What 4,835 Education Founders Taught US About Building What Lasts
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 large philanthropic grants to survive? The data from our network tells a different story.
97% of VELA-supported founders are still operating one year after receiving investment. 85% are serving more learners than when they started. 80% sustain operations primarily through tuition and fees. The median annual enrollment growth is 25%.
This is not charity keeping programs alive. This is market discipline at work.
What makes the difference?
After conducting 81 site visits in 2025 and maintaining relationships with thousands of founders, we’ve learned what separates programs that thrive from those that struggle.
Programs that last share three characteristics:
- They solve real problems for specific families. They excel at something particular, whether that’s classical education, nature-based learning, or flexible scheduling.
- They listen and adapt. Successful founders treat families as partners. They adjust based on feedback and evolve as needs change.
- They focus on their core work. The best founders spend time serving customers and improving programs, not chasing grants or attending every conference.
The median program in our network charges around $450/month. That’s roughly $4,500 per year for a typical 10-month program. This is accessible to working families, particularly compared to traditional private schools or the indirect costs of full-time homeschooling.
And 93% of VELA programs serve middle and low-income families. This isn’t education for the elite.
What this means:
- For founders: Find families whose needs you can serve exceptionally well. Deliver consistent quality. Listen to feedback and improve continuously. Build community. Focus on your core work.
- For families: Look for programs that have earned repeat customers. Ask how long families typically stay. Request references. Programs that last are programs families choose repeatedly.
- For funding partners: The most important question isn’t “How does a program perform against traditional public school accountability systems?” It’s “Do families keep choosing this program year after year, and why are they choosing something different?”
VELA invests where families are already voting with their wallets. We support founders who have proven that families value what they offer enough to pay for it. Then we help them grow sustainably. This is education that lasts because families continue to choose it over time. That’s the only sustainability metric that endures.
If you are a founder, consider joining 4,835 builders creating education that lasts. Apply to the VELA Founder Network.
If you’re a family, check out programs that work for you!
If you’re a funding partner, there are customizable opportunities to support Indie Educators who are building the future.
Download the VELA app from Apple Store or Google Play to become a part of this growing movement for Indie Education!