As the Lean Lab looks back on its third year, co-founder Katie Boody said the program is “just getting started.”
Launched in 2013, the Kansas City-based education tech incubator engaged over 900 individuals in conversation on education innovation in 2016. In addition, last year marked the organization’s first step to go international, attracting entrepreneurs that hail from 28 different cities and three countries.
Boody said that the growth has increased the rigor and sophistication of the fellowship program. What’s more, she said that the program is benefiting local education.
“This has translated into real change occurring inside Kansas City classrooms,” Boody said. “We have also managed to attract a different demographic of entrepreneur, with our applicant pool now representing the diversity of Kansas City schools.”
Aiming to challenge the perception of what an entrepreneur should look like, the Lean Lab is ranked as one of the most diverse incubators in the nation. Among the three cohorts, there is a representation of 58 percent women, 48 percent people of color and 25 percent women of color.
A Teach for America alum, Boody said she still can’t believe she is able to do this line of work.
“It’s crazy to think about, actually; three years ago, Carrie Markel (a Lean Lab co-founder) and I were still working full time in schools, while hosting Lean Lab events in the evenings and on weekends,” Boody said. “At that time, we were supporting mostly frustrated teachers and parents who were beginning to question the education system and how school works.”
Today, the Lean Lab works closely with KC Social Innovation, Village Capital and the City of Kansas City, Mo. The program has supported 16 startups and granted over $100,000 to support ideas that have the potential to disrupt the education system as we know it.
In the fall of 2016, the Lean Lab hosted its inaugural Launch[ED] Day, a demo day that showcased the program’s third cohort. The group featured a crowdfunding platform for teachers, a social network connecting high school and college students, and an app that bridges the gap between parents and teachers.
To put Kansas City on the map, the Lean Lab will continue to recruit nationally for its 2017 class. Boody said she is grateful for the Lean Lab team, its supporters and the Kansas City community for taking the risk on her organization.
“Our whole team is laser focused on getting transformational innovations launched in Kansas City schools,” Boody said. “We’re focusing a lot of our energy in 2017 on building relationships in our local community to better inform our fellowship.”
The Lean Lab hosts a happy hour event every third Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. with KCedu at the EduHub. This month, conversation will focus on breaking down silos in communication between schools, parents, and the community.
