LearnUp—Alexis Ringwald

Alexis Ringwald is definitely someone who has a knack for identifying problems and creating solutions as this is her second successful venture. One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is developing something that in itself is good but doesn't pass the "so what ?" test because the product doesn't offer any solution to a major problem that would be worth investing in to solve or anything new to what is already out there. Ringwald was able to take all the traditional resources that job seekers (especially entry level job seekers) use and combine them in a one stop shop app. This is also very valuable to employers because the training provided through this app for candidates is most likely significantly cheaper than spending money on all of those career development resources for a new hire.

Alexis demonstrates a host of qualities that are worth noting by other potential entrepreneurs. In the case of this venture, she identified a market gap for which she could provide value to two different sets of users -- job candidates on the one hand and employers on the other. While it has been widely reported that higher ed in North America is not equipping young job seekers with what they need, the post secondary sector itself has struggled to close this gap (or even decide if that is something that the sector should be doing!) Enter LearnUp. It seems that part of Alexis' success stems from the fact that her team took the reality of the gap they had identified and spent the time needed to understand WHY the gap existed. They didn't invent something new, but they combined, in a new way, a number of puzzle pieces - training, coaching, and employer/candidate "match making" -- into one effective offering. LearnUp's team represents quite a diversity of expertise, which is also a likely factor in its success. Based on her bio, it seems as if Alexis is starting along a path to serial entrepreneurship!

I have been saying for many many years that schools should focus on entry level positions across many fields including the trades. I think Alexis is on the right track, however, I would liked to have seen her numbers, are the participants actually getting work? Some kind of charts to show the types of industries hiring etc. Are their placement officers working for her program? One of the greatest issues today is that many employers are hiring towards the $0 dollar value. There are many companies such as Elance where companies put in a project and look for hired consultants for the project and usually hire low bidders. The economy of India and Pakistan is much lower than the USA and Canada. There is also Fivveer where individuals just charge $5 for a project. It is extremely difficult to compete against these companies for work especially when the economy is down, the unemployment rate is high etc. I would love to have sees numbers showing how many participants get actually hired in today's economy and what industry is being serviced the most.

We are starting to see a pattern here in the Founders Parade. Identifying a need, and working towards a solution. Sounds easy, but how these individuals make the leap from an idea to putting together a team, to attracting investors is the interesting part. Alexis, as noted above, had a passion for her project - a good start. The need she identified is not only fabulous but real. Working in academia for 25 years, I know that it is a rare academic program that has a partnership with industry to ensure the program teaches marketable skills. It is not enough to pursue an academic degree that only allows you to succeed in academia, as this world too is changing fast. As this individual has discovered, not all those who could be employed need a 4 year degree; they just need the particular skill the employer can use. Learnup focuses on entry level workers, a demographic group where you can truly make a difference with one job offer.