VELA

5,000+ founders! $50M deployed. 5.5M learners reached. Since 2019, the VELA Founder Network has grown from a spark into a national movement. This is Indie Education, and we’re just getting started. 🚀 Tag yourself or a fellow founder in the comments so we can celebrate the incredible VELA community!

Madeline Herrera left the classroom to build the school she wished existed. Now, Limestone Community School in Lawrence, KS, offers 400+ hours of outdoor learning per student annually, a K-7 project-based program, and has a waitlist through 2028. VELA is proud to reinvest. This is Indie Education.

Living in a remote coastal community shouldn’t mean fewer education options. Kim Cowen built the Outer Banks Montessori Collective so OBX families could own their education. VELA’s investment helps this community-rooted microschool expand to serve more families who choose it year after year.

Elizabeth Lopez started GROW Christian Learning Center with 6 students inside her church. Today, there are 86 learners and a School of the Arts on the way. Education built on real relationships lasts.

Full in year one. Waitlists growing. 100% parent recommendation. Heritage Nature School is expanding to a 2-acre Ranch campus to meet rising demand for full-time enrollment. VELA’s reinvestment helps launch their full-time microschool, projected to serve 150+ students by 2026. Built by founders. Chosen by families. Sustained by demand.

“Children aren’t standard, right? Education shouldn’t be standard.” In Chicago, VELA founders Claire Jakubiszyn of Blazing Star School and Aziza Butler of WeSchool Academy are building learning environments shaped by curiosity, community, and family choice. This is Indie Education. Read more below. 👇

The Indie Education revolution is already here. Technology is lowering the cost of content and operations, helping founders deliver high-quality learning at a price families can afford. The average VELA program costs $4,500 per year. 93% serve low- and middle-income families. 80% run on tuition alone. Affordable. Sustainable. Family-driven. Read week 4 insights below. 👇

Don't miss it! bit.ly/4cMHneQ

Nearly 900 families joined the VELA app in under 4 months. The #1 thing their kids are asking for? More freedom. Families are choosing lifestyle and agency over traditional 5-day grinds. 49% now prefer hybrid models. Read Week 3 insights below. 👇

Project-based learning. Mixed-age studios. Faith and curiosity growing side by side. Cultivate Studios in Alabama is 100% re-enrolled and expanding to serve 100+ learners next year, supported by VELA re-investment. Families keep choosing non-traditional schooling.

In Forbes, Kerry McDonald explores how new school models are adapting in the age of AI. Featuring VELA Founders Angel Sobrino of The Hive Interactive, Tobin Slaven of Acton Academy, and Shiren Rattigan of Colossal Academy, who are building learner-driven, tech-responsive environments designed for a rapidly evolving future. Read more.👇

Rebecca Shearer couldn't find the right fit for her son. So she built it. Five years later, Meadowlark Montessori is expanding to middle school. Less screen time. More wonder. That's Indie Education in action.

She posted on Facebook. 4 weeks later, 100+ families showed up. Today Carolina Kids Co-op has 17 locations in 4 states serving nearly 1,000 learners. VELA’s investment fuels the systems helping this network scale to 10,000 learners next. This is Indie Education.

Meet Free Haven Forest School. Founded by Rachel Mikottis, Free Haven offers year-round nature-based learning with a full academic experience. Math, reading, writing, science, and history all happen outdoors. The program now serves 400 learners and is fully enrolled with growing waitlists driven by word of mouth. Families return because this model works. VELA is investing to support a new on-site nature center. This will expand enrollment and create a training space for forest school educators across the southern Chicago region.

Arrows Learning Academy was built for students who need something different. Founded by educator and mom Jessica Benjamin. Serving neurodiverse and underserved learners in Indianapolis. VELA is investing to help Arrows double enrollment. This is education, on purpose.

Sustainability in education isn’t about the next grant. It’s about families choosing to stay. After 6 years and 4,835 founders, the data is in: 97% still operating after 1 year, 80% sustained by tuition, $450/mo median cost Here is what we learned about building what lasts.👇

Since 2019, VELA has backed nearly 5,000 education founders across all 50 states. Last month, we reinvested $3.4M in 42 proven founders already serving families and generating revenue. More learners. Real demand. Education on purpose. Follow along as we spotlight the founders.