Our Founders

The Davidsons

After piloting a support program for 15 profoundly gifted youth and their families in 1999, former educational software entrepreneurs, Bob and Jan Davidson formally founded the Davidson Institute for Talent Development a year later. The Davidson Institute was created in 2000 out of a concern that our nation’s most gifted and talented young people were largely neglected and underserved. An operating foundation, the Davidson Institute’s mission is to recognize, nurture and support profoundly intelligent young people and to provide opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference.

In 1982, Jan Davidson founded Davidson & Associates, an educational software company that published award-winning products such as Math Blaster™ and Reading Blaster™. In 1989, Jan persuaded Bob Davidson to leave his role as executive vice president of engineering and construction at Parsons Corporation and become chairman and CEO of Davidson & Associates; under their leadership, the company formed partnerships with Fisher-Price and Simon & Schuster and acquired Blizzard Entertainment, whose titles included Warcraft™, Starcraft™ and Diablo™. Under Bob’s leadership, Davidson & Associates became a publicly-traded, multi-million dollar company.

After selling Davidson & Associates in 1997, Bob and Jan Davidson turned their attention to philanthropy and education. As they researched ways to make a meaningful difference, they came to believe that profoundly gifted students were among the most underserved young people in the country, which led to the launch of the Davidson Young Scholars program and the founding of the Davidson Institute.

In 2004, Simon & Schuster published the Davidsons’ award-winning book, Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds. In 2005, Bob and Jan worked to pass Nevada state legislation to open a new kind of public school for profoundly gifted middle and high school students on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, the Davidson Academy. In 2017, Davidson Academy Online, an accredited online school for students nationwide, was launched.

Learn More About Our Founders

A visionary educator and software pioneer, Jan’s work in the 1980s and 90s laid the foundation for the Davidsons’ lifelong mission to support gifted youth. Explore her biography, legacy, and lasting impact.
View Jan Davidson’s Page >

A leader in both educational technology and philanthropy, Bob has spent decades guiding the expansion of the Institute and the Davidson Academy. Explore his biography and leadership history.
View Bob Davidson’s Page >