Building Wings
Building Wings provides research-based, subscription-delivered literacy curriculum (Readtopia, ReadtopiaGO) for U.S. and Canadian school districts serving students with significant cognitive disabilities, autism, and AAC needs, led by founder Don Johnston from Volo, Illinois.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersPolo, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Building Wings does
Building Wings is a private, Illinois-based educational technology company that delivers research-based literacy curriculum specifically designed for students with complex learning needs, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, autism, intellectual disabilities, and learners who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. Its core product, Readtopia, is a comprehensive literacy curriculum spanning grades 3 through adult, organized into 30+ age-respectful thematic units that combine systematic phonics instruction, adapted graphic novels, proprietary multimodal instructional videos, differentiated materials, and 150-200 page teacher guides aligned to the Science of Reading. The portfolio was extended in 2023 with ReadtopiaGO, an early-literacy curriculum for ages 4-8, and in 2022 via the acquisition of Knowledge Unlimited, which added current events and adult education programming; Monarch Reader (books for beginning readers) rounds out the suite.
Building Wings monetizes via annual subscription licensing at $925 per educator per year, with 5-50% volume discounts for districts purchasing multiple licenses or committing to multi-year contracts, plus discounted homeschool/parent licenses available by phone inquiry. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting special education directors, administrators, teachers, and district leadership across North America (U.S. and Canada), supported by a content marketing motion (blog, webinars, email), active social media presence, and online "Request a Quote" and "Book a Meeting" conversion paths. The company claims trust from 1,000+ school districts and is led by Founder and CEO Don Johnston, with Maureen Donnelly, M.Ed., as Director of Curriculum. Building Wings LLC operates as an independent entity; the founder's prior venture, Don Johnston Incorporated, has joined Texthelp Group.
Building Wings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Building Wings
- Legal name
- Building Wings LLC
- Website
- https://buildingwings.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Building Wings provides research-based, subscription-delivered literacy curriculum (Readtopia, ReadtopiaGO) for U.S. and Canadian school districts serving students with significant cognitive disabilities, autism, and AAC needs, led by founder Don Johnston from Volo, Illinois.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Building Wings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Special Education Literacy Curriculum
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literacy & Reading Intervention (Phonics, Fluency, Comprehension) (EDAKADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Literacy & Reading Intervention Technology (EDAJAMAF), Reading Intervention & Remediation (Decoding, Fluency, Comprehension) (EDAKAJAD), Literacy Foundations (Phonics, Reading Fluency, Comprehension) Platforms (EDAFAOAD)
Keywords
Where Building Wings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Polo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Building Wings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Educational Curriculum Subscription: Building Wings generates revenue through annual subscription-based licensing of their Readtopia curriculum to individual educators and school districts. Pricing is per educator with volume discounts available for districts with multiple licenses or multi-year commitments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Educator License - $925 USD/year |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | School District/Organization Multi-License Discount |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Building Wings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Building Wings provides research-based literacy curriculum solutions specifically designed for special educators working with students who have complex learning needs, including autism, significant cognitive disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and AAC users. The company delivers systematic phonics, reading, writing, communication, and comprehension instruction through an online subscription platform featuring age-respectful thematic units, graphic novels, multimodal videos, teacher guides, and integrated progress monitoring tools. Core products include Readtopia (grades 3 through adult), ReadtopiaGO (ages 4-8), Monarch Reader, and News Currents.
Product overview
Building Wings provides a portfolio of research-based literacy solutions for learners with complex learning needs. The product suite includes Readtopia (comprehensive literacy curriculum for grades 3 through adult with significant cognitive disabilities), ReadtopiaGO (early-literacy curriculum for ages 4-8), Monarch Reader (books for beginning readers), and News Currents (current events educational programs). Together, these products provide a complete literacy pathway from early childhood through adult education, incorporating explicit systematic instruction, AAC support, differentiated materials, and age-respectful content aligned to the Science of Reading.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Readtopia: Comprehensive literacy and reading curriculum for special education for students with significant cognitive disabilities and extensive support needs in grades 3 through adult.
- ReadtopiaGO
- Monarch Reader
- News Currents
Products and services
- Readtopia Comprehensive literacy and reading curriculum for students in grades 3 through adult with significant cognitive disabilities, autism, intellectual disabilities, and extensive support needs. Provides systematic instruction in phonics, reading, writing, communication, and comprehension through 30+ age-respectful thematic units with differentiated supports, teacher guides, and multimedia resources.
- ReadtopiaGO Early-literacy curriculum for learners ages 4-8 (Pre-K through Grade 2) with complex learning profiles. Provides four years of instruction with 16 core topics and 32 books per year, organized around integrated thematic units that build foundational literacy skills through science, social studies, social and emotional development, and life skills contexts.
- Monarch Reader Books for beginning readers of all ages, providing accessible reading materials to support literacy development.
- News Currents Current events educational program providing supplementary learning materials that help educators lead discussions on national and international news and engage students in enriching material about the world.
Quantifiable outcome
- Schools implementing Readtopia report measurable growth in literacy skills aligned to IEP goals, increased student engagement in reading and writing, greater independence in communication and expression, and stronger alignment between instruction and assessment
Companies that use Building Wings
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Building Wings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability1 record
Feature6 records
Building Wings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Building Wings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- n2y: n2y's Unique Learning System and News-2-You provide differentiated, symbol-supported curriculum and current events for students with significant cognitive disabilities - the most direct competitor to Readtopia and News Currents in the special ed content market.
- Really Great Reading: Really Great Reading offers structured literacy intervention programs (Countdown, Blast, HD Word) grounded in the Science of Reading, often used in special education and intervention settings, directly competing for intervention budgets.
- Reading Horizons: Reading Horizons provides Science of Reading-aligned structured literacy software for K-12 intervention, including products targeting students with reading difficulties - a comparable structured literacy EdTech competitor.
- Attainment Company: Attainment Company produces special education curriculum, vocational, and life skills materials (e.g., Access Language Arts) for students with significant disabilities - a direct peer in the special ed content space.
Broad incumbents
- Lexia Learning: Lexia offers structured literacy programs (Lexia Core5, PowerUp) widely adopted in K-12 districts; while not purpose-built for severe cognitive disabilities, it is a Science of Reading-aligned competitor competing for the same district literacy dollars.
- Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning provides K-12 literacy, math, and assessment products (including Imagine Language & Literacy) to districts nationwide, representing a broad incumbent in structured literacy purchasing decisions alongside Readtopia.
- Benchmark Education: Benchmark Education provides K-6 leveled reading and intervention programs, and although broader than special education-only, it competes for the differentiated literacy and intervention budgets of school districts.
- Texthelp: Texthelp is a global EdTech accessibility company (Read&Write, EquatIO) that absorbed Don Johnston Incorporated; it provides literacy and accessibility tools broadly and is a related ecosystem player with potential overlap in assistive technology.
Emerging players
- PRC-Saltillo (AAC): PRC-Saltillo is a leading AAC device manufacturer that Building Wings integrates with; while a partner rather than a direct competitor, PRC-Saltillo could expand its own content ecosystem and compete for literacy-instruction share within AAC-using classrooms.
- Branching Minds: Branching Minds provides MTSS and intervention management platforms for K-12, often used alongside structured literacy interventions; an emerging adjacent player in the special ed and intervention purchasing ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Building Wings social profiles
Digital presenceBuilding Wings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Building Wings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Building Wings subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Building Wings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Building Wings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Building Wings
What does Building Wings do?
Building Wings provides research-based literacy curriculum solutions specifically designed for special educators working with students who have complex learning needs, including autism, significant cognitive disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and AAC users. The company delivers systematic phonics, reading, writing, communication, and comprehension instruction through an online subscription platform featuring age-respectful thematic units, graphic novels, multimodal videos, teacher guides, and integrated progress monitoring tools. Core products include Readtopia (grades 3 through adult), ReadtopiaGO (ages 4-8), Monarch Reader, and News Currents.
Is Building Wings a public or private company?
Building Wings is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Building Wings founded?
Building Wings was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Building Wings based?
Building Wings is headquartered in Polo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Building Wings make money?
One revenue line is on record: educational Curriculum Subscription.
Who are Building Wings's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are n2y, Really Great Reading, Reading Horizons and Attainment Company. Broad incumbents are Lexia Learning, Imagine Learning, Benchmark Education and Texthelp. Emerging players are PRC-Saltillo (AAC) and Branching Minds.
Does Building Wings have an API?
No public API is recorded for Building Wings.
What industry is Building Wings in?
Building Wings's product category is Special Education Literacy Curriculum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKADAA, Literacy & Reading Intervention (Phonics, Fluency, Comprehension), with a secondary code of EDAJAMAF, Literacy & Reading Intervention Technology. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.