PHILADELPHIA, August 20, 2025 — Catalyst @ Penn GSE—a global center for education innovation and impact at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE)—and the Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation today announced the finalists for the 16th annual Milken–Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC).
This year’s finalists are redefining what’s possible in education—breaking barriers and reimagining how students learn, grow, and thrive. Their ventures address some of the field’s most urgent challenges, including equity and access, literacy and innovative learning, safety and justice, and representation.
The 2025 finalists are: Canopy Nepal, Cloud IX, College Contact, Cosmic Writers, Enlightapp, Rézme, and Solve Education!.
These innovators will compete for cash and prizes at the live pitch event on Thursday, September 11, at Quorum (122 Avenue of the Americas, Midtown Manhattan), held as part of HolonIQ’s Back to School Summit in New York City. The competition is free and open to the public, though space is limited. Register to attend the finals on the EBPC website.
“This moment in education calls for bold vision and practical innovation, and that is exactly what this year’s EBPC finalists represent. Each venture is tackling real challenges with creativity, courage, and urgency,” said Michael Golden, Vice Dean of Innovative Programs and Partnerships, who leads Catalyst @ Penn GSE. “This September, we’ll see the power of these ideas on full display, and I couldn’t be more hopeful about the future they are helping us build.”
Widely considered the most prestigious and well-funded competition of its kind, the EBPC has awarded more than $2 million in cash and prizes since its founding. Past winners and finalists have gone on to raise more than $200 million in funding to scale their ventures and deepen their impact.
Finalists are selected through a democratized judging process that brings together practitioners, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and other education leaders.
“The Milken EBPC has always been about more than a competition, it’s a movement to transform education as we know it,” says Penn GSE Entrepreneur-in-Residence John Gamba, who leads Catapult, the Catalyst @ Penn GSE virtual accelerator, through which the 2025 semifinalists honed their ventures this summer. “This year’s finalists inspire us with their passion, purpose, and promise. We’re reminded that the future of learning is not just coming, it’s here and it’s being shaped by these remarkable innovators.”
The 2025 EBPC finalists are:
- Canopy Nepal — A program that expands access to quality education in Nepal through scholarships, creative curricula, and youth leadership, helping underserved students break the cycle of poverty.
- Cloud IX — An AI-powered platform that enables campus sexual assault survivors to report safely and access trauma-informed resources via a confidential, university-specific chatbot.
- College Contact — A peer-based advising service addressing gaps left by America’s overburdened school counseling system.
- Cosmic Writers — A nonprofit offering multiple pathways for children to experience creative writing education, particularly for low-income and underserved youth.
- Enlightapp — A data-driven platform that helps teachers and staff build stronger, more authentic connections with students, ensuring every learner feels seen, supported, and empowered.
- Rézme — Compliance software that dismantles systemic barriers keeping justice-impacted individuals from jobs, housing, and higher education.
- Solve Education! — A social enterprise using AI-powered technology to deliver essential skills training and job opportunities for underserved youth.
The EBPC is made possible through the generous support of the Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation, Flexion, Institute for Education Innovation, EdSales Elevation Experience, and WGU Labs.
The Milken family, several of whom are Penn graduates, embody the Ben Franklin spirit. Through successful educational entrepreneurship—from pre-K services through college education for working adults—as well as investments in educational enterprises, they have demonstrated a commitment to the leaders of tomorrow. In their four decades of philanthropic activities, the Milken family has made innovation in education—as exemplified by the Milken Educator Awards and National Institute for Excellence in Teaching—a cornerstone of their work.
About Penn’s Graduate School of Education
Penn GSE is one of the world’s leading schools in education research and practitioner preparation. Penn GSE partners with schools, universities, and communities to expand educational access—especially for those underserved by society—and, through rigorous research and innovative programs, develops new knowledge and transformational teachers and leaders in pursuit of educational opportunity. Follow Penn GSE on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
Find more on educationcompetition.org or follow the conversation on X: @CatalystPennGSE and #MilkenPennGSE.
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