Disco’s Customer Stories highlights the world-changing impact customers are making with their respective communities.

Newton Venture Program provides venture capital training and development aimed at diversifying the VC landscape. They provide comprehensive education for current and aspiring investors, with a particular focus on creating opportunities for those typically overlooked and underestimated in the venture ecosystem.

The Challenge

When Newton Venture Program set out to launch its free course, Newton Foundations, their team needed a learning management system (LMS) that could support not only their educational goals but also their mission to build a connected and engaged community of learners.

“Our journey to Disco started when we were launching our first free course, and we were looking for a new platform to house the course.” Sari explained. “It was a big moment for us because the course was aligned with our mission to increase access to venture capital education.”

In their search for a new software, they had a few requirements:

• Finding a modern, user-friendly solution that is easy to use
• Supporting both learning and community engagement equally
• Ability to scale their offerings to accommodate a growing global community of learners
• Managing a diverse range of programs with a small team

Disco as the Solution

Disco stood out as the ideal solution for Newton Venture Program for a few reasons:

• Sleek and modern design: "The first thing that drew us to Disco was the UX. We appreciated that it was more sleek and modern and looked more like the products that we were familiar with," shared Sari, Newton's Program Manager. ‍
• Equal focus on learning and community: Unlike other platforms that prioritize one over the other, Disco offered a perfect balance. "We liked that Disco allowed us to prioritize both learning and community, which is how we ended up actually expanding our presence on Disco to all of our program offerings," Sari noted.‍
• Scalability: Disco's flexibility allowed Newton Venture Program to start with their free course and then expand to include all their program offerings in their branded academy.‍
• Powerful community tools: Features like member search and discussion channels facilitated meaningful connections and peer-to-peer learning.

Key Results

• Expanded program offerings: Initially used for Newton Foundations, Disco now supports all of Newton's program offerings.
• Enhanced global community engagement: The platform's community features have been instrumental in connecting learners worldwide.
• Time-savings: Having everything in one place has been a game-changer. "Being able to log on and having all the tools in one place is super helpful for us," Sari emphasized.
• Increased learner engagement: The modern design and community features have led to more interactive and effective learning experiences, with learners actively participating in discussion channels and offering peer-to-peer feedback on cohort assignments. 

Customer Impact

As Newton Venture Program’s wraps up their first official cohort on Disco, they’re seeing the impact both internally and within their community. 

1. Building a professional academy: Disco’s all-in-one platform has helped Newton Venture Program professionalize their program offerings in ways they didn’t anticipate. Having access to a powerful and modern system allows their team to uplevel their operations. 
2. Fostering a supportive global community: "We take a lot of pride in the community that we cultivate being one that's really open and supportive and well connected," Sari shared. In one instance, a learner used Disco's member search functionality to connect with relevant community members for advice on a job offer, ultimately leading to the learner accepting the position.
3. AI-powered operations: The Newton Venture Program team is finding ways to streamline daily operations with Disco’s AI functionality, including AI quiz generation and video timestamping and transcription. One feature Sari is grateful for is Disco AI’s admin “nudges” that identify inactive learners and need a reminder to keep going. She said this used to be a manual process for her but this simple AI feature has taken that task off her plate. ‍
4. Continuous innovation: "One of our favorite parts about being on Disco is the ability for Disco to grow with us and for us to grow with Disco," Sari emphasized, highlighting the symbiotic relationship between Newton and the platform. Having access to Disco’s team to problem solve and identify product opportunities has helped Newton Venture Programs continually innovate alongside Disco.

Newton Venture Program has been able to deliver high-quality venture capital education while also building a vibrant, global learning community that continues to thrive and expand. Learn more about Newton and give Disco a try here. 

“Disco has been super helpful in streamlining our curriculum process. Previously, learners had to submit assignments in one place, take quizzes in another, and read content elsewhere. Now, it’s all in one place. We’ve definitely seen a positive response.” – Sari Bircol, Program Manager