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    The following is our list of foundations with a specific interest in education (target areas noted in parenthesis):

    • Abell Foundation (preK-12 quality instruction, effective schools, college and work pathways, family engagement, literacy enrichment, teacher and principal recruitment, retention and leadership development — all focused on Baltimore)
    • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (education innovation, college ready education, postsecondary success)
    • Bill and Susan Oberndorf Foundation (school reform, blended learning)
    • Blue Ridge Foundation (EdTech in NYC)
    • Broad Foundation (transforming K-12 urban public education through better governance, management, labor relations and competition)
    • Bush Foundation (teacher development to close achievement gaps in Minnesota, Dakotas and the 23 Native nations therein)
    • Calvert Foundation (expanding access to K-12 education, Charter Schools)
    • Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
    • Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation (K12 education: Autonomy and accountability; choice; talent; technology; ideas)
    • Chicago Public Education Fund (Chicago public education, particularly in talent development)
    • City Bridge Foundation (great public schools and outcomes in Washington D.C.)
    • Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation (teacher development and instructional strategies, arts education, and career education aligning students  with  high-demand, high-wage occupations — all focused around the Pittsburgh multi-state area)
    • The Comer Science and Education Foundation (urban education reform on the South Side of Chicago)
    • deLaski Family Foundation (college access and education reform, including technology and new learning models to improve the pipeline from high school completion through college to professional careers)
    • Donnell-Kay Foundation (public education reform in Colorado)
    • ECMC Foundation (educational outcomes, especially among under-served populations, including through The College Place)
    • Emerson Collective (accelerate progress in US education)
    • Ford Foundation (Higher Education for social justice, more and better learning time, transforming secondary education)
    • George Lucas Educational Foundation (K-12 education innovation and reform)
    • Girard Education Foundation (Activate Instruction.org: free online learning resources personalized for individual students)
    • Goldhirsch Foundation (provide skills, programming, and support structures to improve educational opportunity)
    • Hewlett Foundation (education innovation, more)
    • Jaqueline Hume Foundation (K-12 education reform, blended learning)
    • JA and Kathryn Albertson Foundation (catalyst for positive educational change, reform and improvement in Idaho)
    • James Irvine Foundation (improve low-income Californian’s high school completion and postsecondary participation rates)
    • Joyce Foundation (teacher quality, early reading, innovation — all focused on the Great Lakes region)
    • Kauffman Foundation (environment for entrepreneurship and innovation in education; post-secondary success in Kansas City)
    • Kenneth Rainin Foundation (improving childhood literacy in Oakland)
    • Kern Family Foundation (K-12 education reform, entrepreneurship education)
    • Kresge Foundation (pathways through college, higher education productivity, higher education in South Africa)
    • Laura and John Arnold Foundation (K-12 education  management / governance reforms, initially in New Orleans, LA)
    • Lumina Foundation (college participation and graduation)
    • MacArthur Foundation (digital media & learning, more)
    • Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation (Southeastern US community development, including young adults)
    • Michael and Susan Dell Foundation (urban education in the US: performance-driven education; college prep and completion; human capital; quality school options; and academic and after-school programs)
    • Michelson 20 Million Minds Foundation (support open, comprehensive, digital textbooks to reduce the costs of higher ed)
    • The Mind Trust (K-12 education reform in Indianapolis through school and entrepreneur fellowships)
    • Mozilla Foundation (open learning)
    • Nellie Mae Education Foundation
    • New Schools Venture Fund
    • Noyce Foundation (improving STEM teaching in public schools and hands-on science learning out of school setting)
    • Pearson Affordable Learning Fund (investments in for-profit companies providing affordable learning in developing world)
    • Robin Hood Foundation (college success)
    • Roddenberry Foundation (promoting access to education and academic excellence)
    • Rogers Family Foundation (schools and organizations making measurable changes for Oakland students)
    • Sobrato Foundation (21st Century Education, quality academic support, parent engagement, and high quality professional development)
    • Startup: Education (taking a startup approach to improve the quality of public education, including the EducationSuperHighway, TheDream.us, Code.org, and organizations supporting the local Palo Alta community)
    • Stuart Foundation (Districts & Education Systems; Education Leadership; Teaching and Learning)
    • Susan Crown Exchange (digital learning, including gaps in resources, information and infrastructure)
    • Wallace Foundation (school leadership, after school, summer and extended time learning and arts education)
    • Walton Family Foundation (K-12 education reform)
    • WK Kellogg Foundation (early child development  to reading proficiency by third grade, high school graduation, and pathways to meaningful employment)
    • William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
    • William T. Grant Foundation (mitigating the impact of inequality on U.S. youth, improving youth services in NYC)

    And our list of the EdTech focused industry accelerators (geography in parenthesis)

    • ImagineK12 (Silicon Valley) – the original, though obviously K-12 focused
    • Intel Education Accelerator – I guess its focused on personalized learning or something
    • [Defunct] Pearson Catalyst (virtual) – more of a client/grant like arrangement with no travel or dilution required
    • [Defunct] Kaplan TechStarts (New York) – two of our investments benefited from their first cohort
    • LearnLaunchX (Boston) – Boston is (quickly/finally) catching up in EdTech
    • 1776 (Washington DC) – they seem to be the hub for EdTech’s capitol of DC/Baltimore
    • [Defunct] Socratic Labs (New York) – apparently has shut down after a challenging first class
    • Educelerate (Chicago) – our own innovation network is not really an accelerator, but it is not-for-profit and is launching accelerator.education

    Additionally, the following are among the leading education industry lawyers

    Regulatory:

    • Dennis Cariello (Hogan, Marren, Babbo & Rose, Ltd.) – Education Group Co-Chairman and Charlie Rose (HMBR) – Education and Regulatory Partner
    • Michael Goldstein (Dow, Lohnes pllc) – Practice Leader, Higher Education
    • John Przypyszny (Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP) – Partner
    • Stan Freeman (Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville pc) – President and Principal, founder of the education practice

    Corporate:

    • Neil Lefkowitz (Dickstein Shapiro LLP) – Partner
    • Steve Wellvang (Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelley) – Partner (former General Counsel, ECMC Group)
    • David Lewis (DLA Piper) – Partner, Chair US Education Sector

    The following are among the leading education industry recruiters

    • Ralph Protsik (Co-Founder and Managing Director, BSG Team Ventures) – retained executive search within education
    • Joseph M. Theman (Managing Partner, BBG Executive Search) – operational and executive leaders within the for-profit post-secondary education and related edtech start-ups
    • Allen Berge (VP Strategic Engagements, FieldPros) – edtech contingency and retained executive search
    • Shefrin & Associates (Maureen Olive, Jeff Olson, and Greg Shefrin) – for-profit post-secondary education
    • Bellweather Education Partners – K-12 and not for profit leadership
    • The Registry – interim college and university leadership

    The following are the key education industry Twitter #hashtag-based weekly chats

    • Monday (8-9pm EST): #EdTechChat led by @WizardofEd
    • Tuesday (7-8pm EST): #EdChat led by @Web20classroom, @TomWhitby, @ShellTerrell, @kylepace, @cybraryman1, @blairteach, @shiftparadigm, @wmchamberlain, and @jswiatek
    • Wednesday (7-8pm EST): #EdTechBridge (@EdTechBridge) led by @mr_isaacs, @katyamuses, and @cybraryman1
    • Thursday (8:30 – 9:30pm EST): #lrnchat (@lrnchat) led by @LnDDave, @tracy_parish, @ryantracey, and @janebozarth


    © 2012 Christopher Nyren, Educated Ventures LLC, an Educated Companies venture.