Latest news with #onlinelearning
Zawya
6 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Global School Management announces strategic growth investment from BDT & MSD Partners
McLean, Virginia – Global School Management (GSM), a leading global education and technology company, today announced a strategic growth investment from BDT & MSD Partners. The investment will support GSM's continued international expansion and further development of its integrated online platform and curriculum offerings. Founded by Ron Packard in 2014, GSM's mission is to deliver a world class American, British, and International Baccalaureate education to children from zero to 18 years old anywhere in the world, in a brick-and-mortar, online, or hybrid modality that best meets the needs of each student. Safanad, a principal investor and business builder focused on integrated investment and operational excellence across multiple sectors, served as the founding investor in GSM. Today, the company operates more than 190 schools and serves approximately 55,000 K-12 students across the United States, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. GSM is recognized for its fully integrated AMP ecosystem, a proprietary platform that combines curriculum development, advanced reporting and analytics, and scalable operations to deliver exceptional student outcomes across diverse geographies and learning environments. Ron Packard, Founder and CEO of GSM, said: 'This investment marks a new chapter in GSM's growth journey. With the continued backing of Safanad and strategic support from BDT & MSD, we will further scale our model to meet the growing global demand for high-quality education through cutting-edge technology and curriculum.' 'We are proud to welcome BDT & MSD as an investor alongside us in GSM,' added Kamal Bahamdan, Founder and CEO of Safanad. 'This partnership reflects our shared vision for the future of education and our deep respect for the GSM team's innovative approach.' BDT & MSD is a merchant bank that works with business owners and founders to support their long-term strategic and financial goals. The firm's investment reflects its conviction in GSM's differentiated education offering and experienced leadership. 'We are pleased to support GSM's mission of enabling access to high-quality education at scale,' said Chris Gleysteen, Managing Director at BDT & MSD. 'We have great admiration for what Ron and the GSM team have built and look forward to our partnership with Safanad to fuel this next phase of GSM's growth.' About Global School Management (GSM) Global School Management (GSM) manages high-quality schools that meet the needs of their communities and the demands of the future. Since 2014, we've helped schools launch, grow, and operate across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and Africa. With a portfolio of over 190 schools and more than 55,000 students worldwide, GSM delivers flexible, tech-enabled, locally attuned education solutions across early childhood, K–12, and higher education. We handle the complexity—school operations, digital infrastructure, compliance, facilities, staffing, and more—so educators can focus on what matters most: their students. Our mission is to make world-class education accessible, sustainable, and effective at any scale. Whether brick-and-mortar, online, or hybrid, GSM helps schools operate with integrity, efficiency, and impact. Learn more at About Safanad Founded in 2009, Safanad is a global holding company combining investment and operational excellence. We develop deep conviction behind investment sectors that have strong macroeconomic tailwinds, build powerful operating platforms to capitalize on these opportunities, and execute on fundamental value creation strategies to drive returns. Safanad invests in impact, with platforms in Education, Healthcare, Digital Infrastructure, and Real Estate. The firm's c. 40 professionals have completed more than 45 transactions totaling $11 billion. For more information, please visit About BDT & MSD Partners BDT & MSD Partners is a merchant bank with an advisory and investment platform built to serve the distinct needs of business owners and strategic, long-term investors. The firm is distinguished by its decades of experience advising at the intersection of founders, families, and businesses, as well as by its differentiated capital base and culture of aligned investing. For more information, visit For more information, please contact: Zahraa Taher Managing Director FinMark Communications Email: ztaher@
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
2 Growth Stocks That Could 10x Your Money
SoundHound AI's proprietary voice technology is tapping into a rapidly growing market. Duolingo is well-positioned to capitalize on the booming online learning market. 10 stocks we like better than SoundHound AI › If you're looking for stocks with huge return potential, you can increase your chances of success by focusing on companies that operate in a rapidly expanding industry. Great investments are usually made by jumping early on fast-growing companies that have enormous expansion potential for their particular sector. Here are two promising candidates that could potentially grow their share prices 10-fold in the coming years. Share prices of SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) have been volatile, At the time of this writing, the stock is up 342% since the end of 2023. This follows growing demand for the company's conversational voice technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI). SoundHound's revenue more than doubled year over year in the first quarter. This comes after last year's acquisition of Amelia, which expanded SoundHound's technology to customer services across multiple industries, including retail and healthcare. AI is having a major impact on how people order at restaurants and interact with in-car services -- two of SoundHound's biggest markets. As AI's capabilities grow exponentially, demand is surging for SoundHound's voice AI. Over 1,000 new restaurant locations went live with SoundHound in Q1 -- a 10-fold increase over a year ago. The main negative for the company is that it is not earning a profit. In Q1, it reported a non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) loss of $22 million, which is quite large on just $29 million of quarterly revenue. SoundHound generates revenue from product royalties, service subscriptions, and ads on its music identification app. These can be profitable revenue streams, so I wouldn't be too concerned about SoundHound's profitability at this early stage of growth. Keep in mind that SoundHound is not using off-the-shelf AI. Its AI is proprietary, based on 20 years of investment using data from real user interactions. SoundHound also has a strong balance sheet, with $246 million of cash and no debt. The company's growth shows huge market potential for its technology. The AI voice generator market is growing exponentially, expected to increase from $3 billion in 2024 to over $20 billion by 2030, according to MarketsandMarkets. SoundHound's market cap is currently $3.76 billion, with its share price around $9.40. Its market cap has to increase to $37.6 billion to deliver a 10-fold return to investors. This is possible within the next 10 years, considering SoundHound's rapid growth and the long-term trends supporting more AI integration across the economy. Online language learning is another fast-growing market that is benefiting from the use of AI. Duolingo (NASDAQ: DUOL) started in 2012 and is currently the top-grossing mobile learning app in Alphabet's Google Play and the Apple App Store. The company's rapid growth has sent the stock up 241% since its initial public offering in 2021. Duolingo makes it easy and fun to learn new languages, and it's attracting a lot of people. It had 130 million monthly active users in Q1, representing a 33% year-over-year increase. A high percentage of these users are engaging with the app every day, with the company reporting 46.6 million daily actives last quarter, for an increase of 49% year over year. The company uses the standard mobile app business model. Users can download the app for free and then pay for premium content. Duolingo had over 10 million paying users last quarter. This generated $230 million of revenue last quarter, up 38% year over year, while also reporting a healthy profit of $35 million. The online language learning market is expected to grow at an annualized rate of 21% through 2030 to reach $44 billion, according to Mordor Intelligence. AI will be a catalyst for growth, given the added personalization and other enhancements AI brings to the table. Duolingo says its Max subscription service, which brings AI-powered features to the learning experience, is one of its biggest opportunities. However, Duolingo also offers courses in math and music, indicating its long-term opportunity extends well beyond language learning. Content expansion, including the recent launch of chess, is a key part of the company's growth strategy. Duolingo's market cap is currently $21.8 billion at the current $480 share price. For the company to be worth $210 billion and deliver a 10-fold return to investors in 10 years, Duolingo needs to maintain annualized revenue growth of 25% and trade at the same 28x price-to-sales multiple. This implies growth that is marginally higher than the online language learning market. Duolingo's 40%-plus current revenue growth already puts it ahead of the curve. Moreover, its content expansion strategy positions it to grow faster than the market, making it a compelling growth stock to hold for multibagger returns. Before you buy stock in SoundHound AI, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and SoundHound AI wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $659,171!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $891,722!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. John Ballard has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Duolingo. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Growth Stocks That Could 10x Your Money was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bill seeks to allow virtual driver's ed classes in RI
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Should Rhode Islanders learning how to drive be able to take those classes online? That's the objective of a bill being considered on Smith Hill for the fourth time. 'What the bill seeks to do is continue what was done during the pandemic, very successfully,' said state Sen. Lou DiPalma, D-Middletown, who sponsors the bill. The measure is now in the Senate, having recently been approved by the House. If approved, it would allow driver's education courses to be taught both in person and virtually. That would apply only to the classroom instruction—not road tests—and it would be available for two years as a pilot. 'Data would be collected and reported back to the General Assembly about how effective it was,' DiPalma explained. Supporters of the bill, who include AAA, say it levels the playing field and makes driver's ed more accessible. But not everyone is on board. 'This is just heading us into the wrong direction,' John Leeds told 12 News. Leeds, the owner and president of Newport County Driving School, feels in-person classes are invaluable and hold students' attention. 'The kids are not being observant. I see it now more than ever that their attention span, their situational awareness, they don't have it at all,' he said. 'They need to have hands-on learning all the time, especially when you're learning how to drive a car.' State Sen. Lou Raptakis, D-Coventry also opposes the bill, arguing it could put people's safety at risk. 'You have a 16-year-old operating a two-ton vehicle, automobile, truck … you need the most important, attentive instruction, by the instructor, to communicate with the student to make sure they understand what is happening out on the roadway,' he explained. 'If we believe we shouldn't do this, then the students that were trained during the pandemic weren't trained as well,' DiPalma noted. 'I say that, because I don't buy that.' Leeds and other driving school instructors disagree, however. 'It's just going to ask for more problems out there,' Leeds said. 'We've got enough bad drivers as it is. Why do we need to have more of them out there?' At this time, it's unclear if and when the bill will be taken up by the Senate. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Entrepreneur
08-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Serious About Professional Growth? $20 Gets You 1,000+ Expert-Led Courses for Life.
Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you'll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. Remember when learning new skills meant signing up for expensive classes, sitting in freezing (or sweltering) classrooms under fluorescent lights, and wondering if the vending machine would ever accept your crumpled dollar bill? Yeah, StackSkills EDU Unlimited is here to wipe that memory clean. For just $19.97 (reg. $600)—yes, less than your last food delivery—you can grab lifetime access to 1,000+ online courses. IT, coding, graphic design, business strategy, marketing. You name the topic, and it's probably already waiting for you. New courses are added monthly, so your library actually grows with you over time, not against you. This is real-world learning made for real-world schedules. Whether you're a business leader trying to sharpen your digital strategy, a parent plotting a return to the workforce, a freelancer adding a new service, or a student supplementing a less-than-exciting course catalog, StackSkills gives you the flexibility to learn on your own time, from any device, without having to sacrifice your sanity (or your weekend plans). And StackSkills isn't about fluff. Their 350+ elite instructors are people who've been there, done that, and are ready to show you how they actually succeeded (and yes, sometimes how they failed, because that's where the real lessons live). Each course includes progress tracking, certificates, and even quarterly live Q&As to keep you engaged and growing. Compared to one college course that costs, what, $600, $1,000, or more, $19.97 for lifetime access is almost criminally affordable. Plus, you'll be able to pivot your learning as new trends pop up, industries shift, and opportunities arise. No need to re-enroll, re-pay, or re-think every time you want to pick up a new skill. It's lifetime learningbuilt for people who actually have lives. Take the leap. Own your growth. And seriously, stop paying $300 just to sit through a PowerPoint for beginners class. StackSkills has you covered for life. Get lifetime access to StackSkills by EDU for just $19.97 (reg. $600) while inventory is available—don't wait any longer to invest in your professional or personal growth. EDU Unlimited by StackSkills: Lifetime Access See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.
News.com.au
30-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Doesn't actually help': University responds to Albo's HECS cuts
Campus vibes or couch convenience? A new report highlights the growing divide in preferences for university learning formats between younger and older Australians, with mature-age students gravitating towards online study while Gen Z remains attached to traditional campus experiences. The national survey commissioned by the University of New England (UNE) and run by Year13 – a digital platform that helps school leavers – examined the motivations, barriers, and preferences of more than 1,000 Australians considering university study. Young vs mature: A stage-of-life divide The study found a sharp divide between how younger and more mature age students preferred to study. Will Stubley, co-founder of Year13, said younger students in their early 20s are drawn to the communal and social aspects of campus life. 'The research shows Gen Zs really want to head into uni and be in class while Millennials and Gen Xs aren't nearly as keen,' Mr Stubley told 'It's a stage of life divide, where most students in their early 20s with more freedom on their side want to be learning with other students, meeting people and having fun around campus like uni is famous for. 'But going into class quickly loses favour for students in their late 20s and 30s when priorities shift from pub lunches between classes with their mates to their career and family, meaning university study needs to fit in around those central pillars of their life and not the other way around,' Mr Stubley said. This shift is reflected in the survey results, where more than 64 per cent of respondents overall, and more than 70 per cent of those aged 25–54, expressed a preference for online learning. For mature students such as James O'Hanlon, 40, who is currently pursuing a PhD in creative practice at UNE, online study is not just a preference but a necessity. 'Changing economies and employment landscapes has meant that I've had to be flexible and take my career in new directions,' Mr O'Hanlon said. When the opportunity came to formalise his decision with postgraduate study Mr O'Hanlon figured he'd try something new, but with kids of his own and work to contend with flexibility in study became a deciding factor. 'Flexibility and ability to learn at my own pace in my own time are a necessity when coming back as a mature aged student,' he said. Motivations and outcomes The survey found that motivations for returning to study vary significantly with age. While younger mature-age students (25–44) often seek career progression or change, older learners (45+) are motivated by personal fulfilment and a chance to re-engage with education. 'These aren't school leavers,' Mr Stubley said. 'They're experienced adults making calculated decisions. They're asking: What will this cost me? How will it fit into my life? And what's the return?' 'People want to study, but they're pragmatic,' Mr Stubley said. 'Universities need to do a better job of showing how courses fit into real lives and what outcomes students can expect.' Financial barriers loom large The survey also highlighted significant barriers to higher education, with cost standing out as the most cited obstacle. More than half of respondents (52 per cent) said financial concerns hindered their decision to study, and 42 per cent worried about accumulating student debt. Other barriers included full-time work commitments (29 per cent) and family responsibilities (22 per cent). 'Taking study seriously necessarily means other things have to step aside, such as full time employment,' Mr O'Hanlon added. 'The only way to make this work as a mature aged student with kids is often through scholarships or other financial support.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ran on the election promise of wiping 20 per cent off student HECS and HELP loans. However, UNE's executive director of future students Dr Neil Durrant said that debt forgiveness is not the same as 'changing the funding structures which allows students to not have that much debt in the first place.' 'I think clearly those things will be helpful to the students, the prospect of having less debt in the future or this messaging around the government's concern about the debts that students have … ,' Dr Durrant said. '[However] it doesn't actually help universities with the cost of providing education,' he said. 'So when you're looking at the kinds of cohorts of students that UNE is particularly expert in providing education to, they generally tend to be students that have a higher touch as far as support and that's more costly to teach those kinds of students. 
 'So changing the HECS model doesn't actually help universities provide the kind of quality education that we would be looking to provide.' Universities respond to changing demands Dr Durrant said the findings of the report justifies the university's longstanding focus on mature-age and online learners, with a huge 85 per cent of UNE students studying online. 'This research validates what we're hearing from our students every day,' he said. 'They want a high-quality university education that works with their lives, not against them.' However, online study poses its own challenges, particularly around maintaining motivation and engagement. Dr Durrant emphasised the importance of creating a robust digital experience that supports interaction and connection. 'There's a little bit of a catch 22 here with mature age students preferring online study where they've also expressed difficulties with online study in terms of staying motivated in terms of making sure that they had the intrinsic motivation to keep going with online study,' he said. 'And so I think what that signals for universities for us is this clarion call to make sure that the online experience that we provide is really high quality. 
 'It's not a simple matter of just taking what you do in the classroom face-to-face and then somehow magicing that up into something online. It's actually having a really strong focus on what it means for students to study online and how we keep students engaged and motivated.
