam loves wrestling with his son, hiking, reading, discussing, CrossFit, cinema, and making delicious food for family and friends.
Gary Arnell
Chief Technology Officer
Gary’s passion lies in creating reliable and efficient administrative services to simplify and improve your and your student’s Williamsburg experience. Before joining Williamsburg in 2010, Gary worked in software development, project management, and administrative positions for businesses and schools in California and Utah. Today, he oversees Information Technology systems and processes at Williamsburg. Gary is passionate about moral and political philosophy, the liberal arts, and the outdoors. He loves designing systems that support all three in his role at Williamsburg.
Gary completed his undergraduate studies in business and computer science at Utah State University and an M.A. in education from George Wythe University. He lives with his wife, Liesl, and their six children in Cedar City, Utah. Away from work, he enjoys volunteering in his community and spending time with his family—especially if it involves canyoneering, hiking, backpacking, travel, or reading.
Rob Noorda
Chief Academics Director
Rob loves to learn and is passionate about helping others become lifelong learners. He is a jack-of-all-trades who enjoys coding, speaks three languages, and owns a publishing company with his wife. His greatest passion, though, is mentoring. He has taught a variety of topics at Williamsburg, including science, math, and leadership. Now, he loves working with Williamsburg curriculum on a larger scale.
Rob studied Chinese and Business Management at Brigham Young University, learning from international businesses throughout Asia, and has also lived in Scotland. His one weakness is red-green colorblindness, so he can easily be bested in a game of Uno. Rob grew up in Las Vegas and now lives in Portland, Oregon. He often travels, mostly in search of Mexican food.
Renee Smith
Chief Growth Officer & Williamsburg Academy Private School Headmaster
As a parent, you care deeply about your student’s education—and you want it to be more than just academics. You want it to spark growth, curiosity, and purpose. Renee gets that, because she’s lived it on both sides: as an education leader and as a homeschooling mom.
Renee has spent her career helping students thrive in the environments that fit them best. She’s worked in public, private, charter, and homeschool settings—always with a heart for families and a passion for personalized learning. Whether she’s founding a bilingual microschool, cocreating education software, or advising early-stage ventures, Renee brings a blend of vision and practicality that helps learners flourish.
She holds a master’s degree in education and has collaborated with educators, families, and innovators across the country to design programs that put students first. But of all her roles, homeschooling her daughters has taught her the most—about what students truly need to grow and thrive.
Now, as Headmaster at Williamsburg, Renee is thrilled to walk alongside your family and support your student’s journey—one full of connection, purpose, and possibility.