In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Will Sealy, CEO and Co-Founder of Summer, a student debt technology platform that's raised over $18 Million in funding, about why so many Americans are still paying back student loans well into their senior years, and the long-term impacts this debt burden can have on individuals and the companies they work for. By partnering with employers and financial institutions to reach hundreds of thousands of employees, Summer helps their clients manage everything from financial planning to college tuition fees, and savings to pay off loans in a swift, sustainable, and well-structured way.
We speak to CEO and Co-Founder Will Sealy about his personal experiences with the burden of student debt and the origin story of Summer, transitioning from government work to entrepreneurship, challenges operating in the student loan sector and why it needs improvement, and how Summer intends to change the narrative about college education ROI in contemporary America.
Topics Discussed:
- Will’s personal experiences dealing with shortcomings and challenges in the student loan sector, and his inspiration for founding Summer
- Will’s background briefing members of Congress on the challenges and potential solutions for the student loan sector
- How Summer manages to secure partnerships with financial institutions and employers across the economy
- A range of potential solutions for student debt relief, and why so many borrowers are in urgent need of assistance
- Why Summer is seeking to transform the established narratives surrounding ROI on a college education
- Why Will hopes for more affordable tuition and more accountable colleges as part of a long term student loan solution
Favorite book:
Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist