Reach Capital

We’re excited to open applications for our Reach Roadrunners IV cohort! Over the past three years, more than 100 founders and operators have been part of this community — learning, building, investing alongside us. A few have even joined Reach portfolio companies! This incredible network has helped us find and support those who are building a better future for learning, health and work. This is not your typical scout program. There’s content and deep dives on market trends, and AMAs with industry leaders. You’ll learn how we evaluate investment opportunities. And there’ll be plenty of networking with peers from a diverse range of companies and industries. Our next cohort will be thematically focused on health care and future of work, and geographically based in NYC and SF Bay Area. If you are a founder, operator or practitioner working in these areas, we invite you to apply! 👉 Apply here by Jan. 5 https://lnkd.in/gu-AKsi2 Check out what previous Roadrunners have to say!

As the first in her Florida-based family to go to college, Jomayra Herrera quickly realized that her parents were right: Education would become a powerful lever in her life. She was the first in her high school to attend Stanford, graduating with honors before collecting a masters in education. Jomayra resolved to make that personal lever work for others, dedicating her professional life to democratizing access to education and opportunity, primarily through venture capital. “I want to create a north star for the girl I was,” she says. She gained experience as an impact driver at Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective and was listed on the Forbes “30 Under 30” list. After two years at Cowboy Ventures she joined Reach Capital as a partner, investing in early-stage technologies across learning, health, and work. Reach’s portfolio companies range from offering free tutoring for students to improving access to pediatric specialty care.   In 2020, Jomayra wrote a thesis on the history of labor markets and the need to inject security into the flexibility of today’s evolving gig economy. The Substack version led to a Reach investment and Jomayra’s position on the board of WorkWhile, providing workers with access to flexible shifts and benefits like free telehealth and training. Now Jomayra is using her thought leadership and investment savvy to find solutions for a broken healthcare system, which she experienced first-hand after being diagnosed as pre-diabetic. “For me, this is personal,” Jomayra says. In 2021, she founded Reach Roadrunners, a yearlong fellowship program bringing together founders, operators, and practitioners focused on innovation in education and the future of work. The community now numbers 100, spawning new startups and opening capital opportunities. Jomayra’s impact goes beyond Reach Capital: She is also president of the nonprofit SomosVC which is on a mission to increase the numbers of Latinos in venture capital. (Despite being the country’s fastest growing minority group, Latinos represent just 1% of venture employees.) “I’ve been the first or the only in so many rooms,” Jomayra says. “I want to change that.” Do you know a mission-driven woman on the cusp of top leadership who could scale her impact via Journey To Lead? Nominate her or tell her to apply at: https://lnkd.in/eGQTeuk7. Fellow headshot captured by Heather Crowder

We’re excited to share our biggest investment in 🇧🇷 #edtech to date! Teachy offers an AI-powered workspace that’s already helped 1M+ teachers save time while engaging students more deeply through customizable lessons and assignments. Already reaching more than 10M students across the world, Teachy’s tools are tailored for classrooms in Latin America and Asia, where curriculum alignment and quality can be a huge challenge. We’re thrilled to be part of Teachy’s journey, led by co-founders Pedro Siciliano (also a former teacher) and serial entrepreneur Fábio Baldissera. And excited to join Goodwater in this round alongside Roble Ventures and NXTP Ventures! Check out the coverage here: https://lnkd.in/gguAgXMp

New Role Alert! Our portfolio company, Curipod, is expanding its sales team. Join a fun, fast-growing team that’s helping over 500K teachers and 6M students across 125 countries make learning more exciting, collaborative, and future focused. They’re looking for exceptional Sales Account Executives who can: • Turn educator excitement into meaningful partnerships • Collaborate directly with C-suite on strategy • Shape Curipod’s product-led sales playbook • Bring classroom experience (bonus points if you’re Texas-based!) Full details: https://lnkd.in/e4vnH8pe Ready to spark curiosity across classrooms? Connect with Lexi Lobdell! 🔍 Looking for something different? Explore more purpose-led opportunities on our Reach Job Board: https://lnkd.in/d7-JpiwP #hiring #sales #K12 #startup #careerops

What does it take to design tools that deeply engage learners and educators — and deliver results? In the latest The Enthusiast podcast episode, Esteban Sosnik unpacks what we’ve learned about the challenges, opportunities and impact of digital learning, across his personal journey and through the evolution of Reach Capital. https://lnkd.in/dcu4WHTk Some of the topics covered: 1️⃣ Learning is inherently human, and often collaborative. It requires human relationships, accountability, and peer interaction that can be difficult to replicate digitally, at scale. 2️⃣ While COVID-19 accelerated the digitization of education, it also exposed the limitations of existing platforms and highlighted the need for more sophisticated solutions that can better support both teachers and students. 3️⃣ Inspiration from Marcos Galperin, who led Mercado Libre for 25 years and grew it into a $100B company despite numerous exit opportunities. It’s a story of how entrepreneurship that isn't always about serial ventures, but about serious, sustained dedication to a single vision. 4️⃣ There will always be another milestone or goal post, so find happiness within the journey itself. Whether you're starting a company or working for others, surround yourself with great people who you enjoy working with and learning from.

In Part II of our healthcare series, we explore opportunities to address the healthcare workforce shortage. We are excited about current portfolio companies already making a dent in the category, including Stepful, Aprende Institute, and Sketchy. We identified 3 areas of opportunities👇 💻 Modern workforce management tools specialized for healthcare - that take into account the growing complexity of onboarding, scheduling, and managing an engaged healthcare workforce (e.g. M7 Health, Arya, Planbase (YC S24)) 👩⚕️ New "UpToDate" - a modern clinical reference tool that helps provide clinicians answers to their questions quickly and with the latest evidence-based research. (e.g. Pathway, Glass Health, Vera Health (YC S24)) 🤖 Specialty-specific augmentation tools - that are designed specifically to help clinicians in the flow of their work and account for the specific nature of their specialty. Specialties we have emerging interests include women's health, endocrinology, and longevity. (e.g. LEVY Health, Frame, mdhub (YC S24), Theator, Surgical Safety Technologies Inc.)

In Part II of Health Care deep dive, we focus on addressing the workforce pipeline — the U.S. alone will face a shortage of 3.2 million healthcare workers by 2026. With an aging demographic, rising costs and an increase in chronic conditions, it’s one of the biggest problems we must solve. Jomayra Herrera explores the gaps in a clinician’s career journey that present opportunities for innovation and impact — training & credentialing, recruitment & placement, workforce management, upskilling & recertification, and clinician augmentation. In particular, we are excited about the following areas: Modern workforce management platforms that meet the needs of clinicians and employers today, by offering flexible scheduling options, helping streamline the credentialing process, addressing retention, and more. Next-gen clinical reference and knowledge tools that help providers answer critical questions in the flow of their work. Medical knowledge now doubles every 73 days(!) and it is essential for doctors to have timely access to trustworthy answers, especially in complex specialties like oncology, cardiology and radiology. Specialized workflow and augmentation tools focused on up-and-coming specialities (like longevity), highly verticalized and underserved fields (e.g. fertility and women’s health), and very complex and collaborative treatments (e.g. oncology and endocrinology). Read our full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/dZSu8dGP Building in healthcare? We'd love to connect. #healthcare #FutureOfWork #HealthcareJobs #clinicians

AI won’t replace engineers. Instead, it’ll create unprecedented demand for them. In a recent Reach AMA, CodeSignal CEO Tigran Sloyan challenged the common misconception that AI will reduce the need for engineers. CodeSignal is the leading assessment platform used by engineering teams at top-tier tech firms. Few people have a better front-row seat to how quickly technical upskilling and skills-based hiring are evolving in today’s age. ”The idea that with AI you’re not going to need engineers anymore — it’s completely dumbfounded,” Sloyan explained. “In reality, when technology becomes more accessible, demand skyrockets. AI will make software development more accessible and unleash new possibilities we haven't even imagined yet.” Three key #HR and #skills trends: 💡 The traditional assessment model is evolving: Companies are moving beyond just coding tests to include soft skills evaluation through AI-powered simulations, recognizing the need for well-rounded technical talent. 💡 Enterprise L&D faces a transformation challenge: While learning solutions are often viewed as optional, there’s growing pressure to demonstrate measurable skill gains and concrete ROI. 💡 The resume is becoming obsolete: Traditional hiring based on pedigree alone overlooks qualified candidates. The industry is pushing toward skills-based evaluation (”what can you build?”) that better reflects actual capabilities. “There is so much to build, and we haven't even started building like 1% of it. We’re going to see even more need for highly technical people than we've seen in the past 50 years.” A huge thank you to Tigran for sharing his candid insights on the future of skills development, and to our engaged Reach community for bringing their thoughtful questions and perspectives to the conversation!

Our portfolio company Stellic is hiring! For those passionate about transforming higher education, Stellic tackles one of college's biggest pain points: degree planning. Students often feel like they're trying to navigate a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle where the pieces keep changing shape. This team is changing that. Their degree management platform transforms scattered course requirements into a clear picture of a student's path to graduation. They're already partnering with leading institutions in higher education, including Carnegie Mellon University, Duke University, and the University of Chicago. Ready to join the growing team? They're hiring for these key roles: - TWO Implementation Managers: https://lnkd.in/eZgTCcdn - Lead Data Engineer: https://lnkd.in/esr96eNn - Lead Technical Writer: https://lnkd.in/exqkRV44 - Lead Full-stack Engineer: https://lnkd.in/e_HHPT5b - Lead Algorithms Engineer: https://lnkd.in/ep65iVDk 🔍 Looking for something different? Explore more mission-driven opportunities on the Reach job board: https://lnkd.in/d7-JpiwP #hiring #job #highereducation #startup

Healthcare isn't just big—it's staggering. U.S. healthcare spending hit $4.5 trillion in 2022 (17% of GDP) and is racing toward 20% by 2030. Yet there’s a paradox: despite outspending every other advanced economy, we're falling behind in critical metrics from life expectancy to infant mortality. The system that should heal is itself ailing. While some of us can navigate its complexities, millions face a stack of barriers—financial, educational, and structural. This isn't just a market inefficiency; it's a human challenge that touches every family, every community. However, we're standing at an unprecedented intersection: where AI meets clinical breakthroughs, where big data meets personalized care. The potential for transformation isn't just exciting—it's essential. In our latest deep dive, Jomayra Herrera uncovers nine transformative trends reshaping healthcare's future. Her analysis reminds us that while healthcare challenges are universal, solutions must be as unique as the individuals they serve. Discover the nine trends we’re tracking below.