Leveraging a disruptive business model and technology to empower students with the knowledge and skills they will need to compete in our global economy.
Leveraging a disruptive business model and technology to empower students with the knowledge and skills they will need to compete in our global economy.
THE PROBLEM
Governments of developing countries are challenged in affording the high cost to digitally transform their education sectors and covid-19 has made the problem worse since digital transformation now is a must for every country. Without the ability to digitally transform their education sector, millions of students in developing countries have dropped out of school and this problem is becoming permanent.
THE SOLUTION
Leveraging our disruptive business model, we provide students free VOIP phone service, exactly as Google Voice or Microsoft Teams Voice, thus eliminating phone and data expenses that students and/or their parents in developing countries are currently paying. This repositions students and/or their parents to afford our lower cost unlimited data for the education sector that includes high-speed internet and a laptop with immersive textbooks for every student.
WE PROVIDE SCHOOLS
A digital platform and Learning Management System with real-time dashboards that deep-dive into students’ performance; combined with a classroom management tool with mentoring and other apps that makes student-teacher engagement seamless.
WHO WE ARE
Digital Learning Network (DLN) is a US company leveraging its disruptive business model to digitally transform the education sector of developing countries at a net-zero cost to governments and with no added expense to students.
Digital Learning Network Provides
INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY
Digital tools to provide students with immediate access to a wide range of educational resources, regardless of their geographical location.
ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT
Digital learning platforms offering interactive and multimedia content, which makes learning more engaging, personalized, and fun for students.
IMPROVED COMMUNICATION
Digital tools can facilitate better communication between students, teachers, and parents, which can lead to a more supportive and collaborative learning environment.
Near-Term Benefits
PERSONALIZED LEARNING
With the help of data analytics and artificial intelligence, our digital learning platforms offers personalized learning experiences through adaptive curriculums for each student, which can improve their learning outcomes.
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Digital tools to help students develop important 21st-century skills, such as digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
TEACHER TRAINING
Digital tools to provide teachers with ongoing training and professional development, which can improve the quality of teaching.
Long-Term Benefits
For the country as a whole, these benefits can lead to a more educated, skilled, and inclusive society, which will drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and social progress.
ECONOMIC GROWTH
By improving the quality of education and the skills of the workforce, digital transformation in the education sector can contribute to any country's economic growth and development.
SOCIAL INCLUSION
Digital tools can help to bridge the digital divide and promote social inclusion, by providing disadvantaged and marginalized groups with access to quality education.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Digital transformation in the education sector can also contribute to sustainable development, by promoting digital innovation and the use of renewable energy sources in schools.
OUR TEAM
Thomas Larmena
PRESIDENT / CEO
Born and raised in West Africa, Liberia, Larmena migrated to the United States on a collegiate academic presidential scholarship. He earned a degree in Computer Science and spent more than 17 years at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), where he became one of the youngest managers in the engineering division, leading the new facilities group.
His broad experience, ranging from administration to operations and technology, led to his appointment to develop the largest network of bus simulators for the CTA. These simulators, which were actual replicas of fully functioning bus chassis, were networked across all CTA bus training centers and were showcased by the then Mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley.
With his strong background in business development, entrepreneurship, strategic planning and team building and his desire to make quality education accessible to students in developing countries, he embarked on a journey to develop innovative solutions.
After more than three years in Silicon Valley, he created a disruptive business model that is now making it possible to digitally transform the education sector in developing countries without governmental development costs and with no added expense to the average student.
Larmena received his B.Sc. from Chicago State University.
Jason Arena
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Jason joined DLN in February 2021 as CMO. He has an extensive marketing background having worked in-house and on the agency side for fortune 100 companies across a number of industries including technology, healthcare, logistics, international shipping, retail and consumer electronics.
He is also the co-founder of Prismatik. a retail merchandising application for eCommerce brands that enables curation of complimentary products that drive multiple sales and deepens customer engagement.
Previously, Jason served as Managing Director at OneKreate, a hybrid creative and technology firm where he grew revenue from $11 million to $40 million. He also served as the key architect effecting a merger with the company’s largest competitor and creating a $93 million combined entity in a private equity transaction with Bertram Capital.
Before that, he was Global Vice President of Design and Packaging for Bayer Healthcare where he managed the development of the company’s first corporate-wide digital asset management and approval system.
Jason also held senior level positions with Office Depot and Macey Noyes Associates.
Jason graduated with honors from Parson’s School of Design.
Victor Egbegua
VP, PROJECT FINANCE
Victor Ugbegua is a finance professional with more 17 years in corporate finance, project/infrastructure finance, M&A, venture development and management and venture capital investments. He was instrumental in the development of the valuation and financial model practice at Deloitte West Africa. At Delwik GmBH he was a Partner and currently, he is the Director at Ubora Professional Services while advising the Enugu State Government in the capacity of Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on finance.
As the group CFO at AA&R Investment Limited and Head of Corporate Finance at TSL Logistics Limited, he oversaw M&A transactions, capital raising activities, group strategy, cash flow and working capital management, and finance operations activities. He was an Assistant Manager at KPMG, specializing in due diligence, valuation, business planning, financial model development and strategy development for clients in various sectors.
Victor is a graduate of Babcock University, Nigeria where he obtained a B.Sc. Degree in Accounting. He is also a chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
Henry Horace
VP, PARTNERSHIPS
With more than two decades of experience in cerebration-driven leadership, higher education administration and program management, Henry serves as Executive Vice President of Community Integration and Cultural Affairs and leads school engagement (cultivates synergies between DLN and all social and educational stakeholders) at DLN.
As the Founder of Thinking Heart Solutions, he spearheads a consultancy dedicated to equipping educators with trauma-responsive educational strategies. He is deeply committed to fostering institutional excellence and academic achievement through a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion. He is a leader in online curriculum design, instructional delivery and assessment methodologies.
His career spans various roles, including leading initiatives in career and technical education, securing funding, and driving quality improvement efforts for accreditation. He also serves as a board member at Lawrence Hall, where he supports initiatives that empower youth and families through education, independent living skills and clinical services.
He received his EdD, and MA in Higher Education Administration from Argosy University and Chicago State University respectively. He holds a MA in Online Teaching from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a BS in Mathematics from Chicago State University.
John Akpan
EVP, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Mr. John Bassey Akpan is a leading marketing practitioner with over thirty years of impactful delivery in the private, public, and development sectors in Nigeria.
He was selected by the US Department of State to represent Nigeria in the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Program in October 2004.
Mr. Akpan has facilitated commercial and diplomatic missions to various state governments in Nigeria. Those missions led to the creation of economic, commercial, and cultural exchanges between the state governments and the concerned diplomatic missions.
He is the senior vice president for business development, with concurrent responsibility for governmental affairs.
Mr. Akpan holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Lagos and a B.Sc. in Political Science from the University of Calabar, Nigeria.
Dr. Jayne Shoboiki
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Dr. Mrs Jayne Thompson Shoboiki is a seasoned business and Strategic thinker with over three decades of vast Professional experience and educational achievements. .Within this period she has ventured and excelled in the Public sector as an administrator. She is a lawyer, a passionate and successful real estate developer.
Dr. Jayne has a post graduate diploma in Public Administration, a Masters Degree in International Studies and a doctorate degree in International Relations. She holds numerous certifications and memberships amongst which are, certificate in leadership, policy and strategic studies from the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (,NIPPS KURU JOS), certificate in leadership and character in uncertain times, certificate in Women leading Change both from Harvard and Kennedy School USA.
She is a member of the Nigerian & International Bar Association, a fellow of the institute of Professional Managers and Administrators, Chartered Institute of Public Management and the institute of Corporate Administrators of Nigeria. She is an Alumnus of the University of Jos, University of Abuja, University of Reading United Kingdom and the Harvard, Kennedy School Executive Education.
