Dear Friends,
We hope that your fall is off to an energetic start. We are excited to announce that Jeff Wahl has joined our team as an Executive in Residence who will work with us to research and identify prospective opportunities in both the K-12 Education and Corporate Training sectors.
Jeff brings over 35 years of experience operating technology and services companies in the K-12 and enterprise markets. Most recently, Jeff was Executive Chairman of Glynlyon, Inc., a world-class digital curriculum company serving more than one million students in the K-12 school and consumer education markets across its two brands, Odysseyware and AOP. Prior to Glynlyon, Jeff served as President and CEO of EdisonLearning, an international education services provider. Prior to Edison, Jeff served as Executive Vice President and COO of Outsourcing Solutions Inc., a global provider of business process outsourcing and revenue cycle management solutions. Previously, Jeff rose through senior level positions at GE Capital where he led several stand-alone businesses units. Jeff began his career with KPMG.
As the gap in college readiness continues to widen, K-12 providers are under pressure to improve their academic performance under federal and state accountability regulations or face reductions in funding. This is happening in a time when teacher shortages and under-performance persist. These challenges require innovative technology solutions that improve how students learn, teachers instruct, and schools operate in order to achieve successful outcomes.
In collaboration with Jeff, we will focus on identifying mission-driven companies that are developing contemporary solutions to address these challenges. Our focus areas in the K-12 vertical include administrative and workflow technology solutions, transportation solutions, student safety and communication tools, supplemental curriculum, at-risk / special education, credit recovery, and private / alternative school models. Our focus areas in the Corporate Training vertical include industry specific training and certification, governance risk and compliance solutions, professional development and continuing education, and technical skills training. The Education Opportunity Fund seeks to invest $10-$50 million of equity in each portfolio investment.
If you know of any interesting opportunities or referrals or you are interested in exploring an investment thesis with us, please contact Brian or Jeff.