Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Martin. He and him share their story with us below:
San Diego (CA) native Austin Martin (26) is the creator and founder of Rhymes with Reason (RwR), an e-learning resource that helps students learn words and boost literacy skills via popular music.
In 2014, at Brown University, Martin founded Rhymes with Reason after he discovered that 67 of the top 100 words on the SAT were detectable in recognizable hip-hop lyrics. Since 2017 RwR has been used in 200+ schools/education programs across the United States and has been covered by Bloomberg, NPR, EducationPost, RevoltTV, HuffingtonPost and other media outlets. RWR has also collaborated with Chance the Rapper’s SocialWorks, was awarded the 2019 Echoing Green Fellowship, Martin was selected as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Education and is currently an Ed.M candidate at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.
Rhymes with Reason has worked with several schools in the Atlanta area including the Kendezi School, KippWays ATL and Atlanta Smart Academy.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has certainly been challenging! Anytime you are trying to do impact work and create true change it is difficult because the reason change is needed, is due to how difficult it can be to execute the change.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Rhymes with Reason is a gamified app that utilizes snippets of licensed popular songs (and spotlights academic vocabulary & literary skills) within its lyrics to help students learn words and build reading skills in a unique way that feels exciting and authentic to Gen-Z learners.
Our patent-pending, web-based app has a proven track record of improving literacy, vocabulary, and reading levels. Rhymes with Reason builds students’ confidence by showing them that academic excellence is already within reach through the music and culture they know and love. Students in over 200 schools (across the USA) and educational programs nationwide learn with Rhymes with Reason. Rhymes with Reason has also partnered with Chance the Rapper’s non-profit SocialWorks, the Detroit Pistons, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. In 2022, Rhymes with Reason is slated to reach close to 225,000 students.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Your work is an endless prototyping process. Don’t be afraid to start out of fear that the first iteration of your work won’t be perfect. It never will be. When I think about where my business/work was five years ago, there is a tendency to feel embarrassed about it and I’m sure I’ll feel that way five years from now. Never let the fear of imperfection hold you back from making progress.
Pricing:
- 9.99/month for individual subscription
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rhymeswithreason.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/rhymeswithreason
- Facebook: facebook.com/rhymeswithreason1
- Twitter: twitter.com/rhymeswreason
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOcNl9EhywzmUSOB215TWEw
