The digital age can easily be the holden age of human knowledge, with unprecedented access to the world’s information and ever-growing platforms on which to share it making us all students and all teachers — something TED’s Chris Anderson has so eloquently termed crowd-accelerated learning. But while digital platforms may be a powerful tool for theoretical knowledge, they leave something to be said for hands-on learning and the ancient art of apprenticeship. Startup HeyKiki aims to bridge the two by building an online platform that connects eager learners with skilled instructors offline. From billiards to Buddhism, HeyKiki helps you master what you always wanted to learn but never knew where to start — or, better yet, what you didn’t even know you wanted to learn until you found a fascinating expert in it nearby.

A localization engine helps you find like-minded activity enthusiasts and teachers in your area, and if you happen to have a skill you’d like to share, you can post your class, workshop or other instructional offering for free, Craigslist-style.

Part Skillshare, part Meetup, part School of Everything, HeyKiki is a skill and knowledge destination for the modern metro-Renaissance man and woman, a wonderful and promising intersection of self-initiated learning and the power of community.