Teachstreet

TeachStreet, Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Online education, Internet
Founded	2007 (2007)
Founder	Dave Schappell
Defunct	February 15, 2012 (2012-02-15)
Fate	Acquired by Amazon.com (talent acquisition)
Headquarters	Seattle , United States
Area served	United States (eight metropolitan areas)
Key people	Dave Schappell (Founder and CEO)
Products	Online platform connecting learners with local and virtual classes; digital tools for educators
Parent	Amazon.com (from 2012)

TeachStreet, Inc. operated as an online platform that connected learners with information about both local and virtual classes, detailing aspects such as cost, venue, and instructor credentials. Additionally, it offered educators and educational institutions digital tools to manage their businesses. The service was accessible at no charge to students and included features like student feedback and endorsements for teachers.

History

The launch of TeachStreet took place in Seattle on April 20, 2008, followed by expansions to Portland on August 4, 2008, and the San Francisco Bay Area on November 19, 2008. Over time, the company broadened its reach to cover eight metropolitan areas across the United States, continuously adding new class listings nationwide on a daily basis.

Dave Schappell, the founder, brought experience from senior positions at JibJab and Amazon.com. The startup raised $2.25 million in seed funding from investors including Madrona Venture Group, Bezos Expeditions, and various angel investors. While initially free for both instructors and learners, TeachStreet implemented paid listing options for teachers in April 2010 but maintained complimentary access for students.

The Google Panda update in February 2011 caused a notable decline in website traffic, adversely affecting the company’s operations. Subsequently, in February 2012, Amazon.com acquired TeachStreet through what was described as a "talent acquisition," integrating its team into AmazonLocal. The TeachStreet website was officially closed on February 15, 2012.

References

Press coverage

• Teachstreet lets you find instructors online. VentureBeat.
• Web Site Links you with Learning. King5.
• Ex-Amazonian's TeachStreet.com launching today. Seattle Times
• TeachStreet site provides free way to find instructors. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
• Teachstreet helps you find local classes, instructors. The Industry Standard
• TeachStreet founder applies lessons learned from years at Amazon. TheDeal.com
• Website Rates Thousands of Classes. KGO-TV San Francisco

External links

• TeachStreet web site as of 10 July 2011 via the Wayback Machine internet archive
• TeachStreet blog as of 16 July 2011 via the Wayback Machine internet archive
• 5 Tips To Transition From A Free To A Paid Service by Dave Schappell, Founder and CEO of TeachStreet, on techcrunch.com (13 June 2010)