Frank Ricotta

CEO & Founder, BurstIQ

Maryville University is a nationally recognized private institution located just 22 miles from downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Our university offers a comprehensive and innovative education focused on student learning, outcomes, and success. Maryville is a tech-forward and future-focused university that has been disrupting higher education for over 150 years. We deliver a rigorous, technology-driven, mentor-inspired education in a diverse and inclusive learning environment. We help our students take it to the next level – no matter what field they choose – by partnering with industry leaders to ensure they master the most in-demand skills and gain valuable internship and leadership experiences. 

Supernova Award Category: 
Tech Optimization and Modernization
The Problem: 

In the post-COVID era, Maryville University realized it needed a way to deliver innovative solutions to attract a new learning mindset. Traditional enrollment and education are scarcity models. To truly disrupt higher education, Maryville needed a way to personalize learning engagements to make relationships with students span their lifelong learning journey. 

 

 

The Solution: 

Maryville University's data was fragmented across 267 different systems, making it impossible to achieve a holistic view of each student. We overhauled our IT approach, pioneering what we call collective tech. This innovation broke down our data silos, making information more accessible and useful across the entire organization. We needed a reliable data flow to gain deeper student insights and create personalized, AI-powered educational approaches beyond the traditional four-year model. BurstIQ's LifeGraph Platform delivers the advanced data management we needed to unify our systems, ensure data integrity, and provide a "Golden Student Record."

The Results: 

We broke down all our data silos and turned Maryville into a true data-driven culture focused on revolutionizing the student experience. We now have digital DNA, or LifeGraphs, of our students, faculty, and courses, giving us a holistic view of all our data so we can see how it all compares and relates to each other. Doing so has enabled us to analyze our curriculum and map the granular skills obtained in each course. Using verifiable credentials, we can attest to the skills learned to create a highly accurate and trustworthy representation of each student's learning experience. Most importantly, it has given us a solid, trustworthy foundation to embark on AI initiatives to help Maryville set the pace for next-gen learning experiences.

Metrics: 

We’re year 2 into a 5-year plan. We're mastering data from 5 systems and we have about 240 in our pocket ready to do next. Since getting this initial data structure in place, in 2024 alone, we’ve cleansed data, created a data culture where the organization is starting to understand it’s not about delivering technology; it’s about collective tech and starting with data to work together and innovate. We’re able to do things differently with our data mastered this way, and that will be our superpower as we move forward.  

 

We had data in our system that no one had ever looked at. Thanks to LifeGraph and one AI engineer, we’ve done more in 3 weeks than we’ve done in 47 years. 

 

We can now have conversations about our data thanks to the organization within LIfeGraph combined with the capabilities of GenAI. For example, our 14 processors now have hours removed from their day because they can simply “ask” the machine, “What’s the highest score on this transcript?” and the answer is delivered quickly.

The Technology: 

BurstIQ was established in 2015 because the founders were fed up with their data being stolen or used without their permission. They also understood the hard work businesses have put into building data lakes without realizing the true business value of their efforts. Leveraging their expertise in cybersecurity and data management, they sought to create a cutting-edge data management platform. Without having to rip and replace existing systems, the platform is designed to uniquely solve long-standing data issues, empower individuals to control the sharing of their data, and provide businesses with a single platform to securely get maximum value across their ecosystems so they can develop future solutions today. 

 

BurstIQ's LifeGraph is an advanced data management platform that combines blockchain and web3-based privacy-enhancing, master data management, and graph technologies to make data a superpower. It seamlessly integrates with existing systems through APIs to create a high-quality, single source of truth, enabling secure and transparent data exchange across entire business ecosystems. The platform infuses trust into each data asset, using metadata and blockchain services to dynamically secure, share, and govern data in a highly transparent matter. Consent and governance are managed using consent and smart contracts, ensuring data only goes where it is approved to go and never into the hands of bad actors. By organizing data intuitively for both humans and machines using knowledge graphs, LifeGraph discovers connections in data traditional databases simply can't find. All data is smarter and ready for AI applications, increasing confidence in AI outputs and the protection of intellectual property. LifeGraph maximizes data value, enhances collaborative intelligence, and drives innovation for more innovative and personalized experiences.

Disruptive Factor: 

BurstIQ's platform revolutionized our approach to managing complex data systems, providing a seamless solution from a single vendor. We aim to disrupt traditional education by tailoring learning experiences to each student's unique needs, creating a dynamic marketplace for customizable learning journeys, building vibrant communities that drive collaboration and sharing, and delivering cutting-edge recommendations based on behavioral patterns. 

 

We are working towards the application of AI as a service. Because we’ve managed our data so well, we can work with any vendor to help us make our AI strategies a reality. We strive to develop AI as a companion to every student's personal learning journey with recommendations and actions tailored to their unique learning goals. This strategy enables unprecedented personalization and customization in learning. Our ultimate goal is to redefine education with a just-in-time, AI-powered, lifelong learning model, positioning Maryville as an integral part of students' lives well beyond the conventional four-year framework.

Shining Moment: 

This project has truly been about making the impossible possible. It took a complete paradigm shift and buy-in from the entire organization. LifeGraph gave us credibility and a pathway to make it all happen. The consent mechanisms on the platform enable unprecedented data sharing across the university, with our students, and throughout our partner ecosystem. In an era where data is under attack because of its value, LifeGraph gives us the security, transparency, and confidence we need to make a data culture a reality as earn the trust of the students we serve. We can shake up higher education to anticipate the evolving needs of students and how they choose to learn.

About BurstIQ

LifeGraph® by BurstIQ redefines the potential of organizational data. This next-generation data platform integrates advanced data management, privacy-enhancing technology, and knowledge graphs, transforming data into your organization’s ultimate superpower. Eliminate silos with a single, secure source of truth. LifeGraph reveals hidden connections within complex data sets, aligning with human and machine thinking for easier and more insightful analysis and powerful collaboration. 

Organizations use LifeGraph to elevate legacy data lakes and warehouses into dynamic, secure, and person-centric data ecosystems that deliver value to everyone involved. With LifeGraph you can quickly address today’s problems and business initiatives, and ignite the spark of innovation to help your organization not only keep pace but set the tempo for the future.