Suggestions
Sam Paddock
Managing Director at Getsmarter
Sam Paddock is an entrepreneur and education technology leader from Cape Town, South Africa. Here are some key details about Sam Paddock:
-
He is the co-founder and former CEO of GetSmarter, an online education company that partners with universities to offer short online courses.12
-
Sam founded GetSmarter in 2008 with his brother Rob Paddock.2 They grew the company over 10 years before selling it to 2U Inc. for R1.4 billion (approximately $100 million) in 2017.2
-
Under Sam's leadership as CEO, GetSmarter grew to employ over 400 people and offer online courses in partnership with prestigious universities like MIT, Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge.2
-
After the acquisition, Sam stayed on as Senior Advisor to 2U and GetSmarter for about a year before stepping down in 2018 to focus on his family.4
-
Prior to GetSmarter, Sam co-founded and was a director at Getwine, an online wine retailer, from 2005-2012.3
-
He has a BBusSci degree in Information Systems from the University of Cape Town.3
-
Sam describes himself as an "education entrepreneur, businessman, family man, Cape Town enthusiast and learning geek".1
-
He is married and has twins born around 2018.4
-
Since leaving GetSmarter, Sam has been involved as an investor and director with companies like JEFF Fitness, Hubble Studios and Yuppiechef.3
Sam Paddock is known for his entrepreneurial success in the edtech space, having built GetSmarter into a major player in online education before its successful acquisition. He has been recognized as an influential young South African entrepreneur.
