TEDI (Technology, Education, Diversity, & Innovation)

TEDI is a corporate startup to fulfil the growth needs of our corporate Karbook. Karbook is corporate company specialized in the automotive industry. It has two main business lines a software solution in the automotive industry with the goal of democratizing technology access and an innovative auto repair shop focused on breaking the industry stereotypes. 

The corporate provide space, personnel, and ongoing testing of TEDI's solution.

In Mexico and Latin America, professional development for marginalized groups such as women and the working class is limited. In Mexico, a key economy in the region, 99% of companies are SMEs, often featuring flat organizational structures and lacking HR career plans, which hinders career and economic growth. Our own SME family business struggled to grow without clear career plans. Millions of employees remain in the same roles for extended periods, some for up to 20 years, without experiencing significant professional growth. Even large corporations often overlook or fail to prioritize the development of their workforce, specially in lower levels.

Overall, neglecting interpersonal or soft skills development compounds the problem. While workers excel in hard skills related to machinery operation, accounting, or operating a cash register, they often lack crucial interpersonal skills, including effective communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, planning, or leadership. This systemic challenge impedes career and economic growth, stagnating people in precarious jobs.

An E-lerning program, prioritizing interpersonal skill development (planning, critical thinking, proactivity, leadership, etc.), targeting women and the workforce in large companies and SMEs. Partnering with large corporations allows us to create tailored content, and they serve as our primary customer target. By offering them solutions to reduce overhead costs, identify top-performing employees, and enhance workforce productivity through online master courses, talks, and eventually self-training with an AI. Furthermore, by showcasing industry leaders, specially female leaders discussing success paths and specific interpersonal skill topics, we inspire women and the working class to boost their career growth.

The tiered framework of our system encompasses different levels, each emphasizing 2 to 3 interpersonal skills with diverse challenges. Acquiring and using these tools, individuals can address workplace issues or create a charted path to career advancement. Content is inspired by bestsellers like "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", with the help of an AI. We are also prototyping an artificial intelligence component to facilitate tests, serve as an interactive partner for users, and include gamification techniques such as a leaderboard.

This comprehensive approach ensures companies prioritize their workforce, cultivating proactive employees, empowering minorities like women to foster career growth, and preparing them for the next level in their careers.

Our solution advocates for gender equality and contribute to decent work and economic growth for women and the working class. Our aim is to support women in male-dominated industries, helping them to overcome obstacles and advance in their careers, through training and exposure to successful female leaders' stories and the acquisition of essential interpersonal skills.

Drawing from personal experiences, we are compelled to address gender inequalities. Growing up in Mexico's male-centric environment, we recognize the importance of breaking stereotypes. Immersed in the automotive industry, we have navigated challenges to promote diversity, empowering women and LGBTQ+ individuals to leadership positions. Additionally, recognizing that 99% of Mexican companies are SMEs and acknowledging the overlooked professional development in large corporations, we strive to enhance the working class's interpersonal skill sets, most required in leadership positions, leading to improved professional development and working conditions.

By forming strategic partnerships with industry leaders, enterprises, and educational institutions, we are developing targeted and innovative programs for career enhancement to women and the workforce. Prioritizing interpersonal skill development, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its operations, our programs are addressing unique challenges faced by underrepresented groups, creating a more inclusive and dynamic workforce, and contributing to social an economical growth for the betterment of society.

Adriana and Aaron, the co-founders of the TEDI project, are multi-disciplinary entrepreneurs with three primary goals. 1. To democratize access to technology in mature but lagged-behind industries, 2. leverage the educational sector to aid in the career advancement of women and the working class, and 3. to help bridge the gap in gender equality in Mexico.

Together, they have gathered a team and co-founded Karbook, which executes 3 main projects tackling these 3 goals.

In 2018 they launched an automotive software with the name of the corporation Karbook, an easy-to-use back-office tool, including educational content to streamline and digitize operations, for car repair centers in developing countries, in order to democratize the access to technology and help SMB's thrive.

In 2020, they join and relaunch the family business KARMONA, an innovative car repair shop. To focus on diversifying the company, close the gender gap and developing an innovative and inclusive company in the automotive servicing sector, usually a male dominated industry. Currently advocating for gender equality and removing the traditional stigmas of the company, they have achieved to move from 8% women in the workforce to 37% and to triple the companies income.

Furthermore, from 2022, the corporation offers consultancy services to SMBs and corporations in the automotive industry, to digitize operations and employee training to grow companies. With over a decade of experience in the automotive industry, we have witnessed firsthand the limited professional advancement opportunities available to marginalized groups, particularly women, in Mexico.

Thus in 2023 with an awarded grant by the USA government, our corporation officially recognized TEDI as an early-stage EdTech project, with the mission to enhance the professional growth of women and the workforce in LATAM. Our pilot e-learning program “Mujer Automotriz” (Automotive Woman) advocating for gender equality and career advancement for women in the automotive industry, was launched to test our e-learning program with outside companies, resulting in a resounding success.

Showcasing a month-long program and a 3-day virtual summit for female empowerment to entrepreneurs, female SMBs owners, and female professionals in the automotive sector. The program's tailored content centered on leadership, proactivity, technology adoption, diversity, and innovation, featuring masterclasses, talks and workshops led by female industry leaders. Corporate collaboration, sponsorship, and tailored workshops resulted in increased demand, achieving 100% funding for both the summit and the program, global speaker engagement, and 300 virtual attendees.

The project was successfully executed thanks to the team and resources we have access to from our corporation and to the partnerships previously established, with leading organizations, achieving top quality content, organization of the program and building the technological components to execute the program.

Our solution has reached the pilot stage of development after building and testing three program prototypes and one ongoing model:

1. Initially, we focused on developing a solution for our SMB's internal companies. We implemented a 7-level tiered framework aimed at boosting inclusion and diversity within the company. This resulted in a remarkable increase from 8% to 38% representation of women and LGBTQ+ individuals in the company, with many being appointed to leadership positions.

2. We then launched a program aimed at empowering female entrepreneurs, SMB owners, and professionals in the automotive industry. Through partnerships with 8 company sponsors, engagement with 22 worldwide industry leaders for talks, workshops, and master courses, collaboration with 10 organizational partners, enrollment of +400 participants, and virtual attendance of 300 individuals, we conducted a successful 2-month community program and a 3-day virtual summit.

3. On a constant basis we are deploying consultancy services for organizations and SMBs focused on specialized training projects using our 7-level tiered framework, with automotive companies, implementing TEDI (Technology, Education, Diversity and Innovation)

4. Additionally, we are testing a prototype of a generative AI, with the assistance of our software development company. The AI will serve as an interactive partner to facilitate self learning. It has also played a crucial role in generating content for events like the "Mujer Automotriz Summit" and has produced further content inspired by best-selling books such as "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People".

These initiatives demonstrate our progress from conceptualization to implementation, validating our solution's viability and effectiveness. As we continue to iterate on design and refine our business model based on user feedback and outcomes, we are working towards gaining traction and achieving scalability in our solution.

Solve is an esteemed organization and network of social innovators dedicated to addressing the world's most pressing issues and fostering a more sustainable and equitable future for all. As entrepreneurs committed to driving real impact and closing the gender equality gap, we recognize the immense value of collaboration, partnerships, and mentorship in achieving meaningful change. Our primary goal is to contribute to the empowerment of women in Mexico, a culture historically dominated by male-centric norms, and extend our efforts throughout South America.

Drawing from personal experiences within the automotive servicing industry, where male dominance is prevalent, we are deeply motivated to address the challenges faced by women in such male-dominated sectors. We understand the significance of breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for women to thrive in their careers, ensuring they don't encounter the same obstacles as us.

Furthermore, our firsthand observations have highlighted the stagnation and precarious nature of the workforce in our region. Many individuals are trapped in low-paying, informal jobs with little opportunity for advancement. Our aspiration is to enhance career prospects and economic growth for the working class, building upon the foundation established by our family business and other ventures.

By applying to Solve, we seek to join a network of like-minded innovators and social entrepreneurs who are actively working to address these pressing challenges. We believe that by leveraging our expertise, passion, and network, alongside a human-centered approach, we can contribute meaningfully to the Solve community's efforts. Through collaboration and learning from other innovators, we aim to develop impactful solutions that empower women and the working class, fostering their career growth and economic empowerment.

We are eager to engage with Solve's innovator community, learn from their experiences, and forge partnerships that will enable us to effectively tackle the gender equality gap and workforce challenges in our region. Together, we can drive positive change and create a more inclusive and prosperous society for all.

Employee training and career development have traditionally emphasized hard skills, neglecting the importance of interpersonal skills training. While many educational platforms and institutions, such as universities, prioritize hard skills training, few extend this to company partnerships. Notably, platforms like Egghead are beginning to bridge this gap. However, interpersonal skills training remains largely individual-focused. Consultancy firms and entrepreneurship programs, also offer interpersonal skill development but are often short-term or do not center on women or the broader workforce needs.

Our aim is to address this gap by providing tailored, ongoing interpersonal skill training and self-solutions that cater to the needs of both individuals and companies, fostering holistic employee development and career growth.

Thus, we are centered on offering a comprehensive and forward-looking approach to professional development:

1. Emphasis on Interpersonal Skills - Prioritizing interpersonal skills such as critical thinking, leadership, and strategic thinking distinguishes this solution. It recognizes the importance of these competencies in workplaces, especially as one advances in the professional hierarchy. This approach addresses the gap in conventional training methods and provides a bridge from lower to leadership positions.

2. Underrepresented Groups - By targeting women and the workforce, the solution tackles their unique challenges in diversity and inclusion. It acknowledges and addresses the specific needs of these demographics in professional development.

3. Networking: Leveraging our network to collaborate with allies, understanding their needs to offer tailored solutions for enhancing workforce productivity, reduce overhead costs, and identifying top performers to support their company growth or maintenance and converting them into paying customers to create a self-sufficient solution.

4. Gamification and Generative AI - Incorporating an adaptive framework, with diverse challenges and leveraging artificial intelligence for idea exchange, and gamification introduces advanced technological components. This enhances user engagement, self-training, and effectiveness.

Theory of change What:

1. Professional growth through the development of interpersonal skills for women and the workforce, with an AI-powered e-learning program

2. Facilitate the development of interpersonal skills for women and the workforce using a Learning Management System.

3. Provide women and the workforce with a better set of interpersonal skills to navigate through various challenges within professional career growth.

4. Achieve career growth for women and the workforce, thereby helping to close the gender gap and strive for better jobs.

How:

1. Create high-quality content in the format of master courses, talks, and workshops to develop interpersonal skills.

2. Establish partnerships with large corporations to develop relationships, highlight their leaders, and offer desirable outcomes such as reduced overhead costs and increased work productivity to convert them into paying customers benefiting their minorities.

3. Explore the journeys of successful female leaders through talks, interviews, and panels to inspire women and the workforce to develop different interpersonal skills, instrumental in career growth.

4. Integrate a generative AI to achieve self-learning.

5. Develope an application similar to Duolingo to establish a professional career path and facilitate self-learning.

Why:

1. We are committed to addressing pressing challenges faced by minorities, and by reaching them through large corporations, we can initially target these minorities.

2. Thus, by tackling the problem, achieving our goal, and benefiting the companies, we will fuel the growth of the proposed solution.

3. Consequently, we can expand the solution to other companies, SMBs, and reach more minorities who can benefit from it.

4. With the aim for minorities to gain more capabilities, access better job opportunities, and achieve professional and economic growth.

Our two major impact goals are as follows: 1. Our first goal is to contribute to professional growth, decent work, and economic development for women and the workforce by addressing the systemic root causes of limited professional advancement in Mexico and Latin America, through interpersonal skill training and professional development.

To achieve this goal, we are partnering with major organizations within our network and leveraging our expertise. We aim to establish relationships, create tailored content, highlight leaders, and offer solutions to enhance workforce productivity, reduce overhead costs, and identify top-performing employees. We will provide high-quality training to women and the workforce, focusing on tailored interpersonal skill development and pushing towards a self-training program. 

Indicators for measuring progress include attendance at virtual talks, utilization of resources, advancement in interpersonal skill development, self-evaluations regarding career advancement, enrollment to the program, and the number of individuals who experience career growth through our program.

2. Our second goal is to promote gender diversity, especially in male-dominated industries, through empowerment and education.

To achieve this goal, we are developing specialized content, tailored to the unique needs of minorities in these industries. We are featuring masterclasses and talks from prominent female leaders in these fields to share their paths to success, challenges they have overcome, and showcasing the interpersonal skills necessary for career advancement.

Additionally, by focusing on topics related to inclusivity and diversity, we aim to influence companies, workforces, and leaders to implement policies that promote gender equality and inclusivity.

Indicators for measuring progress include the adoption of gender-inclusive policies by companies, increased representation of women in leadership positions within male-dominated industries, and feedback from participants on the impact of our empowerment and education initiatives.

This two goals and actives, align towards contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Goal no. 5 Gender equality and goal number 8 Decent work and economic growth.

An online e-learning program that offers:

1. Interpersonal Skill training through a series of master courses, short video clips, and talks from industry leaders.

2. Tiered framework with targeted paths and diverse challenges for developing the desired interpersonal skill set.

3. Content development based on best-selling books, for example: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" or "Start with Why.", helped by an AI to develop the content.

Currently testing

1. Generative AI - Leveraging artificial intelligence for idea exchange, introducing advanced technological components for professional development, enhancing user engagement, self-training, and effectiveness.

We strive to develop a Duolingo-like platform/solution for interpersonal skill development, with gamification components like a leaderboard within the company to incentivize peer-to-peer professional development.

As a corporate-startup, TEDI has access to a team of 18 full-time employees with a diverse set of capabilities in the areas of content creation, video editing, marketing, software development, and specialized business development consultants. Furthermore, the founders are acquiring new for-profit projects for TEDI, developing and implementing the products with our employees.

The solution is in development for 2 years.

Since 2022, the corporation offers consultancy services to SMBs and corporations in the automotive industry, to digitize operations and training employees.

In February 2023, TEDI was established as a "Corporate Startup" after receiving a grant from the US Government which resulted in partnerships, a community and attracted the first customers.

To date, TEDI is fostering the development of interpersonal skills and promoting gender diversity in male-dominated industries through on-going sponsorships, partnerships and consultancy projects.

The name of our company, TEDI (Technology, Education, Diversity, and Innovation), stands for and represents the pillars and values our company strives for. We are constantly aiming to develop a diverse and respectful community within our company, employees, partners, providers, and clients, where not only we embrace diversity in race, color, gender identity, sexual preference, age, etc. creating a respectful environment, but also we embrace the diversity of ideas, ideologies, mindsets, and experiences, as it fosters creativity and dynamic work, sparking innovation.

Furthermore, as one of the founders who grew up in Mexico's male-centric environment, having been immersed in mostly male-dominated industries from a young age and overcome hurdles to establish my place within the industry, we recognize the importance of breaking stereotypes, fostering diversity, pushing for gender equality, and seeking out and hiring high-achieving women and members of the LGBTQ+ community for leadership roles in male-dominated industries.

To promote these beliefs and align the companies, we prioritize clear communication and foster a culture of trust and empowerment among each other.

The value our company provides to users (Women and the workforce) is:

1. High-quality training for interpersonal skill development.

2. Empowerment through talks by high achieving leaders.

3. Professional growth.

The value our company provides to partners/customers (B2B) is:

1. Enhancement of workforce productivity.

2. Reduction of overhead costs.

3. Identification of top performers

4. Self-training for employees through e-learning program.

The revenue model will be as follows: Costs will be tailored based on the size, type, and level of engagement of the company. Our current revenue streams include:

1. Sponsorships for summits.

2. Consultancy service for specialized training projects for SMB's and corporate customers

With the further development of the technology we want to create the following revenue streams

1. Corporate memberships for e-learning program access — Yearly plans ($30 USD/employee/month).

2. Three-month intensive training plan for SMBs — $4,500 USD (maximum of 20 employees), with access to the e-learning platform and content.

3. Ticket sales for in-person and digital summits

4. Personal memberships for individuals for e-learning program access.

Until now, with TEDI being a side project as a "Corporate Startup," it has generated revenue through two main channels:

1. Consultancy services for specialized digitization and training projects for SMBs.

2. Sales of e-learning programs to a targeted industry, where corporate sponsorship and full funding for the summit involved companies paying for their employees to enroll in the program.

During this short period, TEDI has generated $16k USD in revenue to fund its own projects. Including a grant from and a partnership with the US Government State Department.

Furthermore, upon launching the automated component of th e e-learning platform, we already possess the relevant experience in making corporate deals and selling membership plans thanks to the access of our corporation human resources.