Academic Innovations

What Academic Innovations does

Academic Innovations is a privately held educational publishing company founded in 1990 by Mindy Bingham, headquartered in St. George, Utah, and operating with 11-50 employees. The company develops and sells the Career Choices series, an interdisciplinary curriculum for grades 6 through 12 and post-secondary/adult education programs, centered on a structured decision-making framework that guides students through career exploration and the creation of a 10-year Career and Education Plan. Core deliverables include print workbooks (consumable and repurchased annually), the My10yearPlan.com browser-based platform with mobile app, follow-up modules for grades 10-12, the middle school Building a Bridge to Your Future program, and complementary offerings such as Lifestyle Math and the Possibilities English Anthology.

The business operates a hybrid print-and-digital model. Revenue is generated through one-time workbook sales, recurring online platform subscriptions for student access, professional development workshop and conference fees delivered via the wholly owned AI Workshops (aiworkshops.com) subsidiary, and licensing of an independent study course. Distribution is U.S.-only and combines an internal sales team with a network of independent sales representatives covering territories, supported by a 60-day free review set acquisition tactic and professional development workshops that serve as both demand generation and a revenue stream. Customer segments span high schools (primary), community colleges and two-year institutions, middle schools, adult education and workforce development programs, and career and technical education academies.

The company has been bootstrapped from inception, never taking external funding, and reached profitability by 1992. It maintains strategic partnerships with Santa Barbara City College, George Washington University's Freshman Transition Initiative, the UCSB California Dropout Research Project, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, and the Get Focused Stay Focused National Resource Center. It has received multiple government recognitions including a U.S. Department of Education Promising Intervention Citation and a U.S. Department of Labor Best Practices Citation. Operations are led by founder and CEO Mindy Bingham alongside Vice President of Professional Development and Sales Wendy Bingham and Vice President of Operations, Curriculum, and Technical Support Tanja Easson.

Name

Academic Innovations

Legal name

Academic Innovations LLC

Website

https://academicinnovations.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Academic Innovations is a bootstrapped educational publishing company that develops the Career Choices curriculum and My10yearPlan.com platform, serving U.S. middle schools, high schools, community colleges, and adult education programs with career and education planning content and tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 College and Career Readiness Curriculum and Online Planning Platform

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Career & College Readiness Platforms (Guidance, Planning, Scholarships) (EDAJAMAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA), Higher Education Course Design & Online Program Development (EDAGAKAB)

Keywords

• College career readiness
• Educational curriculum publishing
• 10-year planning platform
• Career exploration curriculum
• K-12 guidance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint George

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Curriculum Materials Sales: Sale of textbook and workbook curriculum materials including Career Choices series, Get Focused...Stay Focused! Follow-Up Modules, and Building a Bridge to Your Future. Consumable workbooks require annual repurchase by schools.
2. Online Platform Subscriptions: Subscription access to My10yearPlan.com® online platform, Career Choices and Changes Online, and online enhancements for follow-up modules. Schools pay for student access to the digital platform.
3. Professional Development Services: Workshops, training sessions, conferences, and technical assistance coaching provided to schools and districts implementing the curriculum. Includes onsite workshops, webinars, eCourses, and the annual Focus on Freshmen Conference.
4. Independent Study Course Licensing: Licensing of complete online independent study course for distance learning and adult education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Academic Innovations develops, publishes, and sells standards-aligned college and career readiness curriculum and supporting online platforms for grades 6-12, community colleges, and adult education programs. Its core revenue comes from consumable workbook sales, subscriptions to the My10yearPlan.com online planning platform, and fee-based professional development workshops that drive school adoption.

Product overview

Academic Innovations offers a comprehensive educational publishing portfolio anchored by the Career Choices Series, a standards-based interdisciplinary curriculum for grades 9-12 that guides students through career exploration using the 'Who Am I? What Do I Want? How Do I Get It?' framework. The core offering includes My10yearPlan.com, an online platform where students create and maintain personalized 10-year career and education plans. This platform is complemented by the Get Focused...Stay Focused! Follow-Up Modules (for grades 10-12) that help students update their plans and prepare for post-secondary transition. For middle school students, Building a Bridge to Your Future introduces career exploration and social-emotional learning. The portfolio also includes specialized products like Lifestyle Math (financial literacy), Possibilities English Anthology (ELA integration), and Eligiendo una Carrera (Spanish edition). Supporting infrastructure includes The Teachers' Lounge (online instructor portal), Independent Study Course (self-paced online option), Mobile App (portable plan access), and professional development workshops through aiworkshops.com. The college/adult education version, Career Choices and Changes, extends the curriculum to post-secondary programs with dual enrollment articulation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Career Choices Series: Award-winning interdisciplinary curriculum for career exploration, life skills, and planning process for students
• My10YearPlan.com
• Get Focused...Stay Focused!
• Building a Bridge to Your Future

Products and services

• Career Choices Series Award-winning interdisciplinary curriculum for grades 9-12 that guides students through career exploration and life planning using the 'Who Am I? What Do I Want? How Do I Get It?' framework, culminating in a 10-year career and education plan. Sold to high schools as the foundational textbook/workbook pair.
• My10yearPlan.com Browser-based online platform where students develop, update, and maintain personalized 10-year career and education plans; includes real-time tracking, engagement analytics, automated grading, and time-on-task reporting. Sold on subscription to schools for student access.
• Get Focused...Stay Focused! Follow-Up Modules (Grades 10-12) Three 16-lesson follow-up modules for grades 10, 11, and 12 that help students update their 10-year Plans, expand career and education options, prepare for post-secondary transition, and build a Skills-based Education Plan. Sold as consumable workbooks paired with online enhancements.
• Career Choices and Changes College and adult education version of the Career Choices curriculum designed for post-secondary and adult education programs, with articulation agreements for community college dual enrollment. Includes the Career Choices and Changes Online independent study course (100 student-centered activities, 64 videos, 15 automated chapter quizzes).
• Building a Bridge to Your Future Middle school curriculum (grades 6-8) designed to bridge the transition from middle to high school, introducing career exploration, social-emotional learning, and the 10-year planning process with 24 video mini-lectures. Sold to middle schools and district programs.
• Eligiendo una Carrera Spanish-language edition of the Career Choices curriculum enabling Spanish-speaking students to engage in career exploration and planning. Sold to schools serving Spanish-speaking student populations.
• Lifestyle Math Financial literacy curriculum connecting mathematical concepts to real-world financial decisions, helping students build math skills for lifelong success. Sold as a standalone product to schools seeking financial literacy integration.
• Possibilities English Anthology English/language arts integration resource that increases student engagement by combining career planning with literature and life skills content. Sold to schools integrating ELA with college and career readiness.
• Independent Study Course Self-paced online independent study course based on Career Choices, featuring 100 student-centered activities, 64 content-rich videos, and 15 automated chapter quizzes with built-in grading and time-on-task tracking. Licensed to distance learning and adult education programs.
• Professional Development Workshops and Conferences Onsite workshops, webinars, eCourses, technical assistance coaching, and annual Focus on Freshmen/Winter and Spring Conferences provided to schools and districts implementing the curriculum. Sold as fee-based services through AI Workshops (aiworkshops.com).
• My10yearPlan.com Mobile App Mobile application (iOS and Android) providing portability and just-in-time access to students' 10-year Plans, allowing sharing with advisors, mentors, and family and on-the-go updates. Bundled with the online platform subscription.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dropout rate decreased from 12.7% to 3.8% at Coachella Valley High School within three years of implementation
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, moderate and minor.

• Get Focused Stay Focused National Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Academic Innovations is the curriculum partner of the Get Focused Stay Focused National Resource Center. The company publishes the Career Choices series and My10yearPlan.com® as the foundational curriculum for the GFSF program methodology. This public/private partnership supports schools implementing the GFSF program nationwide.
• Santa Barbara City CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped the Get Focused...Stay Focused!® program model in collaboration with Santa Barbara City College. The college received the Aspen Institute's Prize for Community College Excellence in 2013 and has one of the largest dual enrollment programs in the country. SBCC developed the DEFT (Dual Enrollment Freshman Transition) course offered at four high schools in their attendance zone.
• George Washington University - Freshman Transition InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Get Focused...Stay Focused!® program was developed in collaboration with Dr. Rebecca Dedmond's Freshman Transition Initiative at GWU. The freshman transition course meets both Common Core State Standards and the Standards for a Freshman Transition Course from GWU's initiative.
• Eastern Oregon UniversitymajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOffers a graduate-level certification program (15 units) for GFSF Program and Curriculum Specialists who can be embedded in school districts to provide ongoing technical assistance. Part of the Eastern Promise initiative to build a college-going culture in eastern Oregon.
• California Community College Chancellor's OfficemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with the Chancellor's Task Force on Student Success on program development and implementation strategies for community colleges.
• UCSB Graduate School of Education - California Dropout Research ProjectmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research support and evaluation for the Get Focused...Stay Focused! program. Dr. Russell Rumberger, researcher for GFSF evaluation, was elected to the National Academy of Education.
• UC Educational Evaluation CentermoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides independent evaluation and research support for GFSF program effectiveness and outcomes.
• Foundation for California Community CollegesmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting implementation and expansion of GFSF programs across California community colleges.
• Santa Barbara FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal foundation providing support for program development and community outreach in the Santa Barbara region.
• Carpinteria and Santa Barbara Unified School DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal pilot districts for the Get Focused...Stay Focused! program. These districts collaborated in developing the program model alongside SBCC and Academic Innovations.
• Santa Barbara County Office of Education - Partners in EducationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-level educational support organization providing resources and coordination for program implementation in Santa Barbara County schools.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MajorClarity: MajorClarity is a K-12 career exploration and college readiness platform used by high schools and districts. It competes directly with My10yearPlan.com® for district CCR technology budgets.
• Xello: Xello (formerly Career Cruising) is a leading K-12 college, career, and future-readiness platform used by schools and districts across North America. It directly competes with My10yearPlan.com® and the Career Choices curriculum in the same career exploration and planning category.
• YouScience: YouScience (which absorbed the Bridges career curriculum business) combines aptitude-based career matching with K-12 career exploration content. It targets overlapping guidance, CTE, and college readiness buyers as Academic Innovations.
• Scoir: Scoir is a college and career readiness platform serving high schools and students with planning, application, and discovery tools. It targets the same guidance counselor and CCR buyer as Academic Innovations, competing for similar K-12 and post-secondary planning budgets.
• Kuder: Kuder provides career planning, assessment, and education planning solutions for students and adults, including K-12 and workforce populations. It is a direct functional peer in the career exploration and 10-year planning category.
• Naviance (PowerSchool): Naviance is the dominant K-12 college and career readiness platform, now part of PowerSchool. It serves many of the same high school and district customers as Academic Innovations, including co-deployment scenarios like Kern Union HSD where Career Choices complements Naviance tools.

Emerging players

• iCEV: iCEV specializes in CTE curriculum, career exploration, and industry certification preparation for middle and high school students. It overlaps with Academic Innovations' CTE pathway launch use case and adult education segment.

Broad incumbents

• Curriculum Associates: Curriculum Associates is a major K-12 curriculum and assessment publisher behind iReady and other widely adopted programs. It is a broader incumbent in K-12 instructional materials with overlapping district buyers and standards-aligned content focus.
• EAB (formerly Hobsons/Naviance-adjacent): EAB is a broad education services and technology provider serving colleges, universities, and K-12 systems with student success, enrollment, and advising tools. It is a broader incumbent whose Naviance-adjacent history makes it a strategic comparable for guidance and CCR platforms.
• ACT (ACT Workforce Solutions / Pre-ACT): ACT is an incumbent assessment, career planning, and workforce solutions provider serving K-12, post-secondary, and employers. Its ACT Workforce and college readiness solutions compete for similar guidance and CCR budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academic-innovations
• Xx.com/AcademicInn

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Academic Innovations