CASE STUDY

Opportunities Assessment Resulted in Digital Transformation of Education Capability

In one year, I transformed an in-person educational operation that was barely breaking even with over $1M in annual operating costs into a $2M online education enterprise neting 40% - and functing as a growth engine for the whole organization. The new capability provided education for university partners, individuals, and groups with ten times more course diversity.

How was that accomplished? What were the benefits? And how could it be done now for less money and greater impact?

The organization had distinct unleveraged opportunities in the education space for the following reasons:

• It was known for in person convenings to network and share information, but not as an education organization'

• The organization has special access to thought leaders due to their connection and loyalty to the organization and its mission. People that no one else could access.

• The organization had a culture of philanthropy. This meant that pay was not an income stream for the expert, but a service opportunity.

• The organization needed to do better at reaching our to two particular membership segments, universities and early career professionals. The new program did this. University faculty were eager partners and early career professionals benefited from courses.

Challenges of creating the online programing included:

• Cost of video production and editing

• Flying faculty in to a central location for filming and course development

• Some “misses” in which faculty were not as lively as expected on video (with other surpring successes)

Benefits of having the Educational Capability included:

• Revenue

• Partnership Development

• Stakeholder Development

• Brand Identity Improvement

Of note:

• Video products could be recut and used for multiple purposes including partnership development and education, university programing for schools that did not have expertise.

Take Aways:

• The cost of video production has come down as phone apps and inexpensive sound and light can now be purchased for a high quality DIY studio look and feel.

• Many organizations, particularly technology, finance, and real estate companieshave specific talent as well as large potential markets for educational products.

• The educational product markets is widely diversified now and specific brand expertise is more significant in developing education than credentials and current educational market size.

• The creator economy has more competition in 2026, but at the same time, the consumer’s acceptance of new sources of educational content and new look and feel of offerings, has opened the door to experiments.

• In a landscape where the lines between marketing, entertainment and education are more blurred than ever, expertise creates relationships and builds value.