THE

ORANGE

HEADBAND

REPORT

SPRING 2015

4.0 Schools exists because there are very few places

to innovate in education in the United States.

We are, above all else, a community - a diverse

group of people who believe schools can be

dramatically better, especially for kids whose

families don’t have the resources to exercise choice

by moving to another neighborhood or paying

for expensive private schools. We believe that big

change in education is more likely to come from

disciplined focus on acute, granular problems faced

by the people who matter most in education -

students, families and teachers - than from complex

plans trickling down from the top.

A Letter from the CEO

WHAT WE DO

4.0 Schools equips entrepreneurial people to create

new education startup companies and schools. We

start by helping these entrepreneurial people define

tough problems, then we help them envision and

test potential solutions. Finally, we train them to

launch effective solutions as a startup or new school,

within a cohort of other passionate entrepreneurs.

At 4.0, we are dedicated to testing ideas early, at a

small scale, and in close partnership with students,

families, and teachers. We don’t create a startup or

new school until a leader in our community proves

that someone we care about needs it and wants it.

Our unique training in leading innovation in

education happens in three stages:

Essentials

Eight to ten times a year, we host Essentials, a multi-

day experience where up to 20 leaders from the

4.0 Schools community move their ideas forward.

Participants define the person they’re serving, the

problem they’re solving, and ways to test solutions.

Essentials alums walk out the door with a plan to

test their ideas quickly and cheaply.

Individualized Coaching

Leaders who show a willingness to test quickly and

adjust to feedback from people they’re serving get

small-group and one-on-one coaching from highly-

trained 4.0 staff throughout the year.

Launch

Twice a year, we offer our Launch Program to up

to 10 teams of entrepreneurial founders who’ve

validated new solutions to important problems.

They bring new startups to life based on these

ideas in under 90 days. The Launch program gives

leaders an environment to fine-tune solutions, figure

out what type of venture makes the most sense, and

build the foundation for launching a new startup or

running a miniature version of a new school.

The expanded 4.0 community serves as an extensive

test-bed where founders can iterate rapidly during

Launch as they secure their first customers. Cohorts

spend one month of the program in New Orleans or

New York receiving daily coaching and support to

beta-test their startups and school designs.

They also have access to up to $5k of equity-free

startup capital.

ESSENTIALS TEST AN

IDEA

RUN A

PILOT

INDIVIDUALCOACHING

LAUNCH

LAUNCH A

STARTUP

OR SCHOOL

OUR RESULTS

We’re training leaders who put families, students

and teachers at the center of school redesign.

We’re convinced that leaders who work within a

community of people who give them feedback

and context for their work create change that lasts

longer and digs deeper than those who work in

isolated silos.

We’ve seen the promise of this approach pay off.

� Collectively, our alumni ventures are serving

more than 140,000 students, families,

and teachers.

� New schools like Bricolage Academy are bringing

parents together across class and race lines and

showing other schools what a focus on creativity

and innovation can do for math and reading

scores.

� Startups like Branching Minds, an educational

technology company founded by a special

education teacher and a neuroscientist, are

bringing teachers and parents together with

software that suggests proven interventions to

hard-to-diagnose student behavior in real time.

PROBLEM DEFINER

PROBLEM SOLVER

STARTUP FOUNDER

LOCAL LEADER OF A LOCAL

EDUCATION STARTUP COMMUNITY

WHAT WE’RE LEARNING

At 4.0, we focus obsessively on students, families

and teachers instead of the existing, outdated

structure around them. 43 startups and schools later,

we’re starting to see the future of school take shape:

� Schools will get smaller, more responsive, and

more flexible by relying on technology and

customer-centric thinking instead of chasing

“economies of scale” in huge buildings and huge

bureaucracies

� Students and families will be able to choose from

a network of providers within their community

offering a wide variety of more personalized

schooling options instead of having to exercise

choice by moving to new communities

� Students will exercise more ownership over their

learning than in the past

� We’ll supplement teacher qualitative judgement

about student progress with data from a variety

of learning channels (independent learning

platforms, student to student learning, parent-to-

teacher and student-created data)

� Family members will understand what’s

happening in class and know how to support

from home in real-time instead of at the end of a

grading period or school year

� Students will spend more time outside the school

building, relying on mobile platforms to capture

learning and share work with teachers and each

other

� Schools will be more connected to their

communities through partnerships with civic

institutions like museums as well as businesses

that can prepare students to be successful in

local industries

OUR VISION

In less than 4 years, we’ve become one of the

most respected members of a small community of

organizations focused on early-stage investments

in education. And while we generally invest much

earlier in the process than others, what really

separates 4.0 from other edtech accelerators or

school incubators is the expectations we have of the

leaders we train, beyond the startup or school they

create at 4.0. We expect these leaders to continue

to drive systemic reform as the architects and

founders of sustainable startup communities where

they live.

For us, the unit of change in education is neither

the individual entrepreneur, nor the one-off

school model, nor the singular ed-tech startup.

It is the local startup community - a network of

gutsy, curious people working 24/7 to create an

environment where local leaders make the future of

school radically better for their own children.

When each community in our nation has their

own stunning example of the future of school and

enough momentum to sustain their own

local innovation, regardless of the policy

environment or elected leadership around them,

4.0’s work will be done.

To make that vision a reality, we’re creating a

national network of local startup communities led

by the entrepreneurs and school founders we’re

training right now. Over time, this network of

curious, gutsy people will transform how we do

school, and how we approach school reform.

In the rest of this document, you’ll read about the

impact of the 43 organizations we’ve brought to

life in the last ten Launch cohorts and our plans

for the next ten. You’ll also learn about our current

4.0 community and how we’re responding to the

demand for 4.0 from more communities across

the country.

Thank you for your interest in our work. We believe

that the future of school will be far brighter if we

work on it together and put students, families, and

teachers at the center.

Let’s get to it.

Matt Candler

Founder and CEO, 4.0 Schools

4.0 is community of people

who really believe that innovation

needs to happen on a daily basis in

American education.

- Stephen Gilman, founder, Makerstate

Launch Cohort 7

“

”

Our Impact

Last year, 4.0 Schools’ events and programming

drew more than 1,750 people together to imagine

and test ideas for the future of school.

This year, the 4.0 community gathered in 4.0’s

hubs of NYC and NOLA, but also in Austin, SF,

Charlottesville, Chicago, Houston, LA, Denver

and even Vienna. They pitched ideas and gave

tough feedback, shared ideas at unconferences,

and celebrated 4.0’s 4th birthday.

THEY DIDN’T STOP THERE.

Last year alone, 125 individuals came

to 4.0 programs with ideas to

solve problems faced by the people

who matter most in education -

students, families and teachers.

With the support of 4.0’s coaching

and programming, these early-stage

ideas have become 60 active pilots

and ventures around the country.

These pilots and ventures are being tested

nationwide in classrooms, living rooms,

and communities. Last year, a few broad

trends appeared across the work of our

community members.

Many pilots and ventures are tackling

these questions:

What learning opportunities

will best prepare students

not just for college but to

thrive in their future careers?

How can students learn

and practice “making”

and STEM skills?

Emerging Trends

How can parents be better

equipped with avenues to support

their children’s learning, both in their

How can we make college

more attainable for more

students?

What do teachers need

to personalize and

differentiate learning for

students?

schools and in their

everyday interactions

with their kids?

4.0 Pilots in Action

Entrepreneurial individuals use Essentials and our early-

stage coaching to turn their ideas into actionable pilots

in their local community. These are four examples of the

pilots 4.0 community members are developing.

New Orleans youth lack

the exposure, experience,

resources and soft skills that

are necessary to successfully

pursue the career of their

choice. Aaron is piloting

Vivy is focused on equipping

students with the skills they need

to succeed beyond high school.

She is testing how students

respond to hands-on, experiential

learning of entrepreneurship

and is getting feedback through

unCommon Construction, an initiative that builds houses

with currently enrolled high school students, and uses

the profits to provide these apprentices with expanded

academic or career opportunities. They’re currently planning

for this summer’s “Tiny House Institute,” where they’ll test

their program and process by building and selling a tiny

(but complete!) house on a trailer with a small cohort of

apprentices.

piloting in schools, General Assembly, the homeschooling

community, and a maker studio.

AARON FRUMIN, UNCOMMON CONSTRUCTION

NEW ORLEANS, LA

VIVY CHAO, YANG CAMP

LOS ANGELES

College mentoring

programs exist in low-

income communities, but

very few provide support

to high-achieving students

attempting to prepare for

and apply to the country’s

most competitive

universities. Clara believes

Anke is exploring how

to teach elementary

students 21st century skills

—soft skills like creativity,

creative thinking,

communication, and

collaboration—with a play-

based approach. She’s

testing a visual storytelling

framework that teaches

students can match into better universities through more

personalized advising, mentoring, and academic enrichment

opportunities early in their high school careers. Her project,

Bridge the Gap, is now testing information sessions and

workshops to educate students and families about steps

they can take to prepare for the admissions process.

abstract thinking and collaboration through visual, oral, and

written storytelling, working with 1st-3rd graders in schools

and museums.

CLARA BARON-HYPPOLITE, BRIDGE THE GAP

NEW ORLEANS, LA

ANKE STOHLMANN, LI’L STORIES

NEW YORK, NY

37% 26% only 19%

Entrepreneurs ready to turn their early-stage

idea into a school or startup join us at our Launch

program. Launch supports entrepreneurs to

bring new ventures—products, services, or school

models—to life, by focusing on real user feedback.

In 2014, 18 teams joined 4.0’s Launch program in our

summer and fall cohorts.

had experience as educators

had experience as technologists

had prior experience in

entrepreneurship.

Of our 28 total entrepreneurs in these two cohorts:

were people of color

36%were women

50% were parents

26%

4.0 Launch Entrepreneurs in Action

3PROGRAMS/

SERVICES

8EDTECH

PRODUCTS

5SCHOOL

MODELS

2PHYSICAL

PRODUCTS

ACROSS COHORT 9 AND COHORT 10,

100% 96%92%were satisfied

with their

experience

at 4.0.

would

recommend

or strongly

recommend 4.0

to a friend.

felt their

venture was

stronger

because of

4.0 and they

were a stronger

entrepreneur

because of 4.0.

Participating in 4.0’s Launch

program was the best decision we

could have made for ClassTracks.

When we applied, the three

cofounders barely knew each other

and each had a different vision of

where we were going and how to

get there. During Launch we got the

coaching and support we needed

to develop a functional MVP that

responds directly to the needs we

heard from our potential users:

teachers and students.

- Lida Zlatic, co-founder,

Classtracks, Launch Cohort 10

“

”

Meet Cohort 9Summer 2014

rootedschool.orgROOTED SCHOOL

Rooted School solves

the problem of economic

opportunity affecting

students in public education

by creating a workforce

pipeline to New Orleans’

high-growth, high-wage

industries. Rooted will

feature industry-focused

project-based learning experiences where

students are assessed according to the industry

standard and acquire skills that will prepare them

for a 4-year college or entry-level position with

our partner upon graduation.

Launcher: Jonathan Johnson

@MajorClarity

majorclarity.comMAJOR CLARITY

Students struggle to decide

on a major, which leads to

lower graduation rates, lower

retention, higher student

debt, and less fulfilling

educational experiences.

MajorClarity helps students

find the right major/career

path through quick, easy, yet

immersive exploration.

Launchers: Joe Belsterling

and Evan Beck

NOBLE MINDS

INSTITUTE FOR

WHOLE CHILD LEARNING@NobleMindsNOLA

nobleminds.org

The Noble Minds Institute

for Whole Child Learning is a

New Orleans-based learning

lab that focuses on academic

and personal development.

Noble Minds will be running a

kindergarten-only pilot in fall

of 2015 in preparation for a full launch in 2016.

Launcher: Vera Triplett

@AecernEducation

aecern.orgAECERN

Teachers and students

know learning should be

about discovery. Aecern is a

teacher tool that supports

data capture, share, and

use by students in and out

of the classroom.

Launchers: Luk Hendrik and

Michael Giovacchini

partneringinlearning.comBEYOND MARGINS

Parents want to help their

children become better

readers, but often do not

know the most effective

ways to do so. Beyond

Margins provides concrete

in-text guides which tell

parents exactly what to

say and ask while reading, to help their children

become better readers.

Launcher: Monique Wilson

@OperationSpark

operationspark.orgOPERATION SPARK

Most low-income youth

drop out of college and

disconnect, and most schools

are not teaching software

development, despite the fact

that over the next decade it

will double in employment

growth over all other occupations in the US.

Working directly with at-risk kids in immersive

coding bootcamps, we provide an alternative and

free education in software development, and we

support schools by training teachers to implement

software development curriculum.

Launcher: John Fraboni

@vidcode

vidcode.ioVIDCODE

Teen girls can learn code

through a hobby they

already love.

Vidcode teaches teen girls

computer programming by

enabling them to customize

their videos with code.

Launchers: Alexandra

Diracles and Melissa Halfon

@welcome2college

welcometocollege.comWELCOME TO COLLEGE

Welcome to College is

solving the problem of

retaining students from

their first to second year

by helping institutions

enroll optimal fit

students during the

recruitment process.

Their web platform and professional services are

giving colleges innovative tools to enhance how

they are connecting with prospective students

before, during, and after the college visit.

Launchers: Justin Bayer and Jessica Ashworth

@BrightLoop

brightlooplearning.comBRIGHTLOOP

Teachers need easy

ways to track formative

assessment in real time to

use for planning and parent

communication.

Brightloop lets teachers

capture, act on and share

classroom learning.

Launchers: Molly Levitt and Boris Taratutin

nolamicroschools.orgNOLA MICROSCHOOL

Students need to be inspired

more in learning. NOLA

Micro Schools solves this

by providing a school

where students can drive

their own learning, have a

porous relationship with the

YENKO getyenko.com

College students face complex

financial aid rules that hinder

persistence. OnTrack by

Yenko’s mobile app simplifies

state and federal policies into

clear, actionable goals that

drive success.

Launcher: Margo Wright

Meet Cohort 10 Fall 2014

community and use their passions to guide their

hands on projects.

Launchers: Kim Gibson and Oskie Creech

@hiblinkblink

blinkblink.ccBLINK BLINK

Young women (ages 10-18)

need positive and early entry

points into STEM–based

activities through making,

crafting and play.

*blink blink* solves this

problem by providing a

SMART COOS@SmartCoos

smartcoos.com

Parents that only speak one

language need help to teach

their child a second or third

language. Smart Coos solves

that by providing them with a

platform of live tutors, read-

along books, and videos

to teach children another

language.

Launchers: Mirta Desir and Harold Jean-Louis

curated soft-circuits kit and curriculum for making

fun projects with electronics.

Launchers: Joselyn McDonald and Nicole Messier

the1881school.org

MAKEimpact.in

@_MAKEimpactMAKE IMPACT

Youth with a desire to make

a positive impact need to be

connected to 21st century

skills to multiply their

impact as Changemakers.

MAKE impact works with

environmental and civic

THE 1881

RESEARCH INSTITUTE

African American high

school students need to

be equipped to avoid

obsoletion in the labor

force. The 1881 Research

Institute solves this

by providing a STEM

organizations to develop kits and curriculum that

train youth to apply DIY technology and design

skills to local issues.

Launcher: Libby Falck

oriented, collegiate high school where students

graduate with mastery at a college sophomore level

in an engineering discipline.

Launcher: Bahiy Watson

rglarevolution.wix.com/rgla

youngscholars.coYOUNG SCHOLARS

Homeschoolers need

to alleviate feelings of

frustration, isolation and

despair. Young Scholars

solves this by providing

community, flexibility,

and accountability in a

supportive environment.

Launcher: Ty Salvant

RENAISSANCE GLOBAL

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Boys need a space to unite

across difference and be

exposed to a world of

possibilities in order to solve

global problems.

RGLA creates that space

where boys can learn freely,

create often, and unite

towards global liberation.

Launcher: Anthony Wilson

myclasstracks.comCLASSTRACKS

Middle and high school world

language teachers need

a way to efficiently teach

foundational vocabulary

and grammar and collect

actionable data to drive their

lesson plans.

ClassTracks solves that problem by providing an

easy vocabulary learning tool with great data.

Launchers: Lida Zlatic and Thierry Uwilingiyimana

In total, our 32 active alumni ventures are

making a huge impact on students, families,

and educators.

They’ve created

Collectively,

they’ve

raised over

and earned

more than

58 full time jobs

151 part time jobs

More than

140,000students, parents and teachers being served.

6.6M

in revenue2.3M

Before we came to 4.0, we

were trying to solve over 20 different

problems. After 4.0, we were laser

focused on solving one. We will be

forever grateful to the passionate 4.0

community and the unique culture

they are creating of both challenge

and support to help ventures like us

to continue to learn and grow on our

entrepreneurial journey.

- Justin Bayer, founder, Welcome to College

Launch Cohort 9

“

”

Looking Ahead: Cohorts 11-20

We’re extremely proud of our community and what

has been accomplished over the last four years and 10

Launch cohorts. Looking ahead, we plan to leverage

our training sequence and our community to create a

national network of startup communities and stunning

proof points of the future of school.

NEW NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

To give people in communities around the US a chance

to plug into our training, we’re partnering with national

organizations like Education Entrepreneurs, Teach For

America, Kickstarter, and Echoing Green, amongst

others. We want entrepreneurial people nationwide to

see 4.0 as a place to go next to turn their hunches into

startups and schools.

A LAB IN NYC

After two years of growing a New York-based

community, we now have a network of Launch and

Essentials alumni, mentors, and community members

that parallels our community in New Orleans. In 2015,

we’ll apply our learnings from our thriving co-working

space in New Orleans and build a lab in New York to

provide a home for this growing community. We’ll be

able to run our Essentials program more frequently,

and we’re planning to host our Launch program in

New York in Fall 2015.

NEW EDUCATION STARTUP COMMUNITIES

As 4.0-backed founders have gone back to their

hometowns and spread the word, we’ve had more

and more people ask us how to start a 4.0 in their

hometown. For now, we’re focusing on keeping our

Launch program in our two hubs - New Orleans

and New York - but we’re field testing methods to

train individuals and local partners who want to run

Essentials and other early-stage 4.0 programs in new

markets.

TARGETED SUPPORT FOR DIFFERENT TYPES

OF STARTUPS

Our Launch program is unique in the breadth of

organizations it is designed to support: products,

services, programs, and school models. In our 11th

cohort and beyond, we’re committed to differentiating

the resources and mentorship we provide to Launchers

and alumni based on each entrepreneur’s needs. Most

immediately, we’re providing targeted support to

Launch alumni developing new school models.

The Tiny Schools Project helps Launch alums execute

small-scale, one-year pilots of ambitious new school

models. The program will provide design guidance,

financial support between $25,000 and $150,000, and

real-time coaching for up to 18 months.

Help Build the Future of School

HAVE AN IDEA?

Our programs are designed to help early stage

entrepreneurs test their ideas with real users and

turn their ideas into thriving organizations.

ESSENTIALS

A multi-day experience designed to help support

4.0 Schools community members move their ideas

forward. Participants practice the skills of empathy,

unbundling, and prototyping, as they work to

concisely define their customer or user, the problem

they’re working to solve, and the solution they’re

testing. Essentials alums walk out the door with a

clear plan to test their idea.

THE LAUNCH PROGRAM

Launch supports entrepreneurs to bring new

ventures - products, services, or school models - to

life in under 90 days. For bold, gritty individuals

hungry to solve a tough problem, the Launch

program pushes them to test and iterate the

envisioned solution until it is really meeting the

needs of the end users. 4.0 provides an extensive

test-bed in NOLA, where companies can iterate

based on real user feedback and secure their

first customers. During the Launch program,

entrepreneurs will have access to coaching,

connections, and equity-free capital up to 5k.

If you have a hunch you’re ready to share, let us

know at http://4pt0.org/community/.

READY TO CATALYZE YOUR COMMUNITY?

This year, 4.0 will train community members across

the country on how we think about community

building, creating connections, and coaching people

to test their ideas for the future of school.

If you want to help galvanize more early stage

entrepreneurs and ideas to thrive in your hometown,

reach out to us at info@4pt0.org and be one

of our early partners as we grow 4.0’s work and

community beyond New Orleans and New York.