These 10 startups pitched at Towson University’s EdTech Innovation Showcase

Edtech is one of the areas within tech, and it’s one that’s often seen as a key pillar in Baltimore’s community.
But it’s worth remembering that community has a variety of categories within it, as well. The group of companies gathered at the Towson University Incubator’s EdTech Innovation Showcase last week served as just the latest reminder. There were founders with tools to help students with language skills, while others provided resources to help transition to college. Teachers were also a focus, through professional development and hiring. Others helped with connections to jobs or other opportunities. In all, more than 20 companies got involved.
In all, 150 attended the event to hear pitches and talk with founders in a demo area. It also put educators and technologists in the same room. According to organizers, among those in attendance were leaders from more than a dozen higher education institutions, four school districts and more than 10 independent schools.
Here’s a look at the 10 startups that pitched:

• Infercabulary: Beth Lawrence pitched the TU Incubator company’s web-based tool for vocabulary instruction, which uses the semantic reasoning method that allows students to infer the meaning of a word.
• TransitioningU: Dr. Joshua S. Smith presented the Baltimore-based startup’s student support platform, which helps students as they make a jump to the new phase in college. It can help analyze student behavior, integrate systems and recruit students.
• Lessoncast: Nicole Tucker-Smith presented the Baltimore edtech company’s products focusing on teacher preparation and professional development, which also has tools to capture digital examples of student work.
• Conversifi: Steven Krubiner talked about the D.C. startup’s on-demand language exchange program, which provides video chat connections for foreign language learning.
• Full Candidate: The TU incubator company’s human resources platform provides key information on candidates during the hiring process, and utilizes credentials through blockchain technology, said founder Kumar Bandaru.

Thanks for the opportunity to share our work at Selected at @TUincubator and @TowsonU #TUEdTechShowcase #loveyourschool pic.twitter.com/U9ccjIHt9B

— Selected (@getselectedco) October 4, 2018

• Student Opportunity Center: Chris Freire pitched the D.C.–based experiential learning platform, which helps provides links to opportunities outside the classroom between students and companies or researchers.
• Scrible: The web is a powerful tool to find information, and Silicon Valley–based Victor Karkar pitched a platform to help with annotating, researching and organizing the information that’s valuable. The platform connects via Google.
• SmartyPrep: Ian Siegel pitched the Owings Mills–based company’s eReader platform, which provides critical reading and vocabulary lessons.
• Selected: Waine Tam presented the platform connecting teachers and schools that want to hire. The New York–based startup allows schools take the first step in reaching out, and offers coaching to teachers.
• CourseArc: Katie Egan pitched the Baltimore startup’s tool to allow easy creation of online courses.