The Linkedin model is an undoutedly successful one, so would be just a matter of time before someone developed a site that has the same intent, but is focused on one industry, like education.
That startup company, backed by Mitch Kapor (Lotus fame) and 500 Startups, has been around for about two years and was founded by Brian Martinez and Mandela Schumacher-Hodge. It’s called Tioki.com and it’s based in Downtown Oakland.
What Tioki.com does is allow people in the education field to connect with each other and feature their profiles, education projects, job offerings, and other programs.
The website features such education luminaries as Oakland Unified School District Talent Recruiter Karla Barrios, Jim Shelton, the Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement at U.S. Department of Education, Donors Choose Founder and CEO Charles Best, Teach For America Executive Director Emily Bobel, and others.
The website’s mission statement reads:
As you can see, we at Tioki, really like people! So much in fact, that we adamantly believe that the key to advancing the education system is to connect all of the people who know it and love it best! We, at Tioki, are committed to providing the education community with the best platform out there to discover who they need, make meaningful connections, and start the powerful process of learning from and sharing with others in the industry.
We know that the power resides in the people. Always has and always will. Tioki just makes it easier for the people to find and collaborate with one another.
Check out and join Tioki.com, especially if you’re in education.
Stay tuned.