# Prenda

> Prenda is an Arizona-based education company that gives everyday adults - called guides - the software, curriculum, training, and support to open and run small, tuition-free K-8 microschools of 5 to 10 students out of homes, libraries, and community spaces. Founded by Kelly Smith after he started a learning club around his kitchen table, Prenda partners with state-credentialed institutions and school-choice programs so families pay little or nothing, while students learn at their own pace through a 'connect, conquer, collaborate, create' day built around mastery and student agency.

- **Founded:** 2018
- **Headquarters:** Mesa, Arizona, United States
- **Founders:** Kelly Smith (Founder & CEO), Andrew Jennings (Co-founder), Cahlan Sharp (Co-founder), Luke Miller (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~200 employees
- **Products:** Microschool Platform, Curriculum & Learning Model, Guide Training & Support, School-Choice Navigation
- **Notable:** Grew from 7 neighborhood kids in a kitchen-table microschool (2018) to 1,000+ founders and nearly 10,000 K-8 students., Raised a $20M Series B led by Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six in June 2022., Backed by Y Combinator (2019 cohort) and Lean Startup author Eric Ries.

## Products & services

- **Microschool Platform** — Plug-and-play software for guides to manage enrollment, track student progress, process payments, and build a marketing website for their microschool.
- **Curriculum & Learning Model** — A four-mode learning day (connect, conquer, collaborate, create) blending adaptive diagnostics with third-party tools like Khan Academy (math) and Lexia (reading), plus Prenda-built writing tools, organized around mastery and project-based learning.
- **Guide Training & Support** — Onboarding, free ongoing training, setup specialists, and year-round academic coaches who provide on-call help with learning, behavior, and motivation - no teaching credential required.
- **School-Choice Navigation** — Help for founders and families to access state ESA and school-choice programs so microschools can be offered tuition-free or low-cost.

## Achievements

- Grew from 7 neighborhood kids in a kitchen-table microschool (2018) to 1,000+ founders and nearly 10,000 K-8 students.
- Raised a $20M Series B led by Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six in June 2022.
- Backed by Y Combinator (2019 cohort) and Lean Startup author Eric Ries.
- Credited with catalyzing Arizona's microschool boom alongside ESA expansion.
- Expanding toward availability in all 50 states by the end of 2025, including a 2025-2026 rollout in Arkansas.

## Latest updates

- **2025-09** — Rolling out Prenda microschools in Arkansas for the 2025-2026 school year.
- **2025-01** — Company says it is on track to be available in all 50 states by the end of 2025; reports 1,000+ founders and ~10,000 students served.
- **2022-06** — Closed $20M Series B led by Seven Seven Six to build tech for running K-8 microschools.

## Links

- Website: https://www.prenda.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/prenda
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/prendalearn
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6GcJFx_Yh1CpKzUUuzzQg
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prendalearn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prendalearn

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/prenda
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-08