Biography

As an emerging leader in the Education Technology industry, Libby is already making a name for herself both nationally and in New Orleans, where she lives and leads Whetstone Education.

In 2014, Libby Fischer, a TFA alumna, took the helm of Whetstone Education, a then struggling technology company with a clunky teacher evaluation platform used by 30 schools. Within 9 months, Libby led her two-person team to turn the company around by evolving the product with tools for daily teacher coaching, fast-tracked a UI/UX overhaul that led to a 90% user retention rate, and a contract with the pioneers of instructional coaching, Uncommon Schools in New York City, leading to 5x growth by the 2015-16 school year. Since then, Whetstone has grown from 30 schools to over 1,000 schools worldwide, with flagship partners at Denver Public Schools, DC Public Schools, Tulsa Public Schools, and over half of all public schools in New Orleans. Whetstone’s revenue has grown beyond $2 million annually -- a difference of 28x from 2014 -- and Whetstone has created 13 new jobs in New Orleans. All of this was accomplished while bootstrapped.

Libby was named to Forbes 30 under 30 in Education in 2016 and 2017. She has also been named to the Silicon Bayou Top 100 in Tech and Entrepreneurship for her ability to lead Whetstone through uncertain waters with no business background. Libby was a founding member of the governing board of Elan Elementary in New Orleans, and currently sits on the Greater New Orleans area regional council of STAR (Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response).