Grant Leibersberger

Founder and Principal

Grant Leibersberger is the founder and principal of Focus Collegiate. He is a staunch advocate of experiential learning. “Learning from experience happens through metaphor,” he says and uses a rock-climbing analogy to explain the isomorphic metaphor (the one-to-one relationships between elements in a present situation and those in a metaphorical one) at the foundation of his philosophy. “At Focus Collegiate, we examine when, how, and why the ‘rock climber’ takes the metaphoric leap and transfer that experience to the learning model.”

Since he began his career in young adult and student advocacy, Grant has had an eye out for niche opportunities for young people. Early in his career, as field director at Wilderness Quest, he was instrumental in the development of the first-ever young adult wilderness therapy program in the country. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to shepherd other wilderness therapy and residential programs eventually becoming the assistant director of Spruce Mountain Inn, a residential and transitional living program for young adults. He later became founding partner at Mansfield Hall, a residential community providing academic, executive functioning, social, and independent living skill support to college students. Grant has also worked to help families fund private therapeutic programs as an advisor at a global financial services firm.

A vocal advocate on Intentional Change Theory, Grant is not wedded to any single discipline regarding how a student will achieve success. “No one really knows until they’re in it…It’s never as simple as a diagnosis,” he explains, which is why student-defined goals create the framework for success at Focus Collegiate.

Grant’s undergraduate degree is in experiential education he also holds a master’s degree in counseling from Northern Arizona University and an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. He serves on the Board of Directors and in leadership roles in several nonprofit organizations.