Who founded StraighterLine?

StraighterLine was founded by Turner B Smith, Jr. in 2009.

Who are StraighterLine's investors?

StraighterLine's investors include Chrysalis Ventures, City Light, FirstMark Capital, New Markets Venture Partners, Rethink Capital Partners.

How much funding has StraighterLine raised?

StraighterLine has disclosed $15.6M raised across 1 round.

Where is StraighterLine headquartered?

StraighterLine is headquartered in Baltimore, US.

StraighterLine

Baltimore, US · Founded 2009 · 5 known investors

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StraighterLine offers online, self-paced college courses that let students earn affordable, transferable credit toward degrees at over 3,000 colleges and universities, with courses reviewed by ACE CREDIT. It also partners with colleges, universities, and businesses to provide workforce education and upskilling programs, and runs an early childhood education training and certification division.

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Founders & leadership

StraighterLine was founded in 2009 by Turner B Smith, Jr..

Turner B Smith, Jr.Founder

David Parento President and co-founder2009–2022David Parento is an executive officer and director at StraighterLine, which offers online, self-paced college courses for affordable credit transfer and workforce education programs. He serves as a senior advisor to H.I.G. Capital focusing on education and training investments, and founded Parento Group, a firm advising on talent strategies for startups, investors, and public entities.

Matt Hulett Chief Executive OfficerMatt Hulett is CEO of StraighterLine, an online education platform offering transferable college courses and workforce training programs. He previously held executive roles at Rosetta Stone, RealNetworks, and Expedia, and has experience leading both public and private companies through growth and turnaround situations.

Philip Dunne President & General Manager, StraighterLinePhilip Dunne has spent over two decades in business development and marketing roles at SaaS, financial technology, and education technology companies, leading teams in customer acquisition, retention, and strategic partnerships.

Lynn Pitcavage President & General Manager, Early Childhood EducationLynn Pitcavage serves as Chief Revenue Officer at Hatch Early Learning, overseeing sales, customer success, and operations. She has led revenue growth and launched go-to-market strategies across customer-facing functions.

Dave Gardner Chief Technology OfficerDave Gardner is Chief Technology Officer at StraighterLine, an online education platform offering affordable, transferable college courses and workforce upskilling programs. He brings over two decades of experience in technology leadership, product development, and data-driven problem-solving in startup environments.

Gregory ShanahanChief Financial Officer

Melanie Glennon Chief Learning OfficerMelanie Glennon served as an English teacher and education instructor at York College of Pennsylvania, where she led curriculum development and built school partnership networks, before spending over a decade in K-12 and higher education leadership roles. As Chief Learning Officer at StraighterLine, she leads academic strategy across multiple adult education brands and has designed learning frameworks and accreditation relationships with ACE, DEAC, NCCRS, and IACET.

Julia PottsDirector of Human Resources

Board

Wright Steenrod Board Member2010–2025Investor at Chrysalis Ventures

Amish Jani Board directorFounder and Partner at FirstMark Capital

Investors · 5

Chrysalis Ventureslisted by Chrysalis VenturesLouisville · $1M – $10M

How we know: Chrysalis Ventures's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us

City Lightlisted by City LightNew York · $1M – $6M

How we know: funding news · the VCSheet dataset · Not right? Tell us

FirstMark Capitallisted by FirstMark CapitalNew York · $500K – $8M

How we know: FirstMark Capital's portfolio page · funding news · Not right? Tell us

New Markets Venture Partnerslisted by New Markets Venture PartnersFulton · $200K – $1.5M

Rethink Capital PartnersreportedNew York · $1M – $3M

How we know: the VCSheet dataset · Not right? Tell us

Reported raises · per SEC filings

Form D private placements

$15.6M disclosed across 1 round · 2012

▶$15.6MraisedDec 2014 · 24 investors · Other Technology

Rule 506(b)

Officers, directors & promoters on the filing

Wright SteenrodDirector
Turner B Smith, Jr.Executive Officer, Director
Amish JaniDirector
David ParentoExecutive Officer, Director

Offering amount: $15.9M
Amount sold: $15.6M
First sale: Apr 2012
Incorporated: Corporation, Delaware, 2009
Federal exemptions: 06b

Full filing on SEC EDGAR ↗

Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.

Frequently asked questions

What does StraighterLine do?: StraighterLine offers online, self-paced college courses that let students earn affordable, transferable credit toward degrees at over 3,000 colleges and universities, with courses reviewed by ACE CREDIT. It also partners with colleges, universities, and businesses to provide workforce education and upskilling programs, and runs an early childhood education training and certification division.
Who founded StraighterLine?: StraighterLine was founded by Turner B Smith, Jr. in 2009.
Who are StraighterLine's investors?: StraighterLine's investors include Chrysalis Ventures, City Light, FirstMark Capital, New Markets Venture Partners, Rethink Capital Partners.
How much funding has StraighterLine raised?: StraighterLine has disclosed $15.6M raised across 1 round.
Where is StraighterLine headquartered?: StraighterLine is headquartered in Baltimore, US.