Families on the New Frontier: Mapping and Meeting the Growing Demand for Unconventional Schooling
Learn what motivates families to pursue unconventional schooling.
Meet The Founders
Upcoming Events
What’s the best way to learn more about the VELA Founder Network? We might be biased, but we think it’s in-person.
Check out the events below to learn more about where you can connect with VELA founders and the VELA team!
HOW WE DO IT
The VELA Founder Network is the nation’s largest community of entrepreneurs providing alternatives to conventional schooling.
By providing early capital, access to a thriving community of entrepreneurs, and connections to resources and support, VELA is accelerating the exploration of new frontiers in education.
Why This Florida Mom Enrolled Her Son in A Microschool
“Since he started, it’s like his brain’s expanded so much that he’s full of knowledge and ready to bring it to the world… I see a ton of opportunities, something where he can make an impact to humanity,” said his mother, Mariella Aldave.
The VELA Founder Network is the nation’s leading community of entrepreneurs providing alternatives to conventional schooling.
Network members have exclusive access to funding opportunities, resources, events, and the collective knowledge of thousands of entrepreneurs across the country.
VELA Founders are eager to improve and learn from one another. They collaborate across lines of difference to foster innovation, pool resources, share ideas, and inspire the next wave of founders.
WHY THE NETWORK MATTERS
We believe that transformative change in education will come from the ground up.
Who are VELA Founders?
VELA is a community of visionary founders building sustainable businesses that revolutionize education.
VELA Founders serve families who contribute their time and financial resources to educate their children outside of conventional settings. These resourceful entrepreneurs offer access to low-cost private solutions without dependence on public funding or outside interests. VELA Founders are champions of autonomy, ensuring that the focus remains on delivering quality education tailored to the unique needs of each family.
Stay tuned for our next opportunity.
The Micro grant application will open in spring 2024. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when it’s live.
$50
Supports community meet-ups for VELA entrepreneurs so that they can strengthen their programs through collaboration
$250
Helps an entrepreneur quickly put their idea into practice, serving learners and families in new ways
$500
Allows VELA to invest in a program showing early promise and expanding its impact in the local community
$1,000
Supports an innovative learning model that is ready to bridge to wider adoption
GET INVOLVED
Learn more about the alternative education ecosystem.
Contact the VELA Team
Attend an Upcoming Event
Make a Donation
Brettani Shannon, Options for Education
Meet VELA Founder Brettani Shannon, an ecosystem builder in Oregon whose work supports both families seeking alternatives to conventional schooling and the founders who provide them. “I started bringing people together and playing matchmaker.”
Amber Okolo-Ebube, Leading Little Arrows
Meet VELA Founder Amber Okolo-Ebube who created Leading Little Arrows in Texas not only for learners, but also for parents. “We want the parent to feel like they can stay in this lifestyle.”
Iman Alleyne, Kind Academy
Take a closer look at Kind Academy in Florida, a microschool created by VELA Founder Iman Alleyne. “I really wanted something different for my own kids. I started realizing I wanted something different for the entire community.”
Cara Frantz, Envision Homeschool Collective
Cara Frantz, the Founder of Envision Homeschool Collective, tapped into a hidden passion to create a mixed-age learning environment on a thirteen acre farm in rural Oregon. “They’re taking ownership in their education and then, at the end, they see how it all fits together.”