HER
Martinson met her future husband Clarence Tan at graduate school in 2016, and they shared a fascination with gaming and education. When some friends, who are teachers, talked of the skills gaps in their classrooms, an idea for a learning platform began to take shape. Martinson and Tan developed Boddle, a 3-D
online math game that tailors its challenges to match students' individual skills gaps.
She said her breakthrough moment came while demonstrating a Boddle prototype at an after-school program in Kansas City. A child who hated math and was being bullied for being two grades behind his peers tried the game, and was transformed. “He even told the kids in his class ‘call me the math boy,’” she said.
When Covid hit and remote learning became essential, Boddle’s user base soared from 1,700 to 50,000 in a few weeks, and today it stands at more than 4.5 million.
Breakthrough
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Her Breakthrough
Plaudits From Forbes
Martinson made the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 list just five years after founding her company. Forbes editorial staff honored her alongside other education visionaries that help “bring access and opportunity to the classroom and beyond.”
As her business grows, Martinson finds that some of the most meaningful connections happen with young kids from underrepresented backgrounds, who look to Martinson and feel inspired.
“Just having a Black female founder of an ed tech company … has been big.” At one classroom career day, she said, a young Black girl exclaimed in awe: “Oh my goodness, you built Boddle?”
With millions of registered students and backing from prestigious venture funds, Boddle Learning is working toward a future where kids have the resources and opportunities to learn in the way that suits them best.
“We can inspire a generation to love learning,” Martinson said. “We can inspire millions of kids who otherwise don't fit into this cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all way that education is being delivered.”
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Her Future
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Martinson doesn’t have to look far for daily inspiration; her young son Christian provides it every day. “Just being able to be a mom and watch my child grow, and all the new things that he's learning. It's so inspiring
to me, and makes me excited for the next generation.”
Motherhood Sustains Her
