Disco: Among Fast Company’s Most Innovative in Education

We’re thrilled to announce that Fast Company has selected Disco as one of their Most Innovative Companies in Education for 2023!

This wouldn’t have been possible without our dedicated team, supportive investors, and — of course —our amazing customers, whose work to empower people across the globe through transformative learning inspires us everyday. 

This year, we’ve had the honor of watching 1000s of global learning communities rise up and lead new frontiers. From inspiring no-code pioneers at WeAreNoCode to innovative design programs by Dribbble & Fountain Institute, to communities fostering a new wave of entrepreneurs like Blackademic & YSpace. We also watched as Cultural Icon, Margaret Atwood, and legendary management thinker, Roger Martin, brought their own transformative learning communities to life for learners across the globe and we’re so thankful for them believing in the Disco mission.

Disco was built on the belief that learning and community are both more powerful when they coexist. We’re capable of so much more when we come together, and everyone who supports the Disco mission shares a piece of earning this important distinction from Fast Company.

Why Disco? Our commitment to innovation

In the same way that ecommerce platforms enabled anyone, anywhere, to build and monetize an online store and create the DTC vertical, Disco is enabling hundreds of founders, operators, and learning entrepreneurs to build and grow niche learning communities.

More importantly, we’re enabling curious learners across the globe to find thriving learning communities. By giving our customers the tools and features they need to create bespoke experiences, learners can seek out other kindred learners and communities that support their goals and interests.

Our why focuses on two pillars: Learning and Community. Both are equally powerful levers for enacting change in the world, and we believe they are better, together—learning enables humans to grow, and community gives them a place to belong and be supported.

By creating a platform that values each of these pillars equally and creates space for both to thrive, Disco enables learning community leaders to increase access to decentralized learning, while introducing a new wave of entrepreneurship for emerging leaders eager to create their own thriving learning communities.

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How Disco customers are addressing today’s pressing topics

Today, hundreds of global learning communities across a vast scope of disciplines and topics are powered on Disco. While they boast different learning experiences and members from different parts of the globe, every learning community on the Disco platform shares a commitment to improving a particular concern or area of focus.

Entrepreneurship

Disco is enabling learning entrepreneurship that is purpose and profit-aligned. Growing and monetizing learning communities opens up new opportunities for emerging and early-stage entrepreneurs who want to develop learning experiences at scale for kindred learners, and we’re passionate about expanding that access to anyone who seeks it out.

Disco customer YSpace is on a mission to democratize entrepreneurship and expand access to learning, mentorship, and resources within underrepresented communities. Their startup incubator focuses primarily on Black and female-owned businesses and supports founders on their entrepreneurship journey through a variety of transformative programs. 

Sustainability

Traditional learning relies on people gathering in-person. With the advent of virtual learning communities and Disco’s purpose-built platform, we’ve been able to shift from a carbon-intensive learning model to a more carbon-neutral learning model that is more sustainable and climate conscious.

Margaret Atwood’s celebrated learning experience, Practical Utopias, brought learners from over 40 countries together to engage in a highly ambitious, collective world-building process guided by expert facilitators and supported by talented illustrators to help visualize imagined worlds. Solutions like Disco facilitate social learning to scale and unlock global access to immersive, transformative, community-powered learning experiences.

Sustainability can also be baked into the curriculum and the outcomes of learning communities. Learn Biomimicry is on a mission to help organizations improve their sustainability efforts by learning from nature itself and using those insights to improve how we live and work. Nature-inspired innovation can be one of the biggest guiding principles of human design and business design, and Disco is honored to help enable Learn Biomimicry to bring their transformative learning experiences to more people across the globe. 

Decentralization

The centralized system of traditional and institutional learning models rarely empowers leaders to have agency over how they offer and monetize their knowledge. 

Decentralized learning communities enable learning leaders to build thriving, community-powered businesses while supporting more direct learner outcomes. Disco is pioneering a decentralized model where learners can access more relevant learning for their needs. Founders and operators of these communities benefit from being able to own and monetize their expertise.

A stellar example of decentralized learning? BatteryMBA has created the premiere training for upskilling the next generation of battery professionals. In Europe, there’s a need for more than 800,000 people in the industry. 

Powered by Disco, BatteryMBA has created an accredited curriculum that doesn’t rely on traditional learning models. Their combination of in-depth technical and business knowledge, from lithium-ion battery cell production to clean tech market trend analysis is one of the most comprehensive training programs we have seen to date. By designing these powerful lessons and enabling community-based learning, they’re able to more efficiently fill vital open roles in the battery industry in a way institutional learning cannot.

Accessibility

Disco’s mission and technology is enabling anyone, anywhere, to access community-powered learning experiences at a fraction of the cost and time, regardless of their physical location and socioeconomic status. People from around the globe with similar interests and goals can build connections and expand their networks by making it easier for everyone to be a part of a niche learning community.

Disco has enabled communities like allWomen to do just this — create access where there was little to none before. In their case, the team at allWomen is unlocking global access to tech training and roles within the industry by fostering deep, professional relationships between members. By designing relevant learning experiences and integrating learning and community on one platform, members feel like they have everything they need to succeed at their fingertips.

Bridging the gap between learning and community ensures we’re addressing some of the most pressing issues we face across the globe. It allows us to rally people from all walks of life to participate in enacting real change at scale — and it starts with you.

Partner with Disco to co-create the future of learning

We would not be one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in Education if it weren’t for our partnerships with some of the world’s most transformative, inspirational learning communities. It’s an honor we don’t take lightly — which is why we’re inviting you to be a part of something bigger than any of us.

Disco is the purpose-built operating system for learning communities that are shaping the future of learning. See for yourself what the platform has to offer for you and your learners with a free 14-day trial. You’ll have full access to our suite of powerful features, deep integrations, and more.

If you want to learn more, book a discovery call with our team of experts to learn how your learning community can thrive in partnership with Disco.