The power of Meetup and understanding EdTech with startup mentor, Sharia Huda

Season 3 - Episode 9: I was teaching at a school and I just
wanted to know more about what was happening in the area. So I
figured Meetup is accessible and it's usually open to the public
I figured, why not. And from there, I just started attending
more. Some of them have been really, really valuable. Instead of
paying a $700 registration fee for a conference, you can still
get some type of value from going to a meetup that's walking
distance, or just hopping on the train. After participating for a
year, I took the leap and began co-organizing the New York EdTech
meetup with two other people. It’s been such a fun journey, and
just seeing the community grow has been amazing. When I started,
there was about 6,000 members, and now this month are reaching to
a point where it's over about to be 9,000.
EdTech could be pretty vague. I think at this point, it can
really be anything, I think of EdTech as a big umbrella, so any
type of technology or tool that can enhance your learning
experience. So for example, you have platforms such as Parrot
Deck, and Kahoot, or anything that is also aligned with the
school curriculum for both K to 12 and higher ed, then there are
supplemental tools, such as Slack which is a tool for
communication that can still be used in schools.
Listen to the entire conversation with EdTech leader and startup
mentor, Sharia Huda, on the BoNY Podcast. @innovation.nearme