Finalists Announced for 2024 Milken–Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition

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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 announced the finalists for the 15th annual Milken–Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC) today. 

The finalists’ ventures are focused on some of the biggest challenges in education, including student literacy, support for students with disabilities, K–12 workforce wellness, and more. They include Games & Learning, Hilight, Honest Game, Saturday Art Class, SAY IT Labs, Start Lighthouse, and trubel&co. The ventures will compete for cash and prizes at the live pitch competition held September 10 at the 75 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City as part of HolonIQ’s Back to School Summit.

“This year's finalists are truly inspiring. They are pushing the boundaries of educational technology and practice, and offering groundbreaking solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in education today,” said Michael Golden, Vice Dean of Innovative Programs and Partnerships, who leads Catalyst @ Penn GSE. “Their work exemplifies the spirit of innovation and the profound impact that entrepreneurial vision can have on transforming learning environments for students worldwide.”

Considered the most prestigious and well-funded competition of its kind, the EBPC attracts innovative education ventures from around the world. To date, the EBPC has awarded over $2 million dollars in cash and prizes. Winners and finalists have gone on to secure more than $200 million in funding.

The 2024 EBPC finalists were selected through a democratized judging process that includes practitioners, investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and more. The final pitch competition will take place Tuesday, September 10. It is free and open to the public.

“These finalists represent the inspiration—and perspiration—behind the competition,” says Penn GSE Entrepreneur-in-Residence John Gamba, who leads Catapult, the Catalyst @ Penn GSE virtual accelerator, through which the 2024 semifinalists honed their ventures this summer. “With ingenuity, creativity and grit, they're finding unique ways to advance innovation, impact, and equity in worldwide education and I couldn’t be any more excited to watch their final pitches in September.”

The 2024 EBPC finalists are:

• Games & Learning is on a mission to create a more impactful ecosystem for learning games, apps, and tools that kids love and parents trust.

• Hilight is a districtwide, staff-to-staff recognition system to make sure teachers and staff feel appreciated, celebrated, and connected all year long.

• Honest Game is the only automated system that empowers school staff, students and their families to unlock equity to college athletic opportunities like experts.

• Saturday Art Class unleashes the creative potential of one of the world’s largest marginalized child populations by developing social-emotional skills through visual arts education.

• SAY IT Labs develops video games that combine artificial intelligence and speech therapy to help support children with speech disorders. 

• Start Lighthouse transforms abandoned school libraries into vibrant Literacy Hubs, fostering a love of reading and enhancing literacy through immersive, culturally relevant programs and family engagement.

• trubel&co is a tech-justice nonprofit championing diverse youth tackling social and environmental disparities using data, design, and technology. 

The EBPC is made possible through the generous support of the Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation, Cognativ, Inc., Magnitude Digital, Osage Venture Partners, and Amazon Web Services.

The Milken family, several of whom are Penn graduates, embody the 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.

Penn GSE is one of the nation’s premier research education schools. No other education school enjoys a university environment as supportive of practical knowledge-building as the Ivy League’s University of Pennsylvania. The School is notably entrepreneurial, launching innovative degree programs for practicing professionals, unique partnerships with local educators, and the first-ever business plan competition devoted exclusively to educational products and programs. For further information about Penn GSE, please visit gse.upenn.edu.

Find more on educationcompetition.org or follow the conversation on Twitter: @CatalystPennGSE and #MilkenPennGSE.

Image at top: An educator in India leads a Saturday Art Class. (Courtesy of Saturday Art Class)