Orbilius exists to help educators build the kinds of schools they’ve always imagined—places where autonomy, mastery, and purpose aren’t just buzzwords, but living systems. We partner with mission-driven schools to design structures that support deep, self-directed learning, train faculty to become autonomy-supportive mentors, and rework the mechanics of school to support real growth.

At the heart of Orbilius is Mark Gutkowski, an award-winning educator, program designer, and systems thinker with nearly three decades of experience transforming how learning happens. Mark has worked in both public and independent schools. He is the founder of the Mastery Learning System at Avenues: The World School, a globally recognized, autonomy-supportive model grounded in Self-Determination Theory. Mark worked with the Tiger Works R&D team as a Global Academic Dean, and currently serves as the Director of Mastery at Avenues, where he continues to lead strategic development of the program. He has presented his work at the International Self-Determination Theory Conference.

Mark’s career has always focused on empowering student autonomy and shifting traditional power dynamics in the classroom. His work has been featured in Scientific American and Psychology Today, and he has been recognized, professionally, by both Princeton University and the New Jersey Department of Education for his contributions to education. Prior to Avenues, Mark spent 18 years at Morristown High School, where he launched several pioneering programs, including a self-paced Latin course and the interdisciplinary Classics Academy, a precursor to the Mastery Learning System.

Orbilius is the culmination of that work—a place where bold ideas meet systems thinking, and where educators can find a partner ready to help them build what comes next.