Pokémon to Prodigy: How Game-Based Learning Captivated 20 Million Students with Rohan Mahimker

Send us a textRohan Mahimker is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Prodigy Education, a global leader in digital game-based learning.Rohan launched Prodigy alongside his fellow Co-Founder and Co-CEO Alex Peters in 2011. Today, Prodigy’s flagship math game is used by more than 20 million 1st-8th Grade students and is one of the most popular supplemental classroom tools in the United States.💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:How a university project evolved into one of the world’s most popular math gamesThe secret behind Prodigy’s “motivation first” approach to learningWhy Prodigy’s freemium model reshaped EdTech’s business playbookHow the Prodigy State Challenge became the world’s largest math competitionWhere AI and personalization fit into the future of game-based learning✨ Episode Highlights: [00:02:24] Rohan on turning childhood gaming inspiration into Prodigy’s origin story [00:07:29] How “motivation first” drives deeper math engagement [00:13:09] The adaptive algorithm that personalizes every student’s learning path [00:17:27] Innovating the freemium model to keep learning free for teachers and schools [00:27:53] Inside the Prodigy State Challenge: 4.2M students and 70,000 schools [00:31:04] Using AI for smarter content creation and future tutoring potential[00:43:30] What’s next: expanding beyond math to English and global game-based learning😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! Follow us on our podcast, newsletter & LinkedIn here.🎉 Presenting Sponsor/s:Every year, K-12 districts and higher ed institutions spend over half a trillion dollars—but most sales teams miss the signals. Starbridge tracks early signs like board minutes, budget drafts, and strategic plans, then helps you turn them into personalized outreach—fast. Win the deal before it hits the RFP stage. That’s how top edtech teams stay ahead.This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education. Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com. As a tech-first company, Tuck Advisors has developed a suite of proprietary tools to serve its clients better. Tuck was the first firm in the world to launch a custom GPT around M&A. If you haven’t already, try our proprietary M&A Analyzer, which assesses fit between your company and a specific buyer. To explore this free tool and the rest of our technology, visit tuckadvisors.com.

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