Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Giuseppe “Seppy” Basili has spent his career expanding opportunity for students whose talent and ambition deserve to be recognized. A longtime champion of Phi Theta Kappa, he has also been a national leader in advancing equitable access and economic mobility for community college students.
Since 2018, Basili has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, where his leadership has strengthened pathways that connect high-achieving community college students to selective four-year institutions. Guided by the belief that talent is everywhere, even when opportunity is not, he has helped reshape how colleges and universities identify and support emerging talent. His work has expanded access, affirmed excellence, and challenged institutions to rethink what true upward mobility can look like.
Prior to becoming CEO, Basili served as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Foundation. Earlier in his career, he spent 16 years with Kaplan Test Prep as Vice President and General Manager of college admissions and K–12 programs. In that role, he led the development of test preparation programs and college admissions services for the SAT, ACT, and PSAT, while building partnerships with school systems across the country, including Chicago Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District.
A respected voice in education, Basili has authored numerous publications on college access and admissions and has been featured by major national media outlets, including The New York Times, NPR, and the Today Show.
Basili holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Kenyon College, a law degree from Emory University, and a Master of Arts in Educational Policy from University of California, Berkeley.
Through his leadership, Seppy has helped expand what is possible for countless students, including many Phi Theta Kappa members. His impact is reflected not only in the institutions he has influenced, but in the lives of students whose confidence, aspirations, and futures have been strengthened because someone recognized their potential.