Breaking Borders: How Smart EdTech Founders Build Scalable Companies Without Losing Local Trust

If you’re trying to grow your education business beyond where you started—this episode is for you.

Because whether you’re moving from one country to another, or just one state to the next…

The real challenge isn’t translation.
It’s trust.

In this episode of Breaking the Grade, I sit down with Denise Abulafia—EdTech founder, Penn GSE professor, and the visionary behind Educatina, a platform that scaled to over 6 million students in Latin America and earned traction across vastly different regions.

But here’s what stood out:
She didn’t just grow into new markets—she built credibility at the ground level.
And that credibility? It unlocked consistent inbound leads and sales-ready conversations—before she ever pitched.

We dig into the soft skills that matter more than any pitch deck:
Understanding cultural context.
Listening before selling.
And building the kind of partnerships that open doors and fill your pipeline.

🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ Why early traction often stalls when you move into new regions (even nearby)
✅ How Denise landed high-trust partnerships before she had a product
✅ What she did on vacation that turned into a closed deal
✅ The credibility play that beats credentials every time
✅ Why being underestimated can become your strongest edge
✅ How trust-first founders generate more qualified leads, faster

This is for you if:
📍 You’re growing into a new town, city, state, region, or country
📍 You’re hitting friction with a proven product
📍 You want your next move to be smarter—not just bigger

📤 Then share this with one education founder who’s scaling into new territory—and needs a lead generation strategy rooted in trust.

#EdTech #EdSales #LeadGeneration #EducationLeadership #BreakingTheGrade #GlobalEdTech #FounderLessons