From Local Giants to Global Leaders: Scaling EdTech to the World

Recorded live at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Deepanshu Arora, Founder & CEO at Toddle; Arif Karakus, CFO at Doping Technology; Joleen Liang, Co-founder at Squirrel AI Learning; Zara Zaman, Investor & Head of Platform at Emerge Capital; and Joy Chen, Senior Advisor at GSV Ventures and Stanford Accelerator for Learning.Some of the world’s most ambitious EdTech companies had been built not in Silicon Valley, but in intensely competitive markets around the globe defined by massive demand, rapid iteration, and high stakes for learners and families. As more of these companies looked beyond their home markets, this session explored why the path from local success to global relevance is anything but straightforward.This conversation brought together founders and operators at different stages of international expansion to examine what it truly takes to scale globally. Speakers discussed key challenges and strategic decisions spanning early market selection, product localization, partnerships, regulation, and organizational readiness. Panelists also shared lessons learned, ongoing missteps, and practical insights from navigating the complexities of expanding across borders.By exploring how leading EdTech companies move from dominant local players to globally relevant organizations, this session highlighted the operational, strategic, and cultural considerations shaping the next generation of international education innovation.