Silicon Slopes: Stronger Through Education & Talent Tech
One trend within Silicon Slopes is its variety. Its software, its hardware, its enterprise SaaS, as well as consumer internet. Yes, there are some themes that seem to have been going on for a longer period (think life science emerging from the University of Utah) but as a tech investor in the state I can tell you there’s nothing dull in the variety of startup deals we see. And, whenever a trend of local tech stands out, it’s worth taking note.
This month the largest EdTech & Talent Tech conference in the world, ASU+GSV Summit, will be hosted in Utah and global leaders in education will descend on our state. Summit organizer and GSV Acceleration Managing Partner Deborah Quazzo shines light on why Utah attracted the event: “ASU and GSV are thrilled to be hosting their 8th annual Summit in SLC, a community that has spawned unprecedented levels of innovation and innovators in education and talent. Starting with the inspired leadership of the great Steve Covey many years ago, the community of learning and talent Entrepreneurs is a vibrant force led by companies like Pluralsight, Qualtrics, MasteryConnect, Instructure, Hirevue, School Improvement Network and many others. It’s the perfect place to celebrate the progress that has been made to give all people equal access to the future.”
If EdTech & Talent Tech aren’t a regular part of your tech vocabulary then let me bend your ear. Here’s a snapshot of one pillar in the Silicon Slopes narrative and force attracting global interest.
Utah Entrepreneurs Are Methodically Innovating Along Every Segment Of Education & Talent
Few industries are being impacted by Silicon Slopes as massively as education and talent. To give yourself some practical context, think for a moment on your own education — what comes to mind? From the earliest books and teachers to last week’s audiobook or podcast — how do you quantify and talk about your education? What’s clear is that the ability to access different forms of learning, and in effect build upon our formal education and enhance our professional performance, has rapidly changed over just the last decade, let alone since some of us were in school, and continues to evolve at what feels like light speed.
Across that spectrum of learning, and within education and talent technologies, Utah shines with dozens of companies working on a compelling set of solutions creating quantifiable value. From the youngest students to those completing high school, MasteryConnect measures K-12 outcomes and enables parents and teachers to identify which students need help, and where they need help. As students move on in their formal education, Instructure steps in to provide the learning backbone. Over 2,000 universities and thousands of K-12 schools leverage this platform as the place their students manage their classes, curriculum, and grades. And for the technology professionals and teams, Pluralsight leads their category as the destination to access the world’s leading experts on leading technologies most relevant to advancing one’s career and helping companies sustain a competitive advantage. HireVue accelerates team performance through software that helps assemble and coach individuals within the team.
David Blake, CEO of Degreed, commented on what drew him to expand the presence of his startup from Silicon Valley to Salt Lake City, “Having been a part of EdTech startups in both Utah and San Francisco, when it came time to launch Degreed, we were eager to open a Salt Lake City office. There is a long-standing history of innovation from Western Governors University pioneering competency-based education to LDS CES Pathway’s program making degree-granting online education accessible worldwide, as well as world-class universities graduating top talent into a vibrant ecosystem supported by superb local venture capital firms that have backed some of the top leaders in EdTech. Utah is well positioned to lead the future of education and talent startups.”
Pluralsight founder and CEO Aaron Skonnard further describes why Utah is fertile ground for innovation and talent: “Utah’s rich history of valuing entrepreneurs provided the foundation for what is now a thriving technology hub. Every day, these tech companies are creating exciting ways to help people and teams learn, grow, and stay ahead. This innovation creates an infectious enthusiasm and environment that attracts talented people. ”
China, A Barometer Of Global Demand For Education
The ASU+GSV Summit attracts worldwide attention. On a global scale, in terms of size and demand for talent and education, the conversation begins with China. There are simply more learners, or potential learners, in China than anywhere else in the world. Historically, a country’s ability to serve her citizens’ demand for education was constrained primarily by local resources: teachers, schools, and books. Wrap into that equation a cultural revolution that resulted in few standing schools, particularly universities, and a complete upheaval of the way things were, and you can understand why China has had an unquenchable appetite to bolster their capacity to educate learners and build talent. However, unlike days past, a simple smart device, as one example, has opened a world of learning to the furthest reaches of China and anywhere in the world.
Prior to joining friends to launch Peak Ventures and invest in EdTech & Talent Tech, I was building an EdTech startup. I moved to China in 2010 to extend the services of our Utah-based EdTech company, Zinch.com, and as chance would have it, was warmly welcomed to the US Embassy for a meeting with former Utah Governor (and then US Ambassador to China) Jon Huntsman Jr. During my time in Beijing, I learned firsthand of the import of education to a Chinese family — just think, each family has just one child, and that child represents the future for both sides of the family. Talk about pressure! I also came to appreciate what I had previously taken for granted, the fact that the US represents, by far, the largest system of higher education in the world. We helped solve for Chinese families the arduous task of finding an overseas education. It would surprise many to know that for some schools, like Michigan state, in some years 1 of every 4 incoming freshman is from China.
The sheer scale of China is eye-opening. Of the thousands of ASU+GSV Summit attendees we will welcome to Utah next week, among them include a large contingency of Chinese EdTech leaders. Among them, TAL, one of the largest education companies in both China and the world, serving millions of Chinese students every year. John Wu, TAL’s Chief Investment Officer shared the following, “TAL is actively using advanced technologies like deep learning and adaptive learning to improve the overall results of our students. We are very eager to learn and work with leading edge companies globally.”
Further, the demand for global solutions to learning is on the rise. More from Mr. Wu: “The entire country is making a huge investment into K-12 and higher education systems because we believe that is the most critical success factor for China’s future.”
A Piece of China In Utah’s Youngest Talent
And close to home for many parents in Utah is the story of how China has beautifully crept into our homes by way of the youngest of learners. Back in 2008, Jon Huntsman Jr and our state Senate passed a bill that included a broad state initiative adding Mandarin-immersion programs to our public elementary school curriculum. Willing participants opt-into the program and from the 1st to 6th grade spend half their day learning in the Chinese language. Today, Utah has the highest percentage of students learning Mandarin of any state, representing 20% of all Chinese dual-immersion programs in the country.
Local tech leader and parent of Mandarin immersion students in the Canyons School District in Sandy, Vance Checketts, VP and GM of Dell EMC, offers personal insight: “I recently returned from a trip to China with my 3 youngest children who are in the Mandarin Immersion program in Utah’s public schools. It was gratifying to see and hear them interact with locals on the subway, in restaurants, at the hotel, and everywhere we went! Not only did they feel comfortable with the language, they felt comfortable with the culture too. The DLI program has taught them more than just a language. I am confident that this knowledge and experience will serve my children well in the future. As an IT executive I was able to give them some additional perspective on China’s massive IT market, including companies like Tencent, Alibaba & Baidu. Whether my kids pursue a tech career or not, they will be much better equipped to participate in our global economy. And as more and more dual-language children graduate from high schools and universities in Utah I’m confident that our state will attract global attention as important destination full of valuable resources. Much like we’ve become the Silicon Slopes for tech in the US, we could easily become that and more for the world.”
Where better for global leaders, including the group mentioned traveling from China, to go than to a state where many of our children can offer a warm welcome!
To conclude, two very different and equally compelling forces in talent and education are shrinking the gap between Utah and the rest of the world, particularly China. From families across the state encouraging their young Mandarin learners to the rise of education and talent technology in Utah, Silicon Slopes is the place to be!
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