Vadim Polikov
Legends of Learning
Fulton, MD USA
"For those who have that passion and desire to start something new, something that the world has never seen before, I say definitely go for it."
Career Roadmap
Vadim's work combines: Entrepreneurship, Education, and Problem Solving
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Facing countless rejections while pitching to investors, I leaned on resilience and my passion for education to push through. When it comes to successful business stories, we only hear about the yeses. No one talks about all the rejections that happened before the success. Part of sales is recognizing that so many people are going to say no. But you just need one person to say yes on the funding side to get the ball rolling. That's why resilience and perseverance are crucial as an entrepreneur.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Biomedical Engineering
Duke University
Doctorate
Biomedical Engineering
Duke University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I earned both my bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering from Duke University.
2.
I started my entrepreneurial journey after grad school by launching a business helping international researchers improve their publications.
3.
That business grew and found success, and I was able to sell it and move on to other entrepreneurial ventures.
4.
Motivated by my passion for climate change, I founded a solar installation company and grew it across the U.S. coasts.
5.
I was inspired by the video game “Civilization" to use games for educational engagement.
6.
Conversations with teachers revealed the gap in classroom-friendly educational games and prompted me to create Legends of Learning.
7.
Partnering with game studios, we combined a rigorous curriculum with fun gameplay, making learning engaging and effective.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
No, we don't want to fund you.
How I responded:
Facing countless rejections while pitching to investors, I leaned on resilience and my passion for education to push through. When it comes to successful business stories, we only hear about the yeses. No one talks about all the rejections that happened before the success. Part of sales is recognizing that so many people are going to say no. But you just need one person to say yes on the funding side to get the ball rolling. That's why resilience and perseverance are crucial as an entrepreneur.