Storia
FOUNDER(S)
Shivang Thakor
Akin Pounds
storia.kids
Storia helps young readers, including those with learning differences, build essential literacy skills through immersive, multi-sensory story experiences. By pairing classic literature with adaptive soundscapes, we bring every page to life: layering in forest sounds as characters enter the woods or tense ambiance during a climactic scene. Our mission is to give parents and educators of children ages 5–11 a powerful tool for sustaining focus and engagement with books in an increasingly attention-saturated world.
Why Startup Team Mentoring: Through the Startup Team Mentoring program, we are sharpening Storia across three priorities: an EdTech go-to-market that bridges B2C validation and B2B school sales; a business model that balances affordable family pricing with venture-grade unit economics; and evidence-based pilots, designed alongside researchers and neuroscientists, that position Storia as a credible literacy intervention. Storia's founders bring backgrounds in education, entrepreneurship, business analytics, software development, and nonprofit leadership. Our mentors contribute expertise in EdTech, neuroscience, and finance to help us scale a platform that serves readers from diverse backgrounds and learning needs.
Startup Mentor Team: Ray Areaux, Kelly Culbertson Cahn, Paul Daitz , Sarah Kerin, Jerome Stewart
