Felix Ruano (L) and Michael Vilardo (R), co-founders of Emile Learning.
Hayden Grant
Michael Vilardo and Felix Ruano are living the American Dream. The son of Mexican immigrants, Ruano grew up in inner-city Los Angeles and attended LA’s public schools before attending Harvard University and eventually getting a job at McKinsey. Vilardo, whose family is from Colombia, was the first from his high school to attend the Ivy School. He began his further studies at a community college and attended seven schools over the course of five years before completing his studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Vilardo later worked at Uber, where he helped found Uber Freight.
Coming from similar backgrounds, Vilardo and Ruano noticed differences between themselves and their classmates at their respective Ivy League institutions. The resources their peers enjoyed and the mentors they were exposed to at an early age prepared them for career success. Combining their experience in technology, education and entrepreneurship – and leveraging the connections they’ve made in school and in the workplace – they launched Emile Learning in October 2020, a online education platform that offers accredited “bingable” courses that many students can access for free.
Their mission, to provide a quality education to every student in the world, has resulted in an angel investment of $5.3 million from backers including Softbank, Owl Ventures and Kleiner Perkins ( supported two of the most successful online education companies, Duolingo and Coursera) now go public).
As Latino entrepreneurs, young executives provide the necessary representation in a tech startup landscape dominated by white founders. Vilardo remains steadfast in his mission: “Helping kids who look like the two of us.”
Wealth, education and success
Vilardo attributes much of his success to the power of education and networking. He has firsthand experience how higher education, especially at prestigious universities, has opened new doors and connected him with mentors who will later be instrumental in helping him out. business development and capital raising. His network at Uber played a changing role in the company, as Uber Alum Syndicate executives invested in the startup and connected Vilardo with Uber alumni. Of their first 40 employees, about 30% came from a car-sharing platform.
For Vilardo, education is the key to success, and Emile Learning aims to “help children open up any opportunities anywhere,” because not everyone has access to an Ivy League education. or network at a large corporation with a market capitalization of nearly 60 billion USD.
“At the end of the day, the zip code you were born into or how rich your family was,” says Vilardo, largely determines your education, and your level of education determines your trajectory throughout life. Vilardo said. “We want to provide [someone from] any socioeconomic status or zip code with an affordable top education. If we can empower anyone in the country and eventually all over the world to have access to the best education, that would be a huge step forward for society. “
Many successful entrepreneurs seek to solve a problem they witnessed or experienced first-hand. For Vilardo, this happened early in the pandemic, when he was earning his MBA at UCLA and found his university struggling to adapt to the digital learning environment.
“If top universities can barely handle the transition to the digital world, how will a high school in North Dakota or Nebraska be able to handle it?” Vilardo said.
At first, Emile Learning tutored high-achieving students who wanted to improve their scores on AP exams and gain admission to top colleges. But after Emile received certification for her courses, Vilardo and Ruano saw greater business potential.
Armed with coveted recognition, they are able to provide school districts with classes for students of all backgrounds in both core subjects and extracurricular topics, empowering learners to graduate. on time and access important curriculum (such as personal finance) that is rarely required in high school subjects.
Brandon Copeland, an NFL advocate, personal finance instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a member of the CNBC Financial Wellness Council, has chosen to join the platform as both an investor and mentor. led because he appreciated the company’s commitment to a variety of areas.
“We make sure young people have access not only to the traditional classes we all learned in high school, but also [other subjects]. I’m focused on giving people real-life education, things that we’ll actually use in life, and so we’re on that mission. “
Copeland says he was able to live his dream because he learned how to manage money, control his resources, and exercise financial health. At Emile Learning, he hopes to empower his students through financial education to realize their dreams.
“When I think about the real impact and building a legacy, being able to teach someone about their money – how to spend their money, how to maximize their money, how to make it – I personally believe if you teach someone about their money, you will not only change their life, you will hopefully change the life of their child, the life of their family and their community,” said Copeland.
As school districts begin to receive Covid relief funding during the pandemic, some have turned to Emile Learning, which has established a digital infrastructure for distance learning. Now, public tax dollars are funding student memberships, which means many kids lack the resources to buy an accessible membership. By HiEmile.com Free courses.
“Public tax dollars are used to improve educational opportunities in [less affluent] “Vilardo said.” Kids can enjoy our products for free, and that allows us to influence kids of any socioeconomic status living in any zip code across the United States.”
Vilardo says education is more important now than ever as students (especially those in less affluent districts) have to deal with the impact of the pandemic on their education.
“Our main focus right now is on helping all of these students, especially those who have fallen behind during the pandemic,” he said. “We will help them close that gap and be more confident after using our product.”
Saturated online learning market
Many platforms have stepped in during the pandemic to deliver virtual education as traditional schools struggle to quickly build the digital infrastructure needed for full online instruction. Outside of schools, for example, it has become common to provide an online marketplace for teachers to deliver courses of their own creation via Zoom. Adults and children alike subscribe to the Masterclass to access high-quality content taught by celebrities and industry experts. Children flock to YouTube not only for entertainment but also to watch educational clips.
Despite a saturated market, Emile Learning sets itself apart by offering what few other platforms can do: certification.
“We feel highly confident that [our] “You can’t enroll in the University of Michigan to watch YouTube or Masterclass,” says Vilardo. … With Emile, you can completely enroll in college and earn verified credits. “
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Copeland says the platform sets itself apart from similar products through its unique approach to content delivery.
“We will continue to make a difference by making sure we are engaging our students in a unique way,” he said. “We’re trying to make sure we’re using the hottest trends in technology and media, to accommodate young people where they are, and not force them into the education system.”
Vilardo says interacting with their content is like “watching your favorite Netflix docuseries or documentaries. You can’t go to bed at night and you have to watch the next episode. You’re in, you’re learning and you’re in a flow state of mind.”
Like an archive, Emile’s courses leverage high-quality production elements to capture the viewer’s attention. The courses are broken down into short, “generally possible” segments of 10 minutes or less, which Vilardo says will be crucial in reaching the next generation of learners who are already familiar with the work. digital art and fast-moving content.
“Kids entering high school 10 years from now will be even more suited to learning in a digital-first format,” says Vilardo.
Combining an accredited curriculum with high-profile film production led the company to build its own production studio in LA and hire experienced producers and videographers along with instructors.
“You can very well compare [our courses] “You have people who do rigorous scripting… and work with very talented people who can bring that to light and spread the word throughout filming,” says Vilardo. spectacular. ”
But it is the teachers who are the superstars of their company, VIlardo said. And the economy. He added: “They educate people and create more talent, generate more gross domestic product. A more educated society means more opportunities for everyone to participate.” .
NFL Linebacker and CNBC Financial Wellness Council member Brandon Copeland are both investors and instructors at Emile Learning.
Bobby Quillard
Being in front of the camera is key to Emile Learning’s success and appeal, and Emile Learning’s pre-recorded, digital courses allow the company to attract talent.
“Peloton has helped personal trainers – the best in the world – be compensated at the top of the market and leveraged by technology and media. We’re doing it. [something] very similar to teachers, and that will allow our partners to have more in-depth instruction,” said Vilardo. Meanwhile, on-site teachers can focus on students who fall behind or students [that are] he added.
While many tech companies take advantage of people staying at home during the pandemic, including Peloton and Zoom, are experiencing a drop in demand as pandemic restrictions increase and people return to activities. directly, Vilardo says that Emile Learning has even greater growth potential. -Disease. Emile Learning fills in gaps in curriculum and helps alleviate teacher shortages, as educators are leaving teaching in search of jobs with better wages and working conditions.
Copeland says he believes in the company’s founders and its mission.
“When it comes to financial education, a lot of people are doing it rigorously for businesses and for programs,” says Copeland. “Depending on the school you apply to, there is a difference in the quality of education you receive. [Michael and Felix] really want to change that. “
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