Earn & Learn

What Earn & Learn does

Earn & Learn is a private, for-profit company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, that operates a hands-on platform for work-based learning (WBL) connecting K-12 schools, community colleges, workforce development boards, and employers. The company builds and operates ELENA, a Salesforce-based CRM platform that supports employer engagement tracking, WBL activity management, student demographic impact reporting, employer pledge forms, and branded dashboards with interoperability for SWP, Perkins, and CTEIG compliance reporting. The company reports 12,000+ employer partners (including Adobe Express, Khan Academy, Lockheed Martin, NVIDIA, Bio Rad, and Joby Aviation), 150+ educator partners, and 250,000+ student WBL experiences connected through the platform.

The business combines a SaaS-style platform with professional services and digital products. Revenue is generated through quote-based employer subscriptions (including consultation time with expert staff), tiered event sponsorships ranging from $7,500 (Bronze) to $20,000 (Platinum), professional services and consulting for workforce boards, K-12, community colleges, and employer engagement, and a $149 online course plus an Internship Guide book sold direct and via Amazon. Go-to-market is consultative and relationship-driven, anchored by event-based community engagement (apprenticeship fairs, career-sector events, industry tours), partner interest forms, and referral networks across the California education and workforce ecosystem. The company is B Corp certified and holds MWDBE certification, and as of March 2025 has taken its first disclosed institutional capital ($100,000 from WGU Labs). The leadership team is led by founder and CEO Gina Del Carlo with a small team of approximately 1-10 employees.

Name

Earn & Learn

Legal name

Earn & Learn

Website

https://earnlearn.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Earn & Learn operates a Salesforce-based WBL platform (ELENA) that helps K-12 schools, community colleges, workforce boards, and employers co-design, track, and report work-based learning programs and outcomes across California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Work-Based Learning Platform

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Internships, Externships & Work-Based Learning Placement (EDAMAKAB)

Keywords

• Work-based learning platform
• Employer engagement tracking
• Workforce development services
• Career-connected education
• Internship program management

Headquarters

HQ city

Walnut Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Platform Subscriptions (Employer Access): Employers gain access to the Earn & Learn database of clients including WBL coordinators, K-12 and community college educators, and workforce board contacts via subscription. Subscriptions include consultation time with expert staff.
2. Online Course Sales: Earn & Learn sells an online course titled 'How to Plan and Implement a Successful Internship Program' for $149, offering unlimited lifetime access, five chapters of audio-guided content, and downloadable resources.
3. Internship Guide Book Sales: A book titled 'How to Plan & Implement a Successful Internship Program' sold through Amazon as both paperback and ebook, serving educators and employers.
4. Event Sponsorships: Tiered event sponsorship packages (Platinum $20,000, Gold $15,000, Silver $10,000, Bronze $7,500) and transportation/food sponsorships ($2,000-$3,000) give employers visibility at annual work-based learning events.
5. Professional Services and Consulting: Earn & Learn provides hands-on consulting for workforce boards, K-12 schools, community colleges, and employers including program planning, implementation, tracking, event logistics, employer outreach, and grant compliance support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Earn & Learn sells a Salesforce-based work-based learning (WBL) platform (ELENA) that helps K-12 schools, community colleges, workforce development boards, and employers plan, implement, track, and report on WBL experiences. The company pairs the platform with hands-on consulting, an online internship course ($149), a published Internship Guide book, free WBL resource toolkits, and tiered event sponsorship packages. Customers subscribe to the platform for employer engagement tracking, student demographic impact reporting, and dashboards compatible with SWP, Perkins, and CTEIG grants.

Product overview

Earn & Learn operates as a work-based learning support platform combining a core technology platform with professional services and educational products. The main Earn & Learn Platform serves as the central hub connecting students with real-world experiences, while the ELENA module (built on Salesforce) provides specialized tracking and reporting for community colleges and workforce boards. The company offers fee-based products including the "How to Plan and Implement an Internship Program" online course ($149) and an Internship Guide book available on Amazon. Free resources include the WBL Experience Checklist, Six Steps to Quality WBL guide, and Work-Readiness Competencies Checklist. Professional services encompass consulting for workforce boards, K-12, and community colleges; employer engagement support; professional development pathways; business engagement services; event planning and logistics; and event sponsorship packages at various investment levels. The platform serves educators, employers, K-12 schools, community colleges, and workforce development boards with over 12,000 employer partners and 150+ educator partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELENA: Earn & Learn platform that offers Salesforce-based employer engagement tracking, work-based learning activity tracking, student demographic impact reports, employer pledge forms, real-time reports, and branded dashboards.

Products and services

• ELENA Platform (Earn & Learn Platform) A Salesforce-based work-based learning platform that helps K-12 schools, community colleges, workforce development boards, and employers plan, implement, and track WBL experiences. It provides employer engagement tracking, student demographic impact reporting, employer pledge forms, branded dashboards, and reporting interoperability with SWP, Perkins, and CTEIG grants.
• How to Plan and Implement a Successful Internship Program (Online Course) An online course for educators and employers covering how to create and sustain a successful internship program. Includes five chapters of audio/visual guided lessons, a downloadable internship guide, workbook, checklists, and interview tips; priced at $149 with unlimited lifetime access.
• Internship Guide Book A published guide for educators and employers on creating and implementing a successful internship program, distributed as a paperback and ebook on Amazon.
• Professional Services and Consulting for WBL Programs Hands-on consulting and engagement services for workforce boards, K-12 schools, community colleges, and employers. Includes WBL program planning and implementation, business engagement and employer outreach, employer relationship automation and ROI tracking, event planning and logistics (insurance, permits, travel, outreach, promotion), professional development pathways and Communities of Practice, and fundraising support for events and individual giving.
• Event Sponsorship Packages Tiered event sponsorship packages (Platinum $20,000, Gold $15,000, Silver $10,000, Bronze $7,500) plus transportation and food sponsorships ($2,000-$3,000) that give employers visibility through logo placement, social media acknowledgement, on-site recognition, and attendance at annual work-based learning events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250,000+ students connected to real-world work-based learning experiences
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Santa Clara County Office of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanta Clara County Office of Education partners with Earn & Learn for work-based learning program support, including event collaboration, data collection, and consultation. The partnership aims to ensure every student is prepared for college or a career. Anthony Tsujisaka from Santa Clara County Office of Education provided a testimonial praising the partnership.
• Alameda CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlameda County Connector provided a testimonial describing Earn & Learn as 'a timely solution for a decimated socioeconomic landscape' that can boost the effectiveness of emerging companies and empower communities.
• Corteva AgrisciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorteva Agriscience leadership, represented by Jose A. Carrascal, described Earn & Learn as 'perhaps the most revolutionary platform for work-based learning,' praising its depth and reach. The partnership supports Corteva's workforce and talent pipeline development goals.
• Sierra CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSierra College is listed as a community college partner working with Earn & Learn to deliver work-based learning solutions. Sierra College is featured in the partners section of the website.
• ACE Charter High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACE Charter High School is listed as an education partner working with Earn & Learn to deliver work-based learning solutions. The school is featured in the partners section of the website.
• Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy (Aspire Public Schools)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy, part of Aspire Public Schools, is listed as an education partner. The school collaborates with Earn & Learn on career-connected learning goals.
• SalesforcecoreTechnology or IntegrationEarn & Learn's ELENA platform is built on Salesforce, leveraging the CRM's capabilities for employer engagement tracking, WBL activity tracking, student demographic impact reporting, and reporting dashboards.
• B CorporationminorOthersEarn & Learn is B Corp certified, indicating the company has been verified by B Lab for social and environmental performance. The B Corp logo is displayed on the website footer.
• MWDBE (Minority/Women Business Enterprise)minorOthersEarn & Learn holds MWDBE (Minority/Women Business Enterprise) certification. The certification logo is displayed on the website footer.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Handshake: Handshake is a career platform connecting college students with employers for jobs, internships, and work-based learning opportunities. Directly comparable to Earn & Learn's student-employer matching and community college use case, with a much larger scale and venture backing.
• Nepris: Nepris is a virtual work-based learning platform connecting K-12 students to industry professionals. Directly comparable to Earn & Learn's WBL coordination and employer engagement model for K-12 schools and districts.
• Riipen: Riipen is a work-integrated learning platform that connects post-secondary students with companies for project-based experiences. Comparable to Earn & Learn's community college and employer engagement workflow, with similar SWP/Perkins-aligned positioning.
• Forage: Forage provides free virtual work experience programs with leading employers (KPMG, Goldman Sachs, etc.) for students and graduates. Comparable to Earn & Learn in delivering employer-branded work-based learning, though primarily self-serve rather than relationship-driven.
• Parker Dewey: Parker Dewey runs micro-internship programs connecting college students with companies for paid, project-based work. Directly comparable to Earn & Learn's internship placement and employer engagement model, particularly for community colleges and workforce boards.
• WayUp: WayUp is a platform connecting students and recent graduates with internships, entry-level jobs, and employer branding opportunities. Directly comparable to Earn & Learn's internship placement and employer sponsorship model, particularly for early-career employer engagement.

Broad incumbents

• NAF (National Academy Foundation): NAF is a national network of career academies providing work-based learning for high school students. Comparable in target audience (K-12 CTE) and outcome (career-connected learning), though operates as a large nonprofit network rather than a software platform.
• Jobs for the Future (JFF): JFF is a national nonprofit driving workforce development and skills-gap solutions through policy and programs. Comparable in mission (workforce development, employer engagement) and customer base (workforce boards, community colleges), but operates at a much broader national scale.

Others

• Salesforce Education Cloud / Career Connect: Salesforce Education Cloud is the underlying platform on which Earn & Learn's ELENA is built, and includes Career Connect features for student-employer engagement. Comparable as both an enabler (technology foundation) and a potential competitor that could expand into the same WBL coordination space.
• WGU Labs: WGU Labs is the innovation arm of Western Governors University and recently invested $100K in Earn & Learn. Comparable as a thematic ecosystem participant and capital source for workforce/education technology, not a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Earn & Learn