LearnUp
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
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Sections to complete：02 · 05
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
LearnUp was a job-training platform founded by Alexis Ringwald and Kenny Ma, focused on entry-level positions that do not require a college degree. Its online training modules were built for specific job openings at partner employers such as Gap, Old Navy, AT&T, Staples and Office Depot; completing training tripled applicants' chances of getting hired, and the company said it would train more than 200,000 jobseekers at Old Navy alone.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
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03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Founded
Founded after co-founder Alexis Ringwald spent six months in unemployment lines researching the entry-level skills gap.
- Growth and recognition
Named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer of 2015; partnered with Old Navy to train workers across its 350 US stores.
- Series A
Closed an $8 million Series A co-led by NEA and Shasta Ventures, with Greylock, Floodgate and High Line Venture Partners participating.
- Acquired by ManpowerGroup
Acquired by ManpowerGroup in 2017.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
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Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN / AFTERMATH
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