TrailBlazED Leadership Forge

09/21/2026

Turns out, sometimes the next person you need to reach is… another founder. 🤝😂

I spent years in the trenches as a Microschool founder and guide—working directly with learners from K–12, figuring things out as I went, making mistakes, solving problems, navigating regulations, building systems, and learning what it actually takes to keep an innovative education program running.

And somewhere along the way, something shifted.

I realized the experience I’d fought so hard to gain could make the road a whole lot easier for the founder coming behind me.

So now?

I’m still an education entrepreneur.

I’m just reaching across the aisle… or desk 😂… to help other education entrepreneurs build, grow, and scale with a little more confidence and a lot fewer “WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME THIS?!” moments.

Because you don’t have to figure out every piece of this alone.

And if you’re building something unconventional in education?

👀 You might want to stick around.

Follow TrailBlazED Forge for the lessons, resources, connections, and conversations I wish I’d had when I started.

09/14/2026

Turns out, building a Microschool can take you to some pretty unexpected places. 👀🇺🇸

When I started this journey, I definitely didn’t have “invited to the White House” on my education entrepreneur bingo card. 😂

But there I was.

And while getting to attend the Back to School & Education Freedom Event was absolutely a how is this my life?! moment, what made it meaningful wasn’t simply where I was.

It was what was being talked about while I was there.

Education freedom. Parental choice. Innovation. And creating space for educational models that don’t look like the traditional system.

I’ve experienced firsthand what happens when an innovative learning model collides with regulations that weren’t designed for it. So having education entrepreneurs represented in conversations about what comes next matters deeply to me.

Because we shouldn’t just be out there building new options for families.

We need education entrepreneurs in the rooms where the policies affecting those options are being shaped.

From building a Microschool in small-town Arizona to conversations about education freedom in Washington, D.C…

I’d say that’s kinda chic. 😉✨

Here’s to more innovation, more choices for families, and a future where education entrepreneurs have a voice in building what comes next. 🇺🇸

Follow TrailBlazED Forge if you’re building something different in education—or believe families deserve the freedom to choose something different.

09/12/2026

POV: You start preparing for the documentary about your inspiring journey as a Microschool founder and education entrepreneur…

…and then remember the documentary also has to include everything it took to get here. 😅

The plot has it all:

Microschool founder.
Business owner.
Education entrepreneur.
Mentor to other founders.
Regulatory plot twists nobody asked for.
A few “surely this cannot actually be happening” moments.
And somehow… a trip to the White House. 🇺🇸😂

Would I watch it? Absolutely.

Would I occasionally like to speak with whoever is writing this season? Also absolutely.

But if there’s one thing being an education entrepreneur has taught me, it’s that building something different is rarely boring—and every ridiculous chapter gives me something new to bring back to the founders I help.

Now the important question:

🍿 What are we naming the Netflix documentary?

Drop your best title below. Wrong answers are highly encouraged. 😂👇

09/11/2026

I never thought THIS would be the fight I’d have to fight as an education entrepreneur. 👀

I knew building something different would come with challenges.

What I didn’t expect was to spend so much time navigating regulations that were never really designed for what we were building in the first place.

I know what that feels like because I lived it.

After Baker Creek Academy had been operating for two years, state fire inspectors attempted to require tens of thousands of dollars in building upgrades because our space was being used for educational purposes.

Same building.
Same hours.
Same number and ages of learners.

Different rules.

And the more founders I’ve connected with, the clearer something has become:

My story isn’t an isolated one.

That’s why I’m so encouraged to see the Institute for Justice launching its Education Entrepreneurship Project—focused specifically on protecting education entrepreneurs and the families looking for the alternatives we’re creating.

Because founders should be able to spend their energy building incredible opportunities for learners, not trying to figure out how an innovative model fits inside a regulatory box that was built for something else.

If you’re building in this space, save this carousel. You may need these resources someday.

And send it to another education entrepreneur who needs to know they aren’t navigating this alone. 🤎

👉 Explore IJ’s Education Entrepreneurship Project:
https://ij.org/issues/the-education-entrepreneurship-project/⁠

Follow TrailBlazED Forge for more resources, conversations, and support for education entrepreneurs working to build, protect + grow.

08/10/2026

The biggest regret wasn’t what happened at the retreat…

It was hearing, “I wish I would’ve been there.”

If you’ve ever wondered whether stepping away from your learning community for a few days is worth it, swipe through this carousel before you decide.

Inside you’ll see:
✨ How founders’ sense of connection changed after the retreat.
✨ The sessions they said had the biggest impact.
✨ What they rated the experience.
✨ And how many are already planning to come back.

The truth is, building an independent learning community can feel incredibly lonely. Whether you’re leading a microschool, homeschool co-op, learning pod, learning club, tutoring program, enrichment program, or another innovative learning model, you’re making big decisions, wearing every hat, solving problems no one prepared you for, and wondering if anyone else truly understands.

That’s exactly why TrailBlazED exists.

This retreat wasn’t about escaping your work.

It was about returning to your learning community with more clarity, better tools, deeper relationships, and the confidence that you’re not building alone.

If you missed 2026, don’t let 2027 become another “I wish I had.”

Follow TrailBlazED Forge on Instagram and Facebook so you’re the first to know when next year’s retreat details are announced.

Your learners deserve the best version of you.

Sometimes the greatest investment you can make in your learning community is investing in yourself.

👇 Which slide surprised you the most?

08/01/2026

07/30/2026

What if we’ve been measuring education all wrong?

“Being educated and being schooled are not the same thing.”

That single sentence captures so much of why Denise Lever founded Baker Creek Academy and why she’s dedicated her work to expanding meaningful learning opportunities for families.

In this conversation with Tomis Parker, Denise shares:

✨ How a rural Arizona community built a network of 11 microschools

✨ Why relationships, autonomy, respect, and real competency matter more than checking boxes

✨ How personalized learning plans help learners thrive

✨ The incredible story of how one unconventional learning journey led to a college scholarship and a passion for archaeology

This isn’t just a conversation about microschools.

It’s a conversation about what education can become when we stop asking learners to fit a system—and start designing learning around the learner.

🎧 Watch the full episode on YouTube (link in bio/story or here): https://youtu.be/VtGVtagLRl4

What does being educated mean to you? We’d love to hear your thoughts below. ⬇️

Denise Lever tomisparker

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07/30/2026

07/27/2026

🎉 FREE SPA TREATMENT WINNER UPDATE

Due to traveling, the original winner of the spa credit will not make it to the retreat on time! She has offered her win to another random winner. That winner is…

Katie Turner!!!

🎉 Congratulations, Katie!

You’ve officially won our FREE Spa Treatment Prize from the 2026 TrailBlazED Microschool Leadership Retreat Early Bird Giveaway!

After spending a weekend pouring into your leadership, your mission, and your learning community... now you’ll get the chance to pour a little back into yourself.

Thank you to everyone who registered early and helped make this year’s retreat so special. We can’t wait to see you all soon!

Help us congratulate Katie in the comments!


RetreatWinner

07/22/2026

✨ Speaker Spotlight: Tomis Parker ✨

Some of the most meaningful learning doesn’t fit neatly into a test score or letter grade.

That’s why we’re excited to welcome Tomis Parker, founder of Prism: Learning Made Visible, to the 2026 TrailBlazED Founders Retreat!

Tomis has spent more than 15 years helping educators create learning environments where curiosity, ownership, and authentic growth thrive. As co-founder of the Agile Learning Centers network and founder of Prism, he’s passionate about helping educators and families capture the learning that traditional grading often overlooks.

📚 Session Topic: Prism

Discover how innovative schools and learning communities can document authentic learning journeys, celebrate meaningful growth, and make visible the progress that happens beyond standardized tests and grades.

If you’re building a Microschool, homeschool hybrid, learning center, or other learner-centered program, this session will give you practical tools and a fresh perspective on honoring every learner’s unique path.

We’re so excited to have Tomis share his experience with the TrailBlazED community!

📍 July 31 – August 2, 2026
📍 Eagar, Arizona

Registration is still open—we’d love to see you there!

🔗 Register: https://trailblazed.futurefund.com/go/68492-2026-trailblazed-microschool-leadership-retreat

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