The early-stage education incubator 4.0 Schools has seen dozens of talented entrepreneurs come and go during the Launch Program, held regularly in New Orleans. Earlier today, the organization announced that nine new companies will be heading to the Big Easy (three companies are already located in New Orleans) for the 10th Cohort that attracts startups who want to change the future of education.
“We continue to be surprised by the places groundbreaking ideas for the future of school can come from,” said Matt Candler, Founder and CEO of 4.0 Schools. “In this cohort alone, there’s a rocket scientist, an electrical engineer, a stay-at-home mom, a lawyer, a teacher, and even students themselves.”
4.0’s Launch Program is designed for those committed to launching a new product, service, or internal venture. These people have already put their idea into the real world and have the most potential for disrupting education. The ideas don’t have to be incorporated or have revenue or donors. The program offers entrepreneurs help in the following areas: marketing, legal, financial planning, strategic coaching, high level overview with goals and targets, weekly check ins, connect to schools and classrooms, and a community of support with education entrepreneurs across the country.
“In selecting this cohort,” COO Katie Beck explains, “we intentionally chose a group of entrepreneurs who complement each others’ ideas. We are excited not only to see the growth of these individual ventures, but to see the lessons learned within the group across these major themes we see as a whole.”
Find out more about the nine teams joining the program below:
- ClassTracks (Baltimore, MD) Founded by Lida Zlatic & Thierry Uwilingiyimana: A learning and assessment platform for foreign language students, with lesson planning tools and a data dashboard for the teachers.
- NOLA Micro School (New Orleans, LA) Founded by Kim Gibson & Oskie Creech: An environment where children have the agency to design their own educational path while having a “porous wall” relationship with the world.
- Renaissance Global Liberation Academy (Houston, TX) Founded by Anthony Wilson: An urban boarding school that redefines education for all students as global engagement and service.
- NOLA A-TEAMS (New Orleans, LA) Founded by Bahiy Watson: A community-centered, project-based learning model that increases the representation of African-American boys in STEM fields.
- Change: the Game (San Francisco) Founded by Libby Falck: A mobile game that teaches high school students 21st century skills by guiding learners through innovation challenges (design, tech and entrepreneurship) of increasing difficulty, tailored to their interests and location.
- Yenko (New York City, NY) Founded by Margo Wright: A mobile app for college students to set smart grade goals, prioritize school activities with an assignment calendar, track progress and receive notifications that drive behavior.
- *blink blink* (New York City, NY) Founded by Nicole Messier & Joselyn McDonald: A service that introduces middle and high school girls to STEM fields through simple toolkits and soft-circuits with conductive threads and fabrics in coordination with electronic elements.
- Smart Coos (West Palm Beach, FL) Founded Mirta Desir & Harold Jean-Louis: A platform of animated books, language videos, and a live tutor in the learning languages for parents and early educators to help young children utilize their ability to easily acquire multiple languages.
- Young Scholars (New Orleans, LA) Founded by Ty Salvant: A 2-day hybrid program to support homeschooling families through a curriculum focused on support, accountability and community.