# Isabel Sheinman

> Isabel Sheinman is the co-founder and CEO of Maka Kids, a Detroit-based children's media company building an ad-free, algorithm-free streaming app for kids ages zero to six that is optimized for child well-being rather than watch-time. Before Maka, she co-founded NABU, a global literacy nonprofit that has put early-grade reading materials in front of more than 15 million children across 26 countries. With a decade spent at the intersection of education, technology, and social impact - and a resume that runs through Georgetown, NYU Stern, and Mastercard - Sheinman is wagering that the most valuable thing a screen can offer a small child is restraint.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Maka Kids
- **Organizations:** Maka Kids, Maka Media, NABU, Mastercard
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Georgetown University, NYU Stern School of Business
- **Known for:** Co-founded NABU, a literacy nonprofit that has reached more than 15 million children across 26 countries., Co-founded and leads Maka Kids, raising $3 million in pre-seed funding (led by Michigan Rise, with Detroit Venture Partners, Invest Detroit, Union Heritage Ventures, Flybridge, Also Capital and others)., Built Maka Imprint, a patent-pending developmental framework created over two years of R&D with the Yale Child Study Center, mapping 7 domains and 650+ developmental indicators.

## Career timeline

- **2013** — Meets future co-founder Tanyella Leta at a dinner through a mutual friend; the two discover they both come from families of educators and entrepreneurs.
- **pre-2023** — Co-founds NABU, a global literacy nonprofit that reaches more than 15 million children across 26 countries with early-grade reading materials. Also holds leadership roles at Mastercard.
- **2023** — Co-founds Maka (Maka Media / Maka Kids) with Tanyella Leta on the East Coast.
- **2025** — Relocates Maka to Detroit, basing the company at Newlab, 2050 15th Street.
- **2026-05** — Maka Kids closes a $3M pre-seed round and is profiled by TechCrunch; private iOS beta planned for summer 2026, public launch for fall 2026.

## Achievements

- Co-founded NABU, a literacy nonprofit that has reached more than 15 million children across 26 countries.
- Co-founded and leads Maka Kids, raising $3 million in pre-seed funding (led by Michigan Rise, with Detroit Venture Partners, Invest Detroit, Union Heritage Ventures, Flybridge, Also Capital and others).
- Built Maka Imprint, a patent-pending developmental framework created over two years of R&D with the Yale Child Study Center, mapping 7 domains and 650+ developmental indicators.
- Forged academic partnerships with the Yale Child Study Center, Harvard University, University of Michigan, and Michigan State University.
- Selected as a Founder Forward Fellow in Michigan's innovation ecosystem.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Maka Kids closed a $3M pre-seed round and was profiled by TechCrunch; private iOS beta slated for summer 2026 and public launch for fall 2026 at $11.99/month.

## Links

- Website: https://makakids.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabel-sheinman-98021079/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trymakakids
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trymakakids

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/isabel-sheinman
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-24