About the Authors

David A. Vise, formerly a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The Washington Post, is a senior advisor to New Mountain Capital, a leading New York-based private equity firm, and Executive Director of Modern States Education Alliance, a philanthropy whose goal is to make college more affordable and more accessible.

Mark Malseed, a former researcher for Bob Woodward, is a founder and executive at Synoptos, a global media intelligence firm. He has contributed to The Washington Post and numerous other publications. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife and two sons.