Next Generation of Innovative Education and Workforce Companies To Join Nationally-Ranked Accelerator
Next Generation of Innovative Education and Workforce Companies to Join Nationally-Ranked Accelerator
MINNEAPOLIS - ST. PAUL, Minn. - Nationally-ranked startup accelerator gener8tor and ECMC Group, a non-profit focused on helping students succeed, are excited to announce the five participants of the 2022 OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator: Clusiv, Julius Education, Rex Academy, Transizion, and Wiz Kid Learning.
The companies are contributing next-generation solutions to the education and workforce sectors through services that include job training for visually-impaired individuals, upskilling for the green infrastructure workforce, accessible virtual curriculum for computer science education, project-based STEM education courses and customized college admission counseling.
“We are honored to work with this resilient and talented group of entrepreneurs advancing private-sector solutions to help education and workforce systems better serve communities,” said YaaJoy Engel, Managing Director of the OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator. “This cohort will move the needle toward bridging the gap between education and career. The ECMC Group and gener8tor are thrilled to welcome these companies to the 2022 program.”
gener8tor’s “OnRamp” model is designed to efficiently connect startups, corporations and capital. The OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation program was developed as a partnership between gener8tor and ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund to seed innovation that promotes accessibility and positive student and worker outcomes. The selection process this year was especially competitive with five startups chosen out of approximately 500 applicants.
“We view OnRamp as a channel for our Education Impact Fund to broaden its support for the education and workforce entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing critical access to capital, network, mentorship, and other resources to companies that are still in the nascent stages of their development,” said Joe Watt, Vice President of Corporate Development & Impact Investing at ECMC Group. “The interest in the program and the quality of the applicant pool were tremendous, and we are proud to have the opportunity to work with such an impressive and diverse group of mission-driven founders.”
OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator 2022 Cohort:
Each startup will receive a $100,000 investment and will work with gener8tor and ECMC Group during the three-month accelerator. Founders will also receive individualized coaching and mentorship from industry leading education and workforce professionals. The program culminates in a Premiere Night celebration at the OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Conference and a two-week series of investor meetings in June.
The OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator builds on the success of the annual OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Conference. Started by gener8tor in 2020, the conference brings together the industry’s leading corporations, investors and startups. 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 will reinvent the industry. This year’s OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Conference will be held June 16, 2022 at the Allianz Field in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
To learn more about the program, go to onrampeducation.com.
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The five startups listed below were selected to participate in and receive investment from the OnRamp Education + Workforce Innovation Accelerator investing program.
Tom Jackson | tom@clusiv.io | clusiv.io
Daniel Goldsmith | daniel@juliusedu.com | juliusedu.com
Sandhya Padala | sandy@rex.academy | rex.academy
Jason Patel | jason@transizion.com | transizion.com
Kyla Bolden | kyla@wizkidcoding.com | wizkidlearning.com
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About gener8tor
gener8tor is a venture capital fund and national accelerator network that partners with communities to invest in their best and brightest. Ranked one of the top-15 accelerators in the United States, gener8tor operates programs for startups, musicians, artists, and workers and prioritizes investing across race, place, and gender. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the 10 Most Innovative Companies in 2020 and one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021. For more information, visit gener8tor.com.
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 are focused on advancing educational opportunities through financial tools and services; nonprofit career education; and impactful, mission-aligned funding for programs to help students achieve their academic and professional goals and to address the future of work. 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.ecmcgroup.org/education.impact.fund.html.
About OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator
Each year, the OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator, with ECMC Group, invests in five education & workforce innovation startups who participate in a three-month, concierge accelerator program in Minneapolis-St. Paul (hybrid). Each startup receives a $100,000 cash investment, office space and access to gener8tor's global network of mentors and investors.