A curated look at impactful stories, ideas, and updates from across the VELA community.
Founders In The News
A growing movement is solving one of education’s hardest challenges: making independent learning models accessible to working families. For decades, that goal felt out of reach. Private schools often cost $10,000 to $30,000 or more per year. Full-time homeschooling frequently requires a parent to step away from income. For most families, the math did not […]
Insights
Across the country, something remarkable is happening. In church basements and community centers, in living rooms and co-working spaces, thousands of educators and parents are building a different kind of education. One they own, one they choose, one that actually fits their lives. We call it Indie Education, and it’s not what you might think. […]
Insights
In September 2025, we launched the VELA mobile app. In less than four months, nearly 900 families signed up to search for programs. Every family tells us what they’re seeking. What we’re learning is reshaping how we think about education demand. The surprising top reason When we ask families why they’re exploring alternatives, here’s what […]
Insights
When we launched VELA in 2019, we had a simple question: What if we supported education founders building outside traditional systems and trusted families to decide what worked? Six years and nearly 5,000 founders later, we have our answer. The sustainability question Everyone asks: Can these programs really last? Don’t they need government funding or […]
Investments
We learned something counterintuitive from our reinvestment portfolio. The founders building the most compelling and sustainable programs are often the least likely to apply for additional funding. Not because they don’t value outside investment, but because they’re too absorbed in serving the families in front of them to come up for air. The focus paradox […]
Lifestyle
When families join VELA’s app and create profiles, we learn what they’re seeking. The data reveals something fascinating: Indie Education is becoming a lifestyle movement that extends far beyond where kids learn reading and math. More than schooling Families choosing Indie Education are often simultaneously making decisions about nutrition and food (prioritizing whole foods, cooking […]
Out-Of-System Space
Money. It makes the world go round. It’s a gas. More of it can lead to more problems. Well, that’s at least if we believe what musicians tell us. As an organization that invests in entrepreneurs who deliver alternatives to conventional schooling, VELA is interested in how founders spend their money (and not just the […]
Out-Of-System Space
If we think about the basic building blocks of any learning environment, we start with students and educators (clearly the most important components). But shortly thereafter we realize that students and educators have to meet somewhere. Access to facilities is central to launching new educational ventures. Not only that, rethinking education can often mean rethinking […]
Founders In The News
featuring Surf Skate Science
Out-Of-System Space
The scale of the challenge of improving American education is so large that it is hard to fathom. Paradoxically though, large scale efforts to improve education have often failed to live up to their advocates’ lofty promises. VELA subscribes to a different mindset. Small is A-OK. If a microschool only serves a small number of […]
Founders In The News
featuring Prenda, KaiPod, Engaged Detroit, Cultural Roots Homeschool Co-Op, and VELA
Founders In The News
featuring Life Skills Academy, Dalena Wallace of W.I.S.E, The Learning Outpost, Vandalia Community School, and VELA
Founders In The News
featuring Eyes and Brains STEM Center and Prenda
Founders In The News
featuring The Avalon Village and Barbershop Books
Founders In The News
featuring Bridges to Science
Founders In The News
featuring Surf Skate Science
