Cleveland's First European Startup?
by Joe Pavlisko
May 19, 2024
I'd like to introduce PassionClass, Cleveland's newest startup. And when I say Cleveland, I mean Vienna. Vienna, as in, Vienna, Austria.I've been working on PassionClass for the last year or so. It's likeAirBNB, but for classes: you can teach or learn anything online, with real people and live interaction. Unlike a YouTube video, if you have a question, you can ask it. UnlikeMasterClass, you have a relationship with the person teaching you, and they know your name. Unlike Preply, you have a group of colleagues and friends to go through the course with you, keeping you motivated and learning.Everyone's story is unique, but if I may say so, PassionClass's is particularly out of the box. I graduated in 2008 from Kirtland High, and then in 2012 from the University of Alabama, and finally in 2014 fromHarvard. My professional path has led me to Vienna, Austria, where I've been working on a theological master's degree for the last two and a half years.While in Austria, I've been working on something in addition to my studies: PassionClass.co, the marketplace for live classes. But the company's story has remained firmly embedded in Ohio. Our very first class to run was our Spanish class, which is taught by Christian, and Chilean immigrant to the Cleveland area whom I met while volunteering as a GED tutor with Esperanza. By complete chance, both course participants were native to Ohio.PassionClass's first employee is similarly from the Cleveland area, and three out of our four first participants are from Ohio- two from Columbus, one from Northeast Ohio. While our first employee being based in Cleveland is less random, because he came from my circle of acquaintances, it certainly seems that Ohioans have an appetite to learn things online at good prices.PassionClass is place where people can offer classes about things they know a lot about: a friend of mine from Vienna with extensive certification teachers German and another friend from the Netherlands teaches a class on self-improvement, while I myself offer classes on "Studying abroad in Europe as an American" and yes, computer science. PassionClass launched just a few weeks back and are always looking for individuals to share their talents in new ways with one another- earn money doing it. Just like AirBNB orEtsy, if you've got entrepreneurial spirit, PassionClassempowers you to make money while sharing that talent with others. From rap to yoga to foreign languages, there's so much we can teach and learn from one another that we don't need university credit for.PassionClass.net is a platform learn from real people, live, with the price advantage of group classes and the ability to connect people anywhere in the globe. And for people looking to teach what they know, it offers the time, social, and financial benefits of group-based, live learning with real human beings.If you're interested to take a look at what classes we've got, from Spanish to Web Development to Résumé Writing, please visit us athttps://passionclass.net. And if you're looking to make some money and are one of the many Ohioans with unique skillsets, from English as a foreign language to juggling to cooking, teaching a PassionClass is a great first business for aspiring entrepreneurs.