By Mike Straus/Contributor
For Kristin Garn, ed-tech entrepreneurship is a way of life.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝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 91裸聊视频� and the instant that I saw mobile is a wonderful tool for learning, I moved into software development, 91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淪chools are still using 19th century tools 91裸聊视频� that is, textbooks. To this day, we91裸聊视频檙e still not using the smart tools that help us understand how the learner is using them. That means we91裸聊视频檙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. We91裸聊视频檙e trying to be the next generation of learning tools.91裸聊视频�
With a host of talented tech workers on board, Garn built the Software-as-a-Service app Practi, Mathtoons91裸聊视频� 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 system91裸聊视频檚 structural problems.
91裸聊视频淲e make it look seamless, but there are a lot of moving parts that we91裸聊视频檝e had to perfect. This whole idea of optimizing the learning cycle91裸聊视频hen you get developers in there, that91裸聊视频檚 when you have a process for optimization. We use AGILE development methodology (to optimize learning).91裸聊视频�
As an educator and data scientist, Garn says that managing the dichotomous relationship between technology91裸聊视频檚 rapid evolution and education91裸聊视频檚 emphasis on proven methods requires the support of major innovators.
91裸聊视频淯BC has been amazing for me 91裸聊视频� it was ground-breaking, to start that partnership. Their education faculty, the comp-sci department, the math professors, the industry liaison officer91裸聊视频nything we needed, they were there.91裸聊视频�
Beyond having industry support, Garn says that running an education technology startup also requires a diverse team.
91裸聊视频淵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 we91裸聊视频檙e moving into a data-driven future. We91裸聊视频檙e one of the few tech companies around that has kept the same core team members for years. That91裸聊视频檚 because we need a team that can analyze data. The future is geeks!91裸聊视频�
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 Okanagan91裸聊视频檚 thriving tech sector and enviable lifestyle means that attracting and retaining talent is relatively easy.
However, Garn91裸聊视频檚 experience in business hasn91裸聊视频檛 been completely free of complications. One of the most significant lessons she91裸聊视频檚 learned came from a meeting at Google91裸聊视频檚 headquarters, where the skeptical entrepreneur dismissed one of tech entrepreneurism91裸聊视频檚 essential axioms.
91裸聊视频淚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 it91裸聊视频檒l take three times more time and money than you think. I figured, 91裸聊视频業91裸聊视频檓 a mathematician, so I can estimate pretty well 91裸聊视频� that won91裸聊视频檛 be true for me.91裸聊视频� Turns out, it91裸聊视频檚 true.
91裸聊视频淎lways budget for more time and money than you think you91裸聊视频檒l need.91裸聊视频�
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 Mathtoons91裸聊视频� app 91裸聊视频淕rammar Fun!!91裸聊视频� 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.
91裸聊视频淎mazon is coming to Canada right now - they91裸聊视频檙e starting an office in Montreal.
91裸聊视频淚 was talking with their Canadian liaison today, and I told him I was calling from Kelowna, the west91裸聊视频檚 tech center.
91裸聊视频淗e said, 91裸聊视频業91裸聊视频檝e heard that place is growing.91裸聊视频� (That91裸聊视频檚 a good indication that) Kelowna is a great place to build a company.91裸聊视频�
Crowe MacKay91裸聊视频檚 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.
