TL;DR
At TechCrunch Disrupt, Campus founder Tade Oyerinde and Fizz co-founder Teddy Solomon described tactics they use to grow and retain active users. Oyerinde emphasized modular, employer-driven courses and affordability measures, while Solomon outlined product extensions and an ad-first monetization focus for his college social app.
What happened
Tade Oyerinde, founder and chancellor of the online school Campus, and Teddy Solomon, co-founder of college social app Fizz, spoke onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt about strategies for sustaining engaged communities. Oyerinde described Campus’s roster of offerings — associate degrees in fields such as information technology and business administration, plus certificates in areas like cosmetology and phlebotomy — and said the school enrolls more than 3,000 students and employs over 100 part-time professors. Campus has moved toward à la carte courses in response to employer demand for specific skills, and uses Pell Grant funding to keep programs affordable; Oyerinde also noted that prominent investors sit on the company’s cap table. Solomon said Fizz now operates on more than 200 college campuses, raised over $40 million from firms including Owl Ventures and NEA, and has added features such as a peer-to-peer marketplace and video posts. He said the company is developing a Global Fizz product to expand internationally and is prioritizing ad-based revenue while continuing to iterate on the core product.
Why it matters
- Employer demand is shaping how education providers package learning into modular, job-relevant offerings.
- Affordability mechanisms and investor backing can influence an edtech company’s strategic priorities beyond short-term profitability.
- Campus-specific social apps continue to evolve features (marketplaces, video) to increase user engagement on campuses.
- Monetization choices—ads versus subscriptions—will affect product development, user experience and growth paths for campus-focused networks.
Key facts
- Tade Oyerinde is the founder and chancellor of Campus, an online school.
- Campus enrolls more than 3,000 students and employs over 100 professors on at least a part-time basis.
- Campus offers associate degrees (e.g., information technology, business administration) and certificates (e.g., cosmetology, phlebotomy).
- Campus has introduced à la carte courses aimed at employer-requested, specific skills.
- Oyerinde said Campus leverages Pell Grant funding to help keep programs affordable.
- Oyerinde mentioned high-profile investors on Campus’s cap table, including Sam Altman and Jason Citroen.
- Teddy Solomon is co-founder of Fizz, a social app that operates on more than 200 college campuses and previously expanded into some high schools.
- Fizz has raised over $40 million from investors including Owl Ventures and NEA.
- Fizz added a peer-to-peer marketplace that has listed more than 100,000 items and introduced a video element beyond text posts.
- Fizz is developing a product called Global Fizz to expand beyond the U.S. and is currently focused on building an ad-based revenue stream, working with partners such as Perplexity.
What to watch next
- Rollout and reception of Global Fizz as the company expands beyond U.S. campuses.
- Uptake and employer interest in Campus’s à la carte courses and whether they change hiring or training practices.
- not confirmed in the source: how successful Fizz’s ad-first monetization will be relative to subscription alternatives.
- not confirmed in the source: whether Campus will significantly broaden its target student demographics or program types.
Quick glossary
- À la carte courses: Individual classes sold or offered separately from a full degree program, often aimed at specific skills or short-term learning goals.
- Pell Grant: A U.S. federal subsidy for undergraduate education, awarded to eligible low-income students to help cover tuition and related costs.
- Peer-to-peer marketplace: A platform feature that enables users to list, buy, or trade goods or services directly with one another.
- Ad-based monetization: A business model where a product generates revenue primarily by showing advertisements to its users.
Reader FAQ
Who spoke about community building at TechCrunch Disrupt?
Tade Oyerinde (founder/chancellor of Campus) and Teddy Solomon (co-founder of Fizz).
How large are Campus’s programs?
Campus has more than 3,000 students and employs over 100 part-time professors.
How is Fizz planning to make money?
Fizz said it is focused on ads as a primary revenue source and has worked with partners such as Perplexity; subscription models were mentioned as possibilities.
Has Fizz raised venture funding?
Yes — the company has raised over $40 million from investors including Owl Ventures and NEA.
Will Campus eliminate degree programs in favor of single courses?
not confirmed in the source
Tade Oyerinde and Teddy Solomon know a few things about building communities that last. Afterall, Oyerinde is the founder and chancellor of the online school Campus, while Solomon is the co-founder behind the college social…
Sources
- Tade Oyerinde and Teddy Solomon talk about building engaged audiences at TechCrunch Disrupt
- TechCrunch | Startup and Technology News
- Estrategias para engagement en comunidades startup
- Found – Megaphone
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