When: Friday, June 14, 2024 8:30 AM, EDT
Berj founded ClassLink in 1998. What began as an effort to assist a local school in creating a ‘high tech high school’ has matured into a global company with around 250 employees serving 21 million students and teachers across all 50 states and 36 countries.
ClassLink’s web applications are used by students, teachers, administrators, and parents. Our core technologies encompass three domains: personalized single sign-on portals, platforms for learning analytics, and tools that reliably and securely move data between systems. In today’s schools, these technologies are essential, as nearly all instructional, productivity, communication, and management systems are online. Tomorrow’s schools will utilize the AI-enabled versions we are currently developing for all these technologies.
Before founding ClassLink, Berj was with Technology Crossover Ventures, a leading mezzanine venture capital firm with offices in Palo Alto and New York. Prior to TCV, he specialized in restructurings and attested services for large technology and educational publishing clients as a CPA with Arthur Andersen.
Berj graduated cum laude from Baruch College with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Public Accounting. Over time, his formal study of business transitioned to education, leading him to complete a Master of Education degree in Instructional Design and Technology from the American College of Education. He then earned a second Master of Philosophy in Cognitive Science and Learning Analytics at Teachers College, Columbia University. Recently, Berj received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Science in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
A career in finance and business entrepreneurship has, over 25 years of dedicated service to improving educational outcomes, evolved into a research-minded pursuit to using technology to enhance learning and help schools succeed.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Berj is married and has three young adult daughters. Relatedly, he’s considering yet another advanced degree, this time in consistently being wrong, thanks to his extensive home practice.