Background: Chris Egasti founded BioBuddy after experiencing distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic while in a post-baccalaureate pre-med program at the University of Virginia. Together with his roommate Nate French, who was also in the pre-med program, they laid the groundwork for the learning portal and developed the BioBuddy prototype.

• Egasti previously served as a medic in the US Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment. Before military service, he worked as a substitute teacher in high-poverty schools.
• Currently enrolled in Ohio State’s MBA program, Egasti is working on expanding the BioBuddy pilot program nationwide.

Why Now? Egasti repeatedly would ask himself, “Why isn’t there a comprehensive, high-quality science resource that expands access to all?” With that question, Egasti and French recently collaborated with expert scientists and world-class animators to develop resources for their first subject, biology. With the increasing need for accessible and effective educational tools, especially for visual learners and those struggling with traditional methods, now is the perfect time for BioBuddy to expand its reach.

Mission: “Our mission is to improve the outlook for the next generation of science students,” said Egasti, “Our future sees students face science with curiosity and confidence, empowered by biology experts and world-class animators. To achieve this goal, we will focus on quality, comprehension, and access.”

What He Said: “We’ve created a resource that should be available to every student striving to achieve in a biology course; a resource that enables students, empowers educators and gives parents the assurance their students have a guide to success.”

What’s Next: BioBuddy continues to expand its interactive learning tools to enhance science education accessibility and effectiveness, and it recently hired Nick Shippers as its Head of Growth. 

For more details, visit BioBuddy’s Pilot Launch Announcement.