IAOTP names Anthony Berryhill Top Education Changemaker of the Year

The International Association of Top Professionals will honor Anthony Berryhill at its annual awards gala in New York City in December. The recognition spotlights his work in educational access, leadership development and consulting across higher education and corporate training.

Why it matters: - IAOTP’s recognition gives Berryhill a high-profile platform for his work on educational equity, leadership development and student access. - The honor also highlights a model of consulting that mixes elite admissions strategy, mentoring and corporate training. - Berryhill’s clients and students have placed into top universities and corporate programs, making the award relevant beyond one career milestone.

What happened: - The International Association of Top Professionals selected Anthony Berryhill, FRSA, FRGS, FRAS, as Top Education Changemaker of the Year for 2026. - IAOTP will honor Berryhill at its annual awards gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City in December. - IAOTP said inclusion is reserved for a small number of honorees in each discipline. - Berryhill is the founder and principal consultant of Elite College Hacker. - Berryhill will also be considered for inclusion in IAOTP’s Top Industry Professionals Magazine this year. - Berryhill is scheduled to give a keynote on the “Hidden Curriculum” of global education at the 18th World Leaders Summit at Oxford in September 2026. - More information about the gala is available here. - More information about Berryhill’s work is available here.

The details: - Berryhill has more than 25 years of experience in education, board service, executive leadership, organizational development, public speaking and strategic consulting. - His work focuses on educational access and leadership development for students and professionals. - Berryhill grew up in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward and says he lacked access to the hidden curriculum found at elite institutions. - He built a methodology from debate experience, Ivy+ research and study of systems used at institutions such as Oxford, Eton and Choate. - Students mentored by Berryhill have earned admission to Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, Princeton, London School of Economics, Chicago Booth and INSEAD. - His students average $100,000 to $120,000 a year in merit scholarships. - Berryhill’s coaching has produced a 95% success rate for admission to at least one top-10 priority university among tracked students. - Tracked alumni have a 100% college persistence rate. - His coaching has also produced 3 national debate champions, 21 state debate champions and 14 national tournament qualifiers. - Berryhill limits his full consulting practice to 20 families worldwide each year. - In the corporate sector, his learning-and-development work produced a 75% reduction in employee time-to-productivity and a 33% increase in new-hire performance. - Those programs were later adopted across Asia-Pacific and Europe, the Middle East and Africa. - Berryhill serves on Harvard instructional staff in the Management, Government and Public Speaking departments. - He teaches negotiation, policy analysis, democratic transitions and persuasive communication. - Berryhill has also served as vice president of the board for USA Unify and Progressive Power, a partner with Black Leaders Worldwide™, and a non-executive board director for the Women’s Foundation of North Carolina. - His academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford, a master’s degree and master of philosophy in political science from Yale, a PMP and an MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology. - In 2026, Berryhill received more than 35 international honors across four continents. - He is a six-time Stevie Award winner and a recipient of the Hermes Creative Platinum Award. - Berryhill is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Asiatic Society. - He serves on eight international award juries, including the Stevie Awards, BIG Awards, Telly Awards and the International Brilliance Awards.

Between the lines: - IAOTP’s recognition underscores how educational consulting has expanded into a broader leadership and talent-development business. - Berryhill’s profile combines academic credentials, public speaking, board work and measurable student outcomes, which likely strengthens his appeal to award bodies. - The press release frames equity-focused education work as both a social mission and a performance advantage for institutions and employers.

What’s next: - Berryhill will be honored in December at IAOTP’s gala in New York. - He will deliver his Oxford keynote in September 2026. - Berryhill said he remains focused on expanding educational access, advancing leadership development and creating opportunities for people from every background.

The bottom line: - IAOTP is elevating Berryhill as a cross-sector educator and consultant whose work connects elite admissions strategy, leadership training and measurable student success.