We are thrilled to announce the first cohort of companies at Michelson Runway: Lrnr, Motimatic, Pragya Systems, ReUp Education, and WorkAmerica.
These entrepreneurs are transforming higher education through innovative technology that improves retention, re-enrollment, completion, open educational resources, and middle skills career search.
“Technology has the power to be a catalyst in higher education by connecting underserved students to institutions, keeping them engaged and on track to graduate, and improving the transition to the workforce,” said Dr. Gary K. Michelson, founder of the Michelson 20MM Foundation. “Each of these companies focuses on the unique needs of today’s diverse student population. Together, they create one very strong force for change.”
Through investments and supports from the Michelson 20MM Foundation, cohort companies receive office space in San Francisco, legal and financial services, mentorship, and proof of concept pilots with established college and university partners.
Bisk Ventures serves as a strategic advisor and sponsor of the accelerator. “We are thrilled to partner with Michelson Runway and to invest in the success of students through innovation and the use of technology,” said Mike Bisk, president of Bisk Ventures. “These companies have the potential to drive real improvement and meaningful impact on learning outcomes, online education delivery, and the student experience.”
Congratulations to our inaugural cohort! We’re excited to partner with you to help ensure all students have access to an affordable, equitable, and high-quality education that leads to a meaningful career.
ADAPTIVE LEARNING PLATFORM POWERED BY OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES.
Lrnr helps unlock the power of Open Educational Resources by marrying high-quality content to a robust personalized learning platform. Educators can customize their courses with lectures, assignments, and assessments—while closely monitoring student progress. Last year, Lrnr launched STEM course pilots at 18 colleges and universities in conjunction with OpenStax, enabling the company to distribute turnkey affordable courseware on its adaptive learning platform.
THE FIRST AUTOMATIC MOTIVATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT IMPROVES OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS IN HIGHER ED.
Motimatic’s Automatic Motivational Support System blends the latest advances in advertising technology and behavioral science to deliver highly-targeted messages that inspire individuals to achieve their goals. The Motimatic system improves student engagement and has increased the number of graduates at client universities by 8 percent or more.
AN AI-POWERED ENGINE BUILT TO REIMAGINE CAMPUS INTELLIGENCE AND CONNECT STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND EMPLOYERS.
Pragya Systems produces higher education technology that unlocks campus silos and facilitates the flow of information on and off campus for students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and employers. The technology enhances student success, eases the transition from college to career, and improves campus efficiency. Pragya is an IBM Watson Ecosystem Partner and recipient of the National Science Foundation SBIR grant.
Learn More About Pragya Systems
PARTNERING WITH INSTITUTIONS TO RE-ENROLL AND COACH AT-RISK STUDENTS TO SUCCESS.
ReUp Education partners with colleges and universities to re-enroll students who have dropped out of college and then support them through graduation. The combination of coaches and proprietary technological tools gives students the support they need to set goals, develop positive and effective habits, and reach the graduation finish line.
Learn More About ReUp Education
THE GO-TO PLATFORM CONNECTING EMPLOYERS AND TRAINED AND CREDENTIALED TALENT IN THE SKILLED TRADES.
WorkAmerica is an online quality-assured recruiting platform that connects employers in the skilled trades with trained and credentialed talent. WorkAmerica partners with the sources of talent, including community colleges, vocational schools, and credentialing agencies to help employers build a quality talent pipeline nationwide.