VISIBLE MEN ACADEMY

What VISIBLE MEN ACADEMY does

Visible Men Academy (VMA) is a tuition-free public charter school headquartered at 1007 21st Street East in Bradenton, Florida, serving boys in grades K-5 from Manatee and Sarasota counties. Founded in 2012 as a nonprofit organization (EIN 46-0930264), the school operates a single-gender learning model designed around the learning styles of boys, with an emphasis on character development and leadership formation anchored by its branded SHINE values framework (Selflessness, Honesty, Integrity, Niceness, Excellence).

The school's core offering is a blended learning environment that integrates educational technology—laptops, tablets, and wireless internet in every classroom—with traditional instruction. Operational hours run 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with school hours from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The school requires uniforms (purchased through the front office), provides free breakfast and lunch via the federal Community Eligibility Program, and offers transportation for students across both counties.

VMA's revenue model is built on three streams: state per-pupil charter funding as the primary recurring base, charitable donations from individuals and foundations (the school actively solicits philanthropic partnerships), and a minor ancillary stream from uniform sales. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the school's website enrollment portal and on-campus delivery, with marketing conducted via the website, an email newsletter through Constant Contact, community events, and a volunteer pipeline managed through JotForm.

Name

VISIBLE MEN ACADEMY

Legal name

Visible Men Academy

Website

https://vmacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visible Men Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Bradenton, Florida, providing single-gender education for boys in grades K-5 across Manatee and Sarasota counties, combining academic instruction with character development through its SHINE values framework and a blended learning model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Sex (Boys/Girls) Private Schools (EDAJABAK)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• Elementary education services
• Single-gender schooling
• Character education programs
• Blended learning education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Per-Pupil Funding: As a public charter school, VMA receives government funding based on enrollment. This is the primary revenue stream supporting school operations.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: The school accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations. The website features a dedicated donation page and acknowledges donors as essential partners in supporting students.
3. Uniform Sales: School uniforms are available for purchase through the front office, providing a minor ancillary revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Visible Men Academy is a tuition-free public charter school providing single-gender education for boys in grades K-5 in Bradenton, Florida. The school combines academic instruction with character development guided by SHINE values (Selflessness, Honesty, Integrity, Niceness, Excellence), and employs a blended learning model integrating educational technology such as laptops, tablets, and wireless internet in classrooms.

Product overview

Visible Men Academy is a single, unified educational institution offering a tuition-free public charter school program for boys in grades K-5. The school operates a blended learning model that integrates traditional academic instruction with educational technology (classrooms equipped with laptops, tablets, and wireless internet access). The core offering combines quality education with character development and leadership formation, guided by the school's SHINE values. No separate products, modules, or add-on services are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visible Men Academy K-5 Charter School Program Tuition-free public charter school program for boys in grades K-5, providing single-gender education with character development based on SHINE values and a blended learning model integrating educational technology. Includes free breakfast and lunch via the Community Eligibility Program, transportation for students in both Manatee and Sarasota counties, and required school uniforms.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Community Eligibility ProgramcoreOthersA federal program that allows schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students. Thanks to this program, every student at VMA receives free meals prepared onsite daily, eliminating food insecurity concerns for families.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Boys' Latin School of Philadelphia: Boys' Latin is a single-gender boys' school (grades K-12) emphasizing character, leadership, and academic excellence. As an established all-boys model, it provides a benchmark for how the VMA approach can evolve and scale through grade levels.
• The SEED School of Miami: SEED schools are public, college-preparatory boarding schools with a single-gender model serving primarily underserved youth. Like VMA, they combine rigorous academics with character development and are publicly funded, making them a strong operational parallel.
• Eagle Academy for Young Men: Eagle Academy for Young Men is a network of public, single-gender schools serving boys in grades K-12 with a focus on character and leadership development. It directly mirrors VMA's single-sex boys' public charter model, mission, and target demographic.

Emerging players

• Rowland Hall (Private Boys' Grades 3-6 Track): Rowland Hall operates single-gender classroom segments within its K-12 program. It is comparable to VMA in that it explores single-sex instruction during formative early elementary years, though as an independent private school.
• Calhoun School (NYC): Calhoun has historically run separate boys' and girls' lower-school classrooms within a progressive private school. Its model provides a useful example of how single-gender early education can be positioned alongside broader school offerings.

Regional players

• Excel Academy Charter Schools: Excel Academy is a public charter network serving elementary-aged students. While co-ed, it shares VMA's charter funding model, blended-learning orientation, and dependence on per-pupil revenue in a similar grade range.
• Manatee School District Charter Schools: Other charter schools authorized within VMA's home Manatee County ecosystem compete directly for the same publicly-funded K-5 students and donor dollars, making them the most immediate local competitive set.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Charter Schools: KIPP operates a large national charter network serving K-12 students with a focus on underserved communities and character development. It mirrors VMA's charter structure and character-driven mission, although at vastly greater scale and across co-ed classrooms.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visible-men-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VISIBLE MEN ACADEMY