Grow Your EdTech Leadership Team with Ex-Consultants

EdTech had an unprecedented explosive year of investments in 2020. According to the EdTech funding database from EdSurge, over $2 billion was raised in US venture and private equity capital. This growth in EdTech funding is happening globally, with the current $16 billion of VC funding representing over 32 times the value of VC-backed EdTech investments in 2010.

With all of this investment in EdTech platforms and tech hiring at an all-time high, hiring within EdTech is experiencing surges. Hiring for specific industry roles can be challenging and labor-intensive, particularly with respect to senior leadership positions. For emerging and maturing startups alike, these hiring opportunities are critical investments, which can be pivotal for company success. The question stands, where can you find EdTech talent for your growing startup? Let’s dig into why Ex-consultants are primed to be star leaders in the EdTech industry.

1. Top consulting firms maintain in house education practices. In addition to well-known consulting leaders like McKinsey, Bain, Boston Consulting Group, and L.E.K., and the “Big Four” firms of EY, PwC, Deloitte, and KPMG, several other more specialized firms like Bellwether Education or the Bridgespan Group are filled with in-house EdTech experts, many of whom have contributed to the success of growing rising startups.

2. Consultants often begin their careers as generalists within their firms. These early career experiences prove to be vital in shaping agile leaders with cross-functional experience, a profile that can be mission critical for tech startup leadership.

3. Strategy consultants are professional thought leaders. Bringing in this type of trained professional is forward-thinking. Having someone on your senior team that can productively analyze, iterate, and reinvent your business model can ensure that your company will adapt with emergent industry trends.

4. Years of breakneck timelines and long hours trains consultants to be decisive and diligent leaders. They will be efficient and ensure that your business maintains rapid momentum and high growth that will in turn impact securing future funding. Speed can be key to your EdTech’s success and calls for well-groomed leaders who are energized from this pace.

5. Consulting firms place high value on collaboration. As a team member, people with consulting backgrounds have spent a lot of time in formal training programs to develop collaboration toolkits. Additionally, as team leaders, the most successful consultants are skilled at mentoring their junior team members. For a rapid growth industry like EdTech, leaders that can train and upskill future leaders can be incredibly valuable.

Lis Evans is a Project Manager at ECA Partners, a specialized recruiting firm focused on private equity. She helps clients with both executive search and interim / project needs. You may contact her at [email protected].