Eighteen years after launching Lumos Learning, Krishnaswamy now works alongside the very son who inspired it—continuing a mission to reduce anxiety and improve outcomes for millions of students.
INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero
When Mukunda Krishnaswamy’s third-grade son came home from school and declared that the test prep materials his dad had purchased were “useless,” it wasn’t just a passing complaint. It was a defining moment.
At the time, Krishnaswamy had zero background in education technology, publishing, or public schools. A seasoned technology executive who had served as CTO for a global manufacturing company, he approached the problem with a technologist’s instinct: identify the gap, understand the system, and build something better.
‘…he approached the problem with a technologist’s instinct: identify the gap, understand the system, and build something better.’
His son’s frustration exposed a clear disconnect. The materials he had practiced with did not resemble the actual state assessment in format, rigor, or design. In many cases, resources created for large states were simply repurposed for smaller ones—leaving students underprepared and anxious.
That moment in 2007 sparked the founding of Lumos Learning.
Today, Lumos serves customers in all 50 states, offers simulations for more than 40 state assessments, employs about 90 team members across a remote workforce, and remains proudly bootstrapped. Along the way, it has carved out a distinct niche in a crowded market—focusing not on broad skills mastery alone, but on high-fidelity test simulation, personalized intervention, and increasingly, AI-powered instructional support.
Now, in a full-circle moment, Krishnaswamy’s son—27 and trained as a lawyer—has joined the company as a product manager.
In this conversation with EdTech Digest, Mukunda Krishnaswamy reflects on Lumos Learning’s origin story, its simulation-first philosophy, the role of AI in personalization and teacher feedback, and what it means to build a mission-driven company rooted in a very personal beginning.
You’ve described Lumos as being born from a very personal moment with your son—how did that experience shape the company’s mission?
I had zero background in edtech, zero background in publishing, nor working with public schools. The only qualification I had for this was that I was a dad.
‘I had zero background in edtech, zero background in publishing, nor working with public schools. The only qualification I had for this was that I was a dad. ‘
When my son took the state test for the first time in third grade, I purchased something for him, and he came back and said, ‘Dad, I did well, but the stuff that you got me was useless.’ He said the real test didn’t look anything like what I had practiced. Apparently, most of the resources were done for larger states and repurposed for New Jersey. So I requested a teacher, Mr. Applegate, to put together a couple of practice tests so kids would get a sense of what to expect. That’s really how I got started on this journey in 2007. The mission is still the same—how do we help reduce the anxiety that kids have with standardized testing and make them feel more confident?
Lumos focuses heavily on simulation—replicating the exact test experience. Why did you choose that path?
Our solution has been around simulation. We now have test simulations for practically all 40-plus assessments—from NYST to NJSLA to Smarter Balanced. We take it to heart. Unlike some larger competitors who focus more on skills mastery, our focus is very limited to how can I replicate the real test experience—the rigor, the item types, the standards being assessed, even the look and feel and the duration of the test. Once you create that opportunity for a simulated test, the data tells us what to do next—the intervention piece. That’s where we provide personalized support for every kid.
How are you using AI and technology to personalize learning after the simulation experience?
Technology is such an amazing opportunity in this context. Today, practically every assessment is online, so we’re able to use AI and a number of other things to create that personalized learning path that’s very empathic to every kid. Number one, they’re confident about the spring test, and they’ve worked on the skills they lacked and get that personalized support. All the stakeholders come together in the platform—teachers, administrators, and even parents can be optionally invited so they can see the progress of their child.
‘All the stakeholders come together in the platform—teachers, administrators, and even parents can be optionally invited so they can see the progress of their child.’
You’ve scaled to all 50 states while remaining bootstrapped. What has that journey been like?
We started in 2007. In 2011, I quit my full-time job to pursue this. It’s been an 18-year journey. We are bootstrapped. We’re still tiny compared to some of our larger competitors in the space. But there is a problem that we are solving and doing really well. I feel blessed that we’re able to help millions of kids and thousands of schools. Today we have customers in all 50 states.
You’ve recently won districts that previously used larger platforms. What are leaders telling you?
We’ve had many wins in the recent past. For example, in Maryland, many schools were using i-Ready for several years and recently switched over. We have customers who were doing IXL and Progress Learning. As soon as they experience the program, they kind of see the value proposition—‘Hey, this is perfect for what we need to do before the state test.’ Our focus is very specific, and that clarity resonates.
You mentioned anxiety as a driving concern. How do you see Lumos addressing that beyond scores?
With any testing comes anxiety, and you want to feel prepared. Our mission is really about how do we help reduce the anxiety that kids have with standardized testing. Once they see the simulation—the rigor, the format, the duration—they walk in knowing what to expect. That confidence is huge. The data then helps us provide personalized support so they’re not just practicing blindly; they’re working on the exact skills they need.”
You’re also expanding into professional development with AI-driven feedback. What excites you about that work?
There are two pillars to our work. One is to help kids. The second is around how can we help teachers improve their instruction. We’ve done some really interesting work using video and collaboration feedback for improving instruction. We compete in that space as well. We’re partnered with frameworks like the Danielson Group. I think the topic of how AI can truly transform providing feedback features is of great interest and relevance—not to promote our product per se, but to talk about professional development and why that is important.
Your son recently joined the company—what does that ‘full circle’ moment mean to you?
He’s 27 now. He started working for us about six months ago. He’s a lawyer by training and said, ‘Dad, I want to do something a little bit more exciting.’ Now he’s working with us as a product manager, meeting hundreds of customers. It’s been an amazing experience. It really feels full circle—from that moment when he said the practice was useless to now being part of building the solution.
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Victor Rivero is the Editor-in-Chief of EdTech Digest. Write to: victor@edtechdigest.com
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