Founders 4 Schools
Founders4Schools began as a simple but powerful idea from Sherry Coutu: what if we could connect students with successful entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders? Jabrik & Floon worked closely with Sherry and her team to transform this vision from paper into a fully functioning platform—one that would go on to impact hundreds of thousands of students across the UK.
At the time of writing, Founders4Schools has supported 667,000+ students, facilitated 30,500+ volunteer hours, and brokered over 2 million student-employer encounters—a testament to the impact of the project.
Web development
Web design
App development
Add design
The challenge was to create a seamless, scalable system that could intelligently match teachers with local entrepreneurs from high-growth companies, making it effortless to set up inspirational talks. We worked with LinkedIn and DueDil, integrating their APIs and developing an algorithm that identified fast-growing businesses. This allowed us to surface relevant founders and connect them directly with teachers looking to bring real-world business insights into their classrooms.
One particularly memorable moment came when we received a call from LinkedIn—they had noticed an unusually high volume of API requests. It turned out that during testing, we had inadvertently fired off over 1 million API calls in a single day while stress-testing the platform!
The platform was designed to be intuitive for teachers, allowing them to quickly find and invite local business leaders with just a few clicks. We built a clean, structured interface that made it easy to navigate, while the back-end system automated much of the matching process, reducing admin work for educators and volunteers alike.
Later, we extended this work with Sherry and her team to bring Wayfinder to life—a new initiative designed to help students build CVs and connect with work experience opportunities. Like Founders4Schools, it took an idea on paper and turned it into a digital product that would go on to help thousands of students prepare for the workforce.
More than a decade later, Founders4Schools continues to thrive, helping students gain valuable insights from entrepreneurs and business leaders. The platform has played a critical role in encouraging young people to pursue careers in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Wayfinder further strengthened this mission, giving students a practical tool to showcase their skills and take their first steps into the working world. Both projects remain some of the most rewarding work we’ve done, proving that technology can be a powerful force for education and opportunity.