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Emmie Thomas- Co-founder and CEO of Knowji

By inhee kim on September 29, 2018

Image result for knowjiKnowji- an app for literacy

(self-sustaining organization)
A new approach to learning vocabulary. Knowji is a game-like app that keeps track of your vocabulary learning progress. Any words that are challenging reappear than others. It is easy to use and a fun way to learn new words. Includes kid-friendly cartoons, audio pronunciations, and content that is engaging.

 

 

Emmie T.

Emmie Thomas co-founder and CEO, Social Innovator, Edtech Entrepreneur.
Nick Thomas her husband joined her later.
Emmie graduated from NYU in Business and Finance. She also pursued a career in asset management, technology, and mobile sales. 

In an interview, Emmie mentioned that she found literacy to be a spectrum rather than a checkbox. Many people often fall through the cracks in the education system and are unable to gain literacy skills.

Emmie’s personal experience growing up as a first-generation American, she struggled to build her vocab, and later found it much more challenging to prep for the GRE exam. Eventually she developed Knowji to help people who may be ESL/ELL, and people who are below functional illiteracy level in English.

 

Reflection
I feel that when the founder has been in the shoes of the learner, it makes it more meaningful. I feel that she experienced the struggles and can help detect where the challenges lies. Also, she is extremely passionate about helping others,  growing up in NYC, she pondered how to help people out of poverty. Their mission is to bring Knowji, an affordable high quality education to anyone, anytime, anywhere. She isn’t looking for a quick fix, but a long term solution. She mentioned this quote which resonates with me too, “you feed a man a fish, you feed him for a day. You teach a man to fish, you feed him a lifetime.”

 

 

Resources
https://www.knowji.com/
https://www.innov8social.com/2013/04/interview-with-emmie-thomas-co-founder
https://blog.rackspace.com/rackspace-startup-program-spotlight-on-knowji-combining-education-technology-for-language-acquisition-apps
https://twitter.com/emmietthomas

Rating
Average: 3/5 Stars
 
 
 
 
 
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30 Sep Posted on Emmie Thomas- Co-founder and CEO of Knowji

This is a great idea. I appreciate seeing a program developed based on the founder's own experiences, as her insight can really help create an effective tool since she struggled with language herself. Not only does she have a pain point that hits close to home, she clearly has the background knowledge needed to create a startup as well. I'm interested in knowing how much funding they've secured and how popular the app is.

30 Sep
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Victoria Ramsey @vic87

This is a great idea. I appreciate seeing a program developed based on the founder's own experiences, as her insight can really help create an effective tool since she struggled with language herself. Not only does she have a pain point that hits close to home, she clearly has the background knowledge needed to create a startup as well. I'm interested in knowing how much funding they've secured and how popular the app is.

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30 Sep Posted on Emmie Thomas- Co-founder and CEO of Knowji

Thank you for showcasing a woman in EdTech, Inhee. I agree that being a learner rather than a teacher allows a founder/CEO to understand her customers more deeply; companies developed from this standpoint are likely to be more authentic, filling a recognized, experienced gap. The idea that literacy is a spectrum and not a checkbox is an especially important point when considering higher-level ELLs.

30 Sep
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Kate Quinn @mkquinn

Thank you for showcasing a woman in EdTech, Inhee. I agree that being a learner rather than a teacher allows a founder/CEO to understand her customers more deeply; companies developed from this standpoint are likely to be more authentic, filling a recognized, experienced gap. The idea that literacy is a spectrum and not a checkbox is an especially important point when considering higher-level ELLs.

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30 Sep Posted on Emmie Thomas- Co-founder and CEO of Knowji

Thanks for the post, Kim! Emmie seems like a great role model for would-be entrepreneurs. First, she has clearly demonstrated motivation to create change through he Knowji app, and she's passionate about helping those who struggle with English. Second, Emmie personally struggled with English vocabulary before applying to grad school and witnessed first-hand the struggles of others in New York City who struggled with verbal development. Third, she found ways to solve her English "problem" through her own innovative methods, remixing tried-and-tested English-learning methods to leverage the modern, mobile tools of the 21st century. Lastly, as a first-generation American she had to actively pursue her goals and to chase opportunities when they arose, showing a willingness to dive into the great unknown for the potential benefit of not only herself and her family but the English-speaking world at large. Her story feels like an "underdog tale", and her successful company shows what can be accomplished when you explore a handful of original ideas along with a carefully-selected team.

30 Sep
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scott @skanes17

Thanks for the post, Kim! Emmie seems like a great role model for would-be entrepreneurs. First, she has clearly demonstrated motivation to create change through he Knowji app, and she's passionate about helping those who struggle with English. Second, Emmie personally struggled with English vocabulary before applying to grad school and witnessed first-hand the struggles of others in New York City who struggled with verbal development. Third, she found ways to solve her English "problem" through her own innovative methods, remixing tried-and-tested English-learning methods to leverage the modern, mobile tools of the 21st century. Lastly, as a first-generation American she had to actively pursue her goals and to chase opportunities when they arose, showing a willingness to dive into the great unknown for the potential benefit of not only herself and her family but the English-speaking world at large. Her story feels like an "underdog tale", and her successful company shows what can be accomplished when you explore a handful of original ideas along with a carefully-selected team.

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