SchoolPinnd is proud to be a Benefit company (B-Corp).  Below are answers to key questions submitted in the Annual Benefit Report (Form 15-8898) to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

Question:

A narrative description of:

• the ways in which the benefit company pursued general public benefit during the year and the extent to which general public benefit was created;

After researching and learning personally about Benefit Companies and some advice from the legal advisor at a Pittsburgh Incubator, when the time came in July 2017 to form an entity, it was clear that SchoolPinnd would be one.  2017 was also the first year that Pennsylvania adopted Benefit LLCs as a legal entity.

SchoolPinnd, a software-as-a-service, is a comprehensive online platform which fills the gap of communication and increases connectivity amongst ALL parents, guardians, residents and other stakeholders of a school community in a coordinated, trustworthy and private environment.  Hence, facilitating and enhancing civic engagement for a better educational experience and a stronger community, leading to a positive impact on student achievement.

The pilot software of SchoolPinnd was successfully achieved in January of 2018 and has been under beta testing since March 2018.  The software was developed using a lean and organic approach.  It was very important to us to receive community feedback before and during the design process.  Keeping this in mind, we conducted surveys, focus group, phone calls and attended community parental meetings.  We also rolled out a landing page in May 2017 which helped us garner public support and input; and a mailing list which was used to receive feedback and suggestions on education related topics.

Vision of SchoolPinnd:

a)     have meaningful conversations and ask and learn from each other

b)     encourage parents to become real partners and informed leaders in their communities

c)     benefit folks who are new to the school by becoming a part of the school community

d)     tap into the wealth of knowledge of our community

During beta testing, SchoolPinnd users engaged amongst each other to learn more about the topics listed below about their school and education:

a)     curriculum and course offering

b)     school programs, activities, clubs and events

c)     health and wellness including sports and cafeteria options

d)     role of technology and its use

e)     school spirit and fundraising

We are also exploring opportunities to partner with school organizations and (non-profit) organizations that conduct in-school or after-school clubs in underserved areas to see how SchoolPinnd can improve parent    connectivity and fill the mentor-parent gap respectively.

• any circumstances that have hindered the creation by the benefit company of general or specific public benefit; and

SchoolPinnd is a tech start-up, a social enterprise using the power of business in finding a smart and simple solution to address an everyday problem. Converting an idea into a real, tangible solution takes time and patience.  We thank the support and help we have received from various individuals and organizations during this journey.  To navigate a business which is in the start-up phase, requires flexibility, pivoting and agility.  SchoolPinnd is still in the process of attaining and incorporating specific school/districts and organizations in our online community.  We would like to reach out to more organizations and interested parties, for which we will need to ramp up our advertising and marketing strategy.  Also, at an appropriate time, perhaps next year, we would address inculcating additional features in the software as advised by the current customers.

• the process and rationale for selecting or changing the third-party standard used to prepare the benefit report.

​After researching several third-party evaluation standards, SchoolPinnd chose the B Lab’s (www.bcorporation.net) B Impact Assessment (www.bimpactassessment.net).  For a start-up, not only does this assessment provide a flexible and a broad scope of measuring community and environmental impact, it also focuses on over all accountability and transparency.  The Assessment covers the impact of a business on its workers, suppliers, community, and the environment. It also captures best practices regarding mission, measurement, and governance. The Assessment identifies the company’s specific “Impact Business Models,” which include the targeted, formal focus on benefiting a particular stakeholder through products and services or internal practices.  In future, this assessment will continue to be a useful tool to benchmark our impact and performance and set goals to improve.  This standard has been utilized by approximately 2,619 companies, in 60 countries and in 150 different industries.  B Impact Assessment is one of the most comprehensive assessment tools for benefit companies.

​Question:

An assessment of the overall social and environmental performance of the benefit company against a third-party standard applied consistently with any application of that standard in prior benefit reports or accompanied by an explanation of the reasons for any inconsistent application.

This is the first year after the incorporation of SchoolPinnd, as a Benefit LLC.  We are very proud of what we have achieved in our first year and also within the few months of product roll-out.  We look forward to growing the business and establishing collaborative partnerships.  Below are the five areas that have been assessed in accordance to the B Impact Assessment:

Governance: SchoolPinnd was incorporated on July 17, 2017 as a Benefit LLC to ensure that the social and/or environmental mission of our company is established from day one and maintained over time.  This not only encourages us to assess our impact from the get go, but will also prove useful as a learning tool to improve and shape our future policies.  We believe in in-depth research from every aspect, including the business aspect.  Hence, we have read and consulted the IBISWorld Industry Report relevant to us.  Our mission that a well-informed and -connected parental community leads to better outcomes for our children, will always strive us to be accountable, transparent and trustworthy.  We hope that SchoolPinnd becomes one of the most important tools in any parent’s dash box.  In this coming year, we will seek to form a formal Board of Advisors.

Workers: Himani Jain/SchoolPinnd achieved the MBE, WBE and DBE certifications from the MWDBE (Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) Department of the County of Allegheny on May 30, 2018.  This is one of the highest levels of certification and is also recognized by other organizations and states.  We constantly remain engaged and attend events relevant to the entrepreneurial and education realms, in Pittsburgh.  Some of the institutions who have provided their support are Chatham University, Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship; University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center, Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence; Remake Learning Network; Kidsburgh; UpPrize; Carnegie Mellon University, Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, CONNECTS Seminar Series; Ascender Incubator.  On April 3, 2018, as a part of the Pittsburgh Inclusive Innovation Week, we attended a seminar and research on ‘The Link Between Diversity, Social Entrepreneurship & Impact Investing’ presented by Idea Foundry Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University.

Community: The initial niche is facilitating the parental communication and involvement for an immediate specific need/project of an organization, for example Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) and After-School-Clubs.  As a business which is technology based, service driven and education driven, we constantly seek to establish direct partnerships with non-profits which serve low-income and/or under-served communities.  SchoolPinnd was also recognized as a great initiative and a useful resource to the community by the Northern Connection Magazine who featured an article in their June 2018 issue; We continually seek to reach out to the community and speak directly to the parents, which we did, for example at events like the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show, EQT Children’s Festival and at the local YMCA.

Environment: SchoolPinnd has established a collaborative relationship with Plant Five for Life which is a Pittsburgh non-profit that connects children and families to nature.  In April 2018, we attended their first planting event of 1200 trees.  We will continue to explore the endless opportunities through this partnership including planting opportunities and mentoring connections.  Personally, SchoolPinnd’s founder has performed environment friendly activities at the school which includes recycling batteries, 230lbs in 2017-2018 school year!

Impact Business Models: SchoolPinnd is committed in including parents in the education of their children and believes that education is universal and is the backbone for the progress of a society.  Since we are just starting out, we want to establish best practices in our pilot programs.  We will also increase focus working closely with non-profits and organizations which are education based.  In addition, we constantly seek to engage in education related events locally which improves our awareness and opens new doors for future collaborations.  In February 2018, we attended a talk presented by Common Sense Media, a non-profit, regarding trends in kids and media use.  In May 2018, we also had the opportunity to attend a discussion with the author of a new book, ‘What School Could Be: Insights and Inspiration From Teachers Across America’, Ted Dintersmith.