Four Camelback edtech founders share their best and worst decisions in the early days of their venture, sharing advice and anecdotes about how they built their team and product.
Read More"I wish the opportunity to build and create was available to everyone. How different would our national community be, and our world be, if everyone had their chance to contribute their genius to the greater world?"
Read MoreThree Camelback Fellows share how the Fellowship shaped both them as a person, including overcoming imposter syndrome, and their organization. They also share their best advice (and encouragement) for underrepresented school founders.
Read MoreThere's no guidebook to starting a school. Fellows think back to the early days, reflecting on early decisions that have turned out well, and others that, in retrospect, were a mistake. They also share what new leaders should look for in a co-founder.
Read MoreOur three-part series features interviews with three incredible school founders. In part one, they share their journey, starting with their own childhood experiences that stuck with them to the moment they realized they were ready to start their own school.
Read More"In 2017, I did 1:1s with over 400 people in Miami. Parents, teachers, community members -- everyone is on the same page: we all agree the system here is broken." Yannell Selman reflects on her identity as a Latinx entrepreneur, teacher, and community organizer and her path to the Camelback Fellowship.
Read MoreI started this blog post by trying to write an analysis of our rubric to share, but as I drafted, it became a reflection on the shared values of not just our organization, but of the amazing Fellows I have had the honor of supporting with my work at Camelback. If these observations speak to you, I hope you consider applying to the Camelback Fellowship.
Read MoreJonathan Johnson began his journey to founding a school when one of his students died tragically in a drug deal. He resolved to create an innovative school that provides pathways to financial freedom. The school opened its doors in August to its first class of 9th-graders, mostly of color. After their first semester, Jonathan shares Rooted's early successes, the most inspiring moment of his career so far, and advice for aspiring school founders.
Read MoreYou may be racking your brain for the best possible answers. Trust me, I’ve been there too. With that in mind, I’ve compiled some tips that should hopefully get you that much closer to writing the application of your dreams (and hopefully our dreams).
Read MoreIn college, Tony Weaver, Jr. filled up notebooks with scripts, but no one on campus would make his films that dealt with race and identity. Today, he's teaching a multimedia literacy curriculum across the country -- so how did he get from A to B? Check out this interview to find out.
Read MoreTyler Brewster was the Dean of Discipline for a school in her childhood neighborhood. After 10 years in education, she thought she knew what her role was in education. One day, she met with a student who had already received a few suspensions. The conversation they had changed her life forever.
Read More"Ruthlessness has the implication and inherent meanings of aggressive intensity, unyielding pursuit of an end. What if we took that same ruthlessness and put it towards the pursuit of equity in our country?" Camelback launches our manifesto, Ruthless for Good, and Aaron shares why this work for him is personal.
Read MoreThis cohort was a labor of love for our Camelback team; it's also the most social justice oriented cohort. And this, especially to me, felt significant. I knew that, even when it felt like everything else was going to hell this past year, I could return to the work the Camelback applicants were doing and be inspired.
Read More"Poverty is knowing that if you don’t make it out, you will get stuck there. It’s knowing you will be stuck either working the farm, in a restaurant, a nursing home, or a school your whole life. Which wouldn’t seem so awful, if almost everyone you knew didn’t hate it."
Read MoreI share these stories because it's been humbling to remember that while the unspoken rules of entrepreneurship at this level are new to me, the heart and spirit aren't. I've been practicing it my whole life.
Read MoreMany for-profit leaders seem unafraid to ask for the money they need to start up; but I continue to see non-profit leaders struggle to make the ask...Because most funders speak finance, it is key that you can not only tell them why your business is important, but explain to them how they can support you in achieving your goals.
Read MoreAs an Entrepreneurial Engineer, Bob guides Fellows through the ins and outs of leadership. Here, he shares the importance of prioritizing organizational culture and ways to shape it at any organization.
Read MoreJames Kim, 2017 Camelback Fellow, shares his perspective on the first Summit: "It's Day 1 of the Camelback Summit — I marveled at where I was, who I was with, and how I came to be here. What emerged for me was a profound recognition of how immensely varied our journeys have been."
Read More"I believe that one small component (the measurement world in which I live) can help us to move a little bit further towards changing national education for the better by learning from smart people."
Read More"Our opening summit was an opportunity to connect back to the heart of our work - our Fellows. And it reminded me that the thing that can be the great multiplier of bringing 12 people together is love.
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