Participated · Seed · Jul 2018

Kenzie Academy operates a 12‑month software engineering program with a physical campus in Indianapolis and a student body that is roughly 66% online. The school targets learners earlier in their career — many without college degrees — and combines technical training with critical thinking and communication skills. Kenzie reports an 85% graduation rate and a 90% job placement rate six months after graduation; 67% of its students earned less than $30,000 annually before enrolling. It offers three payment options (upfront, monthly plan, and ISAs), and ISA usage has grown from about 60% last year to roughly 85% in the latest cohort; the program requires a $100 upfront commitment on ISAs. Kenzie partners with groups like The Last Mile to serve formerly incarcerated students and works with state unemployment offices, nonprofits, and staffing firms to recruit diverse cohorts (55% non‑white, 36% women). The company is non‑Title IV and aims to scale access in the American heartland while pushing for ISA best practices and clearer consumer protections. Kenzie Academy offers a college-alternative, job-focused technology training curriculum targeted at learners in middle America. Its one-year, project-based programs include Software Engineering and UX Engineering designed to prepare candidates for employer needs. The company connects employers with graduates who have practical, portfolio-driven experience. Kenzie aims to accelerate careers by emphasizing hands-on projects rather than traditional degrees. The articles state the company intends to use new funding to expand operations and broaden its business reach. Founded in September 2017 by CEO Chok Ooi, Kenzie is based in Indianapolis. Kenzie Academy is a San Francisco, CA–based apprenticeship program offering a college-alternative model to develop modern tech workers. Led by co-founder and CEO Chok Leang Ooi, the curriculum pairs one year of immersive learning with one year of paid work at Kenzie Studio, the company's tech consulting subsidiary, to provide students real work experience. The program launched with software engineering courses and plans to expand offerings to digital marketing and user experience (UX) design. Its first campus opened in Indianapolis in January 2018. Kenzie closed a $4.2M seed round led by ReThink Education and intends to use the funds to expand its course offerings. Kenzie Academy was launched earlier this year by Chok Ooi (former CEO of Agility.io), Rehan Hasan (Galvanize cofounder), and Courtney Spence (CSpence Group cofounder). The school runs an experiential, entirely project-based curriculum intended to retrain workers in the American heartland for new-economy tech jobs. Its first in-person cohort of 24 students starts in January with an initial six-month program to train junior front-end developers; students can complete programs in six-month increments and the company ideally expects students to participate for two consecutive years. Tuition is $12,000 for the first six-month program and $12,000 for the subsequent six-month full-stack track (students who complete 10–20 hours/week of consulting work can earn a $4,000 subsidy). A following 12-month software engineer track costs $24,000, and students who continue with part-time consulting work can earn a full $24,000 subsidy; the company also says students will receive an additional hourly stipend for consulting work (hourly rate to be determined). The program is currently in-person in Indianapolis, with plans to offer online courses in the future, and Kenzie positions its more intensive hands-on approach as a differentiator from prior bootcamp entrants and other project-driven competitors such as Holberton School and 42.

Participated · Seed · Jan 2017

ClearScholar is a mobile student engagement platform that delivers a personalized mobile student experience, including a mobile student ID and curated events, news, and activities. The product gives administrators a platform to encourage engagement and drive student outcomes, aiming to improve student success and retention. The company launched out of High Alpha Studio in partnership with Butler University and is based in Indianapolis. ClearScholar recently introduced an Early Adopter Program and is on track to add nine additional institutions in 2017. It has added Jason Stele and Josh Williams to its leadership team to bring additional higher-education experience. The company announced $1.25 million in funding and plans to use the proceeds to accelerate hiring in sales, marketing, and product development.