Educators, Amy Gruber and Kathleen Brenneman, were frustrated by how tedious and time-consuming the state reporting process was for their charter school group. So, in 2001, they enlisted the help of two programmers to build School Pathways, a software system designed to ease daily operations for teachers and administrators at charter schools in California. Over the next 20 years, the company would become a market leader, growing organically through word-of-mouth referrals and a strong reputation.
When it came time for the founders to move on, they needed a buyer that would carry on their legacy and take care of their existing staff. Banyan wasn’t School Pathways’ only prospective buyer, but after seeing their knowledge, expertise, and professionalism, the founders were eager to explore the opportunity further.
“It was clear Banyan intended to continue the legacy of our company while taking it to new levels of success. The smooth post-sale transition and continued operations gave our employees – and us – the confidence that we had made the right choice.”
Amy Gruber former owner, School Pathways
Attracting and retaining top talent
It was critical that any new leaders would complement the existing team, including their CTO who would remain with the business. We recruited Oliver Wreford as CEO, bringing extensive industry experience and expertise to the business.
Maintaining employee and customer trust
Oliver’s collaborative approach and leadership experience with educational software companies has not only benefitted the company, but also the educators and students it serves.
Adopting a growth mindset
School Pathways was prime for growth with a solid foundation in place. We provided support for the company to explore uncharted and promising paths, like building out the sales and marketing function and expanding to adjacent markets.