Caroline Assaf founded Coco World, a startup aimed at promoting peer-to-peer learning via an online classroom and a social community. Hosted at the Luxembourg-City Incubator, we asked her more details about this new venture.
What is Coco World about?
Coco World is a social enterprise committed to promoting peer-to-peer learning by empowering people share their voices.
Our first initiative “Young Speakers” is an online platform for youth aged between 8 and 18. It aims to build the confidence and competence for them to communicate and connect.
We are in the process of running a two-year pilot program in Luxembourg, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth and the European Social Fund.
How did you come up with the idea?
As a professional working with youth globally, I have realized that many youth have lost the confidence to engage in live conversations. Engaging with mums, schools, and students over a number of years, has only validated that the struggle is real! Public speaking competitions and in class presentations were resonating with the extrovert and alienating the introvert, creating a larger divide between students.
We needed to create a solution that catered to all students but also allowed each student to progress at his or her own pace. We started running workshops and designing a curriculum with the inputs of more than 500 students. Overall, the prototype has shown preliminary success.
“We empower individuals to build their confidence in sharing their knowledge with their peers.”
Caroline Assaf, Founding Director of Coco World
What is your product/service?
Our platform comprises of an online classroom, a peer-to-peer learning space and a social community. We work closely with partners to define their needs and design programs adapted to optimize learning.
We empower individuals to build their confidence in sharing their knowledge with their peers and consequently garner the community’s collective intelligence on a varied set of topics.
What is your business model?
Currently, we are seeking to secure funding and establish partnerships for pilot programs. We have an array of revenue streams we’re exploring and will share when it is time!
Who are your clients?
Today, we are not looking for clients but rather partners. We are looking for partners to work with on optimizing peer-to-peer learning and nurturing a culture of communication.
What’s next?
We want to expand our youth programs to address social themes such as immigration, integration, sustainability, and diversity. We are also seeking to expanding our services to corporates and adults. Finally, securing funding to grow the team is also on our roadmap.
