Mark Woodland's Journey into Entrepreneurship

Mark Woodland, co-founder and CEO of Kismet, began his entrepreneurial journey unexpectedly after assisting his mother with her childcare business. Initially leaving a successful military career, he aimed to alleviate her struggles with administrative tasks and discovered a gap in the childcare sector for technology solutions. This led to the creation of Explore Education, a platform that streamlined childcare management, which he grew significantly, reaching $40 million in annual recurring revenue before its acquisition in 2020. After a brief retirement, he was inspired to launch Kismet, a company focused on improving access to disability and healthcare services, driven by a desire to help the 'sandwich generation' manage their time between aging parents and dependent children.