10 Steps to Building an EdTech Hub

 

Tom Friedman suggested that innovation hubs are in the process of replacing manufacturing a job creating engines.  I spent the day in Austin where the Chamber of Commerce is paying attention to this advice and focusing on expanding their EdTech hub.  They’re already high on the list of global edtech hubs after the Bay Area, New York, DC, Boston, and Seattle.
An EdTech hub would include

1. Active and coordinated community of angel investors
2. VC firms with a partner and some funds focused on EdTech(e.g., Menlo/San Fran)
3. A research university with a great computer science department focused on learning (e.g. UW)
4. A B-school and Ed school that collaborate to build a pipeline of edupreneurs (e.g., Stanford)
5. A couple scaled tech companies that employ a lot of engineers
6. An annual EdTech conference (e.g., FETC, SXSW)
7. An incubator (e.g., General Assembly, ImagineK12)
8. Several school districts with an innovation zone and interest in piloting EdTech
9. Charter networks interested in incorporating innovations in learning
10. A business friendly state that supports startups