Building Impactful Edtech: Ryan Patenaude’s Journey From FEV Tutor to RP Impact Partners

This week on Solve for X, host Dr. Rick Fernandez sits down with Ryan Patenaude, Founder and Managing Director of RP Impact Partners and co-founder of FEV Tutor.Ryan shares the full journey from growing FEV Tutor from $0 to $50M without outside investment to now helping edtech companies scale the right way. Grounded in a family of educators, his work has always centered on equity, access, and delivering real outcomes for students.Rick and Ryan dive into what it actually takes to build, scale, and sell an edtech company, and why many companies get it wrong in today’s market. From the “false reality” created during COVID funding to what districts actually need now, this conversation is packed with hard-earned lessons on strategy, partnerships, and long-term impact.If you’re building in edtech, leading a district, or trying to navigate what comes next in K–12, this episode offers clarity on where the market is heading and how to win by doing the right work.What You’ll LearnHow Ryan helped grow FEV Tutor from startup to $50M without outside capitalThe real gap tutoring was solving for underserved studentsWhy tech-enabled services beat pure software in high-impact interventionsLessons from building, scaling, and eventually selling an edtech companyWhy mentorship and learning from the right people accelerates growthWhat the edtech market got wrong during COVID and ESSER fundingWhy today’s market demands outcomes, not featuresThe shift from vendor selling to strategic partnerships with districtsCommon mistakes edtech companies make in messaging and go-to-market strategyWhy net revenue retention matters more than just landing new dealsWhat it takes to build trust and long-term partnerships with school districtsEpisode Timestamps05:51 "Equitable Tutoring for All Students"07:24 "Urgency in Education Leadership"11:52 "Lessons on Growth and Investment"15:55 "Building Networks Through Curiosity"18:15 "Rebuilding Schools Through Leadership"23:13 "Second Chance for Greater Growth"25:38 "Bittersweet Journey of Selling Business"30:15 Edtech's Post-Pandemic Reset32:11 "Seizing Opportunities in EdTech"34:53 Strategic Partnerships in EdTech39:38 Regional Strategy & Revenue Retention44:02 "Doing Well While Doing Good"Connect with UsHost’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rick-fernandez-40692434/Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerschool-groupSpecial ThanksTo Ryan Patenaude for sharing an honest and insightful look into building, scaling, and evolving in edtech, and for continuing to support companies and districts focused on real student impact.Stay ConnectedFollow, like, and subscribe to Solve for X for more stories where curiosity meets collaboration. Until next time—keep asking the right questions, and keep solving for X.