Gary Community Investment Company

Guardians Collective is a San Francisco-based company that operates an online community platform designed for parents and early childhood educators. The platform facilitates collaboration and dialogue, allowing users to connect and share information in a safe and anonymous environment. By bridging the gap between parents and early educators, Guardians Collective aims to eliminate early learning gaps and foster support networks. The platform offers resources and research-based activities that parents can implement with their children, making the journey of first-time parenting less isolating and more collaborative. Through this initiative, Guardians Collective enhances the overall experience of parenting and early childhood education.

EveryDay Labs, Inc. develops a toolkit that is designed to provide educators with insights, research, and strategies on how to partner with families so that every student has an equitable opportunity to learn. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in Redwood City, California.

The Kresge Foundation is a private, national foundation based in Troy, Michigan, established in 1924, with assets totaling approximately $3 billion. It aims to enhance the quality of life for future generations by focusing on seven key program areas: arts and culture, community development, education, health, human services, the environment, and specifically Detroit. The foundation is committed to expanding opportunities in underserved communities, improving health outcomes for low-income individuals, and supporting artistic endeavors. Additionally, it plays a vital role in revitalizing Detroit and addressing global climate challenges. In 2011, the foundation awarded 346 grants totaling $170 million, demonstrating its dedication to social impact through grantmaking and social investments.

Started in 2016 by a group of educators and technologists in California, Wonderschool offers a platform where people can start infant and toddler programs and preschools out of their homes. Wonderschool supports experienced educators and childcare providers to start their own childcares or preschools out of their homes, whether they live in apartments, condos, or homes that they rent or own. Wonderschool provides assistance with licensing, program setup, marketing and everything in between. The company’s software platform allows teachers to manage their students, parents, and their program from one dashboard. Along with this, Wonderschool has built a marketplace for parents to search Wonderschool programs, schedule visits, enroll their children, and make payments. It’s been proven time and time again that children should start developing cognitive, motor, behavioral, and social skills from as early as 6 months and Wonderschool is committed to increasing families’ access to high quality care and learning environments for children.

Peekapak Inc. is a Toronto-based company founded in 2013 that specializes in developing a digital platform focused on character education through language arts. Its program features digital stories and interactive lessons that teach essential social-emotional skills such as empathy, teamwork, and self-regulation, making it suitable for both classroom and home use. The platform is designed to align with educational standards and offers educators research-based tools that facilitate the integration of social-emotional learning into literacy activities. Peekapak's innovative approach has garnered recognition and support from various organizations in the education technology sector, and it has been featured in numerous media outlets.