Chris Balme
Chris Balme is an education leader, writer, and school founder dedicated to helping young people unlock their human potential. He is the Founding Principal of Hakuba International School and the Founder of Argonaut, an online advisory program for middle schoolers worldwide.
Previously, Chris co-founded and led Millennium School, a San Francisco lab school pioneering approaches grounded in developmental science. He is an Ashoka Fellow recognized for his leadership in educational change and is a frequent speaker and trainer for parents and educators globally.
Chris is the author of Finding the Magic in Middle School (2022) and Challenge Accepted: 50 Adventures to Make Middle School Awesome (2025). He also writes the newsletter Growing Wiser, where he shares ideas on adolescence, education, and human development.