Gridiron-Backed Colibri Group Announces Strategic Acquisition of TeachNow, Inc.
NEW CANAAN, CT, DECEMBER 14, 2021 – Gridiron Capital, LLC (“Gridiron Capital”), an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Colibri Group (“Colibri”), a professional education company with leading brands that provide learning solutions to licensed professionals, has acquired TeachNow, Inc., one of the nation’s largest technology-centric teacher certification institutions, providing professionals the opportunity to transition into teaching. With this acquisition, Colibri Group expands the company’s business internationally and incorporates a new category of professional education – teacher education – into its family of brands.
“I am truly excited for TeachNow to become part of Colibri Group, which will enable us to deepen our efforts to teach teachers around the world to be resourceful problem solvers and tech-savvy educators,” said Dr. Emily Feistritzer, founder of TeachNow, Inc. “We spent our first decade redefining the future of education for our teachers. Now with Colibri Group, we can leverage their expertise, infrastructure and resources to reach more teachers and deliver a broader set of next-generation education solutions to a wider customer base both here in the United States and across the globe.”
TeachNow is best known for its high-quality online teacher certification preparation program, TEACH-NOWⓇ, which is based on an innovative teaching methodology focused on an activity-based collaborative learning environment. This cohort-based model of collaborative learning connects 10-15 participants for the entire duration of teacher training and focuses on real-world simulated teaching experiences with the goal to equip, enable, and empower teachers to go into any learning environment anywhere in the world and diagnose where each learner is coming from.
“We could not have found a more perfect teacher education business than TeachNow to integrate into our company, bringing us into the hero business of teacher education and educating the professionals responsible for educating the future of our world with global reach,” said Jeff James, Chief Executive Officer of Colibri Group. “This is a transformational event integrating a best-in-class company into a national leading provider of professional learning. Colibri Group and TeachNow share a passion for guiding working professionals to achieve in their careers, and we welcome the TeachNow team’s passion, purpose, innovation and expertise in teacher education.”
“The Partnership with TeachNow is another successful milestone in Colibri’s strategic growth plan by expanding into a dynamic and important professional training segment,” said Kevin Jackson, Managing Partner at Gridiron Capital.
Will Hausberg, Managing Director at Gridiron Capital added, “TeachNow has a phenomenal team and they will be an integral part of continuing to grow Colibri’s world-class education platform.”
About Gridiron Capital
Gridiron Capital is an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, and creating value by building middle-market companies into industry-leaders in branded consumer, B2B and B2C services, and niche industrial segments in the United States and Canada. We help transform growing companies by winning together through hard work, partnerships grounded in shared values and a unique culture that comes from hands-on experience building and running businesses. As a team led by former operators and entrepreneurs, we know what it takes to run successful businesses on a day-to-day basis. Additional information is available on the firm’s website: www.gridironcapital.com.
About Teachnow
Founded in 2011, TeachNow, Inc. is a collaborative, activity-based, technology-centric teacher preparation program and degree-granting institution whose mission is to empower tomorrow’s teachers for tomorrow’s students in tomorrow’s world. Dr. Emily Feistritzer, Founder of TeachNow, is a veteran educator and is nationally recognized for her innovative approach to education. She was named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People 2019″ and Inc. Magazine’s “2019 Top Ten Groundbreakers.” TeachNow offers a nine-month post-baccalaureate teacher certification program and 12-month Master’s in Education degree programs with a focus on either globalization of education, educational research, early childhood education, teaching multilingual learners, special education, educational technology or educational leadership. Visit www.teach-now.edu for more information.
About Colibri Group
Colibri Group helps millions of licensed professionals manage and advance their careers through online and in-person learning solutions for licensing, continuing education and professional development. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Colibri Group offers a seamless experience to help licensed professionals progress throughout their careers, focused on licensing, continuing education, industry news, and job opportunities for healthcare, real estate, and financial services, among other professions. Visit colibrigroup.com for more information.
For Additional Information:
Colibri Group
Kim Wells, Chief Marketing Officer
media@colibrigroup.com
Gridiron Capital
Kevin Jackson, Managing Partner, Gridiron Capital, LLC
KJackson@gridironcapital.com