What they do: Guild’s education platform is reinventing training and education for the American workforce. They work with companies to improve educational benefits and then help workers better understand and utilize the opportunities offered by their employers.
Amount raised: $21 million Series B, $31.5 million to date
Investors: Led by Bessemer Ventures with support from Redpoint Ventures, Harrison Metal and Cowboy Ventures
Founders: Rachel Carlson, Brittany Stich
Current size of team: 58 employees
Now hiring: Developers, data engineers, enterprise sales and partnerships leaders, and education coaches.
What do you plan to do with the funding?
“A meaningful part of the new funding will be dedicated to growing the team here in Denver,” said VP of people Kendra Haberkorn. “Additionally, the funding is dedicated to expanding Guild's technology products for employees and employers, as well as bringing on new partners to the Guild platform.”
Tell us what sets you apart in the market?
“Our platform is the first of its kind, empowering employers to offer education benefits to their employees with our network of online classes, programs and degrees, plus education coaching for every employee,” Haberkorn said.
What made the difference in securing this round?
"In defining the education benefits space, Guild is pioneering a massive, new category of benefits for Fortune 1000 employers that reflects the changing world of work and the rapidly evolving relationship between businesses and their employees," said Byron Deeter of Bessemer Venture Partners in a statement. "Employees value, above all, economic opportunity and career development. Guild's unique approach is enabling HR and L&D leaders to translate meaningful investments in people into measurable and significant business outcomes."
How has being in Denver helped the company grow?
“Denver has been crucial to our growth and impact,” Haberkorn said. “We believe Denver is the best place to build a tech company, both for hiring homegrown talent and recruiting new people to town to join our team. Additionally, we've been lucky to work with great employer partners based in Denver like Chipotle, DaVita and the Denver Public Schools.”
What’s your vision for the future of Guild?
“There are 32 million working adults in America who've started college but dropped out, often because of work and family commitments,” Haberkorn said. “Our platform and custom support services are designed to help these working adults balance the demands of both work and school so that they can grow their career and earn the degree they've always wanted.”
Any plans to celebrate?
“The funding round coincided nicely with Guild's second birthday, so we're taking time to cheers on both occasions! Team Guild's favorite spot for celebrations is Los Chingones in Rino,” Haberkorn shared.
Photo via Guild Education.
