Ann H. McCormick

Ann began her professional life as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace, then taught school in East Buffalo.  Her students were so bright, yet had such a poor chance at getting a fine education, she decided to find a way to serve them.  She earned a doctorate in education at UC, Berkeley, then worked in poverty area projects nationwide for five years, packaging "successful" reading and math projects for schools in low-income areas.  Then she realized that marketing is crucial to making an impact, so she started a children's educational software company, going directly to the kids and parents without mediation by the school.  The Learning Company, which she founded in 1979 with a grant from the Apple Education Foundation, became a leading company nationally, establishing a new category and a strong national brand.  She directed the design of the company's first sixteen products, including Rocky's Boots and Reader Rabbit.  After a take-over, she co-founded the Learning Friends with Karen Stone-McCown, founder of the Nueva School in Hillsborough, CA, where she is CEO.  They are launching a comprehensive, online resource for kids to learn basics they need in a playful, engaging way that encourages creative thinking and entrepreneurship.