{"id":142834,"date":"2021-09-30T11:15:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-30T15:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/refreshmiami.com\/?p=142834"},"modified":"2021-09-30T11:15:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-30T15:15:00","slug":"classtags-ceo-migrates-to-miami-lured-by-vibrant-tech-ecosystem-and-growing-edtech-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/refreshmiami.com\/classtags-ceo-migrates-to-miami-lured-by-vibrant-tech-ecosystem-and-growing-edtech-scene\/","title":{"rendered":"ClassTag\u2019s CEO migrates to Miami, lured by vibrant tech ecosystem and growing EdTech scene"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2018As a startup founder, it’s so important to be in an environment that is growing, expanding, and has a hunger for success and growth\u2019 – Vlada Lotkina, co-founder and CEO of ClassTag<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Florida is now home to another rising star in the EdTech space. Last month, Vlada Lotkina, co-founder and CEO of ClassTag<\/a>, made the move to Miami.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The startup, which has reportedly received $8.9 million in venture capital funding, has developed a platform that facilitates communications between parents and teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lotkina immigrated from Ukraine to the US in 2006 to undertake an MBA at the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s Wharton School, before landing a New York-based consulting role at BCG. She then worked as a senior director and practice lead at data storage consultancy Dell EMC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lotkina told Refresh Miami <\/em>that the inspiration to migrate to Miami from New York came on a winter vacation last year. \u201cWhen I was here, I met a few of my founder friends, and they brought me to events,\u201d she explained. \u201cI felt the energy, and it felt like something very exciting was happening here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She continued: “As a startup founder, it’s so important to be in an environment that is growing, expanding, and has a hunger for success and growth. Seeing some of Miami\u2019s entrepreneurs really opened up my eyes to this opportunity.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a few months later, and Lotkina and her daughter have already put down roots in the Magic City. \u201cShe  loves her school in Miami, and we found a great place to live that is substantially cheaper than New York,\u201d Lotkina said. \u201cI\u2019m loving it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While ClassTag\u2019s 15-person team is globally distributed, there is already one employee in Tampa, and another one planning to move to South Florida in the near future. As the startup continues to grow, Lotkina signaled that she hopes to increase the company\u2019s South Florida footprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lotkina predicts that South Florida will become a hub for EdTech: \u201cEdTech is emerging as one of the core verticals in Miami tech.\u201d She highlighted Nearpod\u2019s recent exit<\/a> as a particularly exciting development in the local scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ClassTag\u2019s suite of products includes a platform that can be viewed on web browsers or through an app. According to Lotkina, \u201cit not only collects and retains information so there is a single source of truth for anything that parents might need to know, but it also pushes this information out according to parent preference.\u201d Additionally, the platform automatically translates content into over 100 languages, increasing accessibility and breaking down communication barriers between teachers and parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The startup has a few different lines of business. Their primary revenue source had traditionally been partnerships with brands like Amazon, H&M, and Clorox. These sponsorships ensure that parents and teachers can use the platform for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, taking advantage of Winston Churchill\u2019s adage, \u201cnever let a good crisis go to waste,\u201d ClassTag emerged from the pandemic with two new business lines. One of those two is enterprise SaaS, whereby ClassTag offers an all-in-one communications hub for school systems to purchase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other new income stream is eCommerce, where donations collected for teachers can be used to purchase items for the classroom \u2013 everything from crayons to cameras for Zoom. \u201cComing from Ukraine, I was shocked to learn that 92% of teachers are spending on average $500 out of pocket on essential supplies,\u201d Lotkina explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ClassTag has received more than half a million dollars of donations for teachers. For Lotkina, this validates her thesis that ClassTag\u2019s platform \u201cunlocks the power of community to support teachers.\u201d Five million parents and teachers in 25,000 schools across the US currently use ClassTag\u2019s products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the pandemic, Lotkina reports that the ClassTag team has seen significant growth and is on track to triple revenue this year. Their enterprise business is expanding particularly rapidly, having experienced more than 10x growth over the last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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