Blackbird’s David Booth takes on advisor role at university admissions firm Crimson Education
David Booth, who focuses on EIR and pre-seed investing at Australia and New Zealand-based VC firm, Blackbird, has joined Crimson Education, a university admissions support company. as an advisor
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “For every ambitious person who does bloom... for every young Elon Musk in South Africa; Collison brothers in Limerick, Ireland... for every Shane Legg (Kiwi Co-founder/CTO of Google Deepmind) in Rotorua, or Sir Peter Beck in Gore... how many others have withered away in isolation?"
“A lot of people know Crimson as “Ivy League College admissions”…that’s where it all started. Today, it’s an empire. A constellation of education businesses, schools, products, pathways reaching deep into early childhood and out into post-college continuing education. Cumulatively: 1,000+ employees around the world, $300 million annual revenue, growing fast.”
He adds: “I had Jamie Beaton (Crimson Education CEO) on the Diaspora.nz pod earlier this year. Awesome conversation generally (link in comments), but the big idea I left with was, Crimson is a honeypot for ambitious young talent. Personally, I have no idea what "college" will look like by the time our kids get there (7 and ~2 today). I'm philosophically against over-fitting kids lives to admissions criteria, training them to jump through hoops, and so much of what is wrong with higher education today.”
“What I do know, is that every kid needs something big to aspire to, and that education is still that "something big" for millions around the world. I also know that the earlier in the "talent cycle" you can reach, to help ambitious young people find each other, learn what's possible, the better.”
Many of the tens of thousands of young people who come into the Crimson Education orbit won't get into Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Oxford or Cambridge, he observed. Many won't need to., because along the way they'll find some curiosity to pursue, drop out and build a company, build ambitious lives in other ways.
He concluded: “Talent flywheels are exceedingly long-term games, paying dividends over 25-30 years. Best time to start is now. We've put ourselves in this orbit, too: We just enrolled our seven year old in Crimson Global Academy. I’m a customer of Concord Visa, personally - and have been sending many friends, portfolio companies their way. We're kicking off a project together: building community of young, talented kiwis leaving our shores - the Next Great Expats (aka “Nextpats”). Excited for the road ahead.”
The ETIH Innovation Awards 2026
The EdTech Innovation Hub Awards celebrate excellence in global education technology, with a particular focus on workforce development, AI integration, and innovative learning solutions across all stages of education.
Now open for entries, the ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 recognize the companies, platforms, and individuals driving transformation in the sector, from AI-driven assessment tools and personalized learning systems, to upskilling solutions and digital platforms that connect learners with real-world outcomes.
Submissions are open to organizations across the UK, the Americas, and internationally. Entries should highlight measurable impact, whether in K–12 classrooms, higher education institutions, or lifelong learning settings.
Winners will be announced on 14 January 2026 as part of an online showcase featuring expert commentary on emerging trends and standout innovation. All winners and finalists will also be featured in our first print magazine, to be distributed at BETT 2026.
