Sam Paddock

Sam Paddock is a South African entrepreneur, investor, and father based in Cape Town. He co-founded GetSmarter in 2008 with his brother Rob Paddock, building it from an initial concept into a leading global online education platform partnering with top universities including Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, and University of Chicago. Under his leadership as CEO, GetSmarter grew to a team of 400 people and achieved a 90% course completion rate through personalized student support. In 2017, GetSmarter was acquired by NASDAQ-listed 2U Inc for approximately $103 million, where he served as Senior Advisor until 2019. He now leads Next Gen Learning (NGL), pioneering generative AI and voice model applications in online education. His earlier ventures include co-founding Getwine and serving as investor and director at Yuppiechef and Hubble Studios.