Building Your Edupreneur Network: The Power of Connection
The quality of your network determines the altitude of your success. As edupreneurs, we don't succeed alone – we thrive together.
Building Your Edupreneur Network: The Power of Connection
Last month, I was stuck on a challenging project design problem for one of my clients. My first instinct was to power through alone, burning the midnight oil until inspiration struck. Instead, I reached out to my mastermind group – three fellow education entrepreneurs I've been meeting with monthly for the past year. Within our 30-minute video chat, Sarah suggested a framework she'd used successfully, Miguel pointed out a technological solution I hadn't considered, and Priya challenged my core assumptions in the most constructive way possible. The solution we collectively developed was far better than anything I would've created.
This experience reminded me why Oprah Winfrey's advice to "surround yourself with people who will lift you higher" has been my guiding principle as an edupreneur. Ivan Misner's wisdom also rings true: “Networking is more about farming than it is about hunting. It’s about cultivating relationships.”
Strategic Partnerships That Elevate Educational Ventures
At the heart of building a powerful network lies the concept of strategic partnerships – collaborative relationships that let businesses combine strengths, resources, and connections for mutual growth. When you find partners whose expertise fills your gaps, magic happens.
Take EduTrainia and DigitalEd Labs, for example. Their partnership created incubators that provide digital tools, mentorship, and access to a global network of learners and schools. Their ambitious goals? Empowering 500 edupreneurs to launch ventures within two years and developing over 1,000 edtech products by 2026.
This collaboration shows how strategic partnerships can create a comprehensive ecosystem where innovative edtech ideas come to life.
The numbers back this up, too. Studies show that 80% of professionals consider networking essential to career success. Not just a nice-to-have – essential.
Building Meaningful Connections
I've been to those networking events where everyone's just throwing business cards around like confetti. That's not what we're talking about here. Authentic relationships are the foundation of fruitful partnerships.
When I first started Valgar LLC, I made the mistake of approaching potential partners with a "what can you do for me?" mentality. The conversations felt forced and transactional, ultimately going nowhere. My breakthrough came when joining a mastermind group. My peers helped me to shift to genuine curiosity about others' missions and visions. By doing so, not only did they contribute to my purpose, I became a resource for theirs.
Here's what works for expanding your network authentically:
Attend Conferences. Industry conferences aren't just about the keynotes – they're about the coffee breaks and after-parties where real connections happen. Next month, I'm heading to San Diego not to collect cards but to have meaningful conversations.
Join a peer group. Meeting regularly with education leaders gives you the space to reflect and share with peers who truly understand your challenges. My monthly mastermind has been my lifeline through post-pandemic pivots and beyond.
Use social media as a relationship tool, not a broadcasting platform. I've built some of my most valuable partnerships by carefully selecting with whom to engage. I have created a list of individuals whose posts I read and comment on daily. This approach keeps me focused and limits my time on social media.
Look for complementary strengths. The most successful edupreneur partnerships leverage diverse strengths. When LearnLab co-funded the ARC Collaborative, they brought together curriculum specialists, designers, and psychological experts to create educational interventions aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals. That diverse expertise led to solutions that no single organization could have developed.
Mastermind Groups: Your Personal Board of Directors
Mastermind groups offer a unique blend of peer support, accountability, and knowledge sharing that can transform your edupreneur journey. These typically consist of 5-10 members meeting regularly with a shared purpose: helping each other succeed.
When Panorama Education (serving 25% of American schools) and NoRedInk (focused on improving student writing skills) began collaborating with peer organizations in their space, both companies secured significant funding and expanded their reach. Their participation in structured educational technology communities helped them refine their models and connect with the right investors and partners.
The benefits of joining mastermind groups include:
Enhanced networking opportunities in a structured environment
Access to diverse perspectives that spark innovation
Built-in accountability to keep you on track
Skill development through knowledge sharing
Emotional support when things get tough (and they will)
Learning from Those Who've Been There: The Mentor Effect
While peer partnerships are gold, don't underestimate the power of connecting with those further along their journey.
A coach will stand by you and show you what you can achieve.
I still remember my first call with my mentor Pat, a veteran educational publisher who'd built and sold two companies before I even entered the industry. "Your business priorities are out of wack with your mission," he told me bluntly. That feedback saved me months of frustration and wasted effort.
Whether it's a formal mentorship program or casual coffee chats with someone you admire, these relationships provide wisdom that only comes from experience.
Where to Find Your People: Edupreneur Networking Platforms
Ready to expand your network but unsure where to start? Edupreneurship is a relatively new concept. While support groups in edupreneurship will be fewer than general business or entrepreneurship, there are networks that can support you on your edupreneurial journey.
Here are specific platforms catering to education entrepreneurs:
LinkedIn Groups like "Edupreneurs Network" and "Startup Specialists Network Group" where edupreneurs discuss trends, share knowledge, and seek advice.
Facebook Groups such as "Edupreneur Academy" and "Education Entrepreneurs Network" offer spaces to share resources and collaborate on projects.
Mighty Networks allows you to create or join communities focused on specific educational niches.
StartupNation nurtures education startups with strategies, services, and mentoring.
Founders Network provides exclusive membership-based peer mentorship and networking opportunities.
From Information to Action: Your Next Steps
Here's what I've learned in this space: knowledge without action is just entertainment. So what exactly should you do with everything we've covered?
This week: Choose one platform from the list above and join it. Don't just lurk – introduce yourself and respond to someone else's post.
This month: Identify three potential strategic partners whose skills complement yours. Reach out to one with no agenda beyond learning about their work.
This quarter: Find or form a mastermind group of 3-5 fellow edupreneurs at similar stages. Commit to meeting monthly for six months.
Remember that your edupreneurial venture isn't something you build overnight – it is cultivated over time through consistent hard work and authentic partnerships. As someone who started as a solo edupreneur working from my home office to developing projects with partners, I can tell you the investment in relationships pays dividends you can't even imagine yet.
Your network truly is your net worth. Who will you connect with today?
Have you found value in specific edupreneur networks or mastermind groups? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Reflection Questions
When was the last time you tapped into a network to help you solve a problem you couldn't crack alone?
Which relationships in your current network have most shaped your growth as an edupreneur, and what makes those connections different?
How aligned are your networking efforts with your educational mission?
What complementary skills are missing from your professional circle that could take your edupreneur projects to the next level?
If you met someone five years ahead of you on your edupreneur journey, what specific questions would you ask them?
Actionable Tasks
Draw or diagram your current network, color-coding connections by relationship type (mentors, peers, potential partners), and identify obvious gaps in your professional circle.
At your next industry event, skip the business card exchange and focus on having three in-depth conversations where you learn something substantial about others' work.
Following your strategy of creating a targeted engagement list, identify five potential connections whose content you'll thoughtfully engage with over the next 30 days.
Invite 2-3 people from different areas of education who might benefit from knowing each other, facilitating connections, and highlighting the value of introducing your contacts to one another.
Create a one-page proposal for a mastermind group, including purpose, ideal members, meeting structure, and expected outcomes, ready to share with potential participants.