Educators are frequently criticized for being disconnected from reality, with insults along the lines of “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” I’m very cognizant of these criticisms and agree that there’s terrific danger in faculty remaining disconnected from the “real world” while trying to prepare student to thrive out in it. One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about EdStartup 101 is the opportunity to really dig in on issues relating to entrepreneurship in education not just academically, but in the “real world” as well.
I’m working with two startups right now that I’m extremely excited about. Degreed, which is the furthest along of the two has just released a new version of the site which addresses much of the feedback from our previous beta round (including sign ups without Facebook!). As part of the newer, better beta, we’ve kicked off an awareness campaign including some great new videos and a Kickstarter-like fundraising campaign. Check out the video and if you like what we’re trying to do, consider making a donation.