By Mike Straus/Contributor
For Kristin Garn, ed-tech entrepreneurship is a way of life.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e always been an entrepreneur in the education space, since I was in my twenties. After I graduated with my education degree, I started my own consulting company. I worked in classrooms, started consulting, and kept growing the business 害羞草研究所� and the instant that I saw mobile is a wonderful tool for learning, I moved into software development, 害羞草研究所� said Garn.
Garn founded Kelowna education technology startup Mathtoons in 2011, after her 20 years of experience as a math tutor showed her that the education system was missing something big: A data-driven approach to learning.
害羞草研究所淪chools are still using 19th century tools 害羞草研究所� that is, textbooks. To this day, we害羞草研究所檙e still not using the smart tools that help us understand how the learner is using them. That means we害羞草研究所檙e wasting a lot of learner time. So we built a piece of software that allows anyone to create their own mobile learning apps. Our VP of user experience, Ryan Martinez , built a massive analytics engine. We害羞草研究所檙e trying to be the next generation of learning tools.害羞草研究所�
With a host of talented tech workers on board, Garn built the Software-as-a-Service app Practi, Mathtoons害羞草研究所� flagship product. Practi combines a student interface for learning math, science, and languages (Practi Play) with a teacher-riented app for designing and publishing courses (Practi Press).
Practi is now being used to teach curriculum topics and aid in employee training at institutions like the University of Saskatchewan, the University of British Columbia, Ryerson University, Memorial University and the Realm School in California.
Garn says that the field of ed-tech is quickly moving toward competency-based evaluation, where practical application of learned skills is just as important as rote memorization.
Traditional educational technology tools have focused too much on the what of learning and not enough on the how, she says, and Mathtoons grew out of her desire to build a design-focused solution to the educational system害羞草研究所檚 structural problems.
害羞草研究所淲e make it look seamless, but there are a lot of moving parts that we害羞草研究所檝e had to perfect. This whole idea of optimizing the learning cycle害羞草研究所hen you get developers in there, that害羞草研究所檚 when you have a process for optimization. We use AGILE development methodology (to optimize learning).害羞草研究所�
As an educator and data scientist, Garn says that managing the dichotomous relationship between technology害羞草研究所檚 rapid evolution and education害羞草研究所檚 emphasis on proven methods requires the support of major innovators.
害羞草研究所淯BC has been amazing for me 害羞草研究所� it was ground-breaking, to start that partnership. Their education faculty, the comp-sci department, the math professors, the industry liaison officer害羞草研究所nything we needed, they were there.害羞草研究所�
Beyond having industry support, Garn says that running an education technology startup also requires a diverse team.
害羞草研究所淵ou have to make sure that you have science-based technical team members. My tech team consists of mathematicians and computer scientists, which matters because we害羞草研究所檙e moving into a data-driven future. We害羞草研究所檙e one of the few tech companies around that has kept the same core team members for years. That害羞草研究所檚 because we need a team that can analyze data. The future is geeks!害羞草研究所�
Garn says that her software can sometimes use as many as 20 different learning algorithms, and choosing the right algorithm for the right task is essential to the Mathtoons operation.
Thankfully, she notes, the Okanagan害羞草研究所檚 thriving tech sector and enviable lifestyle means that attracting and retaining talent is relatively easy.
However, Garn害羞草研究所檚 experience in business hasn害羞草研究所檛 been completely free of complications. One of the most significant lessons she害羞草研究所檚 learned came from a meeting at Google害羞草研究所檚 headquarters, where the skeptical entrepreneur dismissed one of tech entrepreneurism害羞草研究所檚 essential axioms.
害羞草研究所淚n 2013, the Canadian Trade Association recognized me as a top female tech CEO, and I went to Google and met with other female CEOs and executives. One of the things they said about tech is that it害羞草研究所檒l take three times more time and money than you think. I figured, 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檓 a mathematician, so I can estimate pretty well 害羞草研究所� that won害羞草研究所檛 be true for me.害羞草研究所� Turns out, it害羞草研究所檚 true.
害羞草研究所淎lways budget for more time and money than you think you害羞草研究所檒l need.害羞草研究所�
But Garn learned quickly, and after four years of building Mathtoons, the company is experiencing rapid growth. Mathtoons is attracting sales and potential clients from outside of Canada, and is continuing the success it saw in 2013 when Mathtoons害羞草研究所� app 害羞草研究所淕rammar Fun!!害羞草研究所� hit 700 per cent popularity growth within two weeks of its release.
Garn credits much of her success to the entrepreneurial environment in Kelowna, and says that starting a company in a growing tech center is opening some rather significant doors.
害羞草研究所淎mazon is coming to Canada right now - they害羞草研究所檙e starting an office in Montreal.
害羞草研究所淚 was talking with their Canadian liaison today, and I told him I was calling from Kelowna, the west害羞草研究所檚 tech center.
害羞草研究所淗e said, 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檝e heard that place is growing.害羞草研究所� (That害羞草研究所檚 a good indication that) Kelowna is a great place to build a company.害羞草研究所�
Crowe MacKay害羞草研究所檚 Women to Watch program is a weekly feature that profiles remarkable women in our community, concluding October 16th. After terrific response, the nomination period for 2015 is now closed. Watch this space each week to see our remaining Women to Watch.
