January 19, 2017
Voqal recently released its first-ever annual report and is featuring some of the stories from the report on our blog. To read more download Voqal’s Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report: Taking Risks.
Because inequality in education leads to social and economic inequality, Voqal takes a chance on organizations working to even the educational playing field by providing them early stage funding through the Voqal Education Venture Fund.
The fund provides $50-100K to technology and media organizations addressing opportunity and achievement gaps within the U.S. educational system.
In its first year, the Education Venture Fund seeded three innovative change-makers already working to address inequality in education: Nepris, Education Modified and Pairin.
Austin, Texas-based Nepris is a technology platform that exposes students to curriculum, role models and information about STEAM-focused (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) careers. The technology allows teachers to enter their curriculum needs and then pairs them with professionals with matching skill sets who have previously committed to volunteer time.
By exposing students to the excitement and benefits of STEAM careers early in their education, Nepris is helping to close the opportunity gap faced by many minority, rural and low-income individuals who are often left out because they don’t have access to professionals working in diverse industries in their local areas.
Nepris is off to a great start with tremendous momentum among schools and industry alike and has been busy with new product updates, new market opportunities and a new round of funding, including closing the bridge round of $1 million with the Michael and Susan Dell foundation as lead investor. Nepris is well on its way to meeting its mission of breaking down barriers between industry and education and creating equity of access.