Tulane Ventures backs Hilight’s mission to keep great educators in classrooms
 

May 21, 2025

Tulane Ventures has announced a lead investment of $250,000 in Hilight, a data-driven platform addressing the costly challenge of educator and staff turnover in U.S. schools. This investment is part of a larger $1 million funding round aimed at scaling the peer-to-peer recognition-based retention solution. According to the Learning Policy Institute, the costs of training, recruiting, and hiring when a teacher leaves a school can reach up to $25,000. In contrast, the preventive investment in Hilight represents a small fraction of that expense and can significantly reduce these attrition-related expenses.  

At the heart of this venture is Claire Smith, a New Orleans local and a former Teach for America educator. Her experiences in Louisiana classrooms inspired the creation of Hilight. In less than three years, the company has expanded to 135 school sites across 12 states. Its mission is to provide school leaders with real-time engagement analytics from staff members that can significantly reduce attrition rates and improve overall performance.  

“Hilight aligns directly with Tulane’s mission to advance education by supporting those who make schools work—teachers, staff, and administrators,” said Kimberly Gramm, MBA, PhD, Managing Director of Tulane Ventures. “The combination of strong early traction, a clear market need, and measurable impact made it a compelling choice for us to lead this round.”

Smith’s path into entrepreneurship was born out of urgency. “I never aspired to be an entrepreneur,” she explains. “But after COVID, the profession felt impossibly difficult due to safety concerns, stressed students and parents, and staff burnout. The best teachers were leaving. I kept thinking there must be a better way to celebrate the positive moments that happen daily in schools instead of dwelling on the problems, to support and retain talented educators.”

A frustrated after-school call from Smith to a college roommate, and software developer, now co-founder, Krissy Taft, was the spark. What began as a simple tool for recognition at the St. Bernard Parish school where Smith was working has evolved into a multi-purpose, easy-to-use platform offering strategic insights and operational intelligence to school district leaders and principals. Hilight translates everyday positive interactions into data that supports better decision-making to keep staff members, from teachers to bus drivers to custodial staff, excited and engaged.

The Hilight team has already been the recipient of several awards, including a spot on the District Administration Top EdTech Products of 2024 list and the winner of the 2023 Learning Tools Competition (Teacher Development Track and Grant).
 

Smith presenting to the Tulane faculty members at the Tulane Innovation Institute / CELT Entrepreneur Faculty Development Course (Re)Design Summer Institute.


Tulane students also played a role in the funding decision. In the Venture Capital and Angel Investing course, an experiential learning class at the A.B. Freeman School, the students conducted due diligence and presented the opportunity to the Tulane Ventures investment committee. “They didn’t just come in with checklists and benchmark questions—they were focused and genuinely interested in what we were building. They believed in it,” said Smith.

Smith also acknowledged Jeffrey Silverman, Tulane Ventures Investment fund advisor and instructor for the course, and managing partner of Laconia Capital Group, as an important influence. “He not only advised the students but also taught me a lot about the fundraising process. It was coaching, not just capital,” she remarked.  
Hilight operated in bootstrap mode for nearly two years before seeking venture support. As demand grew, the team needed additional funding and staff to scale. The capital will be used to develop district partnerships and hire sales talent. 

Hilight is currently in discussions with several of the largest school districts in the U.S., aiming to expand to support school districts across all 50 states in the next two years. 

The partnership with Tulane Ventures provides both capital and strategic connections. “This investment exemplifies our commitment to advancing technology ventures in Louisiana that address societal challenges,” said Gramm. “We look forward to the continued impact Claire and Krissy will have in strengthening a sector essential to our future.”