2026 CSGF Seed Cohort

Bold Charter School’s mission is to prepare students to succeed in college and life, pursuing academic mastery so every student graduates with the knowledge and character to lead a purposeful future. Andrew Foglia founded Bold in 2019 in Bronx Community School District 12, driven by a conviction he carried from years of teaching, leading, and coaching instruction at high-achieving school networks in New York and New Jersey: that rigorous academic expectations and genuine care for students are inseparable. This philosophy continues to guide the school’s approach as it expands into high school, responding to families who wanted their children to continue in the same academic environment beyond eighth grade. The new high school is designed to extend the college-preparatory model that has driven the school’s strong academic results while serving more families in the Bronx. Bold currently serves students in grades K–7 across one school in the Bronx; in Fall 2027, it will begin expanding its K–8 cohorts and open its high school with 9th grade, growing to a full K–12 program across two campuses.

The Pivot Schools (Pivot) is designed around a single integrated premise: the technical skills to enter a career and the character to sustain one must be built together. For Founder Anthony Bowden, that premise honors the past and future generations of South Carolina’s students. “I lead because of legacy,” he says. From an early age, he heard stories about his great-uncle, Dr. William S. Mims, one of the first Black men in South Carolina to found a school for Black children — a legacy that shaped Bowden’s belief that “education was the great equalizer” long before he understood what it would mean for his own life. “That legacy lives in my blood, and The Pivot Schools is me carrying it forward,” he says. His vision for Pivot combines project-based learning, career and technical education, whole child learning, and an artificial intelligence pathway connected to local workforce needs, shaped by conversations with families across North Aiken, where career preparation consistently emerged as a top priority. He believes that students deserve more than access to education—they deserve classrooms where they can see themselves reflected in the curriculum and the people leading them. The Pivot Schools plans to open in Fall 2027.

Pioneer Charter School of Science (PCSS) blends rigorous academics with a focus on math, science, humanities, and character development. Led by CEO Barish Icin, PCSS is rooted in the belief that a child’s zip code should never determine their destiny. “What inspires me every day is the incredible work happening in our classrooms,” Icin says. “We have a dedicated team of educators who pour their hearts into ensuring our students receive an exceptional education on par with their peers in any affluent community.” That standard has helped make PCSS one of the highest-performing school networks in Massachusetts, narrowing the proficiency gap between students of color and the state average and posting some of the highest math results among schools serving low-income communities. “When adults hold unwavering expectations and provide the right resources, students don’t just meet the bar — they redefine it,” Icin says. PCSS currently operates two schools serving grades K–12; PCSS II will complete its K–12 pipeline with the addition of 6th grade in Fall 2026, and both campuses will expand cohorts at every grade level.

Greater Atlanta Preparatory School is designed to be an all-boys, college-preparatory charter school for the young men of South Fulton. The mission is to equip them to lead with character and strength in their communities and beyond. GAPS binds rigorous literacy and math acceleration to mentorship and leadership development. The model rests on a simple belief: clear expectations and deep relationships let young men exceed what they thought possible for themselves. That belief comes from the school’s founder. Bobby Jones grew up in South Metro Atlanta and earned a scholarship to an elite private school before leaving for the Naval Academy. He went on to spend 22 years leading sailors around the world. “When I came home to retire, I kept seeing the same thing: young men on the southside with no structural reason to believe they could truly succeed in this world,” Jones says. “I fundamentally disagree. That is what keeps me in this work.” Leading NROTC at Morehouse and Georgia Tech during his final Navy tour sharpened that conviction into a thesis: brilliance is everywhere in his community, but opportunity is not. Greater Atlanta Preparatory School is his answer to closing that gap, opening in Fall 2028.

Power Public Schools aims to give students in South Cobb the confidence, skills, and opportunities to lead, succeed, and shape their own futures, grounded in the belief that students need to be challenged and given access to an education that helps them recognize their own brilliance. Founder China Cardriche is a South Cobb native who first dreamed of creating a school like this as a High School student, and later built a decade of experience in the classroom and school leadership before returning home to launch Power Public Schools. Cardriche conducted a community listening tour that gathered hundreds of surveys and one-on-one conversations with local residents. That feedback shaped the school’s focus on personalized learning, whole-child support, community partnerships, and early-college opportunities. “Students already have power inside of them,” Cardriche says. “I want to build a school where excellence feels normal and students graduate with real choices: college credit, career pathways, confidence, purpose, and the ability to shape their own future.” Power Public Schools will open in South Cobb, Georgia, in Fall 2027.

Mosaic Learning Academy answers a question Founder Christina Aldrich carried through two decades of working with schools, educators, and families across Arizona: what would it look like to build a school that reflects what children, families, and educators need most? A consistent vision emerged from community conversations — families want schools where students are known as individuals, challenged academically, and supported holistically. Mosaic will reimagine the classroom through inclusive dual-grade communities, pairing lead teachers with trained residents from Arizona State University’s Education Workforce Initiative to enable personalized, competency-based progression while building a pipeline of well-prepared educators. “As a mother, educator, and lifelong advocate for children, I wanted to create a school where students are deeply known, challenged, and supported—where academic excellence and character development go hand in hand,” Aldrich says. What keeps her in the work are the families: “Every conversation with a parent searching for the right fit for their child, every student who needs someone to believe in them, and every educator who wants to make a lasting impact reminds me why this work matters.” Mosaic Learning Academy opens in Fall 2027.

The Meliora School is built around a belief that every young person deserves a learning experience designed around who they are, not a system they’re expected to fit into. For Founder Christine Keck, that belief comes from her own life — as a twice-exceptional learner who spent years navigating systems that weren’t built to recognize her, and years more watching the same thing happen to the talented students she taught. “We know that perfection is not the goal. Continuous growth is,” she says. The name itself, Latin for “the pursuit of better,” captures the philosophy at the school’s core: a mastery-based, project-driven model that lets students advance by demonstrating proficiency rather than moving through school by the calendar, guided by Personalized Learning Plans co-developed with families. What keeps her in the work now are the small, daily proofs that a different model is possible: a student finding a new strength, gaining confidence in their voice, or beginning to see a future they hadn’t imagined for themselves. “I am reminded why this work matters,” she says, “and I am also motivated by the families and educators who believe schools can be better and are willing to help build something new.” The Meliora School opens in Fall 2026.

East Hills Academy exists so that every student can grow in character and knowledge through a rigorous, content-rich, broad-based curriculum. Founder Dan Ajamian is building it in the very Colorado Springs neighborhood where he grew up after his family immigrated to the United States — the neighborhood where his own mother won him a seat in a charter school through a lottery, and everything changed. “I have spent my career in education because of a charter school that changed my life,” he says. “Although I was ‘at risk’ on multiple fronts — a low-income immigrant whose second language was English — I was on par with the highest achieving students in my city. I owe that to my charter school education.” As the district’s first classical charter elementary school, East Hills will pair a Core Knowledge curriculum with a character-development framework built around Relationships, Integrity, Service, and Excellence, removing practical barriers like transportation and inflexible schedules by offering no fees, extended-day programming, and a schedule built for working families. Ajamian’s hope is simple: that more children in Colorado Springs can have the same chance he did. East Hills Academy plans to open its doors in August 2026.

In 2009, the Pelican Educational Foundation converted a Baton Rouge middle school into (Kenilworth Science and Technology Academy) KSTA, an open-enrollment STEM and computer science academy grounded in the conviction that students from economically diverse backgrounds deserve the same rigorous education as those attending the city’s most selective schools. Executive Director Hasan Suzuk leads that mission from personal conviction: with a background in computer engineering and educational technology, he has built Kenilworth around the belief that strong academics and technology education should go hand in hand. “I believe computer science is no longer an elective; it is a foundational skill that every student should learn, just like reading and math,” he says. That belief has shaped a school where STEM learning runs through every subject, preparing students for a technology-driven world regardless of their background. “Seeing students who may never have imagined themselves as engineers, programmers, or scientists begin to pursue those dreams reminds me every day why this work matters,” Suzuk says. Kenilworth Science and Technology Academy serves students from kindergarten through 8th grade on a single campus in Baton Rouge; their high school will open in Fall 2026.

The Arizona Goodwill Excel Center offers adults across Phoenix a pathway back to a high school diploma, built around individualized academic plans, an accelerated term structure, and wraparound supports like life coaching, transportation, and free on-site childcare. Director Jack Chang brings 15 years of Arizona education experience as a former principal and founding school leader. “Many of our students have had to fend for themselves in ways others may never see,” says Chang, who came to the United States as a child immigrant without his parents and learned to navigate a new country and language largely on his own. A science teacher who noticed him quietly stepped in, and  shaped how Chang leads today: “He gave me dignity, stability, and a sense that I was not invisible.” Chang has built the school’s instructional core and persistence infrastructure, growing a fast-expanding graduating class. The Excel Center’s mission rests on a simple belief Chang carries from his own life: a person’s past should not determine their future, and every graduate represents opportunity restored, a family strengthened, and a community made stronger. Growth plans include expanding to serve more students by adding evening and weekend classes starting in Fall 2026.

Zenith College and Career Prep will prepare students in Maryvale and West Phoenix to break cycles of poverty through early college pathways, career-connected learning, and real-world experiences that lead to economic mobility. For Founder Dr. Jay Samant, that mission is personal: as the son of immigrant parents, he saw firsthand how access to education can transform a family’s trajectory for generations. That experience shaped his belief that every student deserves access to the opportunities, networks, and pathways that open doors to college, meaningful careers, and financial stability. Across more than 16 years in education — as a teacher, school leader, and higher education administrator — Samant kept seeing the same story: talented students graduating without a clear path to college, career, or economic mobility. Zenith is his answer, combining rigorous academics with early college coursework, industry-recognized credentials, career exploration, and real-world learning experiences in high-demand fields, so students graduate not just with a diploma but with college credit, workforce skills, and a clear plan for their future. Zenith College and Career Prep is scheduled to open in Fall 2027.

MESA K-8 School exists to develop scholars from all backgrounds into exceptional community leaders who solve real-world problems at every table they lead — a mission built into the name itself, Spanish for “table.” As Jefferson County’s first K-8 Expeditionary Learning school, MESA pairs EL Education with the UConn Enrichment for All framework to bring rigorous, inquiry-based learning to Two Creeks, where more than a third of students are multilingual learners — both curricula are available in Spanish as a structural choice. Founder Jennifer Norris spent fifteen years teaching and leading in Denver’s Title I schools before designing MESA alongside the families it will serve. “What inspires me is the brilliance inside of each student and their ‘aha’ moments especially in a passion area,” she says. She’s drawn as well to the leadership, resilience, and curiosity kids show when they’re given a warm, supportive place to learn. What keeps her in the work is simple: “I believe that all children should have a quality school in close proximity to their home.” MESA K-8 School opens in Fall 2027.

Carolina Collegiate High School’s (CCHS) mission is to provide a modern college-prep STEM education that prepares students to shape the future of society. The school is built on a core belief: that students who struggle with expectations aren’t problems to manage, but people who need more connection, not less. “What inspires me most is helping young people discover what is possible for their future,” says Founder Joey Webb. “Every student, regardless of their zip code, side of town, or incoming ability, deserves to feel challenged, known, and connected to something larger than themselves.” Schools, he believes, have to do two things at once: prepare students academically as a first act of equity, and help them develop a sense of purpose and belonging. When both come together, he says, students “begin to see how they can contribute meaningfully to the world around them” — proof that they can stand alongside the best of their peers anywhere, not only in the numbers they achieve, but in what they build and do. CCHS plans to open in August 2026.

Prestige Preparatory School is built on the belief that every child, especially those farthest from opportunity, deserves access to a high-quality education. Founder Dr. Keon Berry, an educator, researcher, and community leader, has seen firsthand how educational inequities can limit a person’s life outcomes and future opportunities — an experience that shaped his goal of expanding access to rigorous academics, character formation, and career readiness for families who have historically had limited educational options. The school’s academic model, inspired by Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois’s belief that “education must not simply teach work—it must teach Life,” combines mastery-based learning with financial and digital literacy, so students master the Georgia Standards while building the skills to navigate the world with confidence. What keeps Berry in this work is his conviction that education remains one of the most powerful tools for expanding opportunity and strengthening communities. Prestige Preparatory School will open in August 2027.

The Ivy School is built on a conviction Founder Kimberly Jackson arrived at through her own life: for neurodivergent students, timely identification and effective multi-sensory instruction should be the norm, not the exception. Her own experience with a language-based disability, and watching her brother navigate school with undiagnosed dyslexia, fueled that belief — and shaped The Ivy’s model, structured literacy, artifact-based inquiry, and immersive museum-style environments designed to reinforce one another, building decoding and fluency, comprehension and critical thinking, and the sensory scaffolding that connects them. “What keeps me in this work is knowing the systemic consequences of failing our kids,” she says. “I lead because a high-quality education is a human right, and a disability should never dictate a child’s survival or success. Jackson, a longtime educator and special education advocate, built The Ivy to serve both neurodivergent learners and their peers in an inclusive environment. The Ivy School is opening in Las Vegas, Nevada in Fall 2027.

Lincoln Academy is built around three core pillars — academic rigor, character development, and career exploration — with students beginning career planning in K4 and every graduate completing an internship or youth apprenticeship before earning a diploma. Founder Dr. Kristi Cole opened the school in 2021, drawing on 35 years in public education, both traditional and charter, to design it from the ground up. “It is a gift to be able to use my prior experiences to design a school that is innovative and joyous,” she says. “The Lincoln Academy allows children to realize their dreams and to reach their full potential.” The Beloit community has embraced Lincoln Academy’s scholars, and Cole sees that partnership as central to what the school has built. “Our scholars continue to shine and show what they can do and who they can become if given the opportunity,” she says. A simple belief guides her leadership: “If I put children first in every decision I make, it will be the right decision.” The Lincoln Academy in Beloit currently educates students in grades K–12 and plans to add sections at every grade level.

The Museum School of East Dallas will ignite joy for learning in K–8 students through an extended-day, museum-school approach that prepares them to thrive in high school, college, career, and beyond. For Founder Loren Colman, that mission is personal. “I grew up raised by a hardworking single mother who did everything she could to create opportunities for me, but I also know what it feels like to be underestimated,” she says. “I saw firsthand how one caring adult, one teacher who believes in you, or one opportunity can completely change the trajectory of a child’s life.” After nearly two decades in education, Colman found herself asking a simple question: “What if we built the school our community both wants and needs?” She spent nearly two years listening — surveys, conversations, and pilot programs with families in East Dallas’s 75228 corridor — landing on a model built around hands-on learning, an extended day, and curated end-of-unit exhibitions where students will publicly share what they’ve built. “It is a community dream built alongside families,” Colman says. The Museum School of East Dallas opens in August 2026.

Founder Dr. Melissa Capehart was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, where she is now building the kind of school she believes students and families deserve. With nearly two decades of experience across the education and nonprofit sectors, her perspective has been shaped by her own journey as an advanced learner, her work as an educator, and her experience as the mother of a child with autism. Through each lens, she saw how easily students’ strengths, interests, and potential could be overlooked when learning was not designed with the whole child in mind. “I believe every child deserves a learning experience that sees them fully—their brilliance, their needs, their potential, and their future,” Capehart says. That belief drives a central premise at xS.T.R.E.A.M. Minds Academy: learning should be designed around learner variability so that every student is both challenged and supported. As Alabama’s first S.T.R.E.A.M.-focused public charter school, xMA’s model integrates Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Math through hands-on exploration, personalized learning, and strong development of the whole child. xS.T.R.E.A.M. Minds Academy will open in East Birmingham in Fall 2028.

Bellavista Charter School of the Arts is designed so that every student — not just those who can audition — can pursue music, dance, visual arts, theater, and innovation alongside a strong academic core, closing a gap in Rochester’s open-enrollment options. Founder Dr. Oscia Miles came up through Rochester’s own schools before spending two decades as a professional performer, and in both worlds she saw the same pattern repeat. “I’ve seen incredible students whose talents, creativity, and leadership potential were overlooked simply because they lacked access to opportunities or environments that truly saw them,” she says. That experience shapes her belief that the arts are a pathway to creativity, resilience, discipline, and leadership — and it’s why Bellavista’s HBCU-inspired school culture, including drumlines, step, and Homecoming traditions, is designed to build the belonging that will keep students engaged long enough for rigorous instruction to take hold. “It’s a commitment to creating equitable opportunities for students who deserve access to an arts-integrated education,” Miles says. “Lasting change happens one student, one family, and one partnership at a time.” Bellavista Charter School of the Arts will open in Fall 2028.

Perea Elementary School exists to prepare all students academically, creating a classroom and school environment where every student feels welcomed, appreciated, and valued. When the school opened in 2018, its model was right, but academic results didn’t follow at first. When Dr. Robert Davis III arrived, 25 years into a career as Memphis-Shelby County’s designated turnaround principal, he built the instructional coaching systems, intervention infrastructure, and leadership bench the model needed to deliver. “What inspires me to lead Perea is the opportunity to witness transformation every day — not just in our students’ academic growth, but in their confidence, character, and belief in what is possible for their future,” he says. Today, Perea outperforms district, charter, and state averages in ELA proficiency. “I remain committed because I believe every child deserves access to an excellent education that affirms their value and unlocks their potential,” Davis says. Perea is adding a middle school band one grade per year to reach a full K–8 program at scale.

Community Roots Leadership Academy’s mission is to cultivate rooted leaders — students who read with fluency, think critically, lead confidently, and build legacies that transform their communities. For Founder Rochelle Washington Scott, that mission is grounded in more than two decades as an educator, principal, instructional leader, and consultant — years that showed her both the power of great schools and the consequences of broken ones. “I have watched students labeled as ‘behind’ become leaders when someone believed in them, challenged them, and built systems that honored their potential,” she says. CRLA’s model will build literacy, leadership, and economic agency over nine years in the same community students call home, culminating in a capstone project every eighth grader completes before graduation. “Leadership is not about building an institution; it is about building people,” Scott says. “When students develop their gifts and believe they have something meaningful to contribute to the world, the impact extends far beyond the classroom.” Community Roots Leadership Academy will open in Fall 2027.

Harvest Commons School was born from Founder Sarah Schnauder’s dream of creating the kind of school she always wished every child could experience — “a place where students are genuinely known, encouraged to ask questions, and inspired to discover who they were created to be.” Schnauder has spent more than a decade building learning environments in Baton Rouge, first founding a summer camp program before launching The Link School, a farm-based private elementary school designed for students with disabilities. “Seeing the joy, confidence, and purpose that grows when children are given meaningful opportunities to learn through connection, creativity, and real-world experiences is what continues to inspire me every day,” she says. Community engagement confirmed strong demand for both project-based learning and more real-world learning options in East Baton Rouge Parish — demand Harvest Commons was built to meet. The model integrates a farm program developed with Southern University’s agricultural expertise, embedded therapy and behavioral support so students with complex needs can access the full academic program, and hands-on, project-driven instruction alongside rigorous core academics. Harvest Commons School will open in Fall 2026 as a K–5 school.