Building a Product in Partnership with Schools: How educator voices shape Sown To Grow

Thousands of products flood today’s educational technology market, but not all are guided by a clear understanding of student needs, or school realities.

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According to University of Michigan EdTech professor Mesut Duran, who discussed classroom tool evaluation in a New York Times piece, “Most of the technologies are initially created for commercial purposes, and then we decide how to use them in schools.”

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Thankfully, Sown To Grow has a drastically different model.

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Co-founded in 2015 by CEO and former middle school administrator Rupa Gupta, Sown To Grow was born directly from a student support gap she experienced firsthand without an existing solution—and so she decided to change that.

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However, instead of following flashy features, fast timelines, and strings-attached funding sources, Sown To Grow became rooted in a single principle: to build with schools, not for them.

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This commitment has shaped everything—from the platform itself to the way each member of our gradually growing team approaches their role. What began as a flexible academic check-in tool has evolved into a comprehensive system for student reflection, goal-setting, and well-being. 

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Over the last decade, Sown To Grow has been co-designed in classrooms, validated through research, and continuously refined in collaboration with the two groups who matter most: students and educators. 

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These deep partnerships continue to serve as the engine driving every feature, update, and outcome Sown To Grow delivers. Let’s explore how this collaborative process defines the platform, and why it’s vital to improve student social, emotional, and academic well-being.

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A Platform Shaped by Real School Experiences

Increasing student ownership in learning—which inspired Sown To Grow’s name—is where the dedicated platform idea emerged. Gupta then teamed up to co-found the company with Dennis Li, her colleague in San Jose Unified School District. Together, they created a data-driven check-in routine empowering students to set goals, reflect, and improve academic performance.

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In the earliest versions of the product, educators didn’t just try it, they shaped it, said Will Bielinski, Senior Director of Product, Research, and Analytics. “We were fortunate to work with schools where educators would say, ‘I love this idea, but here’s how I would actually use it.’”

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And so the product was tweaked accordingly.

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Then the pandemic hit.

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“We had a lot of very close relationships with schools,” Bielinski explained, “so based on the needs of their students and districts, we ended up pivoting into the emotional space. And that's when things really took off and we hit our stride.”

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Listening, Learning & Building Through Co-Design

As the new version of Sown To Grow’s platform progressed, each iteration came not from assumptions, but from observations, testing, and feedback sessions. 

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“We did hundreds of hours of classroom visits and teacher interviews,” said Bielinski. “We didn’t just pilot. We would bring prototypes, watch students use them, and come back with revisions the very next week.”

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This approach was guided and informed by Sown To Grow's logic model, where feedback from classroom observations and various formal research studies inspired product development.

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It’s a practice that helped Sown To Grow earn a Co-Design Designation from LeanLab Education, which is viewed favorably by our school and district partners such as Dr. Patricia Russell, Executive Director of Social, Emotional & Academic Development at Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee.

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“We appreciate Sown To Grow’s pedagogical and practical expertise,” Dr. Russell said. “The team has the experience, vision and mindset to co-design new features alongside the scholars and educators they seek to serve. The research and evidence-based orientation is also highly appreciated.”

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Research That Validates & Refines Our Work

School and district leaders weren’t the only ones attesting to Sown To Grow’s collaborative approach. With the multifaceted support of several vital affiliations, the company established a solid foundation of both qualitative and quantitative evidence. 

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“These relationships weren't just checkboxes,” Bielinski said, “they really sharpened our focus.”

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Backed by these respected organizations and rigorous research, Sown To Grow became even better equipped to design meaningful, measurable solutions to support student growth and school success.

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Grounded in Classroom Experience, Every Step of the Way

This foundation of evidence-based impact helped maintain the Sown To Grow’s core principle: to build with schools, not for them. 

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With more than half of the company’s current 30-person headcount being former classroom teachers, school social workers, or school or district leaders, this commitment comes naturally. Regardless of background or role though, every single team member participates in school visits at least annually, and many conduct consistent calls, surveys, and focus groups.

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“Being in classrooms ourselves means we’re not guessing, and product decisions are always grounded in the real world,” Bielinski explained. “We don’t just ship features. We ask: ‘How will this feel for a 6th grader on a Monday morning?’”

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This deep connection to schools doesn’t just influence internal decisions—it’s something that can be immediately recognized by educators such as Ellen Colvig, 8th grade teacher in South San Francisco Unified School District. 

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“It's obvious to me that this platform is created by people who are actually in education and actually have experience being in the classroom,” said Colvig, who expressed that EdTech doesn’t always authentically connect with her teenage students or the realities of the class environment.

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This is the kind of feedback Sown To Grow’s Senior User Experience Designer Katie Yarnold loves to hear, but getting improvement suggestions is also encouraged because it keeps the team humble, and makes the platform better.

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“Our priority is students and educators, always,” Yarnold said. “So it’s not just building something usable, it’s about building something that reflects their real context.” 

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Driving Real Outcomes & Expanding Future Impact

Even with the best of intentions, the strength of these school partnerships requires accountability. Districts investing to improve student well-being aren’t expecting overnight results, but measuring incremental progress is a must.

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Growth looks different everywhere, but one community making great strides is Stockton Unified School District. By creating proactive, data-driven systems to focus on the whole child, Stockton achieved its highest ever graduation rate, and also reduced chronic absenteeism and suspension rates, said Kasey Klappenback, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services.

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“Something I have so appreciated from Sown To Grow is how closely they work with the sites,” Klappenback explained. “They actually visit and listen to each of the people doing the work: teachers, counselors, and students. I feel like it’s helped us move away from working in silos to ensure all of our departments are part of MTSS, and function as an integrated system. It’s so powerful that they tap in this way, and super charge us to the next level.”

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Building Together, Always Growing

As EdTech continues to evolve, school districts deserve more than just digital tools—they require partners who listen, adapt, and stay accountable to their impact on students’ lives.

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Sown To Grow stands apart by rooting every decision in the voices of educators and the lived experiences of students, just as our founders intended from the beginning. 

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Through deep, sustained partnerships, the platform continues to grow—not for innovation’s sake, but to support what today’s youth truly need: authentic connection, reflection, and the chance to thrive.

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^{Interested in seeing how your school or district may benefit from partnering with Sown To Grow? Click below to connect with our team!}

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