Daniel Andrews

Daniel Andrews is the co-founder and CEO of Playground, a child care management software company focused on streamlining administrative tasks for providers. Born into a family deeply rooted in early childhood education—his mother is an executive director of a large preschool, and other relatives run child care centers—Andrews leveraged his software engineering background to address inefficiencies in the industry.125

Background and Education

• Education: Holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Computer Science from UC Berkeley College of Engineering.34
• Professional Experience: Worked as a software engineer at Brex, DoNotPay, Slack, and KYTE, and held internships at PayPal and Troopwork before founding Playground.34

Founding Playground

Andrews co-founded Playground in August 2019 with his brother Josh Andrews and Sasha Reiss, initially to support his mother’s preschool. The platform expanded to help thousands of child care providers manage enrollment, billing, payroll, and communication.15 Key milestones include:

• 2020: Beta launch in Los Angeles.1
• 2021: Raised $3.35M in seed funding.1
• 2022–2024: Partnered with states like Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Indiana, and Arizona to provide free access to Playground.1

Leadership and Vision

Andrews emphasizes that Playground aims to empower providers to focus on caregiving by automating administrative tasks. The company has integrated payroll solutions and AI-driven features to enhance efficiency.67 He actively hires talent and maintains a strong company culture, often collaborating with childhood friends and family.56

Recognition

• Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 List (2022).1
• Featured in media outlets like Business Insider and Child Care Success Radio for his role in the "friendpreneur" trend and tech-driven solutions in early childhood education.56

His LinkedIn profile (daniel-andrews-965400111) highlights his ongoing leadership at Playground and active recruitment efforts.3