# How I Built Resilience: Jessie Woolley-Wilson of DreamBox

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2020-08-08
- Length: 20m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-08-08-how-i-built-resilience-jessie-woolley-wilson-of-dreambox

## Summary

Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO of DreamBox Learning, discusses how the company navigated the rapid shift to remote learning during the pandemic. She explains the decision to open the platform for free to existing school districts, which resulted in adding over two million new students in five weeks. Woolley-Wilson details the operational 'stretch marks' this growth caused, the leadership challenges of managing remote teams, and her philosophy of 'benevolent friction' to drive product improvement.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-08-08-how-i-built-resilience-jessie-woolley-wilson-of-dreambox#t=0) Introduction and DreamBox Overview
- [1:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-08-08-how-i-built-resilience-jessie-woolley-wilson-of-dreambox#t=62) Pandemic Response and Free Access Strategy
- [4:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-08-08-how-i-built-resilience-jessie-woolley-wilson-of-dreambox#t=244) Operational Impact and Leadership Challenges
- [6:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-08-08-how-i-built-resilience-jessie-woolley-wilson-of-dreambox#t=404) Market Shifts and Digital Equity
- [12:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-08-08-how-i-built-resilience-jessie-woolley-wilson-of-dreambox#t=759) Future of EdTech and Benevolent Friction

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- DreamBox (product)
- U.S. Bank (company)
- Cares Act (other)

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## Citing this page

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