AVELA

Education, Administrative Tech, AI & Machine Learning

Avela envisions a world where opportunities are more equitably and efficiently allocated, starting with education

ABOUT AVELA

US & Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean

Education, Administrative Tech, AI & Machine Learning

  • Year founded: 2019
  • Fully remote team, with HQ in San Francisco 
  • 11-50 FTEs
  • Key clients/partners: Teach for America (TFA), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Tulsa Public Schools (TPS), Oakland Enrolls, My Schools Newark,  New Orleans Public Schools (NOLA-PS, Jersey City Board of Education (JCBOE)
  • Key executives: Greg Bybee, co-founder and CEO, social entrepreneur and co-founder of a communications platform for policymakers; Joshua A. Angrist, co-founder and board member, MIT economics professor, 2021 Nobel Laureate; Parag Pathak, co-founder and board member, MIT economics professor and Clark Medalist

Avela is using technology to reduce bias, inequality, and inefficiencies in assessment processes. Their team, including a Nobel Laureate in economics and a Clark Medalist, have developed a set of matchmaking algorithms. Based on a given set of inputs, these algorithms determine the fairest distribution of outcomes. Avela’s platforms have already had real-world impact, including determining the most efficient allocation of ventilators during the pandemic and matching kidney donors to patients in most urgent need.

Allocating students to schools is notoriously biased by factors such as a student’s socioeconomic status or the training resources available to them. Avela’s Explore platform works to combat this bias by enabling parents to compare schools and express their preferences. Research suggests that students who attend a school of their choice have better nonacademic outcomes (e.g., fewer disciplinary actions) and in some cases better academic outcomes as well.

Research conducted by the MIT economists found that school districts saw a 90% reduction in the number of dissatisfied families when using Avela’s platform, with 50% more students placed in their preferred school. Avela underscores the tangible effects this has on learning outcomes: MIT research suggests that students who enrolled in their first choice school improved maths achievement by 0.4 standard deviations.

Avela’s Match platform is also being used by the US Army to match soldiers to the brigades where their skills are most needed.

Launch Avela Enroll, a platform for school enrollment.

Organisations such as school districts and public sector authorities that need to manage a large number of employees, participants, or other stakeholders.

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