Education Industry Icon Neil Chyten Speaks to Young Harvard Entrepreneurs
Online, March 24, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Education industry CEO, icon, and entrepreneur Neil Chyten spoke of significant "entrepreneurial opportunity" in the education sector to an assembled audience of more than 200 Harvard Business School students and recent graduates. Chyten was among a small group of business leaders and investment-industry professionals selected to speak at the Annual Conference of Harvard US-China Economic Interaction. The keynote speaker at the event was John Quelch, renowned Harvard Business School professor and former Dean of China Europe International Business School.
During his 30-minute presentation, Chyten discussed industry trends and described how his company was adjusting to government, social and industrial transformations such as STEM, The Common Core State Standards Initiative, PARCC, Smarter Balanced and the New SAT. "Personally, I see change as the greatest opportunity engine for entrepreneurs and companies who have the vision to rise to the challenge."
Asked to address how his company was adapting to these changes, he said, "We are designing test preparation programs that not only produce higher test scores, but build core competencies in reading, writing, math, science, and problem solving. Also, we are currently in the process of building a whole new generation of learning programs under the heading: ESTEEM, which is an acronym for English, Science, Technology, Engineering, Entrepreneurialism and Math. The ESTEEM name covers a series of experiential learning programs for elementary and middle school students that are guaranteed to make learning fun and engaging." He also hinted that something new was on the horizon for Chyten, but begged off elaborating.
"I am proud to have been involved in the creation of a company that has helped so many students successfully transition to the next phase of their lives—high school, college or career. I am also proud to be part of a company that has helped inspire so many students who have gone on to contribute to society in a positive meaningful way. "
When asked what is the one thing he would recommend to the assembled audience, he said,
"First, follow your passion. Next, have a killer business plan. Finally, find business partners who share your vision and who can provide you with the resources you need to reach your goals."
Chyten also discussed the need to leverage new technologies, to harness increasing interest in US educational and business visas, to take advantage of the dramatic increase in interest of international students to attend US schools and colleges, and about rising to the challenges and opportunities brought on by announced changes to the SAT that will transform the test beginning in 2016.
"All of these changes lead to one conclusion: the education industry is more relevant today that at any point in our history. We have a responsibility to our future to inspire, to educate and to provide leadership to our children. If we lose sight of that, we lose the spark of education, the passion of the teacher and the purpose we have chosen to make the education industry our chosen career."