Gary Community Ventures

MagicSchool provides various AI tools to assist teachers with their diverse tasks. It is a comprehensive platform designed to support teachers in multiple facets of their profession, including lesson planning, assessment creation, differentiation, communication, and beyond. Utilizing over 60 AI tools, it generates original and tailored educational content, feedback, and recommendations.

Honest Jobs is a leading fair-chance employment platform based in Columbus, Ohio, that focuses on helping individuals with criminal records secure employment. Founded in 2018, the company operates a job marketplace specifically designed for those impacted by the criminal justice system, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and human resource practices. By providing access to job opportunities, Honest Jobs aims to support the reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals into the workforce, thereby promoting fair hiring practices and reducing barriers to employment. The platform serves as a vital resource in addressing the challenges faced by this population and strives to create a more inclusive job market.

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. is focused on improving student outcomes by addressing chronic absenteeism through a unique combination of behavioral science, data science, and family engagement. Founded in 2015 and based in Redwood City, California, the company offers a toolkit that equips educators with insights, research, and strategies to effectively collaborate with families. This approach aims to ensure that every student has equitable opportunities to learn. By providing attendance intervention reports, EveryDay Labs enables schools and parents to monitor student attendance records, ultimately empowering educators to enhance support systems across districts.

The Kresge Foundation is an independent non-profit organization based in Troy, Michigan, established in 1924. With assets totaling $3 billion, the foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations by promoting human progress and creating access and opportunities in underserved communities. Its work is organized into seven program areas: arts and culture, community development, education, health, human services, the environment, and initiatives specifically focused on Detroit. The foundation aims to improve the health of low-income individuals, support artistic expression, increase college achievement, and address global climate change through innovative solutions. Its executive management team oversees the foundation's assets and ensures that funds are allocated effectively to various grantees and programs.

Wonderschool, founded in 2016 in California by a team of educators and technologists, provides a platform that enables individuals to launch infant and toddler programs and preschools from their homes. The company supports experienced educators and childcare providers in establishing their own childcare facilities, regardless of their living arrangements, whether in apartments, condos, or houses. Wonderschool offers comprehensive assistance with licensing, program setup, marketing, and various operational needs. Its software platform allows educators to manage their students, parents, and programs seamlessly from a single dashboard. Additionally, Wonderschool features a marketplace where parents can search for programs, schedule visits, enroll their children, and make payments. Committed to enhancing access to quality early education, Wonderschool recognizes the importance of early childhood development in cognitive, motor, behavioral, and social skills.

Peekapak Inc. is a Toronto-based company that specializes in a digital language arts program focused on character education for children. Founded in 2013, Peekapak provides an engaging learning platform that combines digital stories and lessons with interactive games to teach essential social-emotional skills, such as empathy, teamwork, and self-regulation. The program is designed for both classroom and at-home use, enabling educators and parents to foster essential character traits in children. Developed by education experts, Peekapak's resources are standards-aligned and research-based, making it easier for teachers to integrate social-emotional learning into their literacy curriculum. The company has received backing from prominent educational organizations and has garnered attention in various media outlets, highlighting its innovative approach to nurturing compassionate and empathetic citizens.