Zak Slayback from Praxis - CoinCongress 2015

Here's a combined summary of the MB episode "Zak Slayback from Praxis - CoinCongress 2015":

This episode features Zak Slayback, founder of Praxis, an organization challenging traditional higher education. Praxis places students in startups for 10 months, offering personalized professional development and coaching as an alternative to a college degree. Addressing declining trust in institutions like Stanford and MIT, Praxis aims to "democratize potential" by bypassing traditional credentials and instead showcasing demonstrable skills through recorded conversations and work experience.

Main Topics:

• Praxis as an alternative to traditional higher education
• The problem of declining trust in traditional institutions
• Democratizing potential and skills-based assessment
• Praxis's immersive professional development program (including a 2-month pre-program and monthly modules with crisis mentors)
• Praxis's rapid growth and partnerships (Table Foundation, IronR)

Key Quotes:

• "Praxis serves as a signal of competence, similar to a college degree."
• "We're democratizing potential…bypassing traditional credentials like transcripts and grades."
• "Employers value practical skills and work experience over degrees."

People Mentioned:

• Zak Slayback
• Individuals working at eBay
• Representatives from the Table Foundation
• IronR

Bitcoin Price: Not mentioned.

Praxis participants earn $10/hour and the program costs $12,000. While initially focused on addressing student loan debt, Praxis is exploring options like a nonprofit foundation for scholarships and is currently not focused on blockchain integration. The organization has rapidly expanded and now connects companies with talent, particularly in sales and marketing.