Daniel Watts

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Daniel brings expertise in corporate strategy and new business development to eChalk. As a management consultant with the Bain spin-off Corporate Decisions, Inc. from 1995 to 1998, Daniel developed growth strategies for Fortune 500 companies, identifying high-growth business opportunities and building business plans for new ventures within major corporations in numerous industries, including technology and education. Immediately prior to co-founding eChalk in 1999, Daniel taught pre-algebra at P.S. 258 in Brooklyn, NY, gaining experience with middle school students, the New York City school system, and the real-life application of education technology. Daniel graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College.

Torrance Robinson

Co-Founder and President, eChalk

Torrance brings to the company years of experience developing, marketing, and implementing Web-based businesses, as well as creating and implementing technology solutions in K-12 schools and districts. At Jumbo.com (now Jupiter Media) Torrance created and launched the education channel Homeworkcentral.com and the Business and Finance Channel. In 1997, he was recruited to help develop, launch, and market Bloomberg.com, where he worked for two years before co-founding eChalk in 1999. Torrance was the Founder and Chairman of the Board of NYConnects (1994-2000), a nonprofit organization that helped connect more than 100 New York schools to the Internet. He is a Term Member on the Council of Foreign Relations and a member of the Board of Directors of the Citizens Union. Torrance is a graduate of Haverford College.

John Martinson

Founder and Managing Partner, Edison Venture Fund

As a venture capitalist and angel investor, John has advised educational and business software companies for more than 30 years. John has organized more than 150 equity financings and served as a director of 40 companies. Since he founded Edison Venture Fund in 1986, the firm has raised six partnerships, totaling $650 million. A past chairman of the National Venture Capital Association, John received the group’s Outstanding Service Award in honor of his contributions to the venture capital industry. John and his wife Margaret founded and lead the Martinson Family Foundation, which supports education initiatives that encourage teachers to upgrade their math and science skills through programs at nearby colleges. A distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, John holds an M.S. in astronautics from Purdue University and an MBA from Southern Illinois University.

Dr. Marshall Savidge Smith

Education Program Director, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Since 2001, Mike has been the Director of the Education Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Prior to joining the foundation, Mike was acting Deputy Secretary and Undersecretary of Education in the Clinton administration. During the Carter administration, he was Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Education and Assistant Commissioner for Policy Studies in the Office of Education. In addition to his work in government, he served as an associate professor at Harvard, as well as a professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and at Stanford University, where he was also the dean of the School of Education.

Mike has authored a large number of publications on topics varying from computer content analysis and early childhood education to standards-based school reform. He is a member of the National Academy of Education.

Jake LaMotta

Jake has held senior executive positions with high-growth technology companies serving the corporate, governmental, and educational markets. Jake was most recently the Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors of Mathsoft Engineering & Education, until its acquisition by PTC in 2006. Prior to Mathsoft, Jake was the Chief Operating Officer of Verilaw Technologies Inc., which was acquired by LexisNexis. Jake has also held executive positions with Assessment Systems Inc., which he helped grow before its acquisition by Harcourt General; SkillsBank Corp., which he led to double-digit percentage sales growth before it was acquired by The Learning Company; and Astea International, a public company that he led to profitability. Jake holds a B.A. in Psychology from Lehigh University.

John Hickey

Founder and CEO / President of KeyStep LLC

With more than 30 years of experience, John has compiled an impressive and consistent record of success in the fields of innovative technology, K-12 education, and international markets. He is currently the Founder and CEO/President of KeyStep LLC, an investment company that focuses on the intersection of cognition, instruction, and technology in order to solve inherent learning inefficiencies and improve K-12 student achievement. From 1996 to 2006, John was COO and President, Board Director, and finally CEO and President of Renaissance Learning, a leading provider of computerized assessment and progress monitoring tools to over 73,000 K-12 schools and districts that in 2000, was named #16 on a list of the “200 Best Small Companies in America” by Forbes magazine. From 1989 to 1995, John oversaw company-wide sales, marketing, service and international operations for Best Power Technology, rising to Executive VP and COO of the company. He previously worked for 10 years at Briggs & Stratton Corporation, the world’s largest producer of air-cooled gasoline engines, where he served as Director of International Operations and Manager of Sales, Finance and Administration. John has a degree in international business and history from the University of Wisconsin.