ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund Announces 2026 EIF Catalyst Cohort

MINNEAPOLIS-Three early-stage companies have been chosen to receive targeted mentorship, hands-on sales coaching and investment support through the second cohort of EIF Catalyst. Developed by ECMC Group's Education Impact Fund (EIF), the 12-week offering is designed to support each organization's evolution from founder-led sales to a scalable, repeatable go-to-market playbook by helping founders understand what drives customer demand and build their sales process around it.

"Expanding educational opportunity takes more than promising ideas-it takes sustainable businesses that can bring those ideas to the people and institutions that need them," said Joseph Watt, vice president at ECMC Group and managing director of EIF. "Through EIF Catalyst, we're helping these founders build the sales capabilities to grow their businesses and, in turn, extend their potential to improve education access and outcomes, particularly for underserved learners. We're excited to welcome this cohort and help them turn early traction into lasting impact."

Developed and facilitated by founder-led sales expert Rob Snyder, CEO of Reframe and a fellow at Harvard Innovation Labs, EIF Catalyst helps early-stage entrepreneurs build their sales systems while actively selling. Through intensive, hands-on work with their actual pipelines, participants learn to identify buyers with an urgent priority, understand why some deals close quickly while others stall, and design a sales approach around those insights.

The program centers around Snyder's PULL Framework, which shifts the focus from convincing buyers of a product's value to understanding what they are already trying to accomplish. Through group sessions, sales call reviews, individual coaching with Snyder, and ongoing support from the EIF team, founders test new approaches with real buyers and refine what works. By the end of the 12 weeks, participants will have a more clearly defined ideal customer profile, a sales process grounded in customer demand, pipeline metrics, and a documented playbook to support future sales hires.

The 2026 EIF Catalyst Cohort is:

• Intellicampus, which provides an enterprise AI platform purpose-built for higher education, connecting institutional data and governing AI to help colleges and universities improve operations and student support.

• TruLeague, which combines peer-to-peer student connections with AI-powered insights to help colleges and universities strengthen enrollment, foster belonging and support confident higher education decisions.

• A third company connecting university research with commercial opportunities who has chosen to remain anonymous at this time.

To learn more, visit www.educationimpactfund.org/eif-catalyst.

About ECMC Group
ECMC Group is a nonprofit corporation focused on helping students succeed by creating, providing and investing in innovative educational opportunities. Headquartered in Minneapolis, ECMC Group and its family of companies provide financial tools and services, as well as funding for innovative programs to help students achieve their academic and professional goals. To learn more, visit www.ecmcgroup.org.

Education Impact Fund
The Education Impact Fund is a $250 million evergreen impact investment fund that aims to accelerate the transformation of America's postsecondary and workforce ecosystem by investing in innovative companies and collaborating with institutions, employers and communities toward a shared vision of improving education access and outcomes for underserved learners. To learn more and to subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, visit www.educationimpactfund.org.