DISCOVER REAL HIGHER ED REFORM
Welcome to a New Breed of University. Welcome to NewU.
Who We Are
We are a team of educators and entrepreneurs with a vision
We are the first private nonprofit undergraduate university to call washington dc home in over 100 years
We are proud of the milestones we achieved in the past 5 years, which culminate in this rare and bold opportunity to do good for the DC community, for the country, and for the world.

Mission and Vision
The Mission of NewU University is to solve the most pressing challenges in higher education - college access, affordability, and student outcomes - for the benefit of students, families, and our community.
Our Vision is that in the next 10 years leading universities will adopt our operating and academic innovations and model to reform and improve Higher Education in service to society.
NewU is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Accreditation and Licensure
NewU University is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit degree-granting post-secondary educational institution, licensed to operate and issue Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees by the Washington DC Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC).
The Commission strives to be a national leader in licensing, compliance monitoring, and enforcement and outreach that ensures students are protected and approved postsecondary institutions provide quality education and training programs. For a list of FAQs, visit the HELC website here. A complete list of approved institutions is available here.
HELC Contact Information:
1050 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.727.6436
NewU University is a brand new school, and we just opened our doors to our first class of students in Fall 2022. We are bringing much needed reform and innovation to Higher Education for the benefit of students and parents.Â
Licensure in our nation’s capital by the DC HELC is mandatory, and serves as a transparent and rigid quality control and oversight mechanism.
Partners and Supporters












Governance
Mr. Stratsi Kulinski, founder, President & CEO, and member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Kulinski holds a BA from the American University in Bulgaria, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ms. India Ingersoll, Corporate Secretary and member of the Board of Directors. Ms. Ingersoll holds a BA in Economics from Pepperdine University and was a co-founder of Fare Connections, a DC community nonprofit.
Ms. Alicia Margoles, member of the Board of Directors. Ms. Margoles holds a BA in Business Administration with a major in Sales & Marketing from the University of Georgia, where she was captain of the Women’s Soccer Team. Since then, Alicia also successfully completed a number of top-ranked executive education programs including an Executive Development Program of The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania, an Executive Leadership Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and an Executive Development Program at Harvard University.
Ms. Viktoriya Zotova, Treasurer & CFO. Ms. Zotova holds a summa cum laude BA from the St. Norbert College in Wisconsin, and is a MLA candidate (expected May 2023) at Harvard University Extension School, and holds a PhD from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. She was also an instructor of accounting at the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and at Georgetown University's business school.
Milestones
1991 - 2017
Idea Inception
As a first-generation college student, our founder embodies the promise of opportunity through education. His belief that education enriches and empowers lives is the product of his own story, and constitutes a central tenet in his life philosophy.
As an immigrant to the United States, Stratsi – as he is known to friends and colleagues – credits his professional and personal growth mostly to his years at the American University in Bulgaria, initially funded by the United States Congress through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and US and European philanthropists. A member of the very first class of students, Stratsi’s choice of an unproven brand new university seemed risky, and came with financial burdens for his family at the time. But his undergraduate experience was transformative. He went on to graduate, worked across different industries from Radio Broadcasting to Satellite Telecom to Software on several continents and in DC and Silicon Valley, earned his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and even served as President and Board Member of that university where it all started.
These diverse life experiences made possible by a new and unproven university 30 years ago, and the motivation to pay it forward, inspired the very creation of NewU. We hope, in turn, it empowers young people to invest in a life of resilience, pursuit of lifelong learning, and success here at NewU in our nation’s capital.
March 2018
The Proverbial Napkin
The very first NewU written concept gets commemorated on a piece of paper napkin. A museum-worthy artefact.
2018
Concept Validation, Branding
NewU’s first roadshow takes place, where our concept for an innovative and bold new university gets shared with leaders from academia, government, philanthropists, regulators, and of course, students and parents. Everyone wants to be a college student again when NewU launches.
Our logo, colors, taglines, social media accounts, and website are created.
December 2018
First Strategic Parnerships
NewU signs agreements with one of the preeminent law firms in the US, Holland & Knight LLP, and with real-estate leader CBRE Inc.
2019
Legal, Tax, Governance, and IT Infrastructure
NewU is incorporated in Washington DC.
The IRS approves our 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax-exempt status.
The NewU Board of Directors holds its first meeting.
The US Patent and Trademark Office approves the trademark applications for our name and logo.
Oracle and Salesforce join the list of NewU strategic partners.
2020
Executive Team and Program Development
NewU completes the executive team. It brings together many people with a true passion for education, many of them first-generation college graduates, now with doctoral and master’s degrees and professional success stories on their resumes.
The team bands together, prepares an extensive application for licensing, develops the academic programs, and puts together the marketing and recruiting strategy.
NewU not only survives the COVID-19 pandemic, but thrives.
2021
Licensure and Go-to-Market
NewU is licensed to operate by the DC Higher Education Licensure Commission in a unanimous decision of the 5 Commissioners in testament to our innovative and high quality education and operating model and programs.
We launch our first marketing and recruitment campaign for the very first class of students, and prepare to start in-person classes for Fall 2022.
2022
First Class of Students
Our very first class of students starts at NewU with Orientation Day 1 on August 22, 2022.