The best education has traditionally been reserved for the elite, but the advancements in technology promise to break down the barriers to knowledge. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics – in 1996, about two-thirds of public schools had Internet access and by 2003 even least funded schools could boast near universal access to the Internet.Entrepreneurs are introducing platforms for social networks, user-focused learning, and real-time participation. Many of these innovators believe they may have the “golden goose” of education which allows structured information to be better disseminated. As the VC’s are seeking profit in higher institutions and abandoning K-12 to government grants and well-known philanthropists, these renegade entrepreneurs are walking away with some healthy profits.
Meet these visionary entrepreneurs who are creating a brighter tomorrow by leveraging today’s technology as they address questions such as
Can programs initially funded by grants establish strong enough business models to make them sustainable and ultimately profitable?
Can online education be as engaging as the physical classroom?
Are these claims a new line of the “same old rhetoric” or will entrepreneurs be able to change a seemingly “hopeless” industry and finally be able to make lasting changes
How to be profitable while revolutionizing the field of education?
On November 16, we will convene a panel of education entrepreneurs, visionaries, and established defenders of the status quo to discuss disruptive innovations in education.
MODERATOR
Lisa Petrides, President and Founder of the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education
Lisa Petrides, Ph.D. is president and founder of the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (www.iskme.org) an independent, nonprofit research institute in Half Moon Bay, CA, that conducts social science research in education, develops research-based innovations, and facilitates field building to improve knowledge sharing. Petrides has led research that contributes to the ways in which those in both K-20 formal and informal education foster the creation and sharing of information, apply it to well-defined problems, and create knowledge-driven environments focused on improved learning and organizational success. She also brings extensive experience as an innovator working at the forefront of understanding how developments in open source, social networking, resource use, and social media can impact—and already have impacted—educational practice and policy. This includes the creation of OER Commons (www.oercommons.org), an open source teaching and learning network that supports and facilitates the creation, sharing, and modification of open educational resources. Dr. Petrides is a former visiting scholar at Stanford University and professor in the Department of Organization and Leadership at Columbia University, Teachers College. She received a Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University and an MBA from Sonoma State University, and was a postdoctoral fellow in Educational Policy Research Division at Educational Testing Service. Petrides is widely published and has given many keynote addresses.
PRESENTER
Osman Rashid, CEO and Co-Founder, Kno, Inc.Osman Rashid, is a serial entrepreneur and pioneer in education technology. His first foray into this market was in 2003 with Chegg.com,the leading online textbook rental service, as its co-founder, founding CEO and remains its chairman. In 2009, Rashid co-founded and became the CEO of Kno, Inc., Kno.com. Kno is a digital textbook tablet and education platform launched in June 2010. Previously, he held founder and executive roles at software companies. Osman received the 2009 Ernst& Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Rashid received his BS in electrical engineering from University of Minnesota and originates from Pakistan. Osman is married to Renee and they have two daughters who will go to college and learn everything there is to know, on the Kno.
PANELISTS
Salman Khan, Founder of Khan Academy
Salman (Sal) Khan is the founder and faculty of the Khan Academy–a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Most known for its collection of over 2000 videos produced by Sal, which are now the most used video education resource on the Internet (over 1.1 million unique visitors this past month), the Khan Academy also offers software for practice and assessment and has developed into a full virtual school. Salman was recently profiled in Fortune Magazine as “Bill Gates’ Favorite Teacher” and the Khan Academy now has the Bill and Melinda Gates as their primary funder. As part of the 10^100 initiative to fund ideas that will change the world, Google recently awarded the Khan Academy $2 million to translate the content into the world’s major languages and further build out the virtual school. Prior to starting the Khan Academy, Sal worked as a senior analyst for two Bay Area hedge funds. Sal has an MBA from Harvard Business School. He also has three degrees from MIT: an M.Eng. and B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science and a B.S. in mathematics.
Glen Moriarty, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder NIXTY
Glen Moriarty, chief executive officer, brings educational and marketing expertise gained over years of service in the academic and software industries. Moriarty is responsible for the strategy, direction, and growth of NIXTY. He co-founded Scholar360 (now Edvance360) in 2005 and grew the company into a leading provider of elearning software and services. He wanted to something truly disruptive, so along with his co-founders, he launched NIXTY. NIXTY combines powerful technology with open education to meet the outrageous goal of empowering education for everyone. Moriarty believes that the future of education will be transformed through collaboration, technology, and globalization. He lives with his wife, Nicole, and their three children Colin, Madeleine, and Avery in Virginia Beach, VA.
Philip Bronner, Novak Biddle Venture Partners
Philip Bronner joined Novak Biddle Venture Partners in 1999 and is focused on investments in information technology. Prior to joining Novak Biddle he founded a media technology company. In addition, he served as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co. in New York advising high-tech clients on corporate strategy and worked as a software engineer at IBM. Phil earned a BS in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University; a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Law; and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Phil currently serves on the Alumni Advisory Board for Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science and is a board member for In2Books, a Washington, DC-based reading and literacy program.
