Lemnis Welcomes Mainstay into Its Mission to Revolutionize Higher Education with AI-Powered Support

In a significant move aimed at enhancing educational opportunities, Lemnis, a public charity focused on expanding access to education, has recently acquired Mainstay, a distinguished developer of AI technologies that bolster student support. Since its inception in 2014, Mainstay has shown proven success in assisting students through technology-driven strategies utilized by more than 200 colleges and universities. With this acquisition, Mainstay will shift from being a Public Benefit Corporation to becoming a crucial division within the nonprofit framework of Lemnis.

Melissa Johnston, the founding CEO of Lemnis, expressed that this acquisition is a testament to their belief that the future of education will blend innovative technology with the essential human touch that fosters support and care. She emphasized the importance of rethinking how technology and human connections can collaborate to create enriching learning experiences for students in today’s complex world.

Mainstay has made a name for itself with its unique AI-enabled student support initiatives, which have been rigorously validated through various randomized controlled trials (RCTs). These studies demonstrate the positive influence of Mainstay's technologies on crucial metrics such as FAFSA completion rates, enrollment figures, registration, and overall student grades. Notably, a study carried out by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University indicated that the proactive outreach strategies employed by Mainstay improved first-generation students' grades in large courses by an entire letter grade.

One of Mainstay's landmark achievements was highlighted in a 2018 report by the Brookings Institution in collaboration with Georgia State University. This study revealed that the implementation of Mainstay's early conversational AI technology led to a remarkable 20% decrease in