How We Help Clients

Education technology, services, and investors

We work with entrepreneurs, technologists, and investors to design, launch, and grow new support systems and solutions, expanding educational access and improving student outcomes

The promise of technology in school systems of all types is great—enabling personalized learning, saving teacher time, and equipping students with the skills they need for success.

We understand the power of technology in support of educational systems and outcomes around the world, and work closely with those investing in, innovating, and delivering on its potential. By working directly with schools, and from our ongoing research, we possess deep understanding of how students learn - and where they are struggling - to ensure that investments in education achieve maximum impact.

What we do

Education investment strategy and opportunity assessment
Drawing on our deep knowledge of schooling and investing, we identify and assess investment opportunities for improved performance and results that lead to educational improvement
New venture incubation
Working with leading organizations, entrepreneurs, and investors, we help design and build entirely new ventures in education and training of all types, for learners at all levels
Transformation and implementation
Harnessing our understanding of how to make change in complex organizations happen, we work shoulder-to-shoulder with management teams and boards to turn around and accelerate performance and build organizational capacity
Coalition and network building
Building partnerships across and within sectors, we help coalitions of organizations come together to develop and deliver a shared vision of success for learning outcomes of all types

Examples of our work

Expansion of a global media company into learning

Supporting a multiyear partnership with a global media company to build a new business in workforce development and corporate learning in healthcare

  • One billion euro revenue roadmap developed through a combination of organic- and inorganic-investment strategies
  • Supporting the re-envisioning of the company as a learning company
Creating a national online job-training platform for youth

Working with governments and other partners, launching a new online-training platform to improve job readiness of young adults in a country facing 25 percent or more of youth unemployment

  • 270,000 students enrolled—50,000 within the first six months
  • 20 offerings live at launch, built on national skills standards
  • 40 major employer endorsements for training and certifications
Expansion of tech company into higher education and corporate training

Supporting a technology company in developing a strategy to reorient its legacy assets to drive growth in higher education and corporate learning

  • $2 billion in high-margin opportunities identified
  • Partnerships in place with launch of new products underway within the first year

Featured Experts

Andrew Goodman
Senior PartnerLondon
Serves companies, governments and investors. He works with clients in sectors that are being disrupted to deliver strategic transformations....
Emma Dorn
Senior Knowledge ExpertBay Area
Supports education donors, foundations, systems, and institutions to improve education outcomes and equity for all students,...
Jake Bryant
PartnerSeattle
Helps education organizations spanning early learning, K-12, higher education, and adult learning improve learning and life outcomes,...
Jimmy Sarakatsannis
Senior PartnerWashington DC
Offers expertise across government, the social sector, and the private sector, advising leaders on education, economic mobility,...
Wayne Redmond
PartnerNew York
Supports education companies spanning from early learning to adult education in navigating market challenges and accelerating...

Featured Insights

A futuristic digital scene where a person, rendered in a wireframe design, reaches toward a holographic figure through a vibrant, neon-lit interface. The background is filled with complex circuitry patterns and glowing blue and purple tones, symbolizing human interaction with advanced artificial intelligence.
Report

Agents, robots, and us: Skill partnerships in the age of AI

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AI is expanding the productivity frontier. Realizing its benefits requires new skills and rethinking how people work together with intelligent machines.
A photo of kid-friendly scissors
Article
When the money runs out: K–12 schools brace for stimulus-free budgets
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As pandemic-related government funding ends, some school districts face tough choices. In our latest survey, K–12 leaders express concerns about budget pressures and their impact on students.
A jumble of yellow arrows pointing in different directions
McKinsey Direct
Beyond the bus: Five key challenges in US student transportation
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Getting K–12 students to school is a complex endeavor that requires significant investment and innovation. Stakeholders could face five key challenges within the next decade. 
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Article
How technology is shaping learning in higher education
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New McKinsey research shows that students and faculty are eager to continue using new classroom learning technologies adopted during the pandemic, but institutions could do more to support the shift.
Artificial intelligence: Boon or bane for teachers?
Article
How artificial intelligence will impact K–12 teachers
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Existing and emerging technologies can help save teacher time—time that could be redirected toward student learning. But to capture the potential, stakeholders need to address four imperatives.

Connect with our Education Practice

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