Connecting educators to with the technological tools that they need to be successful in the classroom is part of the mission at EdSurge. Bringing diverse actors together—away from their screens—to discuss technology’s role in education is part of that effort. So last night we were happy to host our first NYC meetup of the year, in partnership with the Intel Education Accelerator, at the Edtech Factory in Union Square.
Several educators and startups gathered to discuss questions like: How to connect educators with entrepreneurs? Will the new federal policy changes affect education technology? Which accelerator is right for you and why?
The panelists, representing investors, administrators and startups, shared their insights. Amy McCooe, CEO and co-founder of Level Up Village, shared her experience going through a female-only accelerator. She described how strong support from mentors helped her to be successful even while raising four children. Marianthe Williams, director of technology at the River Dell School District, noted the importance of communication: “I don’t know what I don’t know.” Her advice to startups was to reach out to professional teacher and administrator organizations to inform them about their products. Jon Axelrod, a founder and managing director of ERA Accelerator, commented on the importance of an accelerator's culture in making diverse groups of founders feel welcome. “We don’t do shots to celebrate sales,” he said, noting the fraternity environment some accelerators have cultivated. Andrew Mason, CEO of Flashgrade, explained that startups need more than an idea and a prototype to get into accelerators these days. According to Mason, founders now have to go the extra mile to show that they have users.
For more tidbits from the conversation view the Storify below where audience members joined the conversation using the #NYCedsurge hashtag.
[View the story "NYC EdSurge Meetup Seeks to Bridge Entrepreneurs and Educators " on Storify]
