If you haven’t already, please study our Bootstrapping Course and Investor Introductions page. Lane Rankin, Founder at Illuminate Education, was first a teacher, then a school and school district administrator. His background is not of a typical tech entrepreneur. However, his deep domain knowledge and relationships in the education field have propelled him to become a very successful EdTech
If you haven’t already, please study our Bootstrapping Course and Investor Introductions page. Lane Rankin, Founder at Illuminate Education, was first a teacher, then a school and school district administrator. His background is not of a typical tech entrepreneur. However, his deep domain knowledge and relationships in the education field have propelled him to become a very successful EdTech
Sramana Mitra: What did you learn? Was the threshold one salesperson per state? How were you calculating your expansion strategy? Lane Rankin: Just about every time we would go and meet with the district, we would win a sale. If we have a presentation, 80% of the time we are winning the business. We were growing
Sramana Mitra: We are now at the point where you bought some portions of your previous company that you bought to Harcourt. You’re now ready to start off on your own in 2009. What happens next? Lane Rankin: We started over in 2009 with some pieces of a new platform. We had started a new
Sramana Mitra: You financed the other company using the resources of the first company? Lane Rankin: Correct. Sramana Mitra: If you look at revenues and stuff, how was the first company doing? What was the trajectory of the second company? Lane Rankin: Our turnover was around $2 million to $3 million in the first company. I
Lane was first a teacher, then a school and school district administrator. His background is not of a typical tech entrepreneur. However, his deep domain knowledge and relationships in the education field have propelled him to become a very successful EdTech entrepreneur. Great story! Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at the very beginning of your entrepreneurial