March 18, 2024
MINNEAPOLIS - Nationally-ranked startup accelerator gener8tor and education-focused nonprofit ECMC Group have selected the five companies that will each receive a $100,000 investment and take part in the 2024 OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator.
San Mateo based AirReading provides a structured online reading program for students from Pre-K to 6th Grade, Berkeley based CoGrader provides a AI-powered grading tool that can help educators save up to 80% of their time spent on grading, Oakland based Folio.works trains and matches students with internships at venture-backed startups. Charlotte based Gradify provides a LinkedIn for K-12 students that connects them to their school staff, non-profits, colleges and companies, and South Bend based ProMazo has a platform that provides global enterprises a way to discover high-potential talent amongst university student populations.
gener8tor and ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund recruited the accelerator’s latest cohort from a highly competitive and diverse global pool of nearly 300 applicants. This prestigious program, known for its rigorous selection process, aims to empower the next generation of educational and workforce development solutions. From enhancing reading literacy and automating grading to connecting students with internships and career pathways, these startups are poised to make significant impact.
As part of the three-month program, each startup receives a $100,000 investment and gets hands-on support from the teams at gener8tor and ECMC Group. Founders will also receive individualized coaching and mentorship from industry leaders, investors and subject matter experts. The program culminates in a showcase celebration at the OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Conference in July, and a three-week series of investor meetings.
The OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation program was launched in 2020 as a partnership between gener8tor and ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund to seed innovation and impact within the sector, while also democratizing access to capital and connections for early-stage startups.
“The OnRamp accelerator embodies our Education Impact Fund’s commitment to catalyzing equitable outcomes by empowering nascent companies and founders at the forefront of education and workforce innovation,” said Joe Watt, VP of Impact Investing at ECMC Group. “This program not only advances solutions critical to solving the myriad challenges facing our education systems, but also seeks to elevate a diverse group of entrepreneurs that are paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable future. It’s a privilege to invest in and collaborate with these visionary teams.”
Started by gener8tor & ECMC Group in 2020, the annual OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Conference brings together the industry’s leading corporations, investors and startups. Both the conference and accelerator highlight innovations disrupting education and the future of work, the leaders making such innovations possible and how new technologies and business models can reinvent the industry. This year’s OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Conference will be held July 9th-10th, 2024, in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. ECMC Group’s dedication to investing in educational opportunities aligns perfectly with the mission of the Accelerator, promising a brighter future for students and professionals across the globe.
Moses Tut serves as the Managing Director of OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator for gener8tor. Recently, Moses was nominated as a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal 40 under 40 and will be recognized at a celebration event in March. His passion aligns with gener8tor's commitment to equal opportunities regardless of race, location, or gender. Moses, having experienced both sides of entrepreneurship and fundraising as a BIPOC founder and VC/accelerator professional, aims to close the opportunity gap.
“I am especially excited to work with these five startups because of their commitment to creating a better, more equitable future within the education and workforce sectors,” Tut said.
The chosen companies represent a diverse array of solutions designed to address critical challenges and opportunities in education and workforce development. This initiative underscores the commitment of gener8tor and ECMC Group to fostering innovation and excellence in education and workforce solutions. Below is a brief look at the innovative ventures.
To learn more about the program, go to OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator.
The five startups listed below were selected to participate in and receive investment from the OnRamp Education + Workforce Innovation Accelerator.
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Xing Zhang | xing@airreadingclass.com | airreading.com Air Reading provides a structured online reading program for students from Pre-K to 6th Grade through small-group and one-on-one targeted instruction by certified English teachers. The platform provides students access to 400+ lessons that are phonics-based and backed by the Science of Reading. Air Reading serves over 1000 students that includes both district contracts and individual families and has achieved $1.5M in ARR. |
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Gil Flores | gil@cograder.com | cograder.com CoGrader provides a AI-powered grading tool that can help educators save up to 80% of their time spent on grading. Get instant feedback on student assignments and feedback quickly and accurately. CoGrader can help improve instruction quality and reduce grading time. In less than a year, CoGrader has over 600 monthly active users, more than 120K assignments have been graded and nearly 50K students have been given feedback on the platform. |
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Catherine Huang | cathy@folio.works | folio.works Folio.works trains and matches students with internships at venture-backed startups. Upon completing their program, students are job-ready, earn college credit and $10k+/yr as vetted freelancers on their platform while completing their studies. Since launching in June 2023, Folio has generated a $1M revenue run rate, served 7500 students, 350 venture backed startups, closed 4 university partnerships, and helped students earn over $700k. |
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Travis Manigan | tmanigan@gradify.io | gradify.io GRADIFY provides a LinkedIn for K-12 students that connects them to their school staff, non-profits, colleges and companies. Included in the platform are 1,000+ career pathways and 4,000+ college destinations where they can fulfill their career goals and stay connected with non-profit and school staff through messaging and social features. GRADIFY has regional partnerships with both the YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs of America leading to over 35 active customers and $25K MRR |
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Brett Hummel | brett@promazo.com | promazo.com ProMazo built a platform that provides global enterprises a way to discover high-potential talent amongst university student populations, develop them, and deploy them directly into their organizations on-demand to create a next generation workforce for our clients. ProMazo has 4 Fortune 500 customers and over 900 students on the platform while garnering over $1M in sales in 2023 |
About gener8tor
gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, founders, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate programs in more than 41 communities across 22 states and two countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022.
About ECMC Group
ECMC Group is a nonprofit corporation focused on helping students succeed by creating, providing and investing in innovative educational opportunities. Headquartered in Minneapolis, ECMC Group and its family of companies provide financial tools and services, nonprofit career education and funding for innovative programs to help students achieve their academic and professional goals. ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund is investing $250M in mission-aligned, impact-driven and financially scalable early stage and growth ventures that are focused on postsecondary education and employment. For more information about ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund, visit www.educationimpactfund.org.