How Coworking Helped an Education Accelerator EDGE partnered with AlleyNYC to host their education accelerator.
By Jason Saltzman Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
People tend to ask me, "What makes AlleyNYC different from other coworking spaces?"
Honestly, there are different variables that have culminated in the explosion of the coworking industry over the past few years. When AlleyNYC first opened its doors, there were only a handful of coworking spaces operating in New York City and an even smaller number operating across the globe. Fast forward to present day and there are currently over 3,000 coworking spaces in the United States alone. Now, I understand why that question is asked. If AlleyNYC exists within an ecosystem that is populated with other contenders, what sets us apart is not the fact that we are coworking space, but how we are approaching the coworking business differently. One way we're able to do that is a three-month initiative we began this year.
I strongly believe that education technology is a catalyst for innovation. Right along side of health care, the EdTech sphere will fuel the growth of the future (and in doing so, make a better life for the generations to come). This is why AlleyNYC has partnered with a rising education accelerator called EDGE.
EDGE is working with and investing in 10 companies that are in the EdTech space to help them develop their technologies and get them to market.
"The technologies and solutions in our 2015 cohort are helping lay the foundations of the future of education," Don Burton, co-founder of EDGE, says. "They are transforming how we use technology to better educate and positively impact the globe."
Over the course of six months, AlleyNYC worked with EDGE to assist in the growth of the companies listed below. It wasn't just giving them a place to work. Rather, we integrated them into our startup community, we gave them visibility and guidance, and we made introductions through our own networks.
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All 10 of the companies below are addressing a range of challenges and market opportunities in pre-K12, higher education, career readiness, professional development, and lifelong learning. They're certainly worth watching.
· Coach Tube – develops the premier sports-instruction marketplace for brand-name coaches to share their expertise with school coaches, young athletes and their parents.
· CredSpark – delivers formative assessments to help publishers and brands better understand, educate and attract customers.
· ExpertKnowledge – provides Fortune 5000 clients with a self-guided instructional design and course development tool to transform institutional knowledge into accredited e-learning courses.
· Erudite Science – creates an artificial intelligence mathematics tutor for K-12.
· Thrively – provides an assessment for kids' character strengths and connects them with personalized co-curricular activities so they can discover and pursue their passions in life.
· Junior Explorers – encourages kids to discover wildlife and nature through interactive, online and offline learning adventures.
· Kinems – develops a motion-based educational gaming platform that helps occupational therapists and special education teachers to improve children's cognitive and motor skills.
· Little Bird – offers a HR & benefits platform custom-built for the education sector.
· Open Online Academy – provides online education and professional development for the infrastructure sector including architecture, structural engineering, construction and real estate to anyone, anywhere in the world.
· Ruckus Learning – offers a platform that leverages popular kid and family brands to create interactive reading and learning experiences.
(Editor's Note: Entrepreneur Media is an investor and partner with AlleyNYC, a co-working space in New York City.)
