What EdNavigator does

EdNavigator is a Delaware-incorporated nonprofit (nonstock corporation), founded in 2015 and headquartered in Oak Park, Illinois, that delivers personalized, one-on-one education navigation services to families with school-aged children. Its core product is a roster of expert Navigators—described as award-winning teachers, veteran school counselors, and bilingual/bicultural education professionals—who guide families through school enrollment, K-12 academic support, and special education (IEP/504) processes over 30-45 minute audio/video check-ins lasting an average of 2-6 months per case. Adjacent products include The Busy Family's Guide to School (an age-by-age online resource covering ages 2-24), Education Check-Ins, Family Resource Hubs, and a Provider Hub with referral resources for pediatric partners.

The company operates a B2B2C distribution model: rather than marketing directly to consumers, EdNavigator forms contracts with pediatric practices, community health centers, and children's hospitals that identify families with school-related challenges during patient visits and refer them to Navigators. Named partners include East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Boston Medical Center, Boston Community Pediatrics, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Children's National Hospital, and Neighbor Health. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; services are delivered to families at no direct cost, funded through B2B contracts with healthcare providers. Referral follow-through is unusually high (only 14% decline post-contact), and reported outcome metrics include a 98% objective-completion rate, 97% would-recommend rate from families, and 97% provider endorsement of improved care quality.

Following an initial 8-year period distributing through employer-benefit partnerships (hotels, universities, etc.), EdNavigator pivoted in 2023 to focus on pediatric partnerships, launching flagship relationships with Children's National and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. In 2025, after a decade leading the organization, co-founders Tim Daly (CEO) and David Keeling (COO) stepped down, with internal successors Victoria Paulino (becoming Executive Director) and Nelida Garcia (becoming Director of Partnerships and Operations) taking over leadership. The same year, EdNavigator undertook a workforce reduction due to a challenging funding environment while continuing operations across Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington D.C., and California.

Name

EdNavigator

Legal name

EdNavigator, Inc.

Website

https://ednavigator.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EdNavigator is a nonprofit founded in 2015 that provides one-on-one education navigation services to families through pediatric healthcare partnerships, connecting busy parents with expert Navigators for school enrollment, K-12 academic support, and special education guidance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Navigation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Care Navigation & Care Coordination Platforms (multi-member care plans, referrals) (HLALAHAL), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Education navigation services
• Family education support
• Special education advocacy
• School enrollment assistance
• Pediatric healthcare partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Provider Partnerships: EdNavigator generates revenue through partnerships with healthcare providers and hospital systems. Healthcare organizations refer their patient families to EdNavigator for education support services. The company previously operated as an employer benefit provider, winding down those partnerships to focus on pediatric healthcare partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EdNavigator provides personalized 1:1 education navigation support to families with school-aged children, delivered by expert Navigators (award-winning teachers, veteran school counselors, and education professionals). Families are primarily referred to Navigators through partnerships with pediatricians and children's hospitals, and receive guidance on school enrollment, K-12 academic support, special education processes (IEPs, evaluations, 504 plans), and Early Intervention transitions. Supporting resources include online guides, structured Education Check-In calls, and resource hubs for families and healthcare providers.

Product overview

EdNavigator is an education support services company that provides personalized, high-touch support to help families navigate complex educational systems. The core offering is Navigator Services — 1:1 support from expert education advisors (teachers, counselors) who help with school enrollment, special education, and K-12 academic challenges. This is delivered primarily through healthcare provider partnerships where pediatricians refer families to Navigators. Supporting products include The Busy Family's Guide to School (an age-based online resource guide), Education Check-Ins (structured 30-45 minute consultation calls), Family Resource Hubs (local resource directories), and a Provider Hub for healthcare partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Navigator Services Personalized 1:1 education support provided by expert Navigators (award-winning teachers, veteran school counselors) who help families with school enrollment, special education processes (IEP/504 plans, evaluations), K-12 academic support, and navigating complex educational systems.
• Healthcare Provider Partnership Program Partnership model where pediatricians, community health centers, and children's hospitals refer patient families to EdNavigator Navigators for personalized education support, creating a bridge between healthcare and education systems.
• The Busy Family's Guide to School Comprehensive online guide offering age-by-age guidance for parents with children ages 2-24, covering topics from school enrollment to supporting learning at home, organized by developmental stages: preschoolers, little kids, big kids, tweens, teens, and new adults.
• Education Check-Ins Structured 30-45 minute audio or video calls between Navigators and families where they discuss concerns, develop next steps, and create written action plans for addressing education-related challenges.
• Family Resource Hubs Local resources and information hubs helping families find age-appropriate educational support, organized by topic and geographic area.
• Provider Hub Resource center for healthcare providers offering educational materials, referral workflows, and tools to help pediatricians identify and address families' education-related challenges.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of families accomplish their objective when first referred to EdNavigator
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Children's National HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Flagship pediatric partnership where Children's National Hospital refers patient families to EdNavigator for education support. Navigators work with families to resolve school-related challenges including special education evaluations, IEP/504 plan support, and complex enrollment processes. Services delivered through Columbia Heights clinic and other outpatient locations. Dr. Sarah Durrin and colleagues utilize referrals to connect families with expert education support.
• UCSF Benioff Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Top-ranked pediatric care provider partnership launching August 2023. Navigators begin working with families from the hospital system to provide education navigation services for school enrollment, special education, and academic support.
• East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity healthcare provider partnership where pediatricians refer patient families experiencing school-related challenges to EdNavigator. Many families served are Spanish-speaking. Over 900 referrals received through this and Boston Medical Center partnership.
• Boston Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Boston-based healthcare provider partnership for pediatric referrals. Families identified with school-related challenges are connected to EdNavigator Navigators for personalized support.
• Neighbor HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider partner shown in customer logos on homepage. Serves families facing economic, cultural, or language barriers to accessing quality educational opportunities.
• Boston Community PediatricscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric practice partner shown in customer logos. Referrer of families needing education support services.
• Center for the Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership to examine test results and performance histories of over 3 million students in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Washington state, informing EdNavigator's guidance on student outcomes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ParentChild+: Nonprofit providing home-based early childhood education and family support services to families facing systemic barriers. Comparable in delivering 1:1 education support to families with language and economic barriers, though using home visiting rather than pediatric referral.
• Family Voices: National family-led organization supporting children and youth with special healthcare needs and disabilities, including navigating school and special education systems. Directly comparable as a family-navigation nonprofit, particularly on special education and IEP support.
• HealthySteps (ZERO TO THREE): Pediatric-based family support program that places early childhood development specialists in pediatric primary care to connect families with resources. Highly comparable to EdNavigator in using pediatric visits as a referral entry point, though HealthySteps focuses on ages 0-3 developmental needs.
• Understood.org: Digital-first nonprofit providing resources and support for families of children with learning and attention issues, including special education navigation. Comparable in serving the same family education-navigation use case, but delivered through digital content rather than 1:1 human navigators.
• Help Me Grow National Center: National network that helps families connect with child development resources through centralized access points and community-based affiliates. Comparable model of family navigation services, though Help Me Grow is state-based and not specifically embedded in healthcare partners.
• Reach Out and Read: National nonprofit that partners with pediatricians to support families with young children through literacy and education-focused interventions during well-child visits. Directly comparable to EdNavigator's pediatric-referral model but focuses on early childhood literacy rather than school-age navigation.

Broad incumbents

• Common Sense Media: Large nonprofit providing education and media resources to families and educators. Comparable in providing parents with educational guidance and resources, though broader in scope (media/tech) and digital-first rather than Navigator-based.
• Children's Health Fund: National nonprofit delivering healthcare and support services to children in underserved communities, often co-locating health and social services. Comparable in addressing social determinants of health for families facing barriers, though broader health-services focus rather than education-navigation specialization.

Regional players

• Boston Basics: Boston-based nonprofit promoting early childhood learning through healthcare and community partnerships. Comparable in its Boston-region pediatric referral approach and family education focus, though narrower in age range (0-5).
• Parent Trust for Washington Children: Regional family support nonprofit providing parent education, helplines, and resource navigation. Comparable in providing 1:1 family support and education navigation services, though regional Pacific Northwest focus rather than pediatric-referral model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ednavigate
• Facebookfacebook.com/ednavigate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 EdNavigator