We are so proud to announce the members of inaugural Edinno Innovation Lab! For the past few months we’ve been working with a fantastic group of edtech innovators. Meet Always RepresentED, Collegize, Dancing Panda, Formation Learning, The Mindful Applicant, Uplift K12, USPKLS, and Viinko.
The Innovation Lab is just that, an active “lab” for early revenue stage edtech startups to experiment with and test their businesses. This application-based, equity-free Lab focuses on helping founders develop product market fit, build relationships in edtech, and answer critical business and education-related questions.
Over the course of the program, the companies honed their product market fit, assessed their go to market strategy, and built a plan focused on action and next steps. In addition to learning sessions provided by the Edinno team and RYE Consulting, participants also met veteran edtech founders (Peggy Yu from Stack Education, Beth Porter from Riff Analytics, Melissa Corto from Education Modified, and Bryanne Leeming from Unruly Studios), built their professional edtech networks, helped each other solve their biggest challenges, and continued to develop their products.
See more about getting involved as a participant, supporter, and friend at the end of this post!
Now it’s time to meet our Lab Participants!
Always RepresentED (Website coming soon!)Always RepresentED was founded to help shift the narrative on “How and Why” prospective and current underrepresented students choose a university. Always Represented was launched with one goal: to create an equitable outcome for all in education. We are proud to provide a platform that specializes in helping Universities illuminate blind spots by seeing through the lens of current and prospective students.
Always RepresentED is a data-driven platform that connects students and universities. We anonymized data based on real people and real experiences to drive change and create an inclusive, diverse student population.
Collegize is an app-based platform that focuses on providing college preparation guidance, best practices, and resources to lower-income families and families of color. Our goal is to transform the way families prepare for college here in the United States.
“Edinno Lab encouraged me to refocus my energy to those tasks that matter most to the growth and success of my business. It was exactly what I needed.”
— Jeremy CEO/Founder Collegize
Dancing Panda sends parents and families regular messages with easy, fun, and grade-appropriate games that families can do together in everyday moments. Activities can be done in 5 minutes or less and require few-to-no materials.
“I am so thankful to be a part of Edinno’s Innovation Lab. Dancing Panda is at a crucial point — and getting to access the network of experts, coaches, and mentors is invaluable. I have already learned so much from the team, and know Dancing Panda will be in a completely different place as a result of my participation in the program.”
— Deborah Lee, Founder & CEO of Dancing Panda
Formation helps schools supercharge flextime and beyond the bell activities with signups, recommendations matched to student interests, and a powerful scheduling tool that finds the best time for each activity.
The Mindful Applicant marries social-emotional learning with college and career prep to guide students through a true self-discovery process that unlocks purpose and builds emotional intelligence.
Uplift K12 builds independent learners by helping teachers manage and track ready-made math practice. While students accelerate or escalate through accommodations, teachers can provide the support students need, when they need it most.
UPSKLS aims to increase individual and business productivity by matching vetted, qualified students to short-term project work that companies don’t have the time, skills, or desire to do. UPSKLS increases access to work-opportunities for students by focusing on 5–20 hour paid projects that can be done virtually, anytime, anywhere to help gain experience and build confidence. By making it easy to scope projects fast and thoroughly, and by matching individual students to projects, UPSKLS increases efficiency and satisfaction for students and companies of all sizes.
Viinko is making time management and organization education accessible for all students. Viinko integrates into a school’s curriculum, making the essential life skills of time management and organization a part of every student’s education.
“Edinno has been invaluable in validating, or disproving, some of our market assumptions; enabling us to better define our go to market strategy and enter sales discussions with confidence.”
— Victoria Kinnealey, Viinko CEO & Founder
About Edinno
Edinno is an open learning community created to support and empower emerging edtech innovators.
We’re on a mission to democratize access to information and social capital, making founding an edtech company more accessible to all.
Get Involved
We’re actively looking for participants to join our next Lab at the end of May.
Interested in learning more? Make sure you’ve signed up for Edinno and reach out with questions. Want to get involved as a partner, expert, or supporter? Send us a note.
Continue to follow us on Medium, Linkedin, Twitter, and on our website to hear more about these exciting companies. Also sign up for our Interest Form and Newsletter to hear about our upcoming programming. If you want to get involved with other Edinno members, follow this link to join our Slack Community.
