Contenders announced at Forbes HQ move on to participate in November business accelerator
NEW YORK, NY – 23 education entrepreneurs were announced today as contenders for the 2025 Yass Prize at Forbes on Fifth in New York City. The $1,000,000 prize, viewed as the “Pulitzer for Education Innovation,” finds, rewards, and celebrates education providers which exemplify Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless (STOP) education opportunities in every sector and in every state.
“It’s been amazing to learn about all of the incredible programs nominated for this year’s prize,” said Yass Prize co-founder Janine Yass. “Jeff and I founded the Yass Prize during COVID to reward educators that stayed open and provided education to their students. The overwhelming response from education innovators around the country cemented for us the importance of continuing this mission and the commitment to building high quality student-centered pathways shared by the cohort announced today only furthers that resolve.”
During the next month, the 2025 Yass Prize contenders will participate in a three-week long virtual business accelerator/bootcamp, culminating in a week in-person to hone their skills. There, they will learn from the best, the boldest, and the brightest of business, education innovation, policy, and more with intimate access to powerful speakers to more deeply understand the intersection between education, business, and sustainability. The accelerator will culminate in a pitch competition where they will vie for the $1 million Yass Prize in front of a panel of esteemed judges.
“A new generation of innovators is transforming the education landscape in America,” said Jeanne Allen, Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, which powers the Yass Prize. From microschools and forward-thinking traditional districts to faith-based education collaboratives and public-private partnerships, families have a wealth of opportunities to find the right school for their child. And thanks to the growing number of states pioneering educational freedom policies, they will have the means to access great programs like those included in this year’s contender cohort.”
Alongside the 23 new contenders, 17 Yass Prize alumni have been chosen to participate in the 2025 Yass Prize Alumni Awards Program – a new opportunity for past awardees to expand and elevate their innovative models. They too will take the stage to pitch for fresh funding and recognition.
To view a recording of today’s livestream and to learn about the contenders for the 2025 Yass Prize, please visit yassprize.org.
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About the Yass Prize
The $1 million Yass Prize, powered by the Center for Education Reform in partnership with Forbes, has since 2021 worked to find, reward, celebrate, and expand best-in-class education organizations for every sector. Learn more at yassprize.org.