TEC21
TEC21 is a Nebraska-based professional development organization that delivers cohort-based technology workshops and the TEC21 Connections online platform for K-12 Lutheran school teachers across 35 U.S. LCMS districts and select international sites.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSeward, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What TEC21 does
TEC21 is a private professional development organization that equips K-12 Lutheran school teachers to integrate classroom technology through cohort-based workshops. Founded by Brent Dieckhoff in 2009 and headquartered on the Concordia University–Nebraska campus in Seward, the program operates across 35 U.S. LCMS districts and through international partnerships in the Philippines, China, and Taiwan. As of the 2023–2024 school year, TEC21 served 1,477 teachers and reached a reported 118,575 students, with projections of 143,430 students impacted in 2024–2025.
The core product is the TEC21 Workshop Program: seven monthly one-day workshops delivered either in person at 24 Lutheran school "Innovation Centers" across 14+ U.S. states or through eight virtual non-geographic cohorts (EC-8 Educator, EC-8 Principal, EC-12 Music, 7-12 ELA, Science, Social Studies, Theology). A dedicated STEM workshop track launched in 2021, and supplementary products include TEC21 Vodcasts, the TEC21 Connections Podcast, and optional graduate-level credits through Concordia University, Seward. The technology backbone is the TEC21 Connections online learning community platform, adopted in 2022 to replace a prior system and support course delivery, peer collaboration, and ongoing post-workshop engagement. Content dimensions include general technology integration, STEM, and emerging topics such as artificial intelligence in education.
TEC21's revenue model is fee-for-service on the workshop program ($1,250 per teacher, annual billing, lifetime membership included) layered with donor and grant support. Tuition is frequently covered by Lutheran Church Extension Fund scholarships, title funds, district line-items, angel donors, fundraisers, and Concordia University's Technology in Lutheran Education Fund. Go-to-market is sales-led: principals register teachers via LCMS district networks and Innovation Centers, with marketing through the company website, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest), vodcasts, and presence at education conferences such as GOSPEL. TEC21 is governed as a ministry organization with no venture, private equity, or parent-company ownership.
TEC21 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TEC21
- Legal name
- TEC21
- Website
- https://tec21connect.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- TEC21 is a Nebraska-based professional development organization that delivers cohort-based technology workshops and the TEC21 Connections online platform for K-12 Lutheran school teachers across 35 U.S. LCMS districts and select international sites.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where TEC21 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seward
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
TEC21 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Workshop Program Fees: TEC21 charges $1,250 per teacher for seven energetic, content-rich workshop sessions. The fee covers lifetime membership with ongoing support. Payment is due September 15 of the workshop year. Schools fund participation through title money, line-item budgets, angel donors, fundraisers, or district scholarships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Seven-session workshop program per teacher |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
TEC21 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TEC21 operates a cohort-based professional development program for Lutheran school teachers, delivering seven monthly one-day workshops per school year focused on integrating technology into K-12 classrooms. The program is delivered through in-person cohorts at 24 Lutheran school Innovation Centers across the U.S. and through virtual non-geographic cohorts, supported by the TEC21 Connections online learning community platform and optional graduate-level credit through Concordia University, Nebraska. Schools pay $1,250 per teacher for the workshop year, which includes lifetime membership in the TEC21 Connections community.
Product overview
TEC21 operates as a professional development ecosystem for Lutheran school educators, centered on its core Workshop Program supplemented by the TEC21 Connections online platform. The program offers both in-person cohorts (held at Lutheran school Innovation Centers across the US) and virtual non-geographic cohorts for remote or content-specific learners. Cohorts are organized by grade level (EC-8) and subject area (9-12 ELA, Science, Social Studies, Theology, Music, STEM). Additional offerings include TEC21 Vodcasts on AI topics, the TEC21 Connections Podcast, and optional graduate-level credits through Concordia University. The program has grown from a single Kansas district in 2009 to serving 35 LCMS districts and international partners, with over 1,477 teachers and 143,430 projected students impacted in 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TEC21 Workshop Program A year-long professional development program for Lutheran school educators consisting of seven monthly one-day workshops from September through April. Provides technology training, resources, pedagogical guidance, and ongoing peer support to help teachers integrate technology into their classrooms. Delivered through in-person cohorts at Lutheran school Innovation Centers or virtual non-geographic cohorts; cohort sizes capped at 10 (in-person) or 6 (virtual). Open enrollment in October; schools fund participation through title money, line-item budgets, angel donors, fundraisers, or district scholarships.
- TEC21 Connections Platform An online learning community platform adopted in 2022 to deliver courses, host ongoing peer collaboration, and provide continuous professional development support for participating Lutheran school educators across the U.S. and international partners.
- EC-8 Educator Cohort In-person or virtual cohort program for early childhood through 8th grade Lutheran school educators focusing on technology integration in the Lutheran classroom setting.
- 9-12 Subject-Apecific Educator Cohorts (ELA, Science, Social Studies, Theology, Music) Subject-specific virtual cohorts for high school Lutheran school educators (7-12 ELA, 7-12 Science, 7-12 Social Studies, 7-12 Theology, EC-12 Music) providing content-focused technology integration training and peer collaboration across geographic boundaries.
- STEM Education Workshop Program A STEM-focused variant of the TEC21 workshop program comprising seven monthly virtual sessions bookended by a two-day, in-person summer training academy, with between-session support for participating Lutheran school teachers.
- Graduate-Level Credit Program Optional add-on offered through Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska, allowing TEC21 workshop participants to earn three graduate-level credits for an additional cost beyond the standard workshop fee.
Quantifiable outcome
- 118,575 students impacted in 2023-2024 school year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use TEC21
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
TEC21 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
TEC21 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Concordia University, NebraskacoreTEC21 made its new home on the campus of Concordia University-Nebraska in 2016. The university established the Technology in Lutheran Education Fund to support teachers serving in Lutheran schools to effectively integrate technology. Concordia provides graduate-level credits for TEC21 participants.
- LCMS School MinistrycoreLCMS School Ministry in St. Louis, Missouri is a key affiliate of TEC21, supporting the organization's mission to equip Lutheran school teachers with technology skills.
- Asia Lutheran Education Association (ALEA)minorBeginning in 2019, TEC21 partnered with the Asia Lutheran Education Association to impact Lutheran schools internationally, starting with the Philippine Lutheran Education Association.
- Philippine Lutheran School Association (PLEA)minorTEC21 began partnering with the Philippine Lutheran School Association in 2019 as the first international partner for expanding TEC21 professional development to Lutheran schools overseas.
- Lutheran Elementary School Association (LESA)minorLESA in St. Louis, Missouri is an affiliate partner supporting TEC21's mission in Lutheran education.
- The Lutheran Schools PartnershipminorBased in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this partnership supports TEC21's work in Lutheran education.
- Concordia International School ShanghaiminorConcordia International School Shanghai is an affiliate partner of TEC21, contributing to the global Lutheran education network.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
TEC21 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EdTechTeacher: Provides cohort-based and workshop-format professional development to K-12 teachers on technology integration. Highly comparable to TEC21's core workshop model, though TEC21 is denomination-specific while EdTechTeacher serves public and independent schools broadly.
- Common Sense Education: Delivers digital citizenship and edtech professional development to K-12 teachers via free and paid programs, including cohort-style workshops and online courses. Comparable to TEC21's mission of equipping teachers with technology skills, but at a much larger national scale.
- Atomic Learning (now Hoonuit): Provides on-demand technology training and professional development for educators and students, delivered through an online platform with cohort-style learning paths. Comparable online PD model to TEC21 Connections.
- ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International): Faith-based education membership organization providing professional development, accreditation, and resources to Christian school educators. Directly comparable to TEC21's niche within Lutheran education, though broader across Protestant denominations.
Broad incumbents
- ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education): Membership-based organization offering technology integration standards, certifications, and professional learning for educators. A broader incumbent that overlaps with TEC21's mission but operates at industry-wide scale rather than within a single faith-based network.
- Discovery Education: Major provider of digital curriculum content and teacher professional development for K-12 classrooms. Overlaps with TEC21 in teacher PD for edtech integration but operates at national/international scale with broader content offerings.
- NCEA (National Catholic Educational Association): Largest US faith-based education membership organization, providing PD, advocacy, and resources to Catholic school teachers and administrators. Comparable mission and constituency model to TEC21 but in the much larger Catholic K-12 ecosystem.
- Google for Education (Teacher Center): Free, large-scale online PD and certification program for teachers on Google Workspace and classroom technology. Competes for the same teacher-PD mindshare as TEC21, with far greater reach but no faith-community or cohort-cohesion element.
- LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com): Subscription-based online PD platform with thousands of technology and pedagogy courses for educators and professionals. Comparable as self-paced teacher PD, though lacks TEC21's cohort community and Lutheran-specific contextualization.
Emerging players
- EdSurge Concierge: Free PD-recommendation and research service that helps schools select edtech tools and PD providers. Adjacent to TEC21's role as a trusted guide for Lutheran teachers navigating classroom technology options.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
TEC21 social profiles
Digital presenceTEC21 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TEC21 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
TEC21 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TEC21 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TEC21
What does TEC21 do?
TEC21 operates a cohort-based professional development program for Lutheran school teachers, delivering seven monthly one-day workshops per school year focused on integrating technology into K-12 classrooms. The program is delivered through in-person cohorts at 24 Lutheran school Innovation Centers across the U.S. and through virtual non-geographic cohorts, supported by the TEC21 Connections online learning community platform and optional graduate-level credit through Concordia University, Nebraska. Schools pay $1,250 per teacher for the workshop year, which includes lifetime membership in the TEC21 Connections community.
Is TEC21 a public or private company?
TEC21 is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was TEC21 founded?
TEC21 was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is TEC21 based?
TEC21 is headquartered in Seward, United States, in the North America region.
How does TEC21 make money?
One revenue line is on record: workshop Program Fees.
Who are TEC21's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EdTechTeacher, Common Sense Education, Atomic Learning (now Hoonuit) and ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International). Broad incumbents are ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), Discovery Education, NCEA (National Catholic Educational Association), Google for Education (Teacher Center) and LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com). EdSurge Concierge is listed as an emerging player.
Does TEC21 have an API?
No public API is recorded for TEC21.