top of page
african-descent-brainstorming-working-workplace-concept-e1658843665389.jpg

Posts

cute-girl-using-vr-glasses-holding-molecular-model-learning-chemistry-science-.jpg

A Focus on Impact

Our Portfolio Companies Make a Difference

Our portfolio companies spend every day removing obstacles and working to overcome challenges students and workers have to get a good education and a good job.

Recent Posts

Dec 19, 2025

4

min read

News & Updates

Edtech and Workforce Development News Roundup - 12/19

In today's ever-changing world of education and workforce development, technology is increasingly shaping the opportunities available to students, schools, and employers. From online talent marketplaces and cutting-edge edtech tools to personalized support systems and updated regulations, these changes reflect a shared effort to make education more transparent, results-focused, and centered around the learner.

Dec 16, 2025

1

min read

Mantra Health

Mantra Health CEO and Co-Founder, Matt Kennedy named to Slice of Healthcare's "50 Under 50" list

CEO and Co-founder Matt Kennedy has been named to Slice of Healthcare’s “50 Under 50” list, which recognizes 50 dynamic and influential leaders who are shaping the future of healthcare. Matt is a visionary leader committed to innovation and has an unwavering passion for improving student mental health across higher education. Under his guidance, Mantra has reached over 150 campuses and is now actively serving more than 1.3 million students. Read the original story in full here . #MantraHealth

Dec 12, 2025

4

min read

News & Updates

Edtech and Workforce Development News Roundup - 12/12

In today's rapidly evolving workforce Industry, traditional pathways into employment are facing unprecedented challenges, from eroding entry-level opportunities to shifting perceptions of higher education's value. As AI continues to transform skill requirements and job roles, innovative approaches (such as portfolio-based work-based learning, skills-first strategies, and streamlined educational systems) are emerging as vital solutions to bridge gaps and foster economic mobility.

Dec 10, 2025

2

min read

Orijin

Monroe County Sheriff's Office Partners with Tech Educator Orijin for Inmate Workforce Development Program in Tennessee

In a recent social media announcement, Monroe County Sheriff's Office shared its inclusion in a workforce development initiative with tech education provider Orijin, supported by the State of Tennessee. Sheriff Tommy Jones made the revelation, stating that the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Detention Facility will serve as the site for this pilot initiative, set to kick off on January 1, 2026, according to a post on their Facebook page. The program will introduce inmates to the Interplay...

Dec 10, 2025

2

min read

Acceleration Academies

Gwinnett County students to graduate after given second chance with non-traditional, free program, Acceleration Academies

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Traditional high school wasn’t all that smooth for Cobi Dawson. He discovered the Gwinnett County Acceleration Academies program. “Traditional school wasn’t really for me,” Dawson said. “Like people, everybody wants to be alike. They act like people they’re not; they hang around other people they do the wrong things.” The program caters to students who felt traditional high school wasn’t working out. It’s primarily an online program, that also requires them...

Dec 5, 2025

4

min read

News & Updates

Edtech and Workforce Development News Roundup - 12/05

In this week's News Roundup, the articles featured highlight how the traditional pathways from education to career are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. From the widening gap between high school graduation and workforce readiness to the diminishing returns of a college degree, stakeholders across the education and employment sectors are rethinking how we prepare young people for success.

Follow Us On

TechCrunch: BetterLesson Raises $1.6 Million To Let Educators Find And Share The Best Lesson Plans

  • NewMarketsVP
  • Sep 28, 2011
  • 2 min read

Updated: Nov 20, 2024

TechCrunch’s Rip Empson writes:


“Primary and high school teachers already have a hard job. It’s difficult to envy the pour souls who had the unfortunate position of educating the type of disorderly rapscallions like myself at a young age. Not to mention, enduring low wages and a system largely devoid of the same technological aids that have come to assist nearly every other profession. When it comes to the actual daily process of designing the curricula that students will follow, teachers basically have to create their own, ad hoc, every night. There are lesson plan sites, but most of the content is outdated and disorganized. Lesson plans haven’t really made the jump into the digital era.


A Boston-based startup called BetterLesson launched to address this pain point with a simple mission: Provide an easy way for educators to connect with each other and share their lessons. As Co-founder and VP of Operations Erin Osborn and Founder and CEO Alex Grodd are both former teachers themselves (and Jonathan Hendler, the third co-founder and CTO has a mom who was a career teacher), they were tired of watching as cool, original lesson plans would disappear into the folders and hard drives of obsolescence. So the founders set out to design an open, social platform to aggregate the best K thru 12 teacher-generated content….


…To help it grow, the startup has announced that it has officially closed a $1.6 million series A round of venture funding from a host of venture firms, including Highland Capital Partners, General Catalyst, New Markets Ventures, and NewSchools Venture Fund — as well as angel investors like Steve Kaufer of Trip Advisor, Matt Greenfield (Stonework Capital), and Shawn and Jennifer Carolan of Menlo Ventures, NewSchools Venture Fund, and more.”



 
 
bottom of page