{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Solve for X","title":"Building Impactful Edtech: Ryan Patenaude’s Journey From FEV Tutor to RP Impact Partners","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2764,"description":"\nThis week on Solve for X, host Dr. Rick Fernandez sits down with Ryan Patenaude, Founder and Managing Director of RP Impact Partners and co-founder of FEV Tutor.\n\nRyan shares the full journey from growing FEV Tutor from $0 to $50M without outside investment to now helping edtech companies scale the right way. Grounded in a family of educators, his work has always centered on equity, access, and delivering real outcomes for students.\n\nRick and Ryan dive into what it actually takes to build, scale, and sell an edtech company, and why many companies get it wrong in today’s market. From the “false reality” created during COVID funding to what districts actually need now, this conversation is packed with hard-earned lessons on strategy, partnerships, and long-term impact.\n\nIf you’re building in edtech, leading a district, or trying to navigate what comes next in K–12, this episode offers clarity on where the market is heading and how to win by doing the right work.\n\nWhat You’ll Learn\n\nHow Ryan helped grow FEV Tutor from startup to $50M without outside capital\nThe real gap tutoring was solving for underserved students\nWhy tech-enabled services beat pure software in high-impact interventions\nLessons from building, scaling, and eventually selling an edtech company\nWhy mentorship and learning from the right people accelerates growth\nWhat the edtech market got wrong during COVID and ESSER funding\nWhy today’s market demands outcomes, not features\nThe shift from vendor selling to strategic partnerships with districts\nCommon mistakes edtech companies make in messaging and go-to-market strategy\nWhy net revenue retention matters more than just landing new deals\nWhat it takes to build trust and long-term partnerships with school districts\n\nEpisode Timestamps\n05:51 \"Equitable Tutoring for All Students\"\n\n07:24 \"Urgency in Education Leadership\"\n\n11:52 \"Lessons on Growth and Investment\"\n\n15:55 \"Building Networks Through Curiosity\"\n\n18:15 \"Rebuilding Schools Through Leadership\"\n...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/ICghszv8nAx-6isl02_dCXZ8qX2a8xiWRtrzRrHIAJo/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wOTQ5/MmZjNjk1ODU4ZWE4/YmFmMmZhMWJlZjEy/M2FmYy5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}