CAMBRIDGE, MASS September 22, 2016 – CollegeVine announced today that Jon Carson has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the fast-rising EdTech startup, effective immediately.
In the newly created position, Carson will transition the company out of its early startup stage into accelerated growth, as demand for its services has markedly increased, while continuing to build up a national high school mentorship and college admissions company that connects motivated students and parents to a network of highly talented college students from leading universities.
“I look forward to adding value and perspective, both as an experienced social impact CEO and as a parent of kids soon to go through the high school process,” said Carson. “The high growth rate and profitability that the founding team is experiencing is a strong market signal.”
Carson recently served as a student mentor at the Harvard Innovation Lab where he met CollegeVine founders Zack Perkins, Johan Zhang and Vinay Bhaskara, which eventually led to Carson signing on as a consultant for the promising EdTech venture.
Carson is best known for starting and building FamilyEducation Network which became the largest K-12 website on the internet, ultimately being acquired by Pearson Plc (NYSE: PSO) for $175 million ($240 million in today’s dollars) in 2000. Carson recently spent 12 years as CEO of Bidding-For-Good, the leading charitable ecommerce marketplace that has raised over $300 million for K-12 schools.
In 1999, Carson was named by e-School News as one of the most 25 most influential leaders in educational technology and in 2008 he was one of the initial inductees to the Babson College Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fall. In 2009, Carson was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (New England Region). In 2015, he was featured in INSIGHTS: Reflections from 101 of Yale’s Most Successful Entrepreneurs.
About CollegeVine
CollegeVine, founded as Admissions Hero in 2013, is a leading provider of one-on-one mentorship, college applications guidance, college essay assistance, tutoring, and test prep. The company features an expansive network of near-peer advisors at the nation’s top universities —their experience representing more than 20 different majors, substantial extracurricular activities and far-ranging success. For more information, visit www.collegevine.com.