The January 17 MIT Enterprise Forum in Bellevue, WA, featured a presentation by Ksenia Oustiougova, Founder & CEO of Lilipip and a panel of five experts in digital learning. Ksenia provided an overview of her company's plans for innovative design and delivery of educational content for pre-schoolers.
Panelists addressed the topic: "Classrooms Today, Clicks Tomorrow: The Future of Digital Learning."
The panel was moderated by Steven Conrad of Media Pro. Panelists were:
- Dr. Hala Annabi, Institute for Innovation in Information Management, UW;
- Karl Nelson, Digital Learning Commons
- Charlie Gillette, Knowledge Anywhere, a technology-based learning and performance support organization
- and Bill Finkbeiner, Executive Director of Insight Schools - recently acquired by The Apollo Group, the parent company of the University of Phoenix.
The program began with Ksenia's presentation of Lilipip's first product. "Lilipip" comes from her son's pronunciation of "Little people." Ksenia presented her idea and sample prototype for educational downloadable videos. The videos will be playable on any video device, but are especially targeted for use on cell phone to help mothers respond to their 2-5 year-olds "teachable moments".
Ksenia's venture was inspired by her son's delight with snow during the recent Seattle-area storms, and her inability come up with accurate, on-the-spot answers to his questions during the brief moments he was enamored of snowflakes.
The concept: subscription-based content delivery to cell phones for moms of pre-schoolers to help them capture their children's "teachable moments".
The panelists response was generally favorable, though somewhat mixed. They saw some promise, and raised critical questions. Would the subscription model work? Are people already tied into seeking information on the internet? Will wireless providers really go for this? Is the cellphone screen too small?
Ksenia took the panel's tough questions in stride and offered insightful comments during the program-at-large. I think she will pull this off. She knows her target market.
She is smart and high-energy. She is establishing a track record of excellence--she won the Best Consumer Product Idea Prize in the UW Business Plan Competition. Ksenia is passionate about this product. In the words of my former corporate colleagues, she has "fire in her belly."
Best case scenario is the content Lilipip delivers not only solves a momentary need for information, but also helps to cultivate a "sense of wonder"--in the toddler and parent.
Watch for news from Lilipip: www.lilipip.com
Stay tuned for my upcoming blog posts:
Part 2: The Present & Future of Digital Learning in the Education Market.
Part 3: The Present & Future of Digital Learning in the Corporate World
Part 4: Where are the investment opportunities?
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