Entrepreneur in Residence – Digital Math Competition at Carina Initiatives

Entrepreneur in Residence – Digital Math Competition

Location: Remote

Type: Full-time

Who We Are

Carina Initiatives is a philanthropic fund working to send more kids from more communities to the frontiers of science and technology. In our work to build a better mathematics talent system in the United States, we collaborate with and fund organizations such as AoPS, Astra Logical, Brilliant, Funexpected, Math Makers, National Math Stars, National Math Camps, and Thinky Games.

Math competitions provide competitive motivation and community for hundreds of thousands of students annually, deepening their mathematical knowledge and identity. Students who participate in America's largest math competition, the AMC, demonstrate exceptional outcomes: they attend selective universities (31%), major in STEM (54%), earn PhDs (12%), and pursue research careers (11%) at remarkable rates. Furthermore, truly exceptional talent, which can’t be picked up by traditional measures like the SAT, can be identified in these competitions.

However, these competitions fail to reach large segments of talent in our country. High School AMCs have experienced a nearly 50% decline in school participation since the late 1980s; even within participating schools, those with more involved mentors identify talent more effectively. As a result of these issues, research suggests we are likely missing half of our nation's top mathematical talent.

We propose novel solutions to strengthen the mathematics competition ecosystem, identify undiscovered talent, and foster a love for mathematical thinking in millions of children. We are looking to fund the creation of a widely accessible elementary school math competition series that feels like a digital puzzle hunt—a playful, team-oriented, curiosity-driven form of competition.

The Role

We seek an entrepreneurial leader with a product or engineering background to join the Carina team as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR). This person will shape the vision for and build a product and plan for this Math Competition organization. The EIR will have 12 months to:

• Explore the opportunity space
• Develop a vision, model, and MVP
• Execute several pilots

If the EIR phase pilots prove successful, Carina will provide funding and assistance to establish an independent nonprofit organization. We are prepared to lead significant funding rounds (initial funding of $2M+) to achieve scale. This full-time position reports to Carina's Thinking Games Programs Lead until successful spin-out, at which point the EIR will assume the role of CEO of the new organization.

Our vision is to make mathematics competitions engaging and accessible to all elementary school students nationwide. We have secured partnerships with world-class puzzle design studios for content creation, enabling the organization's leader to focus on:

• Setting the strategic vision
• Building an exceptional content platform
• Creating an engaging classroom experience
• Driving nationwide participation

Key Responsibilities

1. Vision & Strategy

• Define and execute the product vision for a digital-first mathematics competition platform that celebrates mathematical thinking rather than tests fluency
• Build and lead a core team to execute this vision
• Design a sustainable growth and monetization strategy that maintains accessibility while supporting platform development

2. Platform Experience

• Design an exceptional user experience for both teachers and students
• Develop features that support classroom implementation and reduce administrative overhead
• Integrate word problems and interactive puzzles that make mathematics engaging and accessible
• Implement data-driven improvements based on user feedback

3. Growth & Distribution

• Position the platform as an engaging, teacher-trusted brand that brings mathematical joy and problem-solving to classrooms
• Develop partnerships with schools, districts, and mathematics organizations to drive adoption
• Adapt best practices from organizations with successful viral events and experiences (e.g., Code.org)
• Design experiences that encourage year-round engagement beyond competition dates

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience leading digital product or engineering teams, particularly in early-stage or growth environments
• Track record of building and shipping consumer-facing digital products with excellent user experience
• Strong strategic thinking with ability to balance user needs and business objectives
• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to make data-informed decisions in uncertainty
• Experience building and leading small teams
• Proven ability to collaborate with external partners and stakeholders
• Passion for making mathematics engaging and accessible to elementary school students

What We Offer

EIR Period (salary and benefits may change post spinout)

• $180,000 annual EIR salary
• $325,000 12-month EIR budget
• Partnership with world-class puzzle design studios
• Competitive Benefits:
  • Health/Dental/Vision Insurance - 100% employee premium covered, 70% dependent premium covered
  • 401(k) - Company automatically contributes 8% of employee's salary, with no employee contribution required
  • PTO - 22 vacation days, 6 sick days + Company holidays
  • Executive Coaching

The right leader will have the autonomy to build and lead a product that could fundamentally change how young students experience mathematics. Our goal is to create a widely accessible, engaging mathematics experience that reaches millions of students nationwide.