Chris Crittenden
Co-Founder, CEO
Founded Sandbox at BYU. Built & sold a tech startup to Walmart. Partner at Reef Capital. Education reform with McKinsey.
Education doesn't have to be this way
Something about college is broken.
It turns us into box checkers, hoop jumpers, and ladder climbers.
But the world needs creators.
We need new communities to save our mental health, new movements and innovations to save our planet, and new companies to improve life for more people.
We were born creators. We played in sand, built with blocks and dreamed of becoming writers, artists and inventors.
Our mission: No more hoops, no more boxes.
It was school that changed us into educational athletes — running, ducking and jumping at just the right times in the pursuit of grades.
At Sandbox, we refuse to accept this. We're relentless about working within the system so you can earn a fully accredited degree, yet uncompromising in our pursuit of education that genuinely inspires.
Sandbox Team
Spencer Bartholomew
Co-Founder, CTO
Top engineer in Sandbox’s second cohort, co-founded Leftovers. Built at a VC-backed startup. Now leading engineering at Sandbox.
Jonny Hicken
Co-Founder, COO
10 years in tech sales & GTM. Previously led sales at two high-growth startups. Now leads GTM, community and operations at Sandbox.
Origin Story
Sandbox was born as an experiment at Brigham Young University in 2020. Through collaboration with BYU’s top academic programs and alumni networks, and building on its history of startup success, that experiment became a new model for startup incubation.
The magic of the Sandbox experience has always come from its relationships with great builders.
Special thanks to:
Allen Evans
Allen Liao
Bob Allen
Chad Mano
Craig Earnshaw
Doug Thomas
Gentry Davies
James Anderson
Jeff Dyer
Jim Oldroyd
John & Tammy
Petersen
Lovage Labs
Michael Levinthal
Mike Hendron
Mike & Starlee
Sharp
Relay Health
Ryan Ham
Scott Evanson
Stefan van de Graaff
100s of other first believers and supporters
Stop asking permission.
Start building.
Ready to stop checking boxes and start building something real? Apply to Sandbox today.
See if you're a fit