SXSWedu Launch showcases innovations in education with a fast-paced, live startup competition. The sixth annual launch competition will take place at SXSWedu, March 6-9, 2017 in Austin, Texas.
Early-stage companies seeking feedback, investment, strategic partnerships and exposure will take the stage for the two-part competition at SXSWedu.
- Launch Competition Lightning Round - All 10 startup finalists will compete
- Launch Competition Showdown Round - The judges' top 3 startup finalists will compete
- Launch Party & Winner Announcement - A celebration of all finalists and winner announcement
Judges, Coaches and Emcees
SXSWedu relies on the expertise of a handpicked group of judges, coaches and an emcee. Based on these participants demonstrated business and investment experience they are qualified to help determine the viability of a startup. These experts play a key role in the event and help guide the exciting Launch competition.
Emcees
Rafranz Davis
Exec Dir of Professional + Digital Learning, Lufkin ISD
Rafranz Davis is the Executive Director of Professional and Digital Learning for Lufkin ISD. Her passion for creativity and student centered learning has driven her work in supporting Lufkin’s transition to taking more innovative approaches to teaching and learning through integrated computational thinking, makerspaces and community driven personalized professional learning. When Rafranz is not disrupting the status quo in East Texas, she can be found connecting with the global education community as an advocate for STEM education, teacher voice, digital equity and diversity in edtech.
Richard Culatta
Chief Innovation Officer, State of Rhode Island Office of Innovation
Richard Culatta is a leader in innovation and education, and has worked in government, non-profit, and the private sector. Prior to becoming the Chief Innovation Officer for the State of Rhode Island, Culatta was the Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education where he focused on using technology to close equity gaps in schools across the country. Prior to joining the Department of Education, he served as policy advisor to US Senator Patty Murray and as Chief Technology Officer at CIA University. Before his work with the federal government, Culatta was the learning technologies advisor for the David O. McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University and the Director of Operations for the Rose Education Foundation. He began working with instructional technology at the University of Rhode Island where he co-taught the universitiy's first technology integration workshops for faculty. Culatta is a certified Spanish teacher and active in promoting bilingual and arts education in public schools.
Coaches
Dan Ryder
Amy Looper
Anita Givens
Nasir QadreeJudges
Startup Finalists
After a competitive application process, ten startups have been selected to take the stage in March.
Adjunct Professor Link
adjunctprofessorlink.com • Valparaiso, IN
APL’s mission is to connect higher education institutions with qualified experts and educators who want to teach as adjunct faculty, to provide a digital tool for institutions to manage their adjunct faculty recruiting and performance data, and to give adjunct faculty the teaching resources they need to help students learn.
ALEX, Anyone’s Learning Experience
anyoneslearning.com • Washington Township, NJ
ALEX, Anyone’s Learning Experience is a platform for the future of higher education. We are a marketplace for people to advance their careers by taking individual courses from across colleges. ALEX connects working learners with the skills and network for career advancement without leaving the workplace or going into debt.
ASD Reading
asdreading.com • Las Vegas, NV
ASD Reading teaches children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to read and write with comprehension using innovative content and methods that enable the children to achieve success - even when they are non-verbal (i.e., non-speaking). It is a game changer in the field of ASD literacy and language development.
Cell-Ed
cell-ed.com • Palo Alto, CA
Cell-Ed is an award-winning tech company that teaches essential skills – language, literacy and job training - in 3-minute lessons via audio and two-way texting on any cell phone (basic or smartphone), tablet or computer. We are designed for people on the go, so they can learn 24/7.
LlamaZOO
llamazoo.com • Victoria, BC
LlamaZOO’s platform marries highly interactive 3D, with AR/VR, and modern teaching techniques such as adaptive quizzing, and spaced repetition, to create more collaborative, and engaging student-educator experiences. LlamaZOO’s mission is to enable 3D digitization, creation, and sharing, broadening the reach of educators, further empowering the next generation of students.
Quizling – the Knowledge Game!
quizlingapp.com • Canberra, ACT
Quizling is passionate about bringing the community into classrooms, and encouraging curiosity and creativity in all students and in all subjects. Working with world class galleries, libraries and organisations the Quizling platform provides students with engaging content, game play and social learning through a fun quiz platform.
Sown to Grow
sowntogrow.com • Oakland, CA
Sown To Grow is a student goal-setting and reflection platform that fosters growth mindset and student agency. Students set personal learning goals, enter their own scores to track progress, and write reflections to continuously improve. The result? Better, more confident learners.
Teachers Connect
teachersconnect.com • Boston, MA
TeachersConnect is laying the groundwork for a world in which teaching is no longer a solo activity. TeachersConnect also enables teacher prep programs to provide ongoing value to their graduates and gather the data they need to meet new regulatory requirements and make sweeping, evidence-based changes to their curricula.
The Graide Network
thegraidenetwork.com • Chicago, IL
The Graide Network is an online platform that connects K-12 teachers with on-demand assistants to grade and provide feedback on student work. “Graiders” are undergraduate and graduate students who are aspiring educators. Their support unlocks the power of feedback to engage students and puts more data at educators’ fingertips.
The Whether powered by Better Weekdays
betterweekdays.com • Saint Louis, MO
The Whether, by Better Weekdays, helps employers hire college grads easier by keeping relevant internships and jobs on a student's radar. The app provides the ideal conditions for students to interact with career services and brands in a whole new way.
For questions or more information about the Launch competition, check out the Launch FAQ or contact programming@sxswedu.com.
SXSWedu Launch photo by Diego Donamaria
