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<ul><li><keyword id="6630114" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="unacademy">Unacademy</keyword> has raised $50 million in a series D round of funding. </li><li>The startup has investors like Steadview Capital, Sequoia India, Nexus Venture Partners and Blume Ventures.</li><li>The Indian <keyword id="6379645" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Online-Education">online education</keyword> space has players like Byju’s which has also reported profitability.</li></ul>Indian online education startup Unacademy has raised $50 million in a series D round of funding from investors like Steadview Capital, Sequoia India, Nexus Venture Partners and Blume Ventures. The investment, which will go towards bringing on board more educators and better the product, also saw the founders Gaurav Munjal and Roman Saini participate in the round. “In the last few months, we have taken bigger strides toward achieving this mission. We have more than 400 top educators from across the country taking live classes every day on Unacademy Plus. This is available to every student, irrespective of their location,” said Munjal. Unacademy plus is the startup’s subscription plan which has more than 50,000 learners. The startup, which was founded in 2015, has over 13 million learners. “We are seeing unprecedented growth and engagement from learners in smaller towns and cities, and are also very humbled to see that top-quality educators are choosing Unacademy as their primary platform to reach out to students,” said Munjal. This also shows the growth trajectory of Indian online education space. Online education industry in India is expected to hit 9.6 million by 2021 user base, which was 1.6 million in 2016, as per a KPMG report. In fact, a survey by education startup GradeUp also shows that students are counting on online teaching for competitive exams — JEE, NEET, GATE, SSC and banking exams. Meanwhile, the big player in Indian <keyword id="1974983" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Edutech">edutech</keyword> space remains Byju’s – which had recently reported profitability with an increase in the number of paid users. Its revenue has tripled to reach ₹14.3 billion in the financial year ending March 2019, though it has not shared the net profit numbers. This volume of numbers has also brought in the renewed interest of investors, who are betting on the Indian education technology space. Interestingly, Sequoia is a common investor between Byju’s and Unacademy. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-students-prefer-online-coaching-for-jee-neet-gate-ssc-and-banking-exams/articleshow/69956565.cms">Indian students prefer online coaching to offline classes</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mukesh-ambani-reliance-jio-and-byju-feature-in-meeker-report/articleshow/69770325.cms">Mukesh Ambani’s Jio and a startup Byju's are in global spotlight as India’s internet users exceed that of US</a>

Unacademy raises $50 million as Byju’s success draws top dollars into online education in India

Online education company for developers and IT professionals, <keyword id="2681073" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="pluralsight" source="Orion">Pluralsight</keyword>, which was recently valued at more than $1 billion has announced to lay off 20 per cent of its global workforce, about 400 employees. CEO Aaron Skonnard said in an email to employees he owns this outcome and "take full responsibility for the decisions that got us here". "I've spoken to all of you this year about the challenging economic environment we're operating in and how it has affected our business performance," he wrote. Unfortunately, these challenges have only accelerated in Q4 and, as a result, "today we are restructuring and reducing the size of our team, impacting roughly 20 per cent of our team members", he said late on Monday. Founded in 2004, Pluralsight had a net loss of $163.5 million in 2019 and $164 million in 2020, according to the US SEC documents. The CEO said that those impacted "can also look for additional communication from your executive about special All-Hands meetings for each organization later this week". "I'm sorry for the impact this will have on many of you, we've let you down during a difficult time," he added. Pluralsight is an online education company that offers a variety of video training courses for software developers, IT administrators, and creative professionals through its website. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/indias-retail-inflation-hits-11-month-low-in-november-at-5-88/articleshow/96177420.cms">India's November retail inflation at 5.88%, within RBI's comfort band</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/dalmia-bharat-to-acquire-cement-power-plants-of-jaiprakash-associates-for-5666-crore-enterprise-value/articleshow/96175228.cms">Dalmia Bharat to acquire cement, power plants of Jaiprakash Associates for ₹5,666 crore enterprise value</a>

Online education company and unicorn Pluralsight lays off 400 employees

<ul><li>Edtech unicorn Byju’s has turned profitable in 8 years. </li><li>The startup has reported a revenue of ₹14.3 billion for FY18-19. </li><li>It’s online paid user base now stands at 2.4 million.</li></ul>India’s first edtech unicorn Byju’s has achieved yet another of its firsts – it has reportedly turned profitable. The startup <a href="https://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/internet/byjus-claims-to-have-tripled-its-revenues-to-rs-1430-crore-in-fy19/69583803">reported</a> that its revenue has tripled to reach ₹14.3 billion in the financial year ending March 2019, though it has not shared the net profit numbers. However, these swollen revenues come at the back of increase in its paid user base, which now stands at 2.4 million. This number has doubled from last year, when it stood at 1.26 million in June 2018. The ability of this online tutorial startup to capture paying public, enabled its entry into the super exclusive profiteers club. “The growth in revenue was fuelled by deeper penetration across India and significant growth in the number of paid subscribers,” said the <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/byju-s-turns-profitable-in-8-years-gears-up-to-enter-us-in-a-big-way-119053100043_1.html">company</a>’s statement. While it has never officially reported it, Byju’s has reached breakeven last year, within eight years of its existence. Global Ambitions It now plans to enter the global market and more specifically, the US. Recently, Byju’s acquired a US-based platform for educational games for $120 million. It is also partnering with Walt Disney to introduce a new early learning app for kids. Byju’s last <a href="https://yourstory.com/2019/03/byjus-funding-general-atlantic-tencent-2yv8bkk19e">reported</a> valuation was at $5 billion after it raised funding of ₹214 crores (MILLION) in March 2019. The investment came from NY-based General Atlantic and Chinese VC firm Tencent. The eight-year old startup was founded by a teacher named Byju Raveendran. Over the years, the startup has steadily gained popularity and had even signed bigwigs like Bollywood’s Shah Rukh Khan and Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu as brand ambassadors. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/byjus-and-disney-partner-to-roll-out-early-learn-app/articleshow/69532987.cms">Byju's will now teach kids using Disney characters from Frozen and Cars</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/Sachin-Bansal-rides-a-bet-on-electric-bike-startup-Ather-Energy/articleshow/69546251.cms">Sachin Bansal rides a bet on electric bike startup Ather Energy</a>

Byju's turns profitable as millions pay for its classes

<keyword id="6357120" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="PayTM">Paytm</keyword> acquired online education startup <keyword id="1066163" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Edukart">Edukart</keyword> and absorbed the team of about 50 employees. EduKart's founder Ishan Gupta has joined Paytm as Vice President-Business and will build a seller services ecosystem for merchants on Paytm which will include financing, marketing, packaging and fulfilment services. 
 
The deal involves only employment contract so far. 
 
“There is no cash consideration for the deal, and EduKart is separately in talks for a strategic sale of its assets like brand, website and content with education companies,” Gupta told ET. 
 Paytm founder <keyword id="198636" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vijay-Shekhar-Sharma">Vijay Shekhar Sharma</keyword> is one of the first angel investors in Edukart, which was founded in 2011. The startup raised $2 million in funding from cricketer Yuvraj Singh-backed <keyword id="2797838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouWeCan-Ventures">YouWeCan Ventures</keyword>, early-stage fund 500 Startups and family office United Finsec. 
 
As per EduKart, it has more than 10,000 paid students on its platform and partnerships with more than 120 course providers. 
 
"We just wanted to grow faster, but as the markhit a funding winter we wanted to be cautious. And we thought the team could do better as part of a larger ecosystem," Gupta told ET. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Paytm buys online education startup Edukart in no cash deal

<ul><li>Notably, the board's chairperson Radheshyam Julaniya on Sunday evening said the academic session for classes IX to XII through online mode will begin from Monday with telecast of audio-visual lessons on Doordarshan from 7 am to 10 am. </li><li>Later in the night, the board's secretary Anil Suchari issued an order which said, "The telecast from 7 am to 10 am is being cancelled. Thus, the classes will not be held." </li></ul> Online classes for students of standards IX to XII of the <keyword id="924617" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh-Board">Madhya Pradesh Board</keyword> of Secondary Education could not begin on Monday following an order from the board for cancellation of the classes. Notably, the board's chairperson Radheshyam Julaniya on Sunday evening said the academic session for classes IX to XII through online mode will begin from Monday with telecast of audio-visual lessons on Doordarshan from 7 am to 10 am. Later in the night, the board's secretary Anil Suchari issued an order which said, "The telecast from 7 am to 10 am is being cancelled. Thus, the classes will not be held." Classes IX to XII of the state board comprise nearly 35 lakh students. As per a recent national sample survey on household social consumption on education in India, just 9.7 per cent rural and 55.4 per cent urban households in Madhya Pradesh have internet connection. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/us-magazine-fortune-released-its-annual-40-under-40-list-of-most-influential-people-under-the-age-of-40/slidelist/77906566.cms">Isha and Akash Ambani, Adar Poonawalla, Byju Raveendran — meet the Indians who made it to Fortune's ‘40 under 40’ list this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/interview-madhuri-dixit-and-dr-shriram-nene-are-looking-to-raise-funds-for-their-online-dance-school-and-a-new-healthtech-venture/articleshow/77930270.cms">This Indian scientist-turned drugmaker doubled his wealth to $6 billion during coronavirus pandemic</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/interview-madhuri-dixit-and-dr-shriram-nene-are-looking-to-raise-funds-for-their-online-dance-school-and-a-new-healthtech-venture/articleshow/77930270.cms">Madhuri Dixit and Dr Shriram Nene are looking to raise funds for their online dance school and a new healthtech venture</a>

Madhya Pradesh Board cancels online classes for class IX and XII

<ul><li>The most in-demand online trainings include Web Development, Android App Development, Digital Marketing, and programming languages — Python, C/C++. </li><li>Addressing the issue skill-gap, e-learning has grown six folds over the last four years, according to online training platform Internshala. </li><li>The <keyword id="6379645" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Online-Education">online education</keyword> industry is expected to have a user base of 9.6 million by 2021, noted a KPMG report.</li></ul>As unemployability remains a challenge in India, addressing skill-gaps via e-learning is gaining popularity among millennials. Using online training courses as a tool to build digital skills, millennials are turning towards Web Development, Android App Development, Digital Marketing, and programming languages — Python, C/C++ making them the top courses opted by students enrolling in various trainings, according to a report on e-learning trends by online training platform Internshala. E-learning, more broadly, has been helping transform education in India, growing six fold in the last four years. From three in every 1000 students in 2015 to 18 in 2018, students have mentioned at least one e-learning course in their resume. The number of tertiary students enrolling in e-learning has also significantly grown over the years as students seek more skills. Separately, the online education industry in India is reportedly expected to grow to 9.6 million users by 2021 from 1.6 million in 2016, according to a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/e-learning-platforms-slowly-changing-indian-education-landscape/articleshow/68850167.cms">KPMG report</a>. Online education platforms such as Internshala, Coursera, Simplilearn and Udemy are major players in the e-learning space, and have introduced several courses in technical and management domains in tie-ups with prominent universities and companies including<a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/190523/imperial-launches-worlds-first-online-masters/"> Imperial College of London, UK</a> and Google. The flexibility to learn different skills via digital platforms has attracted young graduates for a blended learning, including one-fourth of the learners from tier-3 cities. Nearly 40% of the total students surveyed took online training to enhance their skill set while 34% enrolled in the programs to land a job/internship. Given that, nearly half (47%) of the total students enrolling in the training programs completed the course. The future will demand professionals to re-skill themselves every 3-4 years so as to evolve in a competitive working environment, ET reported <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/e-learning-platforms-slowly-changing-indian-education-landscape/articleshow/68850167.cms">citing</a> Zairus Master, CEO, Shine Learning, a global education services provider. Moving the needle on gender distribution, the report found nearly equal participation from both male and female learners at 56% and 44%, respectively. Most enrollments in training programs come in the months of April, May, June and December. The most active engagement from learners is between 5:00-11:00 PM, spending two hours per day, on an average, the report highlighted. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/internships-in-india-on-the-rise-with-startups-leading-the-way/articleshow/67655265.cms">India sees steep rise in internships across different industries as young graduates seek more skills: survey</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/one-in-every-three-working-professionals-in-india-feels-stuck-and-going-nowhere-in-their-jobs-linkedin-survey/articleshow/68578305.cms">One in every three working professionals in India feels stuck and going nowhere in their jobs: LinkedIn survey</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-unemployment-rate-stands-at-13-2-among-graduates-and-post-graduates-cmie/articleshow/68517075.cms">Fewer jobs for better educated: India’s unemployment rate stands at 13.2% among the highly educated segment</a>

These are the most popular e-learning subjects for millenials

<keyword id="71204" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Board-games">Board games</keyword> have always been fun; you’re never too old for them. Whether it’s family game night or play dates with other kids, children have always loved board games. The best part of these games is that there’s always a thinking element involved too. So, instead of watching TV or playing video games all day, try out some board games that are just as enjoyable. Here’s a list of some great ones. <bulletContentEmbed name="B0000AP4RQ" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B0000AP4RQ_head"> <div type="image" title="Must Have" msid="78795817" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B0000AP4RQ</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B0000AP4RQ_body"><bulletContentRow name="B0000AP4RQ_8020629026908647"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Mattel Scrabble Board Game, Multi Color</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">You learn more words from playing scrabble than from your schoolteacher! In the game, each letter has a value, and the board has squares with different boosters. Each player must make a word that includes a tile that’s already on the board. The idea is to make words that will place your high-value letters on the premium squares on the board.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B0000AP4RQ_1135385765074598"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Classic game, improves vocabulary, 4 players, suitable for all age groups.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B009319A3K" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B009319A3K_head"> <div type="image" title="Classic Choice" msid="78795898" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B009319A3K</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B009319A3K_body"><bulletContentRow name="B009319A3K_6672697100465512"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Millennium Snakes &amp; Ladders Ludo</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">We’ve all played this evergreen game, but it never seems to get old even though it creates more rivals than friends! In ludo, each player has four pawns, and you have to get them back home without getting killed. And snakes and ladders is where you roll the dice and if you land on a ladder, you go up, if you land on a snake you come down. The idea is to get to the end of the board first.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B009319A3K_3147957345308508"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Colourful, enables attention to detail, hand-eye coordination and math.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B07BMK2ZJK" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B07BMK2ZJK_head"> <div type="image" title="Very Engaging" msid="78795924" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B07BMK2ZJK</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B07BMK2ZJK_body"><bulletContentRow name="B07BMK2ZJK_7759555442422400"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Hasbro Gaming Connect 4 Shots Game</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Here’s a game that’s interactive, fun and competitive. You have to throw the ball into the grid and get a line of the same colour. When you play with a partner, each player will have different coloured balls. You keep throwing the balls simultaneously and score points as and when you get a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line of your colour.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B07BMK2ZJK_1026998391860730"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Exciting, fast-paced, engaging.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B008FD8ETS" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B008FD8ETS_head"> <div type="image" title="Recommended" msid="78796057" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B008FD8ETS</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B008FD8ETS_body"><bulletContentRow name="B008FD8ETS_9756108612390900"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">HASBRO GAMING Hungry Hippos Kids Game</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Here’s another classic game that you might be familiar with. The board has 4 hippos, and the idea is to get your hippo to eat the most amount of marbles. Marbles are kept in the centre and as and when your hippo eats the marbles, more marbles from the centre will roll over into your pond. It’s quick, chaotic and extremely fun.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B008FD8ETS_9792697534336968"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Improves focus, can be enjoyed by 4 kids, no batteries required, and easy to store.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B0076L1K6E" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B0076L1K6E_head"><div type="image" title="Editor’s Pick" msid="78796025" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb>B0076L1K6E</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B0076L1K6E_body"><bulletContentRow name="B0076L1K6E_7151146380617558"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Funskool Scotland Yard</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The beloved Sherlock Holmes has been everyone’s companion growing up. This game gives your 10-year old a chance to be a detective too. It requires 3-6 players, so the whole family can enjoy it. The idea is that one player is Mr. X, the villain, and the remaining players have to go around the board chasing him.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B0076L1K6E_0880709295586874"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">Exciting, includes playing board, logbook, playing pieces, cards and travel tickets.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed>

Educational board Games For Kids online in India

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"></div></div>President Obama is giving a speech Tuesday at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-obama-to-announce-changes-for-student-loan-repayment-2015-3">Georgia Tech about student debt burdens facing Americans</a>, and the White House says the Atlanta university is the perfect place for him to make his remarks.Georgia Tech has high job placement rates, debt-free enrollment for certain qualified instate students, and <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/news/president-obama-to-speak-at-ga-tech-on-tuesday-rai/nkRZF/">an online master's degree in computer science, </a>Cecilia Muñoz, White House Director of the Domestic Policy Council, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.That online program could be a model for making college cheaper, according to Muñoz.The program could also "..serve as a blueprint for helping the United States address the shortage of people with advanced computer science and other STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering &amp; Math] skills," according to Tech.Georgia Tech is one of the first universities to offer an entirely <a href="http://www.omscs.gatech.edu/#np-855">online master's degree in computer science</a>, and <a href="http://www.wsj.com/video/the-just-under-7000-computer-science-degree/8A507DAD-B987-4F28-9F31-38420516597F.html?KEYWORDS=%22Georgia+Tech%22%22%20%5Cl%20%22!8A507DAD-B987-4F28-9F31-38420516597F#!8A507DAD-B987-4F28-9F31-38420516597F">the two-year degree is less than $7,000</a>. (Typical tuition for a master's degree at a top school like Tech would usually be 10 times that cost.) The online degree program began in the fall semester of 2013 as a joint venture between Georgia Tech, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udacity">Udacity,</a> an <keyword id="6355445" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Education">education</keyword> nonprofit, and AT&amp;T. A stalwart in the technology field, Georgia Tech's innovative online degree has grown into a program highly touted by higher education proponents for offering an alternative to traditional campus learning at much lower costs. President Obama is a supporter of the online program, praising the high quality course work provided, <a href="http://www.cc.gatech.edu/news/231201/obama-cites-georgia-techs-oms-cs-future-model-college-affordability">"at a fraction of the cost of a traditional class,"</a> in a speech he gave at the University of Buffalo.Tech's undergraduate college also has an excellent reputation. Tech says <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/about/facts-and-figures">70% of students</a> report having a job or an acceptance to graduate school prior to graduation. Tech also offers the <a href="http://www.finaid.gatech.edu/promise">G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Program</a>, which provides students with family income under $33,300 additional aid to ensure they can leave school debt-free.The discussion, due to start at 1:30, will focus on topics of college affordability and access to higher education, both of which have been major agenda items for the White House recently. The White House unveiled its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-obama-proposes-two-years-of-free-community-college-2015-1">America's College Promise initiative</a> in January, which offered two years of community college free to eligible students.

The university where Obama is speaking today could revolutionize online education

New Delhi, Apr 14 () The Sports Authority of India will conduct online education programme and lectures beginning Wednesday to keep its coaches engaged during the lockdown period in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, The coach education programme, to be done via Zoom, will be like a refresher course, one of the participants said. Coaches from swimming, judo and volleyball will have their one-hour session on Wednesday while the programmes on athletics, fencing, weightlifting and boxing will be held on Thursday. "As far as I know, the SAI is using this period of COVID-19 to conduct this refresher course for the coaches. This is a welcome move. As a coach, it is always good to have additional knowledge," national cycling coach RK Sharma told . Indian athletics high performance director Volker Herrmann will be one of those who will conduct the sessions. The SAI has also lined up sports science lectures as part the of coach development programme during the lockdown period. Eminent speakers from top institutes of the country will deliver online lectures on topics relating to physiology, bio chemistry, strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and injury prevention, sports medicine, nutrition, sports psychology, bio mechanics and doping. These lectures will begin on Thursday and continue till May 12. PDS SSCSSC

SAI to conduct online coach education programme, lectures during lockdown

<div style="padding: 15px; border: 1px solid #999999; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 15px!important; line-height: 25px; overflow: auto; vertical-align: middle;">This is the second of the six-part <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/sa-100-insider">"SA 100 Insider"</a> series, looking at the passions, hobbies, and pursuits of <keyword id="279711" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Silicon-Alley">Silicon Alley</keyword>'s tech elite. "<keyword id="1880892" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="SA-100-Insider">SA 100 Insider</keyword>" is sponsored by Mercedes. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/sa-100-insider">Read more posts in the series »</a></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Ranku" title_caption="Kim Taylor, co-founder and CEO at Ranku" class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/522dbd9e6bb3f7247b8e5eb6-960/kim-taylor-2.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.goranku.com/about">Ranku</a>Kim Taylor, co-founder and CEO at Ranku</div></div></div>
Growing up in Madison, Wisc., Ranku CEO Kim Taylor became a force to be reckoned with on the dance floor, the beams, and the ice. As a girl, she loved dancing and she loved ice hockey. By age of seven, that passion for dancing ultimately led to an interest in gymnastics. 
That mix of school and sports has been a theme throughout Taylor's life, right up to her current project: Ranku is a tech <keyword id="138263" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="startup">startup</keyword> that helps students discover and rank online college degree programs. It's backed with $500,000 by <keyword id="219358" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mark-Cuban">Mark Cuban</keyword>, the tech investor who is perhaps best-known as the owner of the Dallas Mavericks.
Taylor became a very competitive gymnast thanks to the help of her coach, Chellsie Marie Memmel. Memmel was a member of the U.S.'s 2008 Olympic women's gymnastics team. 
"I was a very serious gymnast," Taylor tells Business Insider. "That was my whole life. I also just really liked sports. I was kind of very well known (for the beam). No one could ever beat me at a handstand contest." 
But since her brothers were ice hockey players, Taylor decided to take up ice hockey while continuing to excel at gymnastics. She joined her high school's boys hockey team as well as a private girls hockey team.
Also on that girls' team was Ranku co-founder Cecilia Retelle, the now-former senior director of education policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. When their team went to the national championship, Retelle and Taylor bunked together and have been friends ever since. 
<h2>The college years and dancing in the NBA</h2>
Once she entered college, Taylor snagged a spot as an NBA dancer for the Milwaukee Bucks. That year, the team ended up going to the eastern conference finals. 
But that was her first and last year as an NBA dancer. That's because she realized she wanted to be a sports writer or broadcaster.
After her first year of college, Taylor stopped dancing for the NBA, and transferred from a small Jesuit school in Wisconsin to Arizona State University, to study journalism. 
While at ASU, Taylor wrote for The Arizona Republic where she mostly covered football. Her coverage involved a lot of statistics, and that's when she fell in love with research. Research, she says, is most of what drives her online education startup today. 
Given that she essentially grew up in the boys locker room both as an athlete and sports writer, Taylor says, it was good training for the male-dominated tech world.
After college, Taylor switched from the editorial side to advertising. Around 2008, Taylor was working for an online publisher in Chicago where she focused on online education. 
At the time, Taylor says, for-profit institutions were exploding because newly unemployed people saw schools as a safe haven, an alternative to an unstable workforce.
"I knew it was a big industry, but no one in Chicago appreciated it," Taylor says. "So I started thinking that I should look at startups, but I knew nothing about startups."
So she came up with a checklist. Taylor wanted to join an early-stage startup with no revenue, and no capital.
"I wanted to run revenue," Taylor says. 
And that's what she ultimately did.
<h2>Starring on Bravo's "Start-Ups: Silicon Valley" reality TV show</h2>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5245a39aeab8eaea228f0407-960/startups-silicon-valley-cast-on-red-carpet.jpg"></a></div></div>
Taylor came to Silicon Valley as the fifth employee at a startup that builds Facebook ads for brands. 
She joined contingent on fact that they would let her do things her way, she says.
"They didn't know how to make money and had zero contacts," Taylor says. 
Within her first year at the company, Taylor demonstrated how to reach $1 million in revenue.
Along the way, Taylor found out about Bravo's new reality TV show "Start-Ups: Silicon Valley."
"It sounded like a complete joke," Taylor says. "I just wanted to see if I could get on it."
So she bypassed the standard application process and sent the producers a well-crafted email instead. Two days later, she was invited to join the show.
The show received negative feedback from the moment the first episode aired. People criticized it for not depicting an accurate, authentic view of life in Silicon Valley.
A few episodes into the season, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kim-taylor-bravo-startups-silicon-valley-quit-job-to-start-shonova-2012-11">we found out that Taylor had decided to leave the Facebook ads company</a> to start a new fashion startup called Shonova.
By the time she left, she was bringing in $3 million a month in revenue. She would've stayed, Taylor says, but the startup's executives wouldn't give her a VP title. 
She told them, "If you don't give me my title or give me a raise, I'm out." As Taylor reflects back on what happened, she wonders if the CEO thought she was kidding. She wasn't. 
"I think a lot of women get held back in their careers," Taylor says. "I was held back. They didn't want to give me a title. They didn't want to push me forward. I always knew I was capable of more."
The show got canceled before the end of the first season, but Taylor has no regrets. 
"It was an amazing thing for me," Taylor says. "Anything is what you will make of it."
Though, she's not sure if she could say the same for some of the other cast members. She didn't specifically mention these examples, but the season featured <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_22172376/start-ups-silicon-valley-recap-booty-call-leads">plenty of drama</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/startups-silicon-valley-half-million-dollars-2012-12" target="_blank">a strap-on sex toy</a>, and other bizarre moments involving some of the other cast members.
<h2>From Silicon Valley to Silicon Alley</h2>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Kim Taylor" title_caption="Mark Cuban, Cecilia Retelle, Amanda Drury, Kim Taylor" class="zoomin" href="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5245a1bd69bedd567c8f041f-960/cnbc-appearance-w-mark.jpg"></a>Kim TaylorMark Cuban, Cecilia Retelle, Amanda Drury, Kim Taylor</div></div>
Just a few weeks out from launching fashion startup Shonova, Taylor pulled the plug. Her real passion had always been in education, so she decided to pursue Ranku, the online education startup that she had first started thinking about back in Chicago.
Even though the application deadline had passed for the new Kaplan Education accelerator powered by TechStars in New York, the program said it would make an exception for her if she could get a team together. 
Within two weeks, Taylor convinced Retelle, her childhood friend and former ice hockey teammate, to quit her lucrative job as the senior director of education policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to join Ranku as a co-founder. Taylor also brought on board an engineer and user interface designer, and convinced her brother to help out, too.
With a team intact, she received her term sheet for a $20,000 investment in Ranku. 
Ranku wants to become a destination for people to find the best online degree program from top-notch universities. For Ranku, the "best" school isn't necessarily the one with the highest ranking on the "U.S. News and World Report" list. Instead, the best schools in Ranku's lists are the ones that give students great job outcomes.
The three-month accelerator program started this past June. A couple of days before Demo Day, where each startup pitches to an audience of investors, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-cuban-leading-rankus-seed-round-2013-9" target="_blank">Ranku announced that Mark Cuban would be leading a $500,000 seed round in the startup</a>. 
"Mark was coming to town to do press for Shark Tank," Taylor says. "He pinged me and asked how my startup was doing. I said, 'cranking' and he asked me to meet. I knew he wanted me to pitch."
Aiming to find a place to go where people wouldn't want to talk to Cuban, Taylor scheduled a meeting at her favorite Green Bay Packers bar (Cuban is a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan). 
"No one bothered him," Taylor says. "No one said anything."
So she gave him the high-level pitch, but after a few minutes Cuban interrupts her.
"Kim, stop talking," he said. "I'm in." 
Ranku <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kim-taylors-startup-ranku-2013-6">launched just three months ago</a>, but it's already cash-flow positive. Going forward, Ranku wants to solve some of the biggest, most complicated issues in education and close the skills gap.
"It's something that needs to be solved in the private sector," Taylor says. "That's how I see it. We start here. This is the logical starting point for online education. New rules are being written. There are no rules about what makes a great versus a terrible online school. No one even understands if and why they're good. We want to champion idea of measuring the quality of schools by output."
It goes in line with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-that-will-benefit-form-obamas-education-plan-2013-8">what President Barack Obama wants for our education system</a>, Taylor says. The only difference is that Taylor and her co-founder Retelle plan to have that done by next quarter.

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