Transcend Network

377 🙌 39 Transcend Fellows (TF14) just graduated into our global network, now 377 founders strong! 🎉 Over the past 6 weeks these fellows: ➡️ ran more than 100+ PMF experiments every week ➡️ received weekly feedback from a PMF coach who helped them design and run these experiments ➡️ were mentored 1:1 by experienced edtech leaders, founders, and investors ➡️ built a network of trusted peers in the space We are super grateful to support such incredible folks as they continue to impact learners & workers around the world. Join us in congratulating these awesome founders! 🙌 Miguel Jimenez (Orbit) - childcare for the modern family. Josh LEE (Cathoven) - language lessons customized Kevin Prokopetz (rellie) - tailored personalized classroom instruction Nick Gardner (Ople) - P2P professional learning for PK-12 schools Leap Sok (Sala) - college-prep and career exploration Laura Wells (AwakeTeams) - collaborative learning in the workplace Luciana Caletti (Sudae Education) - AI to create, grade assessments Joao Paulo Carvalho (Pico) - AI-enabled test-prep Benedek Hermán(Voovo) - digital flashcards for effective learning Shiva Jaini (Curiosity Labs) - AI companions for kids Alissa McDonald (Pop PD) - virtual coaching workspace for K-12 Andrew Salmon (MathTrack) - develops math teaching mastery Javier Agüera (Pandora's Way) - helps kids develop healthy digital habits James Pursey (Replicate Labs) - helps GTM teams connect with their buyer Dima Pukhov (Lala) - tool to manage music lessons Mica Vaipan (Run Yourself) - AI-assisted peer coaching Adina Tilek (wedevx) - AI job simulations platform Athena Saldanha (Owler AI) - high-quality feedback on student writing Matheus Fonseca (Leapy) - manage and develop apprentices Matthew Plunkett (Project Leo) - AI-native tool to bridge workforce dev Grant Wootten (edusfere) - customizable K-12 curriculums Tomás Cifuentes (reqlut) - network of LatAm universities and companies Julia Rivard Dexter, OLY, ICD.D (Shoelace learning) - deliver ELA through mobile games Sophie Vo (Olivya) - self guided coaching companion Melissa Rodriguez (NaviGuide) - prepare students for the workforce Arturo Barrera Seminario (Califica) - AI to reduce teacher workload Maxime Coléon (Kuno) - P2P language learning app Blake Mischley (MeetYourClass) - driving enrollment for higher ed Ethan Pierce (Adaptive Reader) - leveled, multilingual novels Megan Artin (ReVision) - empowering STEM education Mahesh Chikane (The Test Tribe) - career growth for software testers Tal Rafaeli (Radius) - AI lesson planning Angela McIver, PhD (Trapezium Math) - elementary math programs for districts Chrissybil Boulin (Vero) - accelerating career pathways Alana Heath (HTCTW) - experiential learning enterprise Henry Fu (Factors) - AI-driven curriculum tool Emil Palikot (MoveUp) - talent mobility platform Gil Perkins, dba Sage Salvo (Words Live): literacy lesson planning Gannon Schram (MetaFrazo) - seamless course translation

Excited to head back to Berlin for a few weeks after a loooong long time! 🇩🇪🐻🥙 I first stayed in Berlin with Minerva University in 2016 and I've been waiting for an opportunity to go back and visit for more than just a few days. I'll be there for about two weeks in September, so I'd love to hear: 1) Who's in town? Say hi in the comments!! 2) I'd love to host an edtech founder meetup around September 10-12th, do you know of any good venues to do so? I'm thinking of something informal, so any office, venue or even outdoor space may work – feel free to DM me! 3) your recommendations for food and things to do!

Meet Brian Malkin, a former teacher, school leader, co-founder of Rang, and Transcend Fellow (TF12)! Brian began his career as a teacher at Distinctive Schools in Greater Chicago, where he later served as Network Chief of Staff. A Teach For America alumnus, Brian received his MBA from Northwestern University, where he founded School Labs, an independent study program at Kellogg to match MBA students with local school principals for business and operational support in exchange for course credits. He later went on to become a Principal at GCM Grosvenor before starting his entrepreneurial journey in education full-time. During his time as a classroom teacher, Brian realized that rewards play a critical role in incentivizing positive behaviors among students. However, for already overworked teachers, handling rewards in the classroom can be a challenge as it usually requires them to pay out of their own pockets and takes time away that could be better spent teaching. This led to the foundation for Rang! At Rang, Brian is building a rewards platform for schools and is on mission to improve student outcomes and teacher retention in the classroom. Rang focuses on developing partnerships with brands to supply incentives in the form of gift cards, coupons, tickets to live events, and more for teachers to use as classroom rewards! In return, brands receive real time, measurable impact and insights reporting. Teachers can reach a highly engaged student population and are freed up to do what they are uniquely qualified to do: teach! At the heart of Brian's mission is the belief in creating a platform where teachers can effectively address challenges like learning loss, chronic absenteeism, and student engagement. The platform is currently live among schools in Chicago and has several major sports teams and fast-casual restaurants onboarded already! We are super proud to have Brian as a Transcend Fellow and thrilled about the future of Rang! Learn more about Brian's company here: ➡ Rang

Meet Paul Suhr, the co-Founder of Hiveclass and a Transcend Fellow (TF13)! Paul started his career in education 20 years ago teaching English abroad and later transitioned to school administration as a School Director of several English-as-a-second-language campuses on both the West and East Coast like Kaplan International Pathways, ELS Educational Services and EC English Language Centres! Seven years ago, Paul transitioned into entrepreneurship and is a 3x founder! His last venture Vayasi inc. was a digital marketplace servicing the international student market, connecting students with a variety of needs to complete their experience in the U.S. At Hiveclass, Paul is building a digital platform for educational institutions to help kids develop fundamental skills in various sports and activities through short-form videos and assessments. By combining tech and entertainment, Hiveclass provides students access to quality instruction in a variety of sports and wellness activities including Basketball, Soccer, Yoga, Dance, Fitness, Mindfulness, and more. Paul is passionate about harnessing technology to build equity for today's youth and is committed to making quality instruction in physical education accessible to kids everywhere. Missing credits in PE is a common blocker to graduation among students today. Hiveclass has partnered with educational institutions across 23 states, including New York City Public Schools and even has a contract with the United States Department of Defense serving military families across the globe. We are super glad to have Paul as a Transcend Fellow and thrilled about the future of Hiveclass! -- Paul and team Hiveclass recently raised funds from Spring Mountain Capital in their current Seed Round and are looking to connect with strategic investors who can help them scale their impact on elevating Physical Education in K12 schools across the nation. 👉 If you are an investor who would like to learn more, let us know in our DMs and we would love to facilitate an intro between you and Paul!

Meet Ethan Pierce, a product leader, co-founder of Adaptive Reader, and a Transcend Fellow (TF14)! Ethan is a 3x founder with 10+ years of experience as product and design leader, and is an alumnus of Harvard University. He notably co-founded Grocery Outpost, which leveraged restaurant supply chain for last mile consumer grocery fulfilment. Ethan previously held product management and design roles at Techstars, Fidelity Investments, Vista, and was the chief product officer at Readlee. As an elementary school student, Ethan struggled with reading and writing comprehension. His formative experiences instilled a profound understanding of the barriers many students face. “I recognized that many students get to middle school or high school and are expected to transition from learning to read to reading to learn. For those who haven't reached grade-level reading expectations, this shift can make the curriculum seem insurmountable. “ This ultimately became the foundation for Adaptive Reader. At Adaptive Reader, Ethan is building an innovative AI-assisted reading platform that makes reading both enjoyable and accessible for students through leveled, multilingual novels while maintaining student dignity. Their mission is rooted in ensuring every student can succeed, regardless of linguistic or neurological differences, and that a student's reading level does not define their intelligence or potential. Adaptive Reader rethinks access to classic literature. The platform features side-by-side translations, audio support, and paperbacks for educators, making literary content accessible and engaging for diverse learners. By enabling students in reading comprehension and critical thinking, Adaptive Reader aims to foster a more inclusive learning environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive and develop a love for literature. We are super glad to get to work with Ethan in our ongoing TF14 cohort and are super excited about the future he is building with Adaptive Reader! 🙌 You can learn more about Ethan’s company here: ➡ Adaptive Reader

4 Transcend Fellows (TF14) are building upskilling platforms and redefining career success! From job-simulation tools at the workplace to AI-driven soft skill training, these founders are addressing skills gaps in the market and creating new pathways for employment. Here are 4 Transcend Fellows contributing to this space 👇 Adina Tilek is building wedevx.co ➡️ AI job simulations platform for training and hiring Josh LEE is building Cathoven AI ➡️ transforms your favorite online content into language lessons customized to your proficiency level. Chrissybil Boulin is building Vero Learning ➡️ reshaping hiring by accelerating career pathways for students and providing Fortune 500 companies with prepared job candidates. Matheus Fonseca is building Leapy ➡️ manage and develop apprentices inside companies to solve skill gaps and talent shortage. -- Learn more about our latest cohort of edtech founders here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/gvuFaZMt

We are excited to feature 6 Transcend Fellows (TF14) transforming the corporate learning space! From HR-copilots addressing employee retention to learning platforms focused on upskilling teams at work, these fellows are helping companies augment their employees’ experiences while addressing core challenges at the workplace. Here are 6 Transcend Fellows and their companies contributing to this space 👇 Mica Vaipan is building RunYourself ➡ AI-assisted peer coaching platform that enables effective coaching conversations. Mahesh Chikane is building The Test Tribe ➡ community-led edtech solving career relevance and top career growth for Software QA professionals globally, backed by its experience of building the world’s largest QA community. Laura Wells is building AwakeTeams ➡ collaborative learning platform that develops interpersonal skills in workplace teams and measures impact James Pursey is building Replicate Labs ➡ platform that helps sales teams train more effectively and be more buyer-centric Sophie Vo is building Olivya ➡ self guided coaching companion that unblocks professionals at work everyday in 30 minutes. Emil Palikot is building MoveUp ➡ foundation model of the labor market that powers Career Copilot and HR Assistant tools to improve employee-task matching and talent retention. -- Learn more about our latest cohort of edtech founders here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/gvuFaZMt

6 Transcend Fellows serving institutions of higher education! 15% of our current cohort of edtech founders (TF14) are building companies to serve higher ed stakeholders. These founders are building early-stage solutions to address critical challenges faced by learners, educators and administrators: From professional networking platforms and career navigation services to tools that create customized learning content and AI copilots that support professors with grading. Here are 6 Transcend Fellows and their companies contributing to Higher Ed 👇 Alana Heath - How to Change the World ➡️ an experiential learning enterprise driving educational transformation for a brighter future. Gannon Schram is building MetaFrazo ➡️ AI powered platform for educators to dub and lip-sync their courses into any language Blake Mischley is building MeetYourClass ➡️ p2p platform that drives enrollment for institutions by creating community and identifying at-risk & convertible students. Leap Sok is building SALATECH PTE LTD ➡️ supports learners find college majors, skill training, providing better learning tools and facilitating job matching Luciana Caletti - Sundae Education ➡️ an AI platform where professors can create and grade assessments. Tomás Cifuentes is building Reqlut ➡️ where students, companies, and universities gather, network, and share job opportunities. -- You can learn more about these fellows and our latest cohort by visiting our fellow directory: 👉 https://lnkd.in/gvuFaZMt

Meet Alexander D., a tech leader, co-founder of ClassHook, and Transcend Fellow (TF12)! Alex is a technologist with 10+ years of experience as a full-stack software leader. He has a soft spot for making positive social impact through his work and started his career in tech as a self-taught coder! He began his founder journey by first building his own Mario fangame called Super Mario Bros. Online, which gathered a cult-like following. Over the years, he has built tech solutions for companies like Entelo (recruitment tech), MiraclePlus (China-based accelerator - formerly YC China) and was the founding engineer at Zette(digital news platform) where he currently serves as their fractional CTO and Tech Advisor! Alex is currently building ClassHook, a tool that helps K-12 teachers increase student engagement using a curated video library of educational scenes from popular TV shows and movies. ClassHook’s 1-5 minute video clips are organized by academic topics, and aligned to national and state education standards. The platform includes engagement tools that enable classroom discussions, piquing students’ curiosity and helping teachers drive better classroom outcomes! Teachers in over 25,000 schools use ClassHook to introduce new topics in a fun, exciting, and relevant way for students. TV shows and movies have countless references to valuable educational content. Alex is helping streamline the process of finding such teachable moments, ultimately saving teachers time when lesson planning and helping increase student engagement and retention in their classes. Recently, the American Association of School Librarians named ClassHook as a Best Digital Tool for Learning & Teaching 2024! We are super proud to have Alex as a Transcend Fellow and thrilled about the future of ClassHook! 🙌 Learn more about the company here ➡️ ClassHook

Meet 8 Transcend Fellows (TF14) who are transforming K-12 education! 40% of our current cohort of edtech founders (TF14) are building K-12 tools & services. Today we’ll be talking about 8 of them! From district-wide solutions on instructional training and support, to AI copilots that address assessments and teacher burnout, these founders are building early-stage solutions to critical K-12 problems faced by learners & educators today. Here are 8 Transcend Fellows and their companies that are contributing to this space 👇 Ethan Pierce is building Adaptive Reader ➡️ Leveled, multilingual novels designed to make reading enjoyable for students while maintaining student dignity. Angela McIver, PhD is building Trapezium Math ➡️ provides turn-key solutions to school districts for building robust elementary math programs. Nick Gardner is building Ople ➡️ a platform dedicated to P2P professional learning across PK-12 schools. Julia Rivard Dexter, OLY, ICD.D is building Shoelace Learning (builders of Dreamscape) ➡️ helps teachers deliver ELA through mobile games that students love to play! Andrew Salmon is building MathTrack Institute ➡️ a platform that develops math teaching mastery with pathways to certification. Tal Rafaeli - Radius ➡️ customized, high-quality lesson plans and resources delivered in seconds for educators to create impactful lessons Matthew Plunkett building Project Leo ➡️ AI-native platform bridging the workforce development gap for students by personalizing career-connected projects Athena Saldanha - Owler AI ➡️ empowers educators with high-quality, fast, and integrated feedback on student writing. You can learn more about these fellows and our latest cohort by visiting our fellow directory 👉 https://lnkd.in/gvuFaZMt