Winners announced for 2024 Milken–Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition

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NEW YORK CITY—SAY IT Labs captured the $40,000 grand prize at the 15th annual Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC) today in New York City. The venture also earned the most live votes to win the Osage Venture Partners Audience Choice Prize.

Other winners include Saturday Art Class, which won the $25,000 Cognativ Inc. Prize, and Honest Game, which received the Magnitude Digital Prize.

Seven finalists pitched their ventures to a live judging panel as well as an audience of investors, researchers, and practitioners. The final competition was a keystone event of the HolonIQ’s 2024 Back to School Summit.

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 earn more than $200 million in funding.

The 2024 EBPC winners:

• SAY IT Labs captured the $40,000 Michael & Lori Milken Family Foundation Grand Prize.
• Saturday Art Class won the $25,000 Cognativ Inc. Prize.
• Honest Game earned the $10,000 Magnitude Digital Prize.
• SAY IT Labs also collected the $5,000 Audience Choice Prize presented by Osage Venture Partners.
• The finalists also received a portion of $50,000 in Amazon Web Services credits and $1,500 cash each from Catalyst @ Penn GSE.

“The innovative solutions presented by this year's winners are a testament to the enormous potential of the future of education,” said Michael Golden, Vice Dean of Innovative Programs and Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. “These entrepreneurs are not only addressing today's challenges but are also paving the way for the next generation of learners. Their success is a reflection of the creativity and commitment that drives the education sector forward.”

Last year’s EBPC winners were Unlocked Labs, Skizaa, Storyshares, and EdVisorly.

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.

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 and unique partnerships with local educators, and the first-ever business plan competition devoted exclusively to educational products and programs. The EBPC is part of Catalyst @ Penn GSE, a collection and facilitator of unique, innovative initiatives at Penn GSE aimed at addressing persistent and emerging problems in education.

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