Melissa Greene
SETDA Director of Strategic Partnerships
202-715-6636 ext. 703
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SETDA Now Accepting Applications from Educational Technology Startups for Emerging Private Sector Partners Program

Applications Due by April 1, 2016

February 11, 2016 (Washington, D.C.) – The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), the principal non-profit membership association representing U.S. state and territorial educational digital learning leaders, announced today that it will begin accepting applications for its fourth annual cohort of startups seeking to join SETDA’s Emerging Private Sector Partnership Program (EPSP). The EPSP is a public-private partnership program tailored specifically for companies new to the U.S. K-12 education and technology market. No more than ten startups are selected annually to become part of the unique program.

“We’re thrilled to be a SETDA Emerging Private Sector Partner,” said Nancy Knowlton, CEO of Nureva, member of the 2015 cohort. “We appreciate receiving feedback and gaining insight from the state members to help guide our product direction as well as the opportunity to stay up-to-date on state and national level policies, emerging trends, education research and best practice.”

Companies selected to participate in this program will benefit from a variety of opportunities to showcase their products and services, receive feedback and advice on their plans, and engage in meaningful dialogue with state educational technology leaders, including participation in a high-energy pitch fest at the 2016 SETDA Emerging Technologies Forum in Denver, CO at the end of June.

Startups selected for EPSP also have the support of professional development led by SETDA Channel Partners and industry experts Charlene Blohm (C. Blohm & Associates, Inc.), Kevin Custer and Rita Ferrandino (Arc Capital Development), Mitch Weisburgh (Academic Business Advisors) and Jacob and Sue Hanson (PR with Panache!). These workshop sessions will provide valuable insights into the K-12 ecosystem and trends, advice on how to successfully market to K-12, and offer individualized coaching and feedback on pitch fest demonstrations.

“SETDA’s members and new educational technology companies have the same goal in mind, supporting innovation to transform learning and teaching. Our Emerging Private Sector Partner Program exemplifies the value of partnerships with young companies seeking to positively impact education through innovation. These crucial relationships and shared passion for digital learning provide us with new opportunities to effectively accomplish our mission,” said Christine Fox, SETDA Deputy Executive Director.

The 2016 application is available here: http://tinyurl.com/SETDAEmergApp16.

In order to be considered for the Emerging Private Sector Partnership Program and receive program benefits, companies must submit an application and if selected, pay a participation fee. More information about the Emerging Private Sector Partners program is available here.

The deadline for companies to apply is 11:59pm ET April 1, 2016.

About the State Educational Technology Directors Association
The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), founded in 2001, is the national non-profit association representing the interests of U.S. state and territorial educational technology leadership. SETDA’s mission is to build and increase the capacity of state and national leaders to improve education through technology policy and practice. For more information, please visit www.setda.org.

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