ashleyross
Hello, Here is my Elevator Pitch for A3! For more detail, please read through my LearnTRU Venture Pitch. Thanks! (* Note: There was a audible click in my EP so I uploaded a new version.) Reference Learning Disabilities Association of Canada. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.ldac-acta.ca/
Continue reading LearnTRU Elevator & Venture Pitch Posted in: Week 13: Venture Forum I have a Google HTC Nexus phone and I use it for many things, including: email, texting, reading blogs, making to-do lists, setting alarms, playing games, taking pictures, recording and watching videos, getting directions using Google Maps, and I also enjoy using the Mobi app to connect to QR codes. I only recently bought a […]
Continue reading M-Learning Posted in: Week 11: Mobiles
Thanks for sharing about your mobile, and your reviews.
As you noted, WIFI is a way to get around expensive data plans. There are even people who do voice-over-IP (VOIP) calls over WIFI instead of using minutes / long distance!
THe Carleton App is a great example of performance support… mlearning that provides you data you need when you need it. How might you extend the performance support concept for your own work when you’re on the go?
The Grace App is another amazing performance support app that integrates many mobile affordances. Arguably it helps teach people to communicate in new ways, and to use the picture-taking capability to expand and sharpen “vocabulary”. This is a great example of sharing a mobile… one person creates communication and shares it with another person to understand what is being communicated. Together, the communicator and the audience and working together to understand the message.
How might this concept be extended for other situations? I’ve often thought a performance support for resolving conflicts would be helpful and usable in similar ways. By running through the process in the mobile with its coaching and scaffolding, people would learn how to turn conflict into opportunities to enrich their relationships and resolve problems rather than fight over them.
I have always been a hands-on learner, when I was a child my parents would take me out of school for two weeks and we would drive down to Florida from Ontario. We would stop along the way to learn about the different states we were driving through and they would always ask my teachers […]
Continue reading Hands-on Learning through PBA Posted in: Week 10: Product-Based Assessments
Hi Ashley
I think you’re right about concept mapping, and in my mind this tool has significant potential for an emerging venture in PBA.
I like how you bring up your own personal experience from when you were younger, and highlight how project assessment seems to be better for tailoring to individuals. I think this would be a strength of PBA, and perhaps something that potential PBA ventures could focus on. It also aligns with 21st Century Learning, as espoused by many institutions including the newest initiatives from the BC government.
Hi Ashley!
Thanks for personal story. I can visualize a family trekking slowly down to Florida- exploring as they go.
I helped my daughter’s kindergarten teacher create her classroom blog, and it is based on voicethreads….It is an amazing medium for PBA for students who do not have the written skills to still create a “project” of their own. An example from a “farm visit” http://voicethread.com/?#u451150.b690134
Although she is using them more for content at the moment..I know that the grade 1 classes may develop some more this year themselves…..
I like to use Mindmeister as well….although I noticed that if you do not have the premium version, it doesn’t “look” as good. The idea of “concept” mapping is great though. I hope you have a chance to add to our SWOT analysis this week.
Thanks again for the personal connection….
Verena:)
Hi Ashley,
I have also always been a hands-on-learner, so this course is definitely the right fit for me! I am also a huge fan of concept maps, voicethreads and other forms of PBA tools!
Jenaca
Currently I do not have an iPad and personally, as of right now, anything that I would want to use the iPad for I can do on my android phone. It’s not that I don’t see the benefits to an iPad, I know there is a lot, it’s just that as of right now in […]
Continue reading Discussion #2: iPad Posted in: Week 09: iPad Apps
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Yo have provided a different perspective in which iPad can be useful. I have not think that iPad could be useful for children with disabilities, so I find very interesting the information you have provided. You are right about its disadvantage: the cost of this device is an issue because it is not available to everyone.
Angela.
Have you seen the app where three year olds can trace letters and learn to write? I am baffled.
For me, in my life right now the iPad wouldn’t meet my needs. I need to be able to sit and be prepared to work the long haul on assignments and that requires a different, more economic setup. When I graduate (hopefully shortly!!), I would be much more prepared to go to an iPad. Something makes me think I should send the link of this page to my partner as a subtle hint. 🙂
Cheers,
Kristopher
I don’t remember a time growing up when I didn’t have a computer in my house. I have flashbacks of being 4 – 5 years old and even earlier playing computer games. My parents realized very early on the influence digital game-based learning could have and as such we played a variety of different educational […]
Continue reading Game-Based Learning Flashbacks Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based Learning
Your post sounds like a true digital native experience! I’m a digital immigrant so your post about growing up with digital games is very interesting to me.
I had no idea that there was a “Mario Teaches Typing” game. I first learned typing in high school on an old beat up typewriter. Later in University I used a typing program on a Macintosh. I did far better using the game. This is probably because I loved the game whereas I hated to go to typing class because it was so boring. Great examples!
Your typing game flashback reminds me of the typing game I played in high school – it was kind of like a space invaders game for typing. It was extremely low-tech, but still fun. I just went online to see if I could find anything about it, and didn’t, but found this site with tons of typing games:
http://www.typingweb.com/tutor/games/
Emily
Hi Ashley,
Interesting post, i think Julie S must be right in saying you are a digital native. I guess like JulieS, i would also be a digital migrant (i like the terminology). I guess typing was a major skill required of anyone who wanted to use computer technology to write. I am almost sure every computer user at some point had to use some typing tutor. I used Mavis beacon myself and the practice tests were designed like word games. i must say that it made learning touch typing fun for me even though I would say it could have been a case of trying to teach an old dog a new trick 🙂
LOL, Ifeoma, you totally made me laugh and cringe at the mention of “Mavis Beacon”. That was our alternate school’s earliest foray into using computers and games with our ADHD students. Ya, apparently, they weren’t as sold on the idea as the adults, and we had to threaten them with duct tape to keep them typing at the computer for more than about 15 minutes, let alone the whole class.
KJ
I never grew up with computers so I was not exposed to gaming from an early age. Maybe that’s the reason I am not big on games now. Even at college when my friends were engaged in playing games I would be doing something else. Slowly but surely I am changing as I now see the power of gaming as it relates to education and learning.
As a child I did not have access to computers but I frequently played Nintendo games which I found very enjoyable. I remember as a child I would save my lunch money in order to buy tokens at a well known games room so as to play the available games. I have missed important activities and domestic chores as result of being endowed in playing games as a child.
I love Mario games by Nintendo. It’s been there since I was young and I’ve enjoyed playing it with my brother. The game was first introduced to me by my cousin from Japan. Then, my father bought a 3D Nintendo for my brother who was really good at finding “stars”. I was truly amazed by the 3D Mario game that I wanted to become a 3D animation or game designer one day. Although it was a dream that I dreamt as a teenager, I still love to play any of the Mario games, including Mario Cart. They are so much fun!
Deb
In 2008 Livescribe released its first smartpen, The Pulse, which records what you hear and connects it to what you write. You can playback your lectures by taping on a particular note in your notebook or on the uploaded version on your computer. The Eco, which was released in 2010, featured a new standard USB […]
Continue reading Livescribe Smartpen Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Hey Ashley,
This is a really interesting device you chose. I have never seen this pen before and am definitely interested in learning more about it. I agree with you, I think the LiveScribe SmartPen is a great invention and is something I now want to buy!
The founder of the company definitely is credible and has been in the business for a very long time!
Thanks for the great post!
Jen
You’re welcome. I highly recommend trying it out.
I noticed on their site that with the purchase of any smartpen, you get a free year of Evernote Premium. Interesting connection to our previous week!
You’re right, that is an interesting connection to our previous week. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This is very intriguing and different. I would really like to experience this pen. Do you think this venture has the potential to be really successful? Even though I like the idea I am not sure if I would invest in such a venture. Even though business is all about taking risk, I would chance this one. Could you please elaborate on the experience you are having with the smartpen.
Yes, of course I can elaborate. I would invest in this venture; I think it has the potential to be really successful. As a hobby of mine I work with students who have learning difficulties, so I’m always on the lookout for technologies that will help them succeed in their education. This pen is great for anyone who has difficulty taking notes or wants to be able to go back and listen to specific parts of a lecture or meeting. For the students I work with, most have dysgraphia or a learning disability, which makes it really difficult for them to take notes. Using this pen they don’t even need to take any notes, they can write one word down or even draw something to make an important point they’d like to go back and listen too. The pen also has a ‘star’ feature on the notebook that they tap if something their writing is important.
I also tested this pen out during my undergraduate degree, to see how it actually worked in a classroom setting. I had large lecture halls with 300+ students and small classes with less than 30 students. It picked up exactly what you hear in a classroom, usually I sat in the front to middle of the classroom and it worked great, the odd time if I came in late I would sit in the back and it still worked. Obviously the closer I sat the front the easier it was to hear the professor but that’s the same when you sit in any classroom/ lecture hall.
Did I answer your question? Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
I am more familiar with LeapFrog product. It is an excellent learning supplement.
I have heard of Livescribe last year from a colleague. We were discussing about the “evolution” of cheating during exams.
Yes, the evolution of cheating during exams – is an interesting one. During an exam I would imagine you wouldn’t be able to use the pen even if you were just using the pen to write. Are you also referring to a student who records a class can memorize exactly what you say and regurgitate it back to you on an exam… would that be considered cheating?
I believe that this venture has great potential. We have purchased them as a pilot study for our students with special learning needs and they are proving to be very useful. Easy to set up and very easy to use…the founder is really on to something great here.
I think this product is great for students with special learning needs. You’re right, the product is very easy to set up and use.
Thank you for the information. This is a tool I look forward to explore very soon.
Keisha
You’re welcome. 🙂
EduFire’s elevator pitch grabs the perspective client’s attention right away by creating two scenarios one for perspective students and one for perspective employees. At first glance, the concept of EduFire seemed relatively clear and concise as the company provides one-on-one training through live video learning. However, when I looked at the pitch for a second […]
Continue reading EduFire Critique Posted in: Week 03: Analyst Bootcamp
Hello! I totally agree. Edufire left me with far too many questions and as a result, I couldn’t buy in to the product.
Verena:)
Hey Ashley, I really like the way you have set up your pitch critique: using bullet points is always a good way to show important information.
After watching this pitch, I too was left with too many questions which threw me off of the product.
Jenaca
Hello Ashley,
Like you I was left wanting more information, particulrly on cost, and on the team of persons involved. You made an important point in that there needs to be a focus on on what makes a product different.
Kerry-Ann
Ashley, you raise some great points. First and foremost, it was completely unclear to me why someone would actually want the product that they are selling. Having said that, perhaps this kind of thing is more pointed towards clients in the US or international clients, like from Asia perhaps. I think this is more of a product pitch as opposed to a VC pitch. Following on this, I like how you point out that we have no idea as to who is behind EduFire.
It’s an interesting concept – providing 1:1 learning, particularly in language studies or learning a new language. The speaker appeared very believable and was passionate in what he believed in. The concept is captivating – providing just-in-time learning to the learner, while taking a small cut from the person providing the learning. As you pointed out, there are unanswered questions one in which they would likely love to tell you about if given an opportunity!
Connie Malamed, writer of the eLearning Coach describes ten technology trends in her “Learning Technology Trends To Watch In 2011” report. In this report she explains how these technologies are being and can be used in professional learning environments, who is using them and hypothesizes on what to expect in the future. As someone who […]
Continue reading Learning Technology Trends Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Hi, Ashley.
I agree that Malamed’s site is clear as well as easy to read & navigate. The article in question I thought was a little too basic (I guess that’s OK, as it’s really just a list of things to watch), leaving me wanting some more information (including sources). Other things on the site seemed more worthwhile to me personally at the moment.
Hi Everyone, I’m really excited for this course. I’m not sure if I would consider myself a pioneer or if pioneering is necessarily my calling, but I am really interested in learning how to become a successful pioneer and understanding their efforts in general. I completed the emerging market poll and I found it difficult […]
Continue reading Hello from Ontario! Posted in: Week 01: Introductions
Hi Ashley!
I am right next door in Mississauga! I am also in my last term, this fall I am working on my 7th and 8th courses (also taking 540 and really excited about that one, too!) and 9th and 10th in the Winter.
Your post about QR codes reminded me of a video I saw recently about a school that really integrated them… I mean everywhere! Here is the link:
You are right next door! 540 is a great course, I took it during my first semester and loved it!
Thank you so much for the video, I found it really interesting. It’s neat to see an example of how schools are integrating QR codes.
Hi Ashley,
I couldn’t agree with you more about working with the atypical learner. It’s one of my favourite parts about teaching, it requires patience and thinking outside the box and is extremely rewarding. I’m also taking my last 3 courses this semester, excited and nervous as well!
Best of luck!
David
Hi David,
I love thinking out of the box for the atypical learner. It is extremely rewarding when you find the tools that work for them.
Best of luck with your last three courses!
Ashley, sounds like you do amazing work, people like you are very needed out there!! I’m very intrigued about your picture – it so cool but I can’t figure out what it is.
Look forward to working with you
Tamara
Thanks Tamara.
The picture was taken at a temple just outside of Kyoto. The pieces of paper are called Omikuji which are prayers or general blessings for good fortunes.
Before you publish your posting, please make sure that you select a category (eg. Introductions) as well as assign some meaningful tags (keywords).
jenaca 2:07 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
What a great pitch! You caught my attention right away and I was engaged the entire time! I am shocked about the high number of dropouts and can’t seem to get 35% out of my head! I think this was a wonderful way to begin your pitch, as well as visually showing the comparisons!
I am definitely voting for your product!
Jenaca
ashleyross 4:49 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jenaca,
Thanks so much for the positive feedback, it’s much appreciated. 🙂
jarvise 10:17 am on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
learntru is a well positioned and developed idea. I like the structure of your presentation. You clearly establish the need and the market, although there was no hard data on cash flow. You have positioned your product as a whole solution, through offering not only help with academics, but also with lifestyle, which would translate to self efficacy. I also think that through providing extra services, such as helping parents negotiate through extra funding applications that are available to them benefits both you and them. I thought your minimum commitment time was a little high, but I get that in order to peruse an activity on the weekend, it would take time. Did you consider offering fragments of your service as well? For example, if someone just wanted help with one aspect, they could pay only for that? Great presentation and great idea. I like your coordinated services model and would invest in this.
Emily
ashleyross 4:50 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Emily,
Thank you for your feedback. I decided not to include any specific data on the financial aspect of the business mostly because it wasn’t a requirement for the assignment and I wanted to make sure that I gave as much attention as possible to the deliverables. In regards to offering fragments of LearnTRU, I feel as though it would go against the underlying concept behind the program, which is to help create an academic/non-academic balance in a child’s life. I realize that the minimum commitment could be considered high, but most sports or programs for young children are at least one day a week so it isn’t really any different as far as the time involved. Also, for families who have children with learning disabilities, they will help their child spend as much time as they need to become successful.
bcourey 5:42 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
You are addressing a very challenging problem – meeting the needs of a group of students who are traditionally overlooked and given minimum support – your stats are disturbing as we look at their drop out rate. When I first viewed your pitch, I wondered if the only difference between your service and any other tutoring program was the weekend activities, but then I noted that you provide a great deal of support for parents and a very individualized program for each student based on your assessments. I too wondered about the cost and what investors would get in return…but maybe you are a non-profit group? I also wonder if one evening per week for tutoring would give them enough support to upgrade their skills enough to be successful in their regular school day. Great presentation for sure!
Brenda
ashleyross 7:03 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Brenda,
Thank you for your comments. You’re right, one day a week would not be enough to help upgrade a student’s skills, that’s why LearnTRU spends equal amounts of time focusing on participants learning lifestyle and high-interest lifestyle. Although it could be split so that we focused on the learning lifestyle during the week and the high-interest lifestyle on the weekend, it is much more effective when the activities are done together each day. This gives the participant an outlet after working hard on their academic pursuits through the transition to the high-interest lifestyle, even if it is something as simple as going for a swim at the public pool during the week.
I do feel as though the business can be profitable, but I need to finish researching the financial requirements of launching LearnTRU before providing you with more detailed information. 🙂
Ashley
hall 6:19 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
ashleyross,
I think your elevator pitch is a good one. I definitely like your sequence of your ideas from the identification of problem to solution of problem through Learn TRU. I think it was innovative. Developing countries would definitely benefit from your venture.
Conroy
ashleyross 6:51 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Conroy,
Thanks so much for your comments. 🙂
schiong 11:44 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
Great product.
I’ve never dealt with anyone with learning disabilities… so it is hard for me to imagine the market potential.
just to clarify, would you be transferring the learner (diagnosed with learning disability) to your own “school”, or you send a consultant to shadow the student?
cheers,
Steve
ashleyross 6:51 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your question. The answer is neither, you could think of LearnTRU as an afterschool program that provides students with the tools they need to bring back to their classroom. The idea is for them to become self-sufficient and independent, while in the classroom.
Cheers,
Ashley
jenaca 6:33 am on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The Venture:
LearnTRU is in the business of helping particpants learn using technlology to reach their ultimate goal by providing them with a learning lifestyle strategy that will stay with them forever. LearnTRU has blended a learning lifestyle and a high-interest lifestyle that aims to create the perfect ‘after-school’ and weekend learning environment for students with disabilities.
LearnTRU has 3 main aspects:
1) Assessment: To help clients discover their learning lifestyles through a series of questions that determine how they learn best and which tool(s) can help them in their academic pursuits
2) Learning Lifestyle: Participants are taught how to learn by transforming any subject material so that it suits the learning style that was outlined during their initial assessment
3) High-Interest Lifestyle: Involve students in activities outside of the normal lifestyles (horseback riding, playing musical instruments, snowboarding etc…)
Additional Information:
• In Canada, about 1 in 10 Canadians have a learning disability; 35% of those individuals who are identified as having a learning disability
• LearnTRU is to help these young people find a hobby, sport or exercise that they enjoy, but more importantly one that will give them a sense of accomplishment.
• LearnTRU clients will spend equal amounts of time developing their Learning Lifestyle and their High-Interest Lifestyle to help them achieve success in all aspects of their lives.
• The minimum time commitment required to participate with LearnTRU is one evening during the school week and 4 hours on the weekend.
My Thoughts:
LearnTru is a well developed and structure idea. I like the vision of this venture and truly believe there is room in the market for this service. The elevator pitch intrigued me and motivated me to read your venture pitch where I found facts, statistics and information regarding the current market competetors and how your service differs from the once currently on the market. The feature I find most unique about yours is the last step in your pitch: high-interest lifestyle. Most of the other services do not currently include this and I believe this is the selling point of your service!
learnTRU is definitely something I would invest in!
ashleyross 6:52 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jenaca,
Thanks again for your positive comments. I too believe that the high-interest lifestyle is one of the main selling points.
Cheers,
Ashley
Keisha Edwards-Hamilton 8:02 pm on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
LearnTru has a great pitch. The elevator pitch initially grabbed my attention and I love the value proposition. I was really surprised about school drop-out rates. However, right away I understood the problem . I could also relate to the problem and wanted to know more about how LearnTru could solve the problem which lead me to explore the venture pitch. A differentiation strategy is evident, but how feasible is this considering the target market. It is exciting, but can the market afford to pay for this service? The marketing plan seem terms of marketing, the plan seem attainable. Also the LearnTru team is solid and seems to be capable of turning the venture into a success. The idea of a niche is good as it caters to a specific group that need this type of service and the presentation clearly identified the market. Overall I love your preposition. It is unique and suits the target market you identified. This is definitely a venture that is worth pursuing.
Keisha
ashleyross 6:53 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Keisha,
Thanks for taking the time to give me feedback. ‘Can the market afford to pay for this service?’ Great question. To make it more affordable for the market it is important to help clients find and fill out the proper grants, there is a lot out there but most people (1) don’t know they exist and (2) have a hard time finding them and filling them out.
Cheers,
Ashley
andrea 10:06 pm on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello Ashley,
Well done on your clear and convincing pitches. Both look very professional, and are quite persuasive in establishing a need market for this service. After reading through everything I was left thinking that it’s amazing something like this isn’t already established – it’s just so common sense. It also feels like you’ve already started developing a brand. This was evident as well in your use of the “learning lifestyle” and the “high-interest lifestyle” tags. (It would be cool if you could do this for the learning lifestyle assessment you mention as well.) Your quote “LearnTRU is in the business of helping participants learn using technology to reach their ultimate goal by providing them with a learning and lifestyle strategy that will stay with them forever” made me wish that I could access this product myself, because who doesn’t want to reach their “ultimate goal”? 🙂
You very clearly identify the market, offering, and buyer. One area that I thought could be expanded is your discussion of the competition. As a potential investor, I’d be interested to know what places like Sylvan Learning charge per hour to get a sense of what buyers are already comfortable with. Also, how many students in the Toronto area are attending tutoring programs? I would also like to know more about the types of technology LearnTRU will use. You give a few examples, but I’d be interested to learn a little more about how those are integrated into the approach. What does the licensing for these systems look like?
My final question is around marketing. I think I understand that this product will be marketed to schools, who will refer students, and also to parents directly? Not knowing much about the Individual Education Program process, I would love to hear more details specifically about where LearnTRU fits in that process.
Great job Ashley, and I’m curious to know, is this something you’ve developed or are in the process of developing?
Andrea
ashleyross 6:59 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks for your feedback Andrea, it`s really appreciated. You bring up some great questions.
I found it challenging (in a good way) to choose information to include in my VP that focused on maintaining the interest of an investor versus a potential client. It is also why I provided a few examples of the assistive technologies, but didn’t go into too much detail. That’s why it’s great to be able to read everyone’s comments and questions and reply. 🙂
When it comes to learning and technology, every student has different needs. Some students with LDs have dyslexia (trouble reading text) which is why applications like Kurzweil that transform text into speech, would be used for them. Others have dysgraphia (difficulty with writing) and applications like Dragon Naturally Speaking, that transforms spoken words into text, work well for them and others need a combination of both. I could write a novel about this but I’m sure you don’t want to read it. 🙂 What is important is to find what works for each individual participant and teach them how to successfully implement the programs into their daily education schedule. It all seems so simple but no one takes the time or has the time to sit down with these students to figure out how they learn best. Licensing varies on the technology, most are around $100 but Kurzweil is around $1500 plus then you need a laptop for these programs. The initial setup can be very expensive, which is why it’s important to get proper funding.
I am planning on including all related costs and those of my competitors in my future VP. I decided not to include it the VP I submitted for this course because it wasn’t a requirement I wanted to focus my time on other aspects of the program. For a program like Sylvan it’s about $45-50 an hour after the enrollment fee of $50 and their initial assesment is about $150-200. But it varies depending on the client’s needs. Adding the percentage of students who attend tutoring programs in Toronto is a good point and one I’ll take into consideration.
For the marketing aspect, yes I would position myself to receive referrals from schools and parents but also from psychologists. For students to be diagnosed with an LD they need to have a psycho-educational assesment done (which in Toronto costs anywhere between $1800-2400+). Once diagnosed, students can get an IEP at school which they can get extra time on assignments, tests and exams. It also allows them to write exams on a computer, in a private room and gives them access to potential funding for tutoring and technology. As I mentioned above, the primary issue is that no one has time to actually sit down and teach these students how to use the technology or determine how they learn best.
The program isn’t completely developed yet, it is something that I am working on though and will hopefully be launching it in the near future. I hope I answered all of your questions, and sorry for the long post!
Cheers,
Ashley
andrea 12:11 pm on December 2, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for your thorough response. You obviously have a lot of expertise in this area. I can appreciate how difficult it can be to include everything you know and want your audience to know about your venture. You did a great job presenting the essentials in your pitches. Thanks for taking the time to answer all my questions!
Reviewing people’s pitches and the subsequent discussions here I’ve learned a lot about new markets and technologies.
Best of luck in your continued development of LearnTRU!
Andrea
verenanz 11:57 pm on November 30, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Good job Ashley. It is great to see a product focused on a market that “needs” support and development. I thought your idea was creative and optimistic. There were a lot of steps and a lot of choices within your product, which confused me a little…..but I think that it has great potential.
Well done.
Verena:)
ashleyross 7:01 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Verena,
Thanks for taking the time to read my venture. I am sorry to hear that you found my VP a little confusing, perhaps I can clarify quickly how the program works. The initial three steps are designed to provide us with enough information to build a foundation for each client and it is from this foundation that we develop their learning and high-interest lifestyle. These are non-optional. We then allow our clients to choose how many days a week they wish to work with us to implement the aforementioned lifestyles. It could be one day during the week + four hours on the weekend, or it could be five days a week, it completely depends on their schedule, budget, and requirements.
The rest of the additional services are supplemental to the above, such as providing laptops and software, helping families inquire about funding, etc.
Hopefully this helps. 🙂
Thanks again,
Ashley
Deb Kim 10:41 pm on December 1, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
This is a great venture idea. Your elevator pitch caught my attention, especially when you started with the number 35%. This made me think what it would represent. I also liked your venture pitch. You said that “In addition to the assessment fee and any associated equipment purchase or rental costs, the primary source of income for LearnTRU will be through annual contract agreements”. I think it’s a great idea. As I’m currently teaching students with special needs, I’ve been seeking for support in helping them learn in general. Your venture is a great idea to help both teachers and students. Great work!
Deb
Deb Giesbrecht 4:44 pm on December 3, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
• Pain Point: students with learning disabilities
• Solution: LearnTRU – loved your use of acronyms. I think that this is a great idea. I think your venture idea has a lot of merit – it combines real-life experiences that boost morale and self-esteem with techniques on how to develop excellent study habits and routines. I think you have really identified a gap in the market that can be filled with your solution. I like your business plan and I think you have a well thought out and researched venture/market capability. You have identified that the market is ready for this type of solution and you have a flexible sales plan. You have identified a great team to work with and appear to have a lot of credibility. I did not see in your venture pitch how much you were asking from investors or return on investment. I did however, really like your sales strategy and thought overall the venture concept was not only feasible, but very doable and worthwhile cause. Great concept!
khenry 6:06 pm on December 4, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ashley,
This was actually one of the first ones that I looked at but in my check throughs realised I actually did not post the response. Sorry. I really like the concept of Learntru. Your elevator pitch grabbed my attention and addressed pain points, solutions/product, and your target market. However, I did not get a sense of the team involved, how you will access your market or potential market share. I liked the use of the three step system presented, and how it was presented, and your inclusion of authentic learning activities. It is a great concept I hope you go forward with it.
Kerry-Ann