Instructure and Echo360 Extend Partnership to Increase Student Engagement and Improve Learning Outcomes

by OpenView

RESTON, VA–(Marketwired – June 16, 2015) – As research increasingly shows that student engagement has a positive impact on student success, Instructure and Echo360 are extending their partnership to ensure that instructors have the tools and data needed to improve learning in and beyond the classroom for students in institutions using both company’s solutions worldwide.

Today, teaching and learning platform provider Echo360 joins Instructure as a Certified Partner, making it easier for educators using Instructure’s Canvas learning management system to engage students and access real-time insight about how their students are interacting with course materials, content, and peers via Echo360.

Echo360 is also announcing two important new capabilities for institutions based on open standards-based integration between Canvas and Echo360:

  • Automatic Course Creation – generates courses, sections and enrolled students in Echo360 using information from Canvas with no training or effort on the part of the instructor.
  • Gradebook Integration – optionally adds valuable student engagement and performance data captured in Echo360 to the Canvas Gradebook.

Through these powerful links, instructors using Canvas can now view enhanced student analytics, access class captures and course materials, and monitor student progress from the Canvas user environment. Unlike other companies’ proprietary interfaces, these links between Canvas and Echo360 are fully compliant with the open Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard to ensure maximum flexibility and reliability for institutions.

“We believe that no instructor should be in the dark about what’s going on in their classroom,” said Fred Singer, CEO of Echo360. “Our integration with Canvas makes it easier and faster for instructors to identify where students are struggling and what lessons and materials are having the greatest impact on learning.”

More than 1,200 institutions have adopted Canvas as their learning management system, and over 8,000 classrooms are using Echo360.

“Through the expanded integration with Echo360, instructor work can be streamlined and new insights into student engagement revealed,” said Melissa Loble, Vice President, Partners and Programs at Instructure. “The instructor-centric tools from Echo360 are a great complement to the support Canvas provides institutions. We’re excited to announce them as a Certified Partner as we continue to support institutions’ most critical work.”

Instructure formally reviews and certifies the technical integrations for its Canvas Certified Partners. These integrations empower educational institutions to provide faculty, teachers and learners a seamless ecosystem of educational technologies.

The Echo360 cloud-based platform allows students to better engage with course materials, ask questions during class in an anonymous and risk-free way, and engage with instructors and peers any time and anywhere. Instructors also have access to powerful learner analytics to identify at-risk students and measure learning outcomes. The integration with Instructure improves the suite of tools and information instructors have at their fingertips to continuously support the learning process.

About Echo360
Echo360 believes that improved outcomes start with great moments in the classroom. Developed by educators, Echo360 helps instructors capture and extend those moments to improve student engagement before, during and after class. Through our Active Learning Platform, students have 24/7 access to classroom discussion, presentation materials, and the lecture itself. We generate data that helps instructors and institutions identify problems early and take action. Today, Echo360 technologies are used by over 2M students in 8,000 classrooms at 600 institutions across 30 countries. Echo360 is backed by Revolution Growth led by Steve Case, Ted Leonsis and Donn Davis.

About Instructure
Instructure, Inc. is the software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology company that makes software that makes people smarter. Its cloud-based Canvas learning management system (LMS) has now connected more than 18 million teachers and learners at over 1,200 higher ed and K-12 institutions throughout the world. Because learning doesn’t end after graduation, Instructure also offers Bridge, the modern learning and engagement platform that enables organizations of every kind to engage with employees by measuring and improving employee sentiment, alignment and knowledge in real time. Learn more about Canvas at www.CanvasLMS.com.

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Media Contact:
Sarah Herring
202-479-7149
Email contact

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Kareo Adds Cornerstone OnDemand Co-Founder and CFO Perry Wallack to Board of Directors

by OpenView

IRVINE, Calif., Jun 11, 2015 — Kareo, the leading provider of cloud-based solutions for independent medical practices, today announced the addition of Perry Wallack, co-founder and CFO of Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc. CSOD, -0.04% to its board of directors. Continue reading “Kareo Adds Cornerstone OnDemand Co-Founder and CFO Perry Wallack to Board of Directors” →

In First-ever Partnership with a Venture Capital Firm, Startup Institute and OpenView Venture Partners Team Up to Promote Diversity within the Innovation Economy

by OpenView

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS (PRWEB) JUNE 11, 2015 — OpenView Venture Partners, the leading expansion-stage B2B software venture capital firm, announced today a strategic partnership with Startup Institute, the leader for education in the innovation economy. This partnership represents Startup Institute’s first-ever with a venture capital firm and seeks to bolster diversity within the startup and venture capital spheres.

As one of the nation’s leading career accelerators, Startup Institute aims to promote diversity within the tech community, provide its students with expert training in the most in-demand skills and instill in them the cultural awareness needed to thrive in a startup environment. To date, 41% of Startup Institute students have been women and 35% students of color.

“It’s no secret that the tech community suffers from a diversity problem,” said Devon McDonald, Partner at OpenView. “Through our partnership with Startup Institute, we’re aiming to source a more diverse talent pool for our own portfolio and serve as an example for the VC community. By partnering with the Institute, we’re providing an avenue to open up a dialogue around diversity issues within this space and hope to expose a more diverse group to the inner-workings of life at a venture capital firm.”

Today’s announcement signifies an important relationship between two of the most prominent organizations in Boston’s technology community and brings with it significant opportunities for both parties. OpenView gains the ability to actively recruit from Startup Institute’s deep and diverse talent pool in Boston, Chicago and New York, key to hiring top talent for the firm’s portfolio, while Startup Institute students benefit from engaging closely with one of the nation’s top venture capital firm’s.

“We could not be more excited having OpenView as a partner,” said Diane Hessan, CEO of Startup Institute. “Both of our organizations are dedicated to helping companies get access to the best talent that they need to grow and prosper – and that includes an emphasis on diversity.”

“Startup Institute goes out of its way to make sure students of all ages and backgrounds succeed in their programs,” said Rebecca Churt, Marketing Strategist at OpenView who is leading partnership efforts. “At OpenView, we’re not just looking for the best and brightest talent to source for our portfolio, we aim to build a diverse workforce that can serve to make our portfolio companies the best they can be.”

“Our relationship with OpenView represents one of the most high-engagement partnerships we’ve ever built,” added Richard DiTieri, Associate Director at Startup Institute. “Between sharing event space, special sessions to be hosted by OpenView, access to RampUp courses, and involving OpenView’s portfolio, it’s the first of it’s kind for us. Our students gain such valuable access to the OpenView team and portfolio, and we’re excited to help staff the firm’s amazing companies. Partnerships like this help us build a stronger program, which lifts the entire startup ecosystem.”

Over the coming months, OpenView and Startup Institute will partner on events ranging from alumni networking to partner fairs, talent expos and more. Startup Institute’s Summer 2015 Full-Time program begins June 22. Interested parties can apply here.

About Startup Institute
Startup Institute gives professionals the skills, mindset and networks to get a job in a startup or high-growth company – and thrive in a new career. To date, over 800 alumni have graduated from Startup Institute’s 8-week program and are now working across the innovation economy in sales, technical marketing, web design and web development. With offices in Boston, New York, and Chicago Startup Institute has hundreds of partners from hiring companies who help to teach its programs and mentor its students. For more information, visit startupinstitute.com.

About OpenView Venture Partners
OpenView Venture Partners is an expansion-stage B2B software venture capital firm with nearly $700 million in total capital under management. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Boston, MA, OpenView provides its portfolio with value-add services through OpenView Labs. Programs range from recruiting to market research and marketing and sales strategy. For more information, visit openviewpartners.com.

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Media Contacts:
Gail Axelrod
OpenView Venture Partners
[email protected]

Richard DiTieri
Startup Institute
[email protected]

OpenView Venture Partners Promotes Four to Partner

by OpenView

Boston, Massachusetts (PRWEB) June 03, 2015

OpenView Venture Partners, the leading expansion-stage B2B software venture capital firm, announced today the promotions of Blake Bartlett, Mackey Craven, Devon McDonald and Ricky Pelletier to Partner. The promotions signal OpenView’s growth and longstanding commitment to helping expansion-stage enterprise software companies scale.

“We’re proud to promote four of the brightest young leaders, not only at OpenView, but in the investment community,” said Scott Maxwell, Founder and Managing Partner. “Blake, Mackey, Devon and Ricky each bring to OpenView their own unique talents and perspectives, but are all committed to helping B2B SaaS companies achieve sustained success.”

Blake Bartlett joined OpenView in 2013 as Vice President to help identify value and lead investments in product-led businesses driving market dislocation. He currently serves as a board observer for Pantheon and Monetate.

Mackey Craven also joined OpenView in 2013 as an Associate. He currently focuses on investments in cloud computing and data infrastructure and is a board observer for Datadog, Skytap, UserTesting, SwiftStack and Socrata.

Devon McDonald has been with OpenView since 2009. She first joined the firm to provide sales and marketing support directly to the portfolio, as well as develop and manage OpenView’s original content marketing efforts. Devon now oversees OpenView Labs’ Growth team, a group of Research, Sales and Marketing Strategists who are responsible for helping OpenView’s portfolio acquire more customers and scale at an accelerated rate.

Ricky Pelletier joined OpenView in 2011 as an Associate. He currently sits on the boards of Intronis, Open-E and SmashFly and is a board observer for Spredfast, FieldAware, Signpost and FieldLens. He typically focuses on application software companies including HR and other vertical-specific businesses.

The promotions of Blake, Mackey, Devon and Ricky come on the heels of several other key hires including the addition of Jim Baum as Venture Partner and John McCullough as Director of Corporate Development. In the last two months, OpenView has also added significant operational support with the hires of an investment analyst, senior accountant and public relations manager.

“As OpenView’s portfolio expands, we’re building our team to ensure these companies have the support they need to succeed,” added Daniel Demmer, Managing Partner at OpenView who oversees all operational activities for the firm. “Blake, Mackey, Devon and Ricky represent the next generation of OpenView and we couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds.”

About OpenView Venture Partners
OpenView Venture Partners is an expansion-stage B2B software venture capital firm with nearly $700 million under management. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Boston, MA, OpenView is committed to the value-add model for its portfolio through OpenView Labs. Programs range from recruiting and market research to marketing and sales strategy. For more information, visit openviewpartners.com.

Kareo Hires Pam Perry as Chief People Officer

by OpenView

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kareo, the leading provider of cloud-based medical office software for independent medical practices, today announced that Pam Perry has joined as the company’s first Chief People Officer. Perry is a strategic hire for Kareo, showcasing the company’s commitment to building and developing the team and culture needed to fulfill the company’s mission of helping medical practices succeed. Perry brings over 20 years of HR leadership experience to Kareo and is an expert at fostering high-performance organizations.

“We’re pleased to welcome Pam to the team and are confident that she will be an invaluable addition to the company.”

“Our team is the core of Kareo’s success, and as the company grows, we want to ensure that all of our employees have the appropriate resources and support to thrive in the workplace,” said Dan Rodrigues, founder and CEO of Kareo. “We’re pleased to welcome Pam to the team and are confident that she will be an invaluable addition to the company.”

Prior to joining Kareo, Perry served as Vice President of HR at Appriss, a provider of innovative software-based services that help hundreds of local, state, and Federal criminal justice agencies serve and protect their citizens. Perry has also served in HR leadership roles at several fast-growing companies, including Internet Technology Corp, CB Richard Ellis, Inc., Caremark LTD, and Pharmacia, Inc.

“It was Kareo’s commitment to its mission of helping medical practices succeed that initially attracted me to the company, and I was pleased to discover a vibrant and positive company culture,” said Pam Perry. “I am excited to join Kareo and lend my expertise as we work together to build and develop the highest performing team in the business.”

About Kareo

Kareo is the only cloud-based medical office software and services platform purpose-built for small practices. At Kareo, we believe that, with the right tools and support, small practices can do big things. We offer an integrated solution of products and services designed to help physicians get paid faster, find new patients, run their business smarter, and provide better care. Our practice management software, medical billing solution, practice marketing tools and free, award-winning fully certified EHR help more than 30,000 medical providers more efficiently manage the business and clinical sides of their practice. Kareo has received extensive industry recognition, including the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, Inc. 500/5000, Red Herring Top 100 Company, and Black Book #1 Integrated EHR, Practice Management and Billing Vendor. Headquartered in Irvine, California, the Kareo mission is to help providers spend their time focused on patients, not paperwork. For more information, visit www.kareo.com.

Jim Baum, Enterprise Technology Veteran, Joins OpenView as Venture Partner

by OpenView

Boston, Massachusetts (PRWEB) May 27, 2015

OpenView Venture Partners, the leading expansion-stage B2B venture capital firm, announced today the addition of Jim Baum as Venture Partner. Jim brings with him more than 25 years of experience in the technology sector. As an operating executive, Jim has a strong track record of success including IPOs and a multi-billion dollar exit. Jim is passionate about entrepreneurship and helping to build enterprise companies around exciting market opportunities. As a Venture Partner at OpenView, Jim will leverage this passion and experience to identify and partner with leading high-growth companies.

Prior to joining OpenView, Jim served as the President and CEO of Netezza, a data warehousing and analytics company. During his tenure, he led the company through IPO and later drove its acquisition by IBM in 2010 for nearly $2B. Jim previously served as the President and CEO of Endeca, an enterprise information management company, where he helped grow the company from an early-stage startup to a leading provider of information access and delivery software solutions. Endeca was ultimately acquired by Oracle in 2011. Early in his career, Jim served at PTC as Executive Vice President and General Manager. Over the course of his 11 year tenure, he helped that company grow from $11M to $1B in revenue.

Jim, who holds a BS in Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Master’s in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, serves on a range of corporate boards from innovative start-ups and high-growth pre-IPO companies to publicly traded organizations including DataStax, EnerNOC, and Dyn. He is also a lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and Trustee at Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he serves as co-chair of the school’s initiative in innovation and entrepreneurship.

“OpenView’s history of success, unique investment strategy and focus on providing value-added services to their portfolio struck me as unique in the venture landscape,” said Jim. “I’m excited to be part of such an innovative team and look forward to helping our portfolio expand and grow.”

“We’re thrilled to have Jim on board at OpenView,” said Scott Maxwell, Founder and Managing Partner. “Jim’s historic track record of success and vast experience working in the enterprise technology sector makes him a great match with our investment strategy. Jim will be uniquely valuable to current and future portfolio members.”

About OpenView Venture Partners
OpenView Venture Partners is an expansion-stage venture capital firm based in Boston that invests exclusively in B2B software companies. In addition to its investment team, OpenView also has a dedicated team of 15 consultants who work with its portfolio companies to help them scale faster and more efficiently than competitors (http://www.openviewlabs.com). Founded in 2006, the firm invests globally and has nearly $700 million in total capital under management.

OpenView Venture Partners Grows Team with Three New Hires

by OpenView

Boston, Massachusetts (PRWEB) May 19, 2015

OpenView Venture Partners announced today the addition of three new team members, Kelsey Heavey, Allie Letourneau and Gail Axelrod. The three, who join OpenView as Analyst, Senior Accountant and PR & Community Manager, fill key support roles in the firm’s investment, finance and marketing arms. Over the coming months, OpenView will look to steadily expand its team in an effort to provide further value and support to both prospective and current portfolio members.

OpenView founder Scott Maxwell said Heavey, Letourneau and Axelrod fill important needs within the firm and further OpenView’s commitment to delivering value to its internal and external networks. “At OpenView, we’ve always been big believers in creating and delivering value to our community – whether that’s prospective investments, our existing portfolio or the tech community at large,” Maxwell said. “Kelsey, Allie and Gail further that mission and we’re excited to have them on our team.”

Prior to joining OpenView, Heavey served in sales and marketing roles at Boston-based mobile marketing company Fiksu. As an Analyst at OpenView, she will leverage her experience inbusiness development and demand generation to study emerging technology trends, conduct outreach to prospective investment opportunities and build relationships with entrepreneurs who are leading companies into the expansion-stage. Heavey holds a BA in English from Boston College.

Letourneau joins OpenView from PricewaterhouseCoopers where she worked on financial statement audits of both public and private companies in the firm’s Asset Management division. At OpenView, Allie will assist with the accounting, financial reporting and operations of the OpenView funds. She graduated from the Wallace E. Carroll School of Management at Boston College with a Bachelor of Science magna cum laude in Accounting and holds a Master of Science in Accounting from Boston College as well.

Axelrod comes to OpenView from BetterCloud, a New York-based cloud security provider, where she served as the company’s Corporate Communications Manager. In that role, she oversaw content generation, public relations, corporate events and social media. Gail will undertake similar responsibilities at OpenView with an emphasis on increasing brand awareness and visibility for OpenView and its stakeholders. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

About OpenView Venture Partners

OpenView Venture Partners is an expansion-stage venture capital firm based in Boston that invests exclusively in B2B software companies. In addition to its investment team, OpenView also has a dedicated team of 15 consultants who work with its portfolio companies to help them scale faster and more efficiently than competitors (http://www.openviewlabs.com). Founded in 2006, the firm invests globally and has nearly $700 million in total capital under management.

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