Chuck Cohn

Why We Chose Him: 

Chuck Cohn had one of the best reasons ever for starting Nerdy in 2007 as an in-home tutoring business--it was after struggling to find a tutor himself while he was at Washington University. If it was a problem for him, it was probably a challenge for so many others — but one he is determined to solve for the good of all.

“For me, the future of online education is personal,” explains Cohn. “Technology and the use of artificial intelligence has only begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible for live online learning and the level of personalization that is possible thanks to technology. Nerdy’s growth is evidence of the power of what a technology-driven approach can create.”

Nerdy is the parent company behind Varsity Tutors, which offers learners live experts who deliver high-quality instruction and online learning in more than 3,000 subjects. From kindergarten phonics to high school test prep to collegiate academic, and even professional certifications as well as access to self-study and enrichment programs, the site is truly a one-stop shop for learning. That’s a whole lot of knowledge in one place.

Understandably, the company saw demand grow exponentially over the last few years as parents, schools, and students struggled throughout the pandemic and the seemingly endless experience of distance learning.

However, even without the pandemic, there had already been a shift in learning from offline to online throughout society, which Nerdy was already addressing in a powerful customer-centric way that allowed it to “meet its customers--families and schools--where they were at and help address the critical learning challenges faced during these unprecedented times.”

Though its expert use of AI allows Nerdy to deliver personalized learning at scale, what the company is most proud of is its ability to find top-of-the-line expert teachers through algorithms that match the experts with the learners and a “purpose-built live learning platform, which really goes above and beyond the standard video face-to-face interfaces that exist, like Zoom,” according to Nerdy’s website. “We curate a select group that is deeply knowledgeable in a particular area, has exceptional communication skills, and is passionate about teaching. AI and process automation enable us to do this consistently and at scale in multiple learning formats throughout the entire learning lifecycle.”

Adding to its extensive body of knowledge and experts, Nerdy recently announced adding Codeverse to the Varsity Tutors platform, to deliver high-quality computer science and coding education. This will enable potentially thousands of students to change their careers and their lives.

“Coding is one of the fastest-growing segments in education, yet the tools and resources for students have not kept up with the increasing demand,” says Chuck. “As we evolve our business to an all-inclusive learning membership, it’s important that we continuously add to what’s available on our platform.”

Ultimately, Nerdy is about the very essence of this month’s feature focus--the ability to deliver the power that knowledge makes possible with a capitalistic solution. It’s the perfect Social Capital formula.

“We’re at an inflection point, not just at Nerdy but for the entire educational system, and what learning looks like is being redefined and transformed,” shares Chuck. “As a country, we’re finally grasping the unlimited potential of online learning, and I am excited for the scale of the opportunity we have in both the near, mid and long-term to help shape the industry, help a lot of learners, and take advantage of a massive commercial opportunity.”