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Gagan Biyani
Professional based in Oakland
Gagan Biyani is the co-founder and CEO of Maven, a platform specializing in cohort-based learning. He has a notable background in the education technology sector, having previously co-founded Udemy, one of the largest online learning platforms, and Sprig, a food delivery service.
Early Life and Education
Biyani grew up in an environment that emphasized education, which fostered his lifelong passion for learning. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied from 2005 to 2008.
Career Highlights
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Maven: Founded in September 2020, Maven focuses on providing live online courses that emphasize community and interactive learning experiences. The platform aims to empower experts to teach directly to their audiences, promoting a more engaging learning environment compared to traditional online courses.34
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Udemy: Biyani co-founded Udemy in 2009, which has grown to become a significant player in the online education space, eventually going public in 2021.56
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Sprig: He served as CEO of Sprig from 2013 until its closure in 2017. This venture was centered on delivering fresh meals to consumers.35
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Growth Advisor for Lyft: Biyani also contributed to Lyft as an advisor, helping to launch the service in new markets.3
Personal Insights and Philosophy
Biyani describes himself as a global citizen, having spent three years living nomadically across various continents, which has influenced his perspective on education and entrepreneurship. He emphasizes the importance of active learning and community in educational settings, which reflects in Maven's approach to cohort-based courses.124
Current Focus
Currently, Biyani is dedicated to scaling Maven and realizing his vision of creating a transformative educational platform that rivals traditional universities in terms of accessibility and quality of learning.26
Highlights
Wild times in Oakland. We're now on the brink of bankruptcy, according to a report by city officials on Friday. Great way to bury the news: post-election, on a Friday.
We've been talking about this for 6+ months and most politicians gaslighted us about it all the way until election day. The press barely covered it and no other voter guide or voter education group made it an issue.
The mayor was recalled, but many of the city officials won their races likely in part because their voters don't know how much they've screwed up.
Empower Oakland is up against a massive political machine, which is experienced at covering up bad policies with good politics.
It's going to take multiple cycles, but together we can change this through citizen education and activism.
I believe in Oakland. We will get through this.
The entire Maven leadership team is taking @shreyas' product sense course together.
To say we are blown away is an under-statement.
It isn't really just about product. It's about clear thinking, developing a strategy, and how to learn.
