# Alec Whitters

> Alec Whitters is the Cedar Rapids-raised co-founder and CEO of Higher Learning Technologies, now branded HLT Mastery. While studying at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 2012, he became frustrated with paper board-exam flashcards and recruited longtime friends Adam Keune and Ben O'Connor to build a mobile alternative. The company went on to create more than 40 test-prep products, and says it has served more than 27 million students across 192 countries.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Higher Learning Technologies (HLT Mastery)
- **Organizations:** Higher Learning Technologies, HLT Mastery, University of Iowa
- **Education:** High school, Xavier High School, Cedar Rapids, Dental studies; left before completing the program, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Semester at Sea
- **Known for:** Named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Education list in 2017., Co-founded a mobile learning company that says it has served more than 27 million students in 192 countries., Built HLT from one dental-board app into a portfolio of more than 40 test-prep products.

## Career timeline

- **2012** — While studying for dental licensure exams, began developing a mobile alternative to paper flashcards and co-founded Higher Learning Technologies with Adam Keune and Ben O'Connor.
- **2012-11** — Released Dental Boards Mastery, the company's first app.
- **2013-05** — Released a nursing licensure app that quickly became a top-grossing education app.
- **2014** — HLT announced a $5.5 million Series A after an earlier $1 million seed round.
- **2017** — Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in Education.
- **2021** — Whitters, Keune and O'Connor received Iowa JPEC's Young Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
- **2026** — HLT Mastery announced recognition on TIME and Statista's America's Top EdTech Companies 2026 list.

## Achievements

- Named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Education list in 2017.
- Co-founded a mobile learning company that says it has served more than 27 million students in 192 countries.
- Built HLT from one dental-board app into a portfolio of more than 40 test-prep products.
- Received Iowa JPEC's Young Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year Award with co-founders Adam Keune and Ben O'Connor.
- Led HLT through a $5.5 million Series A announced in 2014 and subsequent investment growth.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — HLT Mastery announced that it was included on TIME and Statista's America's Top EdTech Companies 2026 list.
- **2021-10** — Whitters and HLT co-founders Adam Keune and Ben O'Connor were honored by Iowa JPEC as Young Alumni Entrepreneurs of the Year.

## Links

- Website: https://hltmastery.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-whitters-2377ab22

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/alec-whitters
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-25