Grovo

Grovo is an online training platform that helps people use the Internet by producing engaging video courses on the most relevant websites for individuals, businesses, educators and non-profits.

Grovo creates customized packages that help users start using the websites they need the right way, right away. Grovo’s packages automatically populates an easy to follow path covering the most significant websites pertaining to the user’s needs. With course notes, glossaries, quizzes and certifications, Grovo creates informed Internet users and drives real results.

Grovo enables organizations to boost productivity and sales, while saving money and time for educators and consumers. Grovo makes it easy for businesses and non-profits to take advantage of relevant web solutions that will engage new customers and members, improve productivity, and increase their bottom-line. Educators utilize Grovo to supplement coursework, while consumers leverage Grovo’s videos to work better, surf better, and save money.

Grovo produces all of its own content in-house, dedicating over 30 hours of research into each course. The production team publishes new videos every two weeks, while constantly updating past courses as sites are updates.  Grovo courses features the most relevant sites and tools on the web, such as GoDaddy, Facebook, YouTube, Google Docs, Gmail, Amazon, eBay, Twitter and Internet Security.

Jeff Fernandez Cofounder, Chief Executive Officer
Jeff Fernandez is the Cofounder and CEO of Grovo, the training platform that makes using the best websites easy. 

Before Grovo, Jeff was a Product Manager at Clickable, a web service that brings simplicity to online advertising. He worked on Clickable's flagship product, Clickable Pro, and helped integrate Facebook advertising and launch the American Express OPEN partnership. Jeff left Clickable to launch Grovo in July 2010. Before Clickable, Jeff joined Doostang in May 2006 as its second employee, where he worked with the founding team to raise its venture financing from Shasta Ventures and launch its New York office. Jeff headed business development and sales until February 2009, when he joined the company's Advisory Board. Jeff graduated from Harvard College in 2005 with Highest Honors and published his senior thesis, "Coaches Motivational Techniques and Individual Athletic Performance" with the International Institute for Sport and Human Performance in the Kinesiology Publications.

Nick Narodny Cofounder, Chief Content Officer
Nick Narodny is Cofounder and Chief Content Officer at Grovo. Like Jeff, Nick comes to Grovo from Clickable Inc. where he was a Team Lead on the Sales Team. While at Clickable, Nick helped grow the team from five to eighteen salespeople and served as the Marketing liaison providing direct customer feedback on marketing initiatives. Nick Left Clickable to launch Grovo in June 2010.
 
Before Clickable, Nick worked as an Aerospace M&A Investment banker at Jefferies Quarterdeck. During his tenure, Nick worked with some of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the country and closed a multitude of sell side transactions. Nick graduated cum laude from Boston College in 2006 with a degree in Business Management. Nick lives in New York City in the East Village.

Surag Mungekar Cofounder, Chief Technical Officer
Surag Mungekar is Cofounder and CTO of Grovo. After working with Jeff and Nick on the idea of a dynamic e-learning system, he found its vision inspiring and a great opportunity to apply his knowledge and fulfill his interests. Surag built Grovo's platform from the ground up and handles the technical infrastructure for the company.
 
Prior to Grovo, Surag worked as a senior engineer at Nuance Communications, building voice, web, and desktop software solutions. His main interests lay in web technologies and a desire to build innovative products. Surag graduated from Columbia University in 2005 with a degree in Computer Engineering.

Grovo’s initial business model is led by freemium user’s subscriptions.  The first five lessons are free just for signing up and more lessons are offered as incentive as part of a viral invitation program. For every contact you invite to join Grovo, you get five more free lessons. For every one of those contacts that actually signs up for Grovo, you get an additional ten free lessons.

Before the end of 2010, Grovo will be launching a premium content and training platform for businesses, organizations and non-profits.  For $4.99/mo, users will be given full access to content without having to invite friends.  This will include premium content such as videos on Google Analytics, Facebook Advertising and Twitter for Business.  The monthly subscription will also give paid users access to the Grovo training platform, where organizations can train their staff, interns & virtual assistants on the latest technologies for marketing, sales and productivity by assigning courses to employees, managing accounts and measuring progress, all from an easy-to-use interface.

Grovo also plans on partnering with organizations an larger businesses for white labeling services and licensed content.  Additionally, future plans include sponsored advertising where companies can get their educational videos in front of Grovo users based on demographics, browsing habits, and interests, to find and educate potential users.  Taking it a step further, businesses can partner with Grovo to create Grovo courses on their site to train current users.  Educated users is a loyal users.

Grovo is simple, free, has proprietary and scalable content, and huge distribution channels.

Jumping onto the Web can be a daunting mix of new technologies and tools that don't make sense, and acronyms and lingo that sound like gibberish.

Blogs and online searching yields disparate information and takes time.  The best you can come up with are bulk articles about high level strategy, amateur videos usually done by consultants that want you to buy their services, or check lists guides that don’t actually guide you through the process.  Of course businesses, non-profits and educators could hire outside consultants, but they are always costly and often hit-or-miss.