# Guido Kovalskys

> Guido Kovalskys is an Argentine entrepreneur and the co-founder and former CEO of Nearpod. Working with Felipe Sommer and Emiliano Abramzon, he helped develop an interactive classroom platform shaped by teacher feedback and classroom observation. His background includes an economics degree from the University of Buenos Aires, an MBA from Berkeley Haas, work at McKinsey, and a fellowship and lectureship at Stanford’s d.school.

- **Role:** Co-founder and former CEO, Nearpod
- **Organizations:** Nearpod, Panarea Digital, Hexacta, Bionexo, McKinsey & Company, Stanford d.school, Endeavor
- **Nationality:** Argentine
- **Education:** Undergraduate degree in Economics, University of Buenos Aires, MBA, University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business
- **Known for:** Co-founded Nearpod in 2012., Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award at Berkeley Haas in 1998., Nearpod ranked No. 297 on the 2016 Inc. 5000 and No. 942 in 2017.

## Career timeline

- **1996** — Moved to the United States to attend business school at UC Berkeley.
- **1998** — MBA class at Berkeley Haas; received an Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award.
- **After MBA, before Nearpod** — Worked at McKinsey & Company in San Francisco.
- **2003** — Co-founded Panarea Digital, according to his 2016 Inc. profile.
- **2012** — Co-founded Nearpod with Felipe Sommer and Emiliano Abramzon.
- **2013–2014** — Entrepreneurial residency at Stanford d.school, reported by HSM Management.
- **2016** — Nearpod introduced VR activities; ranked No. 297 on the Inc. 5000.
- **2018** — Selected as an Endeavor Entrepreneur with his Nearpod co-founders.
- **2019** — Nearpod acquired Flocabulary following conversations with Alex Rappaport.
- **2021** — Renaissance acquired Nearpod for $650 million; Pep Carrera was CEO at the time.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Nearpod in 2012.
- Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award at Berkeley Haas in 1998.
- Nearpod ranked No. 297 on the 2016 Inc. 5000 and No. 942 in 2017.
- Selected as an Endeavor Entrepreneur in 2018.
- Helped develop a classroom platform through hundreds of hours of observation and repeated prototypes.

## Latest updates

- **2025-08** — Berkeley Haas’s summer 2025 magazine published a joint alumni note from Kovalskys and three MBA 1998 classmates about recurring trips, including a Patagonian trekking, fishing, and biking outing; the trip’s exact date was not specified.
- **2025-04** — Endeavor Miami’s Outliers 2025 announcement included Nearpod and named all three co-founders.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gkovalskys/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/guidonearpod

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/guido-kovalskys
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25