NEW YORK, June 3, 2014 – Mouse, a national nonprofit organization that empowers youth to learn, lead and create with technology, has announced that Matt Greenfield, Managing Partner at Rethink Education, a venture capital partnership focused on educational technology, has joined its Board of Directors.

Greenfield’s passion for education and technology has led him on a career-long path of investing in and reshaping the way we learn and teach. He is on the board of BrightBytes and serves as an advisor to University Ventures, the NewSchool Ventures Seed Fund, and Laureate Education.

“Mouse offers what has largely been missing from the maker movement -- a social purpose that gives a deeper meaning to playful experimentation with technology. Mouse helps students use design thinking and technology skills to solve real problems in their own communities. With Mouse, students are seen as the technology leaders in their schools, have designed robot helpers for individuals with cerebral palsy and have developed strategies for reducing the carbon footprint of their schools,” said Greenfield.

Greenfield previously helped start three technology businesses, including Rethink Autism, DB Software (acquired by Cadre Software and now part of CA), and Synernetics (acquired by 3Com), and worked as an associate at ABS Ventures.

“Matt brings a unique mix of education, technology and financial acumen to our Board of Directors,” said Brian J. Miller, Chairman of the Board, Mouse. “There is great synergy between Matt’s experience and our strategic vision for Mouse. He believes, as do we, that the earlier we get young people creating and designing with technology, the more prepared they will be for the future.”

In addition to Synernetics, his successful investments include Engrade (where he chaired the board through the company's acquisition by McGraw Hill Education), Wireless Generation (acquired by News Corp.), Analog Analytics (acquired by Barclays), Atricure, and Wellfleet (merged with Synoptics to form Bay Networks and then acquired by Nortel).

“Mouse does more than any other organization I have yet encountered to equip students with 21st-century skills. Mouse students become social entrepreneurs and engaged citizens before they even enter high school. Each of those participants in turn helps dozens of others today and may someday transform the lives of millions,” said Greenfield.

Greenfield received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in English from Yale University, where he won five academic prizes and fellowships from the Mellon and Whiting Foundations and served on the editorial board of the Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities.

About Mouse
Mouse empowers underserved youth to learn, lead and create with technology, preparing them with skills essential for their academic and career success. Our programs give youth the opportunity to support their school community and connect with peers and adults who make, learn and dream with digital media and technology. Founded in 1997 in New York City, Mouse programs have had a positive and lasting impact on more than 23,000 students nationwide. Learn more about Mouse at www.mouse.org.

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