Tamboro Platform

The 21st century has been characterized by a transformation of the world's dynamics, boosted by technological disruption and its implications. In this scenario, soft skills development have become a key factor to face society’s challenges and to guarantee one’s employability. However, the educational system doesn’t change at the same pace, creating a gap between what is learned through education and training and what is demanded by society and employers. This gap is even more significant in disadvantaged communities. That’s why Tamboro has developed a game-based learning platform with courses for the development and assessment of 21st century skills. Its courses combine an active learning methodology with the scalability of an online training, accessible through computer and mobile. It's a solution that allow people to work on their employability regardless their social and economic backgroud. 

The world is in a constant and fast changing process. The society and the labour market have been increasingly demanding the so-called 21st century skills, such as creativity, active learning, complex problem solving, critical thinking, etc. However, people still don’t have access to an efficient learning of these skills. That’s why education and training need new tools that are at the same time efficient and scalable to help closing skills gaps. The World Economic Forum estimates that 5 millions jobs will disappear due to the IA, and that 65% of children who enter the school will have jobs that don’t exist yet. According to IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Statistics) data, about 25,7% of young people are unemployed in Brazil. Tamboro believes that thinking about the development of these skills is to think about a long lifetime learning. Learning these 21st century skills is being prepared for the changes and challenges for this new world scenario, as well as a way of working on one’s employability.

Tamboro serves the youth and professionals from different working areas. It includes self-employed, resellers, young professionals from food franchises, delivery men, and partnership with institutions working diversity and first jobs. For every project implemented by Tamboro there is a detailed analysis of the “public’s and the region’s DNA”. Algorithms map the characteristics and needs of the target people, as well as the opportunities and needs from their region through online challenges done on the platform. These results are used to suggest and set up learning trails. During the learning process, the algorithm keeps collecting data and matching with their local reality. At the end users receive a certificate and become part of a matching database with food and delivery franchises, and institutions working diversity and first jobs.

Tamboro has developed an online platform with courses and challenges for the development and assessment of 21st century skills, such as creativity, communication, complex problem solving, decision making, finantianal organization, etc. It’s a game-based learning platform that has an active learning methodology including peer work activities, and uses AI algorithms to evaluate one’s proficiency on these skills. The users’ experience on the platform starts with a profile test, identifies how acquainted they are with these skills. Using these data AI algorithms suggests a learning path they should follow to achieve a proficiency level. The GPS (Guru Pro Skill), monitors and assesses users progress throughout the activities, creating a proficiency scale capable of measuring their proficiency level before and after the training. At the end users receive a proficiency certificate showing their evolution through data. The IA algorithm is innovative because it is based on different types of assessments, including peer evaluation. Its framework is able to train, engage users and generate outputs to be compiled to a data analytics tool to measure the talent adherence to the development goals. If it’s the case, employers can access reports to better understand employees’ development and skills gaps. It's a highly scalable platform because it can be accessed online from anywhare, and it's available on computer and mobile. Its architecture makes it possible to adapt its case activities to project’s, needs and goals, as well as makes it translatable into different languages. The courses are made to follow one’s learning timing and disponibility. For companies, the platform enables a recruitment process based on soft skills through personalized championships according to the searched profile. This process makes recruitment processes more democratic because it is skills based, having candidates identity and curriculum revealed only at the end of the championship.

Tamboro Platform is more than a training platform. We use the training process and users’ experiences to generate outcomes to be applied on our AI algorithms. That allows us to create a clear map of skills gaps, one’s stage of development, team profiles and benchmark analysis. Using data and AI algorithms we are able to evaluate skills that are difficult to assess such as creativity, the capacity of solving complex problems, decisions making, etc. The AI algorithm is based on machine learning, it was developed in partnership with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and it’s in constant evolution from ground proof. Since soft skills assessments are usually based on self evaluation and quizzes, Tamboro has developed an innovative methodology based on algorithms, attributes and Fuzzy logic. For example, creativity has 21 attributes that are separately assessed throughout the learning experience, allowing a more complete evaluation and skill development. Which is different from a demonstration about content on creativity. Knowing what creativity is, doesn’t make one a creative person. It’s necessary to create, cocreate, and make constant assessments to develop a skill. Tamboro Platform has a lot of learning by doing activities. Other than that, Tamboro’s learning methodology is also innovative, because it combines the advantages of gamified e-learning training with aspects usually seen in on site training, such as active learning, learning by doing, and peer work. 

The best way of show Tamboro's solution is by telling a case: In 2016 Tamboro and Natura Institute implemented a project with Tamboro Platform for the development of their consultants. It’s still ongoing, and it’s called “Believe to see”. It has exclusive content developed by “Natura Crer para Ver” which believes in people and society’s transformation through education. The platform was designed for the Brazilian women: dynamic, dreamer, hard worker, mother, caretaker, active, more connected and motivated to build a better future as an individual, citizen, and professional. The goal is to get them closer to realising their life project. For that they have learning trails on the platform such as identity, diversity, myself a reader, myself a mother, myself in my community, myself a teacher, my rights, my culture.

Below there are two videos of 2 and 3 years of the project as an example:  

2 years “Believe to see education”:

3 years “Believe to see education”:

Tamboro has today 100k people subscribed on the platform. In the next year we are going to triple its size with new companies, and partnership with organisations in order to develop the base of the pyramid from Tamboro’s solution. In 5 years the goal is to achieve 1,5 million people in Brazil, and expand operations to two other countries in Latin America.

Tamboro has the goal of developing three main areas in the next few years: R&D to calibrate and consolidate the assessment algorithm in order to launch the certification product. Furthermore we have the goal to develop the algorithm to career predicting based on users’ experiences and results on the platform and on the market opportunities. Tamboro is also developing offline access to the platform for those with low quality internet connection; Business Intelligence to create qualified information content about soft skills, recruitment, personal development and assessment. To work on effective communication strategies according to the target public. We also intend to increase online events with awards at the end, such as the one week creativity maraton. The goal is to become a reference on the subject, and to be recognized as a pioneer on soft skills development and assessment, and trainer for the future of jobs; In the content area Tamboro wants to increase during the next few years the framework to 30 courses. Tamboro also wants to expend to other two Latin America countries during the next few years.

Despite the fact that we work with high technology and specialised professionals, Tamboro is a small company with little financial and resources. This factor limits the growth speed needed to achieve the scalability the product allows. Other than that, the escalation process is complex in itself. As a small company we are used to dealing with R&D and a few clients. So the challenge is to deliver a high quality service, including customer service for a growing number of people, and at the same time keep investing in R&D. We are already organized in key areas to scale such as customer success, post sales, business intelligence, etc. We need to grow to guarantee the results. 

Together with Quintessa, a consulting company specialist on growth planning, we are establishing a plan with an escalation process and results measuring. We are working to be recognized among Brazilian big companies as a T&D reference, and we participate on calls of investment and partnership for start up projects. In that way we intend to have the means to keep investing mostly in the three areas mentioned above. In march 2020 Tamboro was selected to the investment and acceleration program We Impact for women entrepreneurs. Among 925 inscriptions, 18 were selected. The program is led by Microsoft and other investors, and it will be important to help us overcome the barriers to grow.

Tamboro is currently present in many states of Brazil. In 2015 we launched the first version of the platform in seven universities of Anima Group for about 25 thousands students. In 2016, the Natura Institute started a project with the platform targeting the personal and professional development of their independent sellers. These were the first two projects using the platform that are still going on. Other than that, we also have as clients the Brazilian clothing brand Reserva running a project to qualify their sellers. We also have projects impacting employees from the shopping center administrator Ancar, the e-commerce website Farfetch and Nestlé. 

We have today more than 100 thousands registered users today. These two videos are an example of a project developed with clients. They are the video of the 2 and 3 year anniversaries of the project with Natura Institute. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlzD5sKjc7o ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMdtM8IgJ2Y 

Tamboro has today 10 full time employees. There are 4 directors and partners in key areas for the company’s development: Technology (Samara Werner - CEO & cofounder); Learning architecture (André Couto - Director); Product (Tite Zobaran - Director); Commercial & Operations (Maíra Pimentel - COO & cofounder). Other than that, Tamboro has collaborators working in areas such as IT, administration, products design, learning architecture, commercial and communication & marketing.

Tamboro’s partners come from a long journey in the educational field. Samara Werner has specialized in system analysis. She participated in the creation of the Oi Futuro institute, where she was the Educational Director for 11 years. During this time she was responsible for the development of awarded projects in the new technology & educational fields, such as NAVE and the expansion of the Tonomundo. She also worked 11 years with software development and was operational director of the startup B-education. Maira Pimentel has specialized in marketing, social responsibility and third sector. She has 7 years of experience as web and mobile project manager in companies, such as Petrobras and TIM.  For the last 13 years she has been developing projects in the social area. In 2010 she implemented the operations of the program Ensina!. She also worked at the institute OI Future, where she implemented and coordinated the NAVE program, and the Tonomundo expansion. Tite Zobaran has specialized in marketing strategic planning, design thinking, creation and development of communication projects for online and paper solutions. She has more than 25 years of experience, developing communication and design projects for companies, such as Allianz Seguros, Icatu, Gafisa. André Couto has specialized in contemporary education and innovative methodologies for formal and informal education. He coordinated Art and Education projects at cultural institutions in Rio de Janeiro. He also developed projects of teacher training, and digital inclusion in partnership with USP’s School of the Future in all brazilian states, and in Mozambique.

Tamboro has two main business models: For companies and final customers. In the B2B model, it offers license packages for collaborators development. Its value depends on the number of licenses purchased by the company.  There are 5 

price ranges according to the number of licenses, the greater the number of purchased licenses, the lower the price. Tamboro can also customize users experiences with personalized real cases content, and interface. In that way it can have a better fit with customers needs. The value of this service depends on the customization degree. In the B2C model, Tamboro has a fixed price for each course (skill) available online. The proficiency certificate is included in the price. Tamboro has a competitive pricing policy that takes under consideration Brazilian social reality.

Tamboro’s money comes from capital investments - angels, VOX impact, Venâncio Participações and Amadego Ltda. As well as, from licenses sold through contracts with companies and retail sales from the website. At this stage of scale we are investing on increasing our B2B

According to the World Economic Forum:

“Over four in 10 firms in Latin America say they have difficulty finding workers with the right skills, according to ManpowerGroup surveys. Companies in Argentina are worst hit, with 59% struggling to hire staff with the right skills; in Colombia that figure is 50%, and Peru 49%. For more than a decade now – that is, during the economic boom of the 2000s, the slowdown since 2012, the recession of 2015-2016, and the present recovery – Latin America has ranked as the region with the widest skills gap in the world.”

In this scenario the need to work on people skills is evidente, and we believe Tamboro has a solution that suits this need. Its innovative aspect with soft skills proficiency certification in combination with the mapping of required profiles in the job market is demanded not only in Brazil, but worldwide. In this scaling stage having partener and funding to keep investing in R&D is very important and valued. Solve can be a partner in helping people be more prepared to make their life projects. 

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in their area: All graduates have the necessary skills to succeed in the labor market and contribute to society.