Educational software developer Knowledge Adventure has formally announced its appointment of David Lord as president and CEO, who has been brought in to help evolve the company towards a "multi-faceted kids entertainment company with both retail and online virtual world components."

Lord previously served for four years as CEO and president of RazorGator Interactive Group, an event ticket services provider. Prior to that, he worked as CEO and board chairman for Toysmart.com, a venture-backed catalog company for educational, e-commerce, and retail products.

Knowledge Adventure recently released JumpStart Advanced Preschool World, software for teaching 3-to-5 year olds pre-reading, early math, social studies, art, music, computer skills, and critical thinking skills.

The company plans to launch an online component this month with subscriptions allowing users to interact with one another in JumpStart's 3D virtual world, going on adventures, completing missions, and earning rewards while learning.

Lord previously expressed that the developer is interested in bringing its JumpStart brand and other properties to the Nintendo DS, Wii, and the iPhone. Knowledge Adventure is also looking to bring its MathBlaster brand to the 3D virtual world market.

Said Lord: “The virtual world/online gaming market is exploding and we believe there is a tremendous opportunity to bring adventure-based learning into this marketplace. JumpStart has a rich history as the leading brand in delivering learning games to kids over the last 20 years. We will leverage that trusted brand with parents to deliver a rich, safe, and fun virtual world experience while we innovate next-generation games and content for kids 3 to 10.”