The One About Alec and OpenClass
Plus news, updates, and more!
Welcome to the first issue of Windy City EdTech! Let’s dive right in!
Community Wins
FlashHoops received $25k after winning TechRise Chicago’s Consumer Pitch Competition.
Owler AI received a $110k investment and the Moonshot Prize from the University of Chicago’s New Venture Challenge.
ASL Aspire received $25k after winning TechRise Chicago’s EdTech Pitch Competition.
They just launched their free app and are looking for feedback, especially from any deaf students and teachers or anyone in special-ed.
REACH Pathways received $20k after winning the Summerfest Tech Pitch Competition.
TrueFiktion received $25k after winning TechRise Chicago’s Media & Entertainment Pitch Competition.
Archer Career won the 2024 EdTech Breakthrough Award for Career Readiness Solution of the Year.
Otus was named one of Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces of 2024.
ThinkingCrown was selected as a 2024 Black Ambition Semifinalists.
Academic Atlas recently graduated from the Future Founders Accelerator.
NextWaveSTEM recently launched their drone pilot certification prep course and AI literacy courses for schools.
Founder Spotlight
I’m excited for you to meet Alec, founder and CEO of OpenClass, a learning tool that uses AI to help educators build and generate better assignments. Alec is on a mission to improve and democratize education. Continue reading to learn more about his story.
Windy City EdTech (WCE): Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and how did you come to entrepreneurship?
Alec: I'm from Cleveland, Ohio initially, then moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in high school, and studied computer science and psychology at the University of Arizona.
I've been entrepreneurial for as long as I can remember. I started coding little games in Macromedia Flash when I was a kid as a hobby. I also started a sports blog in 8th grade and sold it a couple of years later. In high school, I built a social media app called Serveboard with my cousin, Michael.
It wasn’t until college when I developed my passion for education. As a student, I built a "Craigslist for students" marketplace app called Unilist, which ended up dying when I left the UA to study abroad in Singapore my senior year.
After graduating, I moved to San Francisco to work as a software engineer at a communications tech startup. While I enjoyed my time there, I had such a strong itch to get back into education and pursue what is now OpenClass.
WCE: What is OpenClass? What big problem are you trying to solve?
Alec: OpenClass is a learning tool that helps educators build better assignments. Our goal is to make education more efficient.
Think about it like this: People spend their first 18 to 22 to 30 years of life going through the education system. It is a massive time and (often) financial commitment. Yet, why is it that the system seems to be so flawed and inefficient?
I have a handful of answers to this question, but I'll focus on two:
The education system has historically prioritized grades over learning. This is the result of the “glove” or “one-size-fits-all” problem in education, where it's inherently impossible for one instructor to reach the unique needs of each of their students. Instructors end up teaching their classes at their own pace, even if many students end up falling behind.
Many educators are not familiar with best pedagogical practices to optimize learning outcomes for their students. Concepts like flipped classrooms, active learning, spaced repetition, retrieval practice, and priming are foreign to many educators. Those who are familiar have a hard time incorporating them effectively into their teaching without the right technology.
The OpenClass platform sits right at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cognitive neuroscience. We want to make it easy for educators to create assignments that are designed to optimize long-term knowledge retention.
WCE: What inspired you to start OpenClass?
Alec: My journey with OpenClass really began during my sophomore year at the University of Arizona, about four years before I established the company.
I routinely found myself showing up to my lectures, trying to be a good student, trying to retain everything I was learning, but I just kept thinking to myself, “Why won't it stick?”
I created a list of problems that I saw with how education was being delivered on campus. I brainstormed solutions, but it wasn’t until I took a class on Statistical Natural Language Processing (sNLP) that I became inspired by how machine learning and artificial intelligence could truly shape the future of education.
I then purchased the domain openclass.ai and started thinking about what a personalized learning companion could look like. After graduating, I began researching the cognitive neuroscience of how people best retained information and, in my spare time, took Udacity’s Machine Learning Nanodegree program. This led me toward the first version of OpenClass.
Eventually, I quit my job and bought a one-way ticket to Bali. I told myself that I would not return to the states until I had a working product. Three months later, I moved back to Tucson with an MVP and everything to prove.
WCE: What sets OpenClass apart from others?
Alec: To me, the most unique aspect of OpenClass is the degree to which instructors and learners love using it. I could ramble all day about our implementation of various learning principles, our content generation features, our slick and easy-to-use interface, the uniqueness of our various assignment formats, and more.
But ultimately, it’s about the satisfaction of our instructors and learners. When I was a student, I never imagined begging my teachers for more homework. At OpenClass, we’re shifting away from punitive assignments and toward mastery-based ones that actually help students learn. And it’s working. We’re getting feedback of students hounding their instructors to give them more OpenClass assignments.
WCE: What is one emerging trend in EdTech that you’re excited about?
Alec: It may be overly simple to say AI, but it has to be AI. The education system is not working as it should. AI has so much potential to ease the job of teachers and improve learning for students. AI will never replace a great educator, but it can turn a great educator into a superhero.
WCE: Why are you building in Chicago? What do you love most about the city?
Alec: To be honest, I moved to Chicago for social reasons. Building a startup, especially as a solo founder, can be lonely and grueling. In Tucson, I felt like I had a weak support system. I was there before the pandemic to meet face-to-face with instructors at UA. However, once COVID hit, and my in-person meetings went virtual, I no longer felt a need to build in Tucson.
I was ready for a change, and I already had some family and friends based in Chicago. It seemed like a great next destination for me.
The thing I love most about Chicago is the Lakefront Trail. I live right on the water in Gold Coast, and for me there is no better way to clear my head after a long day than a long walk along the water. Beyond that, I've been so pleasantly surprised by the emerging EdTech scene here, and I'm looking forward to helping cultivate this community more going forward.
WCE: How can the WCE community help you?
Alec: While we've been in business for almost five years now, I still feel like we're just getting started. Referrals to any university, high school, or coding bootcamp instructors or decision-makers would be incredibly appreciated. As a startup, we can work closely with instructors to help them transform their classes.
Additionally, while we’re bootstrapped and not actively seeking funding, we’re always open to connecting with like-minded investors in case the right opportunity presents itself in the future.
Send me a message at alec@openclass.ai or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Upcoming Events in July
Chicago EdTech and Social Impact Happy Hour — July 25th from 5:30-7:30 pm
Join us for a fun and engaging happy hour designed specifically for Chicago-area EdTech and social impact founders, investors, and operators. This gathering is a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, share insights, and foster meaningful relationships in a casual and inviting atmosphere.
This will be our July in-person meetup! This is a change of pace from our normal happy hours. Excited for you all to experience the space which has been generously provided by Three Cities Social.
This is a TechChicago Week Recommended Event.
Luma RSVP
The First Class — Code Your Dreams Screening — July 22nd at 5:30 pm
Teachers, advocates, parents, and public policy fans – join Code Your Dreams and CS4IL as we screen this new educational documentary about an innovative new project-based learning high school in Tennessee. Network with others doing work in the edtech space at TechNexus.
This is a TechChicago Week Recommended Event
Get tickets (free)
Talents x Tech Conference, Hosted by Study Aloud — July 12th
Conference Page
Luma RSVP — Use code EdTechChi for 25% off!
TechChicago Week — July 22-26
Learn more on their website
Resources
The EdTech Top 40: A Look at K-12 EdTech Engagement During the 2023-24 School Year
This annual report by Instructure provides the latest on the use of digital solutions, tools, and resources in K-12 districts nationwide, as well as insights on usage trends and categorical rankings (PDF).
List of EdTech VC Firms (Airtable).
The Chicago Tech Scene Navigator
A dynamic (and living) resource for entrepreneurs in Chicago, offering a streamlined path to accessing our city’s resources (Notion).
Inside the Loop
A podcast about all things tech in the city of Chicago and beyond (Apple, Spotify).
The Driver’s Seat
A weekly newsletter highlighting news and events from Chicago’s innovation economy curated by Landon Campbell, GM at Drive Capital (Substack).
Gustavo’s Chicago Events
A bi-weekly curated mix of networking and social events in Chicago (Substack).
List of Chicago area angel groups (LinkedIn post).
Thanks for mentioning the Code Your Dreams film screening. Hope you can make it on July 22!