Penn GSE and the Milken Family Foundation have announced the winners of the ninth annual Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition (EBPC). The winning ventures are aimed to make an impact in such arenas as improving teacher professional development, offering new paths for autism treatment, and an immersive way for students to learn American Sign Language. The EBPC is considered the most prestigious, well-funded and longest-running education business plan competition in the US.

MentorPro, from New York, won both the Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation Grand Prize ($40,000 and $25,000 in Amazon Web Services Promotional credits) and the American Public University System Prize ($20,000). MentorPro is a platform that optimizes and coordinates the feedback process, facilitating communication between mentors and teachers to boost effective teacher professional development.

ABAL Therapeutics, of Iowa, won the ChanceLight Behavioral Health, Therapy and Education Prize ($20,000). ABAL provides software that automates aspects of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the gold standard for interventional autism treatment, allowing therapists to administer therapeutic regimens remotely.

Curio Learning, of Kentucky, won the Navitas Ventures Prize ($20,000). Curio Learning is an online space for teachers to discover new ideas, curate them visually and collaborate with other teachers around the world.

SignOn, of Michigan, won the iTutor Group Prize ($20,000). SignOn is a Virtual Immersion Program that enables American Sign Language students to immerse in one-on-one live sessions with the deaf via a two-way video.

Additionally, finalists receive $1,000 in cash and $5,000 in Amazon Web Services Promotional credits.