Elevating innovation across the charter sector

We nurture the entrepreneurial energy of leaders within the charter school sector and invest in bold ideas for the future.

The spirit of innovation is deeply ingrained in the CSGF portfolio, especially in creating transformational opportunities for marginalized students.

Leaders feel greater urgency and desire to think about the future in this moment of change.

We believe this provides an opportunity to reimagine existing pillars of schooling and create new possibilities.

What We Do

We are here to support ambitious new ideas from and for the nation’s best public charter schools.

Portfolio R&D

Leaders closest to the work often have the deepest insights but rarely have resources to try new approaches. We provide early research and development capital to support ambitious ideas for impact from charter school leaders. See here to learn about ideas we’ve supported through Project Spark, our most recent portfolio innovation funding opportunity.

New Ventures

The private and non-profit sectors can be an important source of innovation that amplify great teaching and lighten the load for schools. We provide enabling capital for entrepreneurs with great ideas to serve schools and students. We partner at the early stage of a new venture’s journey, typically providing $100K-$500K commitments to help scale early signs of traction, with a priority on CSGF-funded schools as customers.

Pilots

We connect innovative companies with our portfolio to test demand for their solutions and get feedback from those in the work. We structure and sponsor testing of promising products and tools in the portfolio.

New Venture Portfolio

We are proud to support a diverse portfolio of companies making a difference for our growing network of charter schools and beyond

Cambiar Education

Cambiar Education is a nonprofit venture design studio focused on student success and equity.

Go to Cambiar Education
Cariina

Cariina is an operations enablement platform helping administrators manage complex workflows across their schools.

Go to Cariina
Edstruments

Edstruments provides budgeting and AP/Purchasing Automation software designed for the unique needs of schools and nonprofits.

Go to Edstruments
Novel Effect

The Novel Effect app responds to your voice with interactive music and sound effects, creating magical moments when you read aloud from children’s books.

Go to Novel Effect
Paramount Health Data Project

Paramount Health Data Project leverages health data to improve academic outcomes for children.

Go to Paramount Health Data Project
Reach University

Reach is a nonprofit university that employs job-embedded learning to help communities grow their own talent.

Go to Reach University
TeachStart

TeachStart breaks open the school house door, proving what’s possible when we remove barriers to teaching.

Go to TeachStart
All Means All

All Means All partners with school and system leaders to support all learners, through expert facilitation, coaching, programming, and an intersectional approach.

Go to All Means All
LearnPlatform

LearnPlatform expands equitable access for all students to the teaching and technology that works best for them.

Go to LearnPlatform
Hello World CS

Hello World CS is a software company that enables schools to provide students with a world-class, cutting-edge computer science education.

Go to Hello World CS
LitLab.ai

LitLab.ai is the world’s first ‘AI for early reading.’ K-2 teachers can easily create decodable content that is perfect for early readers.

Go to LitLab.ai
On Your Mark

OnYourMark Education is an individualized high impact virtual tutoring service that provides foundational skills instruction to K-2nd graders grounded in the science of reading.

Go to On Your Mark
Overgrad

Overgrad helps schools and community-based organizations identify, track, and improve on early indicators for postsecondary success.

Go to Overgrad
Clayful

Clayful offers on-demand coaching so every student receives proactive emotional and mental well-being support.

Go to Clayful
Diffit

Diffit helps teachers differentiate with “just right”, quality learning materials for any topic or student.

Go to Diffit
KickUp

KickUp helps K-12 systems manage teacher professional learning, assess program impact, and use formative data to drive better decision-making.

Go to KickUp
Kyron Learning

Kyron learning makes high quality one-on-one education available to every learner by scaling the world’s greatest teachers using conversational AI.

Go to Kyron Learning
Magic School

Magic School uses AI to help teachers lesson plan, level texts, write assessments, proofread, give feedback, communicate clearly, and more.

Go to Magic School
Marco Learning

Marco Learning supports schools, teachers, and students to make everyone a successful writer.

Go to Marco Learning
Openseat

OpenSeat provides one-to-one mental wellness coaching designed for schools.

Go to Openseat
Playlab

Playlab empowers educators to create, remix and share your own AI edtech tools.

Go to Playlab
Reading Futures

Reading Futures serves children with indications of dyslexia or other significant reading difficulties. Excellent teachers, scientifically proven programs, and joyful teaching ensure a bright reading future for every child.

Go to Reading Futures
Thrive Therapies Group

Thrive Therapies Group is dedicated to empowering children with disabilities by delivering high-impact therapies and services that break down barriers to academic success and well-being.

Go to Thrive Therapies Group
EdLight

EdLight lets teachers quickly see and give feedback on authentic student work.

Go to EdLight
nXu

nXu offers teacher training and curriculum to help students connect with who they are, explore who they want to become, and invest in pathways for personal and professional success.

Go to nXu
Backrs

Backrs connects young people with caring adults to support them in school, work, and life.

Go to Backrs
CyberNut

CyberNut is a cybersecurity training tool designed and developed specifically for schools.

Go to CyberNut
Seminar

Seminar is a national community of charter leaders uniting to share ideas, trade tools, and elevate leadership.

Go to Seminar
Futre

Futre’s platform supports young people to successfully launch fulfilling lives by guiding them to discover, explore, and act.

Go to Futre
Magpie Literacy

Magpie creates research-based digital literacy tools that leverage students’ unique characteristics to help them master the foundational reading skills.

Go to Magpie Literacy
Paloma

Paloma helps Title I districts & CMOs accelerate learning by unleashing families’ untapped teaching potential.

Go to Paloma
As a first-time CEO, I've learned that success isn't just about having a great idea or product. It's about surrounding yourself with smart, dedicated people who share your vision and who will challenge you to be your best. The CSGF team has been a crucial partner along the journey - they not only provide the capital, but also bring their deep expertise and knowledge working with schools, national networks, and true thought partnership to the table to help OnYourMark achieve our large vision to ensure all kids are reading by third grade.”
Mindy Sjoblom, OnYourMark CEO
CSGF was one of our earliest supporters and was instrumental to help catalyze a coalition of mission-oriented investors who believed in our work. Their team members have come to feel like an extension of our team at Hello World CS. While we’re out there working tirelessly to drive our impact and build our product, they’re out there too - networking, advocating, and pulling resources together for us. Their generosity of time, deep expertise in K12 education, and proven commitment to changing the trajectory of student lives has propelled our growth and emboldened our vision.”
Sabina Bharwani, Founder & CEO of Hello World CS
It’s not often charter leaders have the opportunity to dream big and think about what’s new. I’m excited that CSGF is supporting me to pursue an idea I had been noodling on to help my BIPOC teammates thrive in their roles and stay in the work.”
Tori Jackson Hines, Founder and CEO of Resurgence Hall
We are at an inflection point as a society. If we don’t innovate now, we are going to look back in five years and say what society and the world needed, and what our students needed, didn’t meet. They diverged.”
Bill Kurtz, CEO of DSST Public Schools

Meet the Team

Innovation Team

Contact Us

Go Deeper

Read Our Innovation Strategy Announcement

More Articles – Coming Soon