This document provides a guide for running a #SharkTankEDU event to facilitate constructive feedback between educators and educational technology companies. #SharkTankEDU events follow a structured format where edtech startups demo their products to "shark panels" composed of educators, students, and parents who then ask questions and provide feedback. The guide outlines resources needed, tips for identifying appropriate shark panels and edtech participants, and how to create a safe collaborative space for open dialogue. It aims to help others replicate this model for validating new edtech solutions with school communities.

1. #SharkTankEDU
Starter Guide
VALIDATING NEW EDTECH SOLUTIONS
WITH SCHOOL COMMUNITIES
VERSION 1.2

2. We designed #SharkTankEDU as a low-
barrier event to validate or test
assumptions about emerging edtech
tools. Based loosely on the reality
series, #SharkTankEDU provides time
and a safe space for educators to give
critical feedback, based on the
instructional and operational needs of
their schools, that helps companies
create more responsive products.
Since we launched the first iteration in
2013, we have hosted monthly
#SharkTankEDU events with teachers,
administrators, students and parents
participating as edtech “sharks”. This
model has since been adapted across
the country for the classroom and by
nonprofits in support of their local
school districts.
The guide is targeted to district
personnel, school staff, and other
entities that support educators with
technology adoption. We have created
this guide to share our tips and
practices to encourage others to run
their own #SharkTankEDU event that is
responsive to the needs their local
edtech community.
This is a guide for running your own
#SharkTankEDU to open dialogue
between educators & schools and
edtech designers & developers.
#SharkTankEDU is a project of Innovate NYC
Schools, an initiative of the New York City
Department of Education’s iZone to foster a
robust edtech ecosystem.

3. #SharkTankEDU Format
Product Demo
7 minutes
Startups present a demo of their edtech tool
for the shark panel.
Shark Panel Q&A
20 minutes
Sharks lead interactive discussion about
product uses and functionality.
Shark Feedback Forms
3 minutes
Sharks complete a short, online feedback
form.
A typical #SharkTankEDU event includes a facilitator, three
edtech startups or companies, and a panel of seven
educators, students, or parents (a.k.a, edtech “sharks”). Each
event is curated to meet a school or classroom needs, e.g., a
panel of high school teachers are recruited to review edtech
tools designed to supplement high school level content.
The event is structured in three rounds with approximately 30
minutes devoted to each product. In each round, companies
start with a brief demo, visually showing how the “sharks” may
use their product to address a school need or classroom
challenge.
Following the product demo, the “sharks” lead a Q&A
discussion with the presenter engaging in discussion about
product functionality, user flows, operational needs, and
instructional considerations. At the end of each round, the
“sharks” complete an online feedback form. The “shark”
feedback is aggregated after the event and shared
anonymously with the presenters.
Repeat Each Round

4. Getting Started
RESOURCES NEEDED
ü Event space conducive to open dialogue with
WIFI and presentation capabilities. Local tech
accelerators and community hubs work well.
ü A facilitator with knowledge of local education
context and tech community.
ü Educators, students and parents with diverse
backgrounds and experience to participate as
edtech “sharks”.
ü Edtech companies, preferably entrepreneurs
and startups, ready to demo their product and
open to fielding questions and feedback.
ü Tablets or other mechanism for collecting
“shark” feedback.

5. Identify a facilitator who can liaise
between stakeholders.
PRO TIPS
UNDERSTAND THE LOCAL CONTEXT
The facilitator should have knowledge of policies, instructional
practices, and operational considerations for schools choosing
technology as well as an understanding of the edtech market.
ENGAGE AND INCLUDE
The facilitator’s main role is to engage with education and
edtech stakeholders and enable a constructive discussion. The
facilitator should be responsible for recruiting “Shark” panels
and edtech companies to participate in #SharkTankEDU events.
GUIDE AND TRANSLATE
During #SharkTankEDU, the facilitator maintains the event flow
and structure. The facilitator should also be an active listener in
the discussion, translating lingo between the “Sharks” and
presenters when necessary.

6. Identify “Sharks” and
EdTech Participants.
PRO TIPS
MOBILIZE EDTECH SHARKS
The facilitator should actively identify and empower solutions-
oriented educators, students, or parents that represent a
diverse set of school communities—they are the experts.
“Sharks” should be empowered with individual agency to drive
an open conversation about real operational and instructional
considerations for technology adoption in schools.
CURATE PRODUCTS RELEVANT TO LOCAL NEEDS
The facilitator should meet with edtech stakeholders to demo
their product prior to their participation in a #SharkTankEDU
event. We host open Office Hours to provide entrepreneurs and
startups with information about the local schools landscape and
to vet products that might be a good fit for #SharkTankEDU or
other programmatic engagement like pilots.

7. Create a safe space &
collaborative tone.
PRO TIPS
MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
#SharkTankEDU is designed to be product focused, the event is
not intended to convert to sales. Be sure to set the rules of
engagement ahead of time to manage expectations of all
participants.
FACILITATE DISCUSSION
We believe in providing agency for all participants to engage in
an open conversation about real operational and instructional
considerations for technology adoption in schools.
During the Q&A portion, advise the “sharks” to ask probing
questions and focus their comments on actionable feedback.
Use an online tool like Google Forms to capture and share
overall feedback post-event. Note: This also serves as a quick
and easy archive.

8. The #SharkTankEDU Starter Guide was created by Preeti Birla and
Angelina Lopez. The #SharkTankEDU Toolkit is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International License.
#SharkTankEDU is a project of the iZone’s Innovate NYC Schools
edtech initiative, co-designed with seven teachers and three edtech
entrepreneurs to enable smarter information flow and build empathy
between product developers and NYC Schools stakeholders. Learn
more about our work at izonenyc.org.
#SharkTankEDU is supported by the USDOE Investing in Innovation (i3)
Fund and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Special thanks to ThoughtWorks New York for generously providing
event space for #SharkTankEDU.
We want to hear from you!
Please send us any questions or
comments. Have you tried running
a #SharkTankEDU? Share your
story about the experience. We
need your feedback to improve
this guide.
@innovateNYCedu
innovation@schools.nyc.gov