F U T U R E 5 0 E D U C AT I O N
CREDENTIAL CONNECTOR
MANOJ KUTTY Founder and CEO
GreenLight Credentials
Kutty is on a mission to change the education application process with GreenLight, a platform that connects students, academic institutions, and businesses by providing realtime access to lifelong learning achievements and records. Kutty compares the technology to a verified LinkedIn: From transcripts to recommendation letters, records are written into a student’s “electronic locker” by the institution that awarded the credentials. It’s an economic mobility platform of the future—no in-person visits or tedious, expensive processes required. Today, more than 50,000 Texas students have used GreenLight. Currently, the team is replicating its model to scale nationwide for the American Council of Education.
VIRTUAL HUMAN CREATOR
Director
UT Dallas’ Center for Simulation and Synthetic Humans
MARJORIE ZIELKE
WHAT IF STUDENTS LEARNING AT HOME HAD A
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BLOCKCHAIN BOOSTER
LEARN-AND-EARN GAMER
LEE BRATCHER
DANNY MARTIN
President
Founder
Texas Blockchain Council
Esposure
Bratcher, who teaches political science and directs the master’s program in international studies at Dallas Baptist University, wants to put the Lone Star State on the forefront of blockchain technology as the new president of the Texas Blockchain Council. Launched in early 2020, the council aims to make Texas “the jurisdiction of choice for blockchain innovation,” he says. To do that, members are advocating for blockchain-centric public policy and educating others about the benefits of distributed ledger technology. Member companies and partners include Hedera Hashgraph, Hyland, Trammell Venture Partners, and DBU.
In 2015, Martin cofounded Geekletes, a DeSoto esports development company that helped gamers go pro. But when COVID hit, the CEO saw an opportunity to transform his business into a comprehensive online hub. What emerged is Esposure, an accredited STEM.org platform for gamers, students, and entrepreneurs to learn about the business of esports. Esposure sits at the intersection of esports and community: Its “learn-and-earn” model includes master classes, enrichment programs, and resources for all aspects of esports education. But it’s also a communal way for gamers to connect—and a rite of passage for a growing user base.
D A L L A S I N N O VAT E S | 2 0 2 1 E D I T I O N
virtual teacher who could answer questions, give help, and find different ways to instruct based on individual needs? That’s what Zielke and her award-winning team at UTD are working to achieve. “This work was prescient and prepandemic,” she says. “My goal has always been to create a true virtual human hologram that can interact naturally with students and faculty to address the social and learning issues that currently exist in virtual learning systems.” Zielke believes the work they’re doing—along with the clear issues that have emerged with COVID-19—will create a new type of hybrid learning worldwide. This year, her team received two National Science Foundation grants to support their research. Working with the Richardson Independent School District and UT Southwestern on the projects, Zielke is exploring “critical aspects of virtual education” that have become more evident this year. “Research facets support social factors that have become crystalized,” she says. “We’re working on the development of both virtual teachers to extend the capability of human teachers and virtual students to explore social learning with peers.”