Jeff Katcherian founded Culture Academy to give students the opportunity to see the world differently through global education and experiential learning.
Jeff is a socio-cultural anthropologist, university instructor and successful owner of three thriving businesses. As a teenager, Jeff became an award-winning gymnast. This is where he began world travel. On an educational tour in France, Jeff’s heart, mind and soul opened up to the wonder of the world around us and he has never been the same. In fact, he devotes his life to recreating that magic moment for other young people.
Jeff Katcherian’s passion for studying our world resulted in his receiving a Doctorate in Anthropology from UC-Irvine. While preparing his dissertation, Jeff helped facilitate the launch of the new EU-US Transatlantic Degree Program in Brussels. While working at the European Commission, he developed relationships with and gained the trust of civil society members, politicians, academics and industry experts all while navigating a complex political system.
As a Graduate Researcher at the Institute for Money, Technology, and Financial Inclusion Jeff conducted research on global regulations over mobile banking and payment practices among the world’s poorest people. He organized conferences for major academic, banking, and telecommunications stakeholders in the mobile banking field.
After completing his dissertation, Jeff Katcherian served as an Instructor of Anthropology at University of California – Irvine. For him, the study of cultures requires more than a classroom experience – ideally, it includes a direct experience of what it feels like to be there. His mission is to produce that experience coupled with a peerless learning experience.
His business knowledge and acumen has emerged from successfully running a variety of family companies in the Orange County market. Now that they are self-sustaining, he is taking this blend of education, knowledge and passion into Culture Academy.
