The Knowledge Pledge Brings Expert Leaders Together for Axion Education in Catalyze Session

March 3rd, 2022

A successful Knowledge Pledge Catalyze Session was held in February for Axion Education, signaling the popular round-table discussions bringing expert Signatories – leaders committed to sharing their knowledge for good – together with social venture entrepreneurs, will be an enduring part of The Knowledge Pledge service line.

Axion Founder and CEO Sarah McCue envisions a digital, no-cost education system benefiting those at the bottom of the pyramid, enabling youth in developing regions to have access to highest quality education, employment opportunities and engagement for lifelong learning.

Axion Education is a new model in online education and training. Axion Education is credentialed, led by industry, and open to all. Traditional education, Sarah points out, requires millions spent on buildings, maintenance, administration and faculty. 

 “At Axion,our online education reduces billions currently being spent on education,”Sarah says. “Our goal is to provide any man, woman or child anywhere in theworld an opportunity to have an education or become trained at no cost to them.”

 Axion’s questions to the Signatories who volunteered to take part in the CatalyzeSession were: What are the gaps in the business model? How might Axion find partners who can fill in the gaps?

 Signatories who were selected and attended the session included Alain Chetrit, Co-Founderand Executive Chairman, The Knowledge Pledge; Maria Eugenia Brizuela de Avila,Director, Inversiones Vision; Shamil Hargovan, Managing Director STS Capital Partners and Success to Significance™ Co-Chair; George Mulamula, Founder andCEO, Technovate Advisory Services; and Eva Helene Yazhari, Co-Founder and CEO,Beyond Capital Fund. The session was facilitated by Juan Carlos Velten,Co-Founder at Swim, Partner at InnovationLab.

 The group discussed Sarah’s vision, how to find partners aligned with her mission, and how to focus on ensuring that initial investments cover a pilot. Among many recommendations, the Signatories urged that Axion start in urban and semi-ruralcommunities where connectivity issues are less challenging to manage than inrural areas..

 Among many other topics, the team discussed how to ensure the Axion degree is useful andSarah indicated the focus on the entrepreneurship curriculum helps people startmicro businesses right away. 

The session ended with each Signatory of The Knowledge Pledge offering a pledge of actionto follow up on with Axion.  Many continued their dialogue with Sarah, who has already started incorporating their guidance into her launch plans.

 After the session, Sarah cited “All three phases of the Catalyze Session were valuable.‘Before’ to ensure the overview deck is focused on key questions to be asked,‘during,’ where experts give their time and advice, and ‘after,’ when following up on recommendations and pledges is so important. It was an invaluable experience.”

 "It has been energizing to see our Catalyze Sessions generating new connections and ideas tounlock the potential of so many wonderful social initiatives,” The Knowledge Pledge CEO Elaine MacDonald said. “So many of our Signatories have been eagerto follow up on their pledges of action. This is exactly what The Knowledge Pledge is all about."