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8/6/13 Ed-tech firm Upswing builds marketplace to improve educational access -TechWire Insider :: Editor's Blog at WRAL Tech Wire
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DURHAM, N.C. —
Posted Aug. 6, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.
Edtech firm Upswing builds marketplace toimprove educational access
By JASON PARKER, special to WRAL TechWire
Tags: Venture & Innovation, Startups, Local Firms
Meet Upswi.ng, an edtech company working to change how people can accessand engage with knowledge communities and highly specialized professionals.
The platform goes far beyond traditional tutoring models, said company cofounder Melvin Hines.
Hines has been fascinated with how learners can access educational knowledge since high school,when he realized that his graduating class of 68 students was just a small portion of the 250 students
that he started school with as a freshman.
The issue isn’t about desire, or innate knowledge or skill, said Hines, it’s an issue of access. “We’re trying to create access for a lot ofthese people,” said Hines.
Cofounder Alex Pritchett got involved in educational access issues while a student at UNCChapel Hill. Pritchett helped set up anafterschool educational program for Spanishspeaking students in Orange County. “It was an eyeopening experience,” said Pritchett.
Not long after, Pritchett started studying technology, with a particular eye towards solving educational issues.
“The current model is broken,” said Pritchett, “because to online tutors, I could be just another faceless name.”
“We’re personalizing the experience,” said Pritchett, “by building a marketplace that allows learners to better structure their session.”
Community of learners
Upswing is a community of learners, interested in pursuing knowledge across a wide variety of academic disciplines. Using theUpswing platform, learners are able to identify and contact “Coaches,” who are community members who are screened by Upswingprior to joining the marketplace.
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“Even if a student doesn’t have a computer at home,” said Pritchett, addressing a potential concern, “virtually every student will haveaccess to a tablet or a smartphone in their household.”
The company is counting on initiatives like One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) or a new initiative from LA Public Schools to provide eachstudent an Apple iPad to expand access to knowledgesharing to a wide community of learners.
The idea is simple, said Monique McNellie, the company’s third cofounder, and it could revolutionize how students learn. “Our hope isthat students will open up their computer to do their homework, and automatically login to Upswing.”
“One neat thing,” said McNellie, “is that we don’t bill hourly, we charge by the minute.” This would enable a student who is experiencingtrouble with one concept in their Algebra class to access a coach in realtime who could help troubleshoot and solve the issue, withoutthe student having to set up an hourlong session in advance.
“The 'Coaches' will have their own profile,” said McNellie, “and will get to set their own rates and their own hours.” Students – the"Learners," pay the Coaches. Under the current business model, Upswing gets a cut of that payment. The Learners, said McNellie, willbe able to select which coach best fits their needs within the marketplace brokered by Upswing’s proprietary software platform.
McNellie, a Syracuse alumni who worked at IBM in Research Triangle Park and later graduated from law school at Duke University,was the last to join the team. McNellie splits her time between New York City, where she maintains a legal practice advisingtechnology entrepreneurs, and the Triangle. She made the trip to Durham for Paradoxos, and returned for our conversation and tointroduce WRAL Tech Wire to her cofounders.
McNellie is unique in the tech startup community, in that she’s a minority in the industry – a woman, African American, and in awheelchair. “If there’s one thing I don’t do in this community, it’s blend in,” said McNellie, who sees this as a potential advantage whenapproaching investors, partners or highvalue clients.
“It’s a good thing,” said McNellie, “that women often bring an alternative perspective to the table.”
Each of the Upswing cofounders has an equal spot at that table, said McNellie. “We all help out with each function, in order to deliveron the core vision.”
Core vision
“The core vision,” said Hines, “is to create a platform that allows as much access to as many learners as possible, while providing anincredibly highquality experience.”
Building critical mass is still a critical issue that the company faces, said Hines, though it is clear that the pathway to success is throughpartnering with established institutions.
“And we have seen traction,” said Pritchett, “we’re fixing broken systems, because the old model isn’t working.” The company, whichwas one of seven finalists at a 40company AngelPitch event held at Google headquarters in June, completed a private beta with aschool system (we’ve been asked not to share the client list) during the spring semester and experienced great success. The client
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plans to renew their contract during the upcoming school year, said McNellie.
The company moved in to Groundwork Labs on June 17, 2013, and is making a splash in the startup community, attracting interest frominvestors, partners, and coaches, said Hines. The company plans to expand operations by hiring summer and fall interns and campusrepresentatives at Trianglearea universities.
Upswing has also launched an indiegogo campaign to raise $25,000. The funds will be used to develop the next iteration of theUpswing marketplace.
“There’s definitely a lot of opportunity,” said McNellie, “our platform keeps progressing, and we’re releasing a new version of it shortly.”
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