James & Nick start thinking 🤔

Two mates walk into a bar. Well, actually, they were surfing, thinking and talking about the challenges and symbiotic crossovers in their respective industries. They began asking: What problems in education could we solve together?

James brought 15+ years of experience in public education - as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and principal education officer. He has worked with leadership teams across the state to prepare for large-scale transitions, build school culture, and develop teacher capacity to work effectively in innovative learning environments. But after years of navigating the slow-moving school system, he was ready for a new challenge.

Nick, an expert software engineer, was equally motivated. As a father and husband of a teacher, he’d seen firsthand the demands placed on educators. Inspired by the potential of AI to solve real-world problems, Nick wanted to channel his expertise into something meaningful for schools and families.

The idea for EdUP was born! From the beginning, our mission was clear: empower teachers, elevate learning experiences for students, and work toward equity in education. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but we knew we had to start somewhere.

And the journey began!