Giving Compass' Take:

• Founder of Project Wayfinder shares advice on running an education start-up during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• How can donors offer more support to education startups? 

• Read about equity in education during COVID-19. 

In early March, just as the first COVID-19 wave started in the U.S., I went to Texas to attend SXSW EDU and talk with potential partner schools about Project Wayfinder, the social-emotional learning curriculum company I run. Prior to leaving the San Francisco Bay Area, I had a horrible feeling. People were pulling out of SXSW, and companies were just starting to shift to remote work. By Friday, March 6, the conference was cancelled, my meetings were over, and I laid in bed freaking out: “This is going to change the whole trajectory of education. How is Wayfinder going to fit in?”

I had no idea how big a deal this pandemic would be. None of us did. But our world is different, and if you’re leading a school or startup through this time, it has been harrowing.

Prior to COVID-19, I had never led an organization through a crisis. I had never laid anyone off, pivoted an entire organization in months, or tried to make decisions based on information that simply was not available. Below is what I’ve learned over the past six months—what to do and what not to do. My aim is to help other startup and education leaders make wise decisions through this incredibly tumultuous period.

  • Be Transparent With Your Staff and Customers
  • Adaptability Is Crucial
  • Have a Vision for Post-Crisis
  • It’s All About Your Team
  • Listen to the Right Advisers
  • Lean on Your Closest Allies the Most
  • Relentless Determination

But as schools come back into session, many school leaders and startup founders are in for the academic year of their lives. Schools are not going away, and neither is COVID-19. I hope that some of these lessons can guide you as you embark on what will likely be your most tumultuous, uncertain—and perhaps defining—year as a leader.

Read the full article about education start-up amid COVID-19 by Patrick Cook-Deegan at EdSurge.