Steven Wolfe Pereira (Encantos) - Teaching Kids 21st Century Skills, Building a Direct to Learner EdTech Company, and Overlooked Opportunities That Make Real Impact
In this engaging conversation, Steven Wolfe Pereira, co-founder and CEO of Encantos, shares his journey in edtech, emphasizing that kids learn best through play. He explores innovative strategies merging education and entertainment, and discusses the importance of diverse storytelling. Steven highlights his company's commitment to social responsibility, creating brands that empower children with essential skills. He also encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to take action and experiment, proving that impactful ventures can yield both financial success and social good.
37:12
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Akamai's Early Cloud Impact
Steven Wolfe Pereira worked at Akamai Technologies in 1999 when it pioneered content delivery.
Akamai now handles around 35% of global HTTP traffic, showcasing the impact of early cloud technology.
insights INSIGHT
Key 21st Century Trends in EdTech
Direct-to-consumer, personalization, and subscriptions are key 21st-century trends, driven by first-party data.
Steven's background in tech and SaaS provided valuable experience for applying these trends to education.
insights INSIGHT
Encantos' Story Teaching Approach
Encantos builds a direct-to-learner platform with brands, focusing on learning through play and 21st-century skills.
They combine entertainment and education, creating a new category called "story teaching."
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
The Element is about the intersection of natural talent and personal passion. Ken Robinson argues that true fulfillment arises when individuals engage in what they naturally excel at and deeply enjoy. The book challenges traditional views of intelligence, highlighting diverse forms of intelligence beyond academic skills. It advocates for a transformative approach to education that values creativity over conformity and emphasizes the importance of supportive environments in helping individuals find and develop their unique talents. The book includes stories of various individuals, such as Paul McCartney, Matt Groening, and Gillian Lynne, to illustrate the concept and its application in real life[1][2][4].
Unscaled
Hemant Taneja
Hemant Taneja's "Unscaled" challenges the traditional approach to business scaling, arguing that the 21st century demands a different strategy. He emphasizes the importance of adapting to changing market dynamics and focusing on creating unique value propositions. Taneja explores the concept of "unscaling," which involves building businesses that are agile, adaptable, and customer-centric. The book provides a framework for building successful businesses in a rapidly evolving world, emphasizing the importance of innovation and customer focus. It encourages readers to rethink traditional business models and embrace new approaches to growth and scalability.
Thank you Samara Hernandez for introducing me to today's guest, Steven Wolfe Pereira, co-founder and CEO of Encantos, an award-winning edtech company that believes kids learn best through play while teaching kids 21st century life skills. We discuss some of the learnings of working at technology companies and communication companies, the inspiration and insight behind Encantos and how he introduces new brands. Without further ado, here's Steven.
You can follow Steven on Twitter @wolfepereira. You can also follow your host, Mike @mikegelb.
What was your initial attraction to technology and media?
I can understand how the media background would be super helpful, but what were some of your learnings in enterprise SaaS that influenced your approach to building Encantos?
Take me to the beginning of when you founded Encantos. What was the insight that led you to start your company?
Talk to me a little bit about the company's mission and where you think education might miss or feel outdated in this current climate?
When you think about giving back and legacy. What do you believe are some modern traits in a business that might have been overlooked/nonexistent 20-30 years ago?
Walk us through the three brands that you've developed under Encantos and how each of them came to be?
How do you think about creating new characters or building new brands?
What's your strategy when it comes to physical products, software products and shows?
What was your process when you decided to raise venture capital funding?
Was it harder to fundraise during COVID?
What's one thing that you would change about venture capital?
What's one book that inspired you personally and one book that inspired you professionally?
What's one piece of advice that you have for founders?
The Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands 
