Rethink Education announces Ebony Brown’s promotion to Partner

After three years as Principal, Brown will become Partner at one of the country’s leading edtech impact investing firms

NEW YORK, NY – Rethink Education, a leading education focused venture capital firm, has announced the promotion of Ebony Brown to Partner. In her new role, Brown will join the investment committee and help shape future firm strategy.

Brown, who joined Rethink Education in February 2019, has been a vital part of the team, pioneering Rethink Equity, a $5mm carveout to invest in underrepresented people of color, optimizing portfolio support during the pandemic by connecting CEOs to customers at scale, and unlocking new networks to improve deal flow.

“Ebony is a remarkable human being. I and the rest of the Rethink community are continually learning from her and becoming better people as well as better nurturers of entrepreneurial talent because of her. Ebony notices things about people. She is empathetic but also a clear-eyed judge of character and ability. She also has an exceptionally sensitive, finely-tuned moral compass.” said Matt Greenfield, Managing Partner of Rethink Education. “I have always worked very hard to maintain the authenticity of Rethink Education’s social impact commitment, but since Ebony’s arrival three years ago we have gotten a lot better at zeroing in on the most radical, the most transformative entrepreneurial projects.”

Outside of her work at Rethink Education, Brown helped form the Mosaic Fellowship Program at Impact Capital Managers as a co-lead of their working Group on Talent & Diversity. Brown is also a Board Director of Rethink Education portfolio companies AllHere and Anthill AI.

Prior to joining Rethink Education, Brown was the Director of US Ventures at Village Capital, advising entrepreneurs, leading sourcing and diligence, and providing training and support for the firm’s portfolio. Brown received her B.B.A in Finance from Howard University and her MBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the University of Michigan.

“This promotion is truly a reflection of the overall direction of our firm: we will continue investing in people who drive us to be better, more innovative, and more thoughtful in our mission. Over the past decade, Rethink Education has grown to be one of the most distinguished investing firms in the edtech space,” said Rick Segal, Managing Partner of Rethink Education and CEO of Rethink Capital Partners. “Ebony as a Partner demonstrates the beginning of a new era in impact investing, and as always, we want to be leading the way.”

“A common thread in my life and career is leveraging resources for underserved communities. Investing in high growth companies that are unlocking access to learning opportunities for all ages is a catalyst to economic mobility and helps to achieve this mission at scale. Technology is the conduit. With lagging adoption rates and forced distance learning during the pandemic, the market is finally paying attention to the untapped potential of this sector. It’s an exciting time to be an edtech investor. I’ve been focused on this specific industry for nearly a decade and excited to lead deals that are redefining social norms in learning,” said Ebony Brown on her promotion to Partner.

In addition to Brown, Rethink Education’s Amanda Beaudoin has also been promoted to Senior Associate, reflecting the firm’s growth across the entire team. Beaudoin joined Rethink Education from Goldman Sachs in October 2020. Beaudoin plans to deepen her focus on market research, diligence and supporting portfolio companies.

Brown is moving into the role previously held by Michelle Dervan, who is remaining at the firm as Venture Partner. Rethink Education is actively hiring to fill Beaudoin’s previous position.

News Media Contact: Anna Marx, Rethink Education, media@rethink.vc, 914.597.7696