Executive-2018-fall-winter

B oxlight Corporation is a Lawrenceville-based global provider of educational technology and STEM solutions for the K-12 community. The company went public in November 2017 and continues to grow, offering customers equipment, software and support services for the modern classroom. Boxlight CEO Mark Elliott shares the benefits and challenges of classroom technology as well as some of Boxlight’s newest offerings. Q: What is Boxlight’s mission? Boxlight’s mission is to be the leader in innovative and effective educational technology solutions. We aim to develop the products educators need to improve classroom learning and engagement, enhance student outcomes and build essential skills. Q: Why did Boxlight decide to go public? A: We were invited to do an initial public offering, and we saw how it could help us in our mission. It has allowed us to merge with companies similar to ours in order to expand our hardware and software offerings while also ensuring that all our products work well together – allowing for the servicing and technical support for our entire product suite. We are now well positioned to be the leading provider of interactive technology solutions for the classroom. Q: How does technology benefit students? A: Technology plays a major role in most communication and interpersonal interactions today, and it is a huge part of children’s lives. Including technology in schools, even at the early grade levels, helps to build a foundation and ease that students will need throughout their school and future careers. It’s a necessity in today’s world. Of course, technology differs based on grade level as fine motor skills develop over time; our technology INTERACTIVE CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY SETS SCHOOL KIDS UP FOR SUCCESS meets the needs of very small children, high schoolers and every age in between. We also have products for special-needs children that include flexibility in height adjustment and collaboration features. Q: What are the challenges involved in creating educational technology? A: We have found three challenges to be very common when developing classroom technology: finding ways to accommodate every price point and need; appealing to the different demographics in urban, suburban, and rural schools; and ensuring compatibility between hardware and software. The MimioFrame was developed specifically to fill a hole in our product line near the low-end price point. We have hardware solutions that turn ordinary whiteboards into interactive whiteboards, with three varying price points. In addition, we offer interactive projectors (mid- price-point and easy shipping and install) to 65”-85” interactive flat panels that can rotate to a horizontal table scape. To address the challenge of demographics, we have a lot of ‘feet on the street’ managers and partners around the world who constantly provide feedback on what students are using. In some schools, an interactive flat panel simply will not work due to the size and weight. In portable classrooms, these cannot be mounted to the walls, so a projector or MimioFrame might be a better option. In some schools, internet is not an option so hard-wiring projectors versus 6 the EXECUTIVE