LiberatED Podcast

What if help in running the business side of a school left more time for education?

Lab Entrepreneur-In-Residence Kym Kent welcomes Brett Kopf, founder and CEO of Omella to LiberatED. Brett shares how his experiences as a student with learning disabilities inspired him to build tools that make educators' lives easier—from a school communication app that reached 30 million users to a payment platform designed to simplify school operations.

They explore Omella's transparent, optional-tip pricing model and its expanding tools for payments, e-signatures, approvals, and registration. Kym also shares her experience using Omella at her ho...

What happens when education prioritizes mastery and real-world learning? The Lab's Denise Lever talks with Hannah Langdon of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) about her K–12 homeschool experience and how it shaped her work. They explore critical thinking, respectful disagreement, and FEE's resources and fellowships for educators—including homeschoolers and school founders.

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Check out the Education Entrepreneurship Lab at edentrepreneur.org for a steady stream of new articles and original content—by school founders, for school founders.

Kym Kent, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the FEE Education Entrepreneurship Lab, is joined today by Chris Stolte, founder of The Lemonade School, an online curriculum designed to teach children how to build real businesses from the ground up. Chris shares how his own entrepreneurial background and the experience of raising three young kids led him to create a program that takes children from basic business lessons all the way to running a real business with real customers, real products, and real profits. Kym and Chris talk about why homeschoolers and microschoolers are especially primed for this kind of hands-on learning...

Welcome to the Microschool Makers Series, a three-part September series in collaboration with KaiPod to equip aspiring school founders with the inspiration and information needed to launch a successful, sustainable school!

Our first episode focused on Developing Your Vision, while our second centered around Building A Sustainable School. Be sure to check out those shows for strategies and advice to help get you from idea to opening as quickly and effectively as possible. 

In this third and final episode, Kerry McDonald, Director of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab, talks with Amar Kumar, Founder & CEO of KaiPod L...

What if recess isn't a break from learning, but an essential part of it?

The Education Entrepreneurship Lab's Nasiyah Isra-Ul talks with health educator Dr. Cathy Ramstetter, co-author of the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on recess and author of the new book Why Recess Matters. They explore how unstructured, child-directed play supports social connection, cognitive performance, academic engagement, and school attendance—and why students need it from elementary school through 12th grade.

Dr. Ramstetter also shares practical ideas for creating inclusive play environments, explains the inequities caused by withholding recess as punishment, and in...

Welcome to the Microschool Makers Series, a three-part September series in collaboration with KaiPod to equip aspiring school founders with the inspiration and information needed to launch a successful, sustainable school!

If you missed our first episode, Developing Your Vision, be sure to listen to that discussion featuring school founders from Arizona, Texas, and Georgia.

In this second episode, Kerry McDonald, Director of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab, talks with Amar Kumar, Founder & CEO of KaiPod Learning, and three founders about what it takes to build a sustainable schooling model.

Our guests include Amy...

What does it take to turn more than 20 years in education—and one child's experience of not thriving in traditional school—into a new kind of learning environment?

Host Kerry McDonald sits down with Mily Pérez, founder of Athena Micro-Academy of Austin, a microschool serving students in grades 6–12 that just opened last month! Mily shares how her educational background shaped her calling as an educator, why her son's learning experience inspired her to build a school of her own, and how the KaiPod Catalyst program gave her the confidence and practical knowledge to launch.

Mily expl...

Welcome to the Microschool Makers Series, a three-part September series in collaboration with KaiPod to equip aspiring school founders with the inspiration and information needed to launch a successful, sustainable school!

Every microschool starts with a clear vision — and the clearest ones sit at the intersection of what a founder is uniquely good at, what their community actually needs, and what can grow into something sustainable. 

In this first episode, Kerry McDonald, Director of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab, talks with Amar Kumar, Founder & CEO of KaiPod Learning, and three founders who had different visions for bui...

What changes when the way we think about education starts to shift? The Education Entrepreneurship Lab's Nasiyah Isra-Ul speaks with Mickey Revenaugh, an author, innovator, and co-founder of Connections Academy, about her new book, School's Out: Why Families Are Choosing Unconventional Education, that discusses this very topic.

From the early days of Connections Academy to the post-pandemic surge in alternative education, Mickey traces the ideas that changed how families think about school, technology, and success. Together, Nasiyah and Mickey connect the past with the present, answering some of the hot-button questions parents are asking now: What do...

What does it take to build a learning community rooted in support, opportunity, and love? Entrepreneur-In-Residence Kym Kent speaks with educator and entrepreneur Tatiana Alexander about founding the SOL Learning Center, a small, mixed-age co-learning community operating from a backyard yurt in Clinton, Maryland.

Tatiana shares how the center combines project-based learning, flexible academic options, family involvement, and community partnerships to serve homeschooling families. She also discusses the SOL Freedom Fund, her efforts to make alternative education more financially accessible, and her advice for parents and education entrepreneurs: seek support, start small, serve your neighbors, and choose...

After a decade in public education, Madeline Herrera reached a crossroads: compromise her vision for meaningful, project-based learning—or build a new kind of school.

In this episode, Education Entrepreneurship Lab Senior Contributor Kelsy Achtenberg speaks with Madeline, founder and director of Limestone Community School in Lawrence, Kansas. They explore how Limestone combines project-based learning, community service, play, and student agency to help young people become thrive.

Madeline shares the experiences that shaped her educational philosophy, the pushback that prompted her leap into entrepreneurship, and how Limestone students collaborate with community partners. She also offers pra...

Education Entrepreneurship Lab Entrepreneur-in-Residence Kym Kent talks with renowned education researcher and author Dr. James Tooley to explore the power of parent-driven, entrepreneurial education.

In his acclaimed book The Beautiful Tree, Tooley chronicled his discovery of low-cost private schools serving families in some of the world's poorest communities—schools created by local entrepreneurs and sustained by parents determined to give their children a better education. Now, in his forthcoming book, The Beautiful Tree in America, he turns his attention to a similar grassroots movement unfolding across the United States and how it is impacting American K-12 education.

LiberatED celebrates its 400th episode! Since launching in February 2022, the podcast has featured inspiring conversations with the entrpreneurial parents and teachers who are reimagining K-12 education and building new solutions. We mark this exciting milestone and preview Season 6, featuring a rotating cast of hosts from FEE's Education Entrepreneurship Lab who will bring fresh voices and perspectives to discussions about education entrepreneurship, innovation, and choice. We also tease an upcoming school-starter series launching this fall, made possible through the support of KaiPod.

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Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.<...

Guest host Denise Lever talks with Emma Rodriguez, a former public school teacher and founder of Lighthouse Christian Academy, a faith-based K–8 microschool in Frisco, Texas. Emma reflects on a remarkable first year in which enrollment grew from 2 to 20 students—and shares the story of one student whose academic progress, behavior, and confidence were transformed by the school's supportive environment.

Emma explains how multi-age classrooms, small-group instruction, hands-on learning, and a strong sense of community help students thrive. She also discusses the challenges of balancing a founder's educational vision with parents' expectations, the value of mentorship and peer...

In this episode of LiberatED, host Kerry McDonald speaks with Melody Rider, president of ConnectED Polk, a Florida nonprofit helping build stronger connections between education and industry. Rather than creating programs in isolation, ConnectED Polk serves as a community intermediary—bringing together K–12 schools, higher education, employers, and civic organizations to better prepare students for success after graduation.

Melody shares how ConnectED Polk has reached thousands of students through career exploration events and is expanding work-based learning opportunities, including internships, apprenticeships, and other real-world experiences designed to help students discover their interests and build durable career skills.

Starting a microschool or other innovative learning environment is about far more than curriculum and community. Founders also have to navigate a maze of zoning rules, fire codes, occupancy limits, licensing questions, and other regulatory hurdles that can make or break their schools.

In this guest-hosted episode of the LiberatED Podcast, Education Entrepreneurship Lab senior contributor and Baker Creek Academy founder, Denise Lever, talks with Lynn Swanson, Chief Counsel, Education at Stand Together, about the organization's Edupreneur Resource Center (ERC) and how it helps education entrepreneurs tackle legal and compliance challenges before they become major problems.

For years, Maysaa Bazna led Pono, an innovative outdoor democratic school in New York City, where children followed their curiosity and developed deep connections with the natural world. She saw an opportunity to bring those same experiences to many more children through partnerships with urban Title I public schools.

Today, Maysaa is the founder and executive director of City to Sanctuary, a nonprofit that partners with public schools to take students out of the classroom and into nature every month. Through repeated visits to nature preserves, students participate in activities like bird banding, pond ecology, hiking, and...

Guest host Jennie Jones, an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the Education Entrepreneurship Lab, interviews Tanner Bowman, founder of Optio, a quest-based learning platform that helps homeschoolers and microschools document and personalize student-directed learning. After teaching across public, private, charter, online, and microschool environments, Tanner concluded that traditional education's standardized structure made meaningful personalization difficult. Inspired by experiments with increased student autonomy during and after COVID, he left his public school position to build Optio.

Tanner explains how Optio grew out of an in-person lab school where students pursued entrepreneurial and passion-driven projects while earning accredited high school credit. He...

Special Summer Episode! Kym Kent, an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the Education Entrepreneurship Lab, is the guest host for today's LiberatED Podcast! Listen in as she interviews Catina Sweedy, a staff member at the Embark Center for Self-Directed Education in Leesburg, Virginia. Catina tells us about this unique, youth-led microschool for tweens and teens.

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Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!

When Niki Harris and her husband launched Farm School on their working farm in Northern California in 2018, they were simply looking for a better educational option for their own four children. What began as a part-time co-op quickly grew into a thriving place-based microschool serving dozens of students through multiple programs.

But after nearly a decade of growth, unexpected circumstances forced Niki to make one of the hardest decisions any school founder can face: halting operations in the middle of the school year.

On this episode of LiberatED, Niki shares the remarkable story of Farm...

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Peter Holmstrom, Head of School at Summit School in Waco, Texas. Peter shares his journey from social work to public school teaching to leading one of the fastest-growing learner-centered schools in the state.

Since becoming head of school in 2023, Peter has helped grow Summit from fewer than 50 students to nearly 140 learners, while expanding staff, facilities, and programs. He explains how Summit blends nature-based, project-driven learning with strong academic outcomes, creating an environment where children develop curiosity, confidence, and a genuine love of learning.

Kerry and Peter...

On this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald speaks with Colleen Hroncich, policy analyst at the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom, about her new report, Let 1,000 Flowers Bloom: Best Practices for Advancing Educational Freedom.

With more than 70 school choice programs now operating across more than 30 states—and over a dozen states offering universal eligibility—educational freedom is expanding rapidly across the US. Colleen explains why universal access and sustainable funding are essential to creating thriving education marketplaces that serve all families.

Kerry and Colleen also discuss the new federal scholarship tax credit program set to laun...

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Katelynn Stone, founder of EverRoot Academy, a new K-8 hybrid learning community set to launch in August 2026 in Crestview, Florida.

After nearly two decades working across public and private education settings—including classrooms, leadership roles, and specialized learning environments—Katelynn is now building her own learner-centered educational model. EverRoot Academy combines virtual and place-based learning, multi-age groupings, community projects, and a flexible learning week designed to meet students where they are.

Katelynn shares the challenges and excitement of launching a microschool, from navigating legal and insurance requ...

On this episode of LiberatED, LaRae Hulsey tells host Kerry McDonald about her remarkable journey from enrolling her children in a Prenda microschool in rural Apache County, Arizona to launching her own program, LaRae's Learning Lab. Along the way, her family faced extraordinary challenges, including her husband's leukemia diagnosis, which required relocating for medical treatment.

LaRae explains how the flexibility and personal connections of microschooling provided stability during crisis, why she eventually stepped into a leadership role herself, and how her microschool now serves a dozen students in a community where alternative education options are rapidly expanding...

This week on the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Serena Wilkie Gifford and Kate Walker of the Birches School, a nature-based K–8 independent school in the Boston area that began in 2012 with just five students and now serves about 75 learners.

Serena and Kate share the school's founding story, its progressive educational philosophy, and how nature is woven throughout the curriculum—from math lessons outdoors to history explorations in the woods. They discuss the benefits of outdoor learning for children's well-being, curiosity, and engagement, while also emphasizing strong academics, close relationships, and child-centered learning.

Kerry and...

Kerry McDonald talks with Mary Wells, co-founder and senior partner at Bellwether, a national nonprofit focused on expanding educational opportunity and innovation. Mary shares the story behind Bellwether's founding and discusses the rapid growth of private school choice programs, microschools, and other emerging learning models.

They explore the opportunities and challenges facing education entrepreneurs, including questions around accountability, sustainability, and scaling innovation. Mary also offers her perspective on the promise—and risks—of AI in education, emphasizing the importance of designing tools that truly support student learning. The conversation also touches on Bellwether's work in student funding form...

What happens when homeschooling families want more connection, collaboration, and hands-on learning? In this episode, Kerry McDonald talks with Danika Dunn and Kelly Clearkin of Bramblewood Learning Community, a project-based hybrid homeschool program in Pennsylvania serving around 60 students. Danika shares how she launched Bramblewood in 2020 after searching for project-based learning resources designed specifically for homeschoolers, while Kelly explains how her "Forest Fridays" community grew to more than 2,000 members during the homeschooling surge of the pandemic years. Together, they discuss building intentional culture, supporting homeschool families through conferences and mentorship, and why community-centered, project-based learning is resonating with so many...

In this episode, Kerry McDonald talks with Caroline Allen, Chief Program Officer at the Center for Education Reform and Founding Director of the Yass Prize, about how this prize recognizes and celebrates K-12 education innovation and impact across the US.

Caroline shared her journey from public school teacher to philanthropy, and explained the Yass Prize's four core criteria: sustainability, transformation, outstanding performance, and permissionless operation (S.T.O.P.).

She offered practical advice for applicants ahead of this years's June 1 deadline, encouraging educators to clearly articulate what makes their model distinct and in high demand...

Kerry McDonald talks with Kelsy Achtenberg, founding teacher and Executive Director of The Innovation School, a private K-8 school in Bismarck, North Dakota. They discuss the school's Reggio Emilia-inspired model, its focus on passion, play, and projects, and the recent launch of a hybrid homeschool program to meet growing demand. Kelsy shares the challenges of running a small private school, the importance of family alignment, and how graduates thrive when transitioning to traditional high schools.

Kelsy is also a new Senior Contributor at FEE's Education Entrepreneurship Lab! Read her articles at edentrepreneur.org.

Also, check o...

Kerry McDonald speaks with Marc Porter Magee, CEO and founder of 50CAN, about the organization's nationwide efforts to expand education choice and empower families. Drawing on a new survey of 23,000 parents, Marc shares insights on growing demand for tutoring and flexible learning options and key differences between homeschooling and microschooling families. They explore how policy and advocacy can open access to educational opportunities once reserved for the wealthy—helping more families find the right fit for their children.

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Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

Ke...

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Lexi Hanson and Kayla Phipps, two "superguides" at Prenda, a national microschooling network founded in 2018 by Kelly Smith that has since served roughly 10,000 students in hundreds of tiny schools across the US.

Lexi and Kayla share their journeys from traditional education settings to launching and guiding their own Prenda microschools. They discuss how the Prenda model—serving K–8 learners in small, mixed-age environments of less than a dozen students—fosters autonomy, personalized learning, and meaningful connections. The conversation explores how demand for microschools surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and wh...

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald speaks with Frish Waller, founder of Brainforest Academy, a Montessori microschool in Florida designed to serve both neurodiverse and neurotypical learners.

Frish shares her unconventional journey toward entrepreneurship—from teaching internationally to serving in the military—and how her personal experiences as a parent of a child with special needs led her to create a more inclusive, child-centered learning environment. She discusses the challenges of launching a microschool, from finding space to building enrollment, as well as the growing demand for flexible education options.

The conversation highlights the power...

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald speaks with Ken Trautwein, founder of Current Education Center, a secular, self-directed learning community outside Philadelphia. After 25 years in conventional education, Ken set out to create a more flexible, human-centered environment where young people can follow their interests while being supported by intentional mentorship.

Opened in early 2025, Current serves teens through a part-time, self-directed model that blends structure with freedom. Ken describes his "riverbank" philosophy of education, where learning flows naturally within a supportive framework, and reflects on the challenges of launching a new center, building community, and rethinking what...

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Marta MacBan, founder of Sonoran Learning Collective, a hybrid microschool in Cave Creek, Arizona, that's reimagining how and when students learn. Launched in 2024 with just six students—including her own children—the program now serves a growing community of families seeking flexibility, personalization, and strong academic foundations.

Marta shares how her journey from corporate media to education entrepreneurship was sparked by her daughter's struggles during pandemic-era schooling—and how that led her to build a two-day-a-week microschool focused on core academics and critical thinking for grades 4–8.

Kerry an...

On this week's episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Cory Henwood, innovation coordinator for Utah's Iron County School District and founder of Launch High School, a new public high school focused on personalized learning.

Cory shares his journey from public school math teacher to district innovation leader, and explains how Launch High School blends competency-based learning, personalized schedules, and real-world entrepreneurship.

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with May Jewell, founder of Jewell School in Queen Creek, Arizona. Since launching in 2021 with just 18 students, the Waldorf- and Montessori-inspired Christian school has grown to more than 100 students. May shares how she built the program, the challenges and rewards of being a new school founder, the regulatory burdens constraining her growth, and why families are increasingly seeking out alternative learning environments.

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Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom...

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Rebecca Thomas, founder of Victory Alliance, a K–12 hybrid homeschool program in Traverse City, Michigan. Rebecca shares how she transitioned from an educator in traditional public, charter, and Christian schools to homeschooling her own child—and eventually launching a microschool during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What began as a tutoring pod in one family's basement has grown to serve 50 students with six teachers, and prioritizes small class sizes, academic rigor, and flexibility for families.

Rebecca explains why she has intentionally capped enrollment to preserve qual...

What does it take to build the first private online school in the United States—before most families even had internet access?

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Alyssa Tormala, Head of School at Laurel Springs School, to explore the school's remarkable evolution from a small distance-learning program in 1991 to a global, accredited K–12 institution that has served more than 6,000 students across 100+ countries. With a proven track record of high-quality online learning, including selective college admissions, Laurel Springs School continues to lead the way in virtual education.

For families exploring alternatives to conv...

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with virtual learning pioneer Julie Young, author of Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America, published by the Pioneer Institute. Julie shares the inside story of launching Florida Virtual School in the 1990s, building one of the first and most successful statewide online programs in the country, to then spearheading the growth of ASU Prep Digital and consulting with education leaders on the future of online education.

For anyone interested in education entrepreneurship, edtech innovation, or the future of K-12 schooling in an AI-powered world, this conversation offers b...

Ohio has long been at the forefront of the school choice movement—and today tens of thousands of students participate in one of the state's five scholarship programs.

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Rabbi Eric "Yitz" Frank, President of School Choice Ohio, and Ann Riddle, Director of Provider School Outreach at School Choice Ohio, to explore how Ohio became a national leader in education freedom. They trace the evolution of the state's first Cleveland Scholarship Program in 1995 to today's increasingly robust voucher programs.

But as demand for choice continues to grow, a...