In 2023, X in a Box, the company behind Story Xperiential, was selected as one of the Elite 200 semifinalists for the 2023 GSV Cup. The competition was fierce! X in a Box was selected from over 900 of the world’s most innovative digital learning and workplace skills startups, with entrants from 69 countries.
As semifinalists, X in a Box CEO and co-founder, Elyse Klaidman, and Vice President of Education and Strategy, Dennis Henderson, attended the 2023 ASU+GSV Summit. There, they competed in the GSV Cup: the world’s largest pitch competition for Pre-K to Gray EdTech Startups.The ASU+GSV Summit was held from April 17-19, 2023, in San Diego, CA. The cup, powered by GSV Ventures, Google Cloud, HolonIQ, HubSpot for Startups, and ASU RealmSpark, awarded $1M in cash and prizes. A veritable smorgasbord of EdTech entrepreneurs, educators and investors were in attendance, sharing knowledge, views and expertise with one another.
"I have been to wonderful education focused conferences in the past but the ASU+GSV Summit was unlike any of them. The conference brings together educators, entrepreneurs, investors and the leading minds in education. As a GSV Elite Cup finalist, we were included in wonderful events. I was honored to join the “Power of Women” Ladies Lunch celebrating remarkable female leaders who are revolutionizing the world for good. To be in the company of these extraordinary leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers was inspiring.” said Klaidman
More than 200 judges leveraged a rigorous framework to evaluate each startup and determine the 200 most promising companies. Representatives from leading venture capital firms and strategic partners in digital learning and workforce skills including Accel, Bessemer Venture Partners, Blume Ventures, ECMC Group, NEA, Pear, Owl Ventures, Reach Capital, and more, participated in the judging.
“Our GSV Cup semi finalists epitomize the 2023 theme, Brave New World – you can’t use an old map for a new world. These 200 companies are charting new courses and drawing new maps to achieve the scaled delivery of learning and skills. We all hope to achieve the mission that all people deserve equal access to the future through the innovations of these great founders,” said Deborah Quazzo, Managing Partner of GSV Ventures and Co-founder of the ASU+GSV Summit.
The Elite 200 companies selected as semifinalists in the 2023 competition support learners from Pre-K to Gray and are well-distributed across the categories of Early Childhood, K-12, Higher Education, Adult Consumer Learning, and Workforce Learning. Among the 2023 Elite 200 companies:
43% of companies are headquartered outside of the United States
52% of companies have female founder(s)
48% of companies have founder(s) that identify as people of color
The founders of X in a Box were thrilled to be counted among these leaders in the EdTech space, with their flagship program: Story Xperiential. Storytelling is a critical skill, fundamental to this online, on-demand program. The aim of the digital storytelling platform is to provide a high quality and affordable project-based virtual experience for those interested in the animation and entertainment industry. Students aged 13 and up can participate in Story Xperiential's Global Classroom approach by submitting deliverables individually or as a team, mirroring the experience of professional storyboard artists. Teachers of younger students can integrate the program across all subject areas by using the Classroom approach for implementing Story Xperiential.
Learn more at www.storyxperiential.com
About ASU+GSV Summit
The ASU+GSV Summit is the premier global event focused on technology innovation in education and skills. We believe that all people deserve equal access to the future. Started in 2010 with a collaboration between Arizona State University (ASU) and Global Silicon Valley (GSV), the annual Summit connects leading minds focused on transforming society and business around learning and work. Educators, investors, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs from around the world come together to innovate the future of education for all. Hosted in San Diego, over 5,300 people attended in April 2022. Speakers from previous years include President Barack Obama, President George W. Bush, Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, John Legend, Common, Marian Wright Edelman, Bill Gates, Sandra Day O'Connor, Reed Hastings, President Vicente Fox, Malcolm Gladwell, Gloria Steinem, Tony Blair, and Howard Schultz.