Why We Invested: Wayfinder

Alline Akintore - January 2022

It’s no secret that students’ mental health is in harm’s way. Young people the world over are feeling more isolated, anxious and disengaged, exacerbated by the Covid pandemic. In the last decade, there has been a 76% increase in adolescent suicide attempts. 76%! Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among adolescents. Chances are you know someone who knows someone who has attempted (or succeeded with) suicide. It has become harder and harder to just be a kid.

Enter Wayfinder for schools, introduced to OVF by Alex Bernstein at Amberstone Ventures. Schools understand they play a key role in curbing the mental health epidemic but are struggling to help. Wayfinder partners with schools to deliver K12 social and emotional learning (SEL) and student mental health solutions. With a broad reach and a targeted approach, Wayfinder reaches students around the US and world, including partnerships in Japan and Australia.

Why We Invested

Born at the Stanford d.school and backed by decades of research and proven success, The Wayfinder Project helps schools navigate the demanding needs of the 21st Century. The Wayfinder curriculum helps students develop critical skills that will matter long after class – like making good decisions, developing college and career readiness, and building healthy self-confidence. Wayfinder’s goal is to help young people find purpose, a powerful antidote to the mental health epidemic. Who doesn’t want that for our next generation of students?

We were impressed by the team, which represents what we look for in an ideal founding team – grit, tenacity, domain expertise, and a strong sense of mission. Not only is the team truly mission-oriented, but they have spent their careers in the education sector – they are teachers, parents and students.

During our diligence sprint, it became increasingly clear this was the right team, with the right product, at the right time. CEO Patrick Cook-Deegan is a true champion of helping students cultivate a sense of purpose and belonging with the use of modern software and proven SEL content.

Mental health is a large-scale problem and Wayfinder presents a real solution. By partnering with schools to offer world-class training, hands-on implementation support, and professional and personal development, they are making a difference in a market that is not only growing, but that stands to create positive outcomes long after those students leave the classroom.