What Intrepid College Prep Schools does

Intrepid College Prep Schools is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charter school network operating in the Antioch area of Greater Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2012 by Mia Howard with fewer than 30 fifth-grade students, the network has grown to approximately 850 students across two campuses: Opportunity Academy Middle School (grades 5-8, located at 5432 Bell Forge Lane E) and Independence Academy High School (grades 9-12, located at 5221 Hickory Hollow Pkwy). The 8-year continuous 5-12 model provides eight years of rigorous, learner-centered instruction with culturally responsive teaching, social-emotional and mental health supports, and college and career readiness programming including Advanced Placement courses and intentional advising. The organization serves a predominantly Black, Brown, immigrant, and multilingual community in Davidson County, with strong family partnership and alumni engagement as core operating principles.

The network operates as an open-enrollment public charter school with no tuition, no entrance exams, and lottery-based admissions through the Lotterease platform. Revenue is derived from per-pupil state and local education funding, Title I federal allocations, and charitable donations processed through Mightycause. The technology stack is intentionally conventional — Lotterease (enrollment), TalkingPoints (family communication), Google Workspace (operations), Lever (recruitment), and Mightycause (fundraising) — with no proprietary technology or AI capabilities disclosed. Senior leadership is led by CEO Laurie Brown and the RISE Team (Chief of Staff Amanda Oudi, Senior Director of Academics Kate Zupko, Senior Director of Finance & Operations Andrew Dorris), supported by ~100 staff members across the two campuses. In 2022, Independence Academy received the Outstanding Changemaker Award from Tennessee Charter Schools and the highest Tennessee Promise and FAFSA completion rate in the state; in 2023, U.S. News ranked it #4 in Tennessee for college readiness and in the top 25 Tennessee high schools.

Name

Intrepid College Prep Schools

Legal name

Intrepid College Preparatory Charter School

Website

https://intrepidcollegeprep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Intrepid College Prep Schools is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charter school network serving approximately 850 students in grades 5-12 across two campuses in Antioch, Tennessee, funded through per-pupil allocations and donations with no tuition charged.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Education (K-12)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• College preparatory education
• K-12 education services
• Middle school education
• High school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding: As a free, open-enrollment public charter school, Intrepid College Prep operates as a non-profit educational institution funded through per-pupil state and local education funding, Title I funding, and charitable donations. No tuition or commercial revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Intrepid College Prep is a non-profit network of free, open-enrollment public charter schools providing rigorous, college-preparatory education to approximately 850 students in grades 5-12 across two Antioch, Tennessee campuses. The network operates a continuous 5-12 model through Opportunity Academy (middle school) and Independence Academy (high school), emphasizing culturally responsive teaching, social-emotional learning, and college/career readiness.

Product overview

Intrepid College Prep operates a network of two free, public charter schools (Opportunity Academy and Independence Academy) serving approximately 850 students in grades 5-12 in Antioch, Tennessee. The 5-12 model provides eight years of rigorous, learner-centered instruction through two distinct campuses: Opportunity Academy (middle school, grades 5-8) builds academic foundations, confidence, and curiosity, while Independence Academy (high school, grades 9-12) prepares students for college, career, and life through rigorous academics, AP courses, and college/career readiness programming. Both schools emphasize culturally responsive teaching, social-emotional support, and whole-child development within an open-enrollment public charter model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Opportunity Academy: Public charter middle school serving grades 5-8 in Antioch, Tennessee. Part of Intrepid College Prep's 5-12 educational model, providing rigorous and culturally responsive instruction with strong social-emotional and mental health supports.
• Independence Academy

Products and services

• Opportunity Academy (Middle School) Free public charter middle school serving grades 5-8 in Antioch, Tennessee. Provides rigorous and culturally responsive instruction with strong social-emotional and mental health supports, including two guidance counselors and regular SEL programming. Offers music education and after-school clubs to build academic foundation, confidence, and curiosity.
• Independence Academy (High School)

Quantifiable outcome

• Named #4 in Tennessee for college readiness and top 25 Tennessee high schools by US News (2023)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LottereasecoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline application and lottery selection platform used for student enrollment. Families create accounts and submit applications through the Lotterease system for seat allocation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• RePublic Schools: RePublic Schools is a Tennessee-based charter management organization operating college-prep public charter schools in Nashville and other Tennessee cities. It is a regional peer with similar mission and a larger footprint, competing for the same charter talent and funding pool.

Emerging players

• BASIS Charter Schools: BASIS Charter Schools is a national charter network recognized for high academic outcomes and AP rigor. While nationally scaled, it is comparable to Intrepid in its college-prep focus, AP-heavy curriculum, and outcomes-driven model.
• Rocketship Public Schools: Rocketship is a national charter school network operating elementary and middle charter schools in underserved communities. It is a model peer in the non-profit, college-prep charter space serving similar demographics, though weighted more toward elementary grades.

Broad incumbents

• Success Academy Charter Schools: Success Academy is a large New York-based charter network known for exceptionally strong academic outcomes and high college readiness rates. It is a broader incumbent peer that shares the outcomes-driven, college-prep charter model and is a relevant benchmark for Intrepid's positioning.
• Great Hearts Academies: Great Hearts is a large charter management organization operating classical, college-preparatory public charter schools across multiple states. It is a broader incumbent comparable to Intrepid on college-prep focus and AP offerings, though operating at considerably larger scale.
• Uncommon Schools: Uncommon Schools is a national charter management organization operating college-preparatory public charter schools serving low-income communities. It is a broad incumbent peer sharing the mission, demographic, and college-prep pedagogy with Intrepid.

Direct peers

• Nashville PREP: Nashville Preparatory School is a tuition-free public charter middle school in Nashville focused on college preparation for underserved students. It is a direct peer in product, model, and target demographic, operating in the same city and charter ecosystem.
• Valor Collegiate Academies: Valor Collegiate Academies is a Nashville-based public charter school network serving grades 5-12 with a mission rooted in whole-child development and character education. It is a direct geographic and model peer to Intrepid, both operating free 5-12 charter programs in greater Nashville.
• KIPP Nashville: KIPP Nashville is part of the national KIPP charter network and operates college-preparatory public charter schools in Nashville serving similar low-income communities. It shares the 5-12 college-prep model, open-enrollment admissions, and Antioch-area focus with Intrepid.
• LEAD Academy: LEAD Academy is a Nashville-based public charter school network serving grades 5-12 with a college-preparatory mission. It is the most direct geographic and mission-aligned peer to Intrepid College Prep, both operating free, open-enrollment charter schools in the greater Nashville area targeting college readiness.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Intrepid College Prep Schools