Silicon Schools
Silicon Schools Fund is a 501(c)(3) venture philanthropy foundation providing seed funding and on-the-ground expertise to launch innovative K-12 charter, district, and independent schools, education support providers, and edtech tools across California, having supported over 100 schools cumulatively with $100M of philanthropic impact since 2012.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Silicon Schools does
Silicon Schools Fund is a 501(c)(3) venture philanthropy foundation founded in 2012 and headquartered in Oakland, California, that provides seed funding and on-the-ground expertise to launch and scale innovative K-12 schools, education entrepreneurs, and edtech tools. The fund operates a selective grantmaking process, accepting introductory letters from prospective grantees at [email protected] and engaging in diligence before funding. Its portfolio spans charter schools (e.g., Rocketship, KIPP Northern California, Summit Public Schools, Aspire, Alpha, Caliber, Navigator, Achieve, Acton Academy East Bay), district schools, independent schools, and education support providers/edtech tools (e.g., Accelerate Institute, AI for Equity, aiEDU), with a stated target of grantees that demonstrate innovative educational models, high-quality leadership, financially sustainable operations on California public funding, scalability with national impact, and a commitment to creating a more just society.
The organization does not develop or sell a technology platform, software product, or SaaS application; its "core offering" is philanthropic capital paired with operational expertise — Kelly Garcia leads Instructional Improvement work, Elena Sanina leads innovation strategy, Amy Ng leads operations and grants management, and Jay Stack supports portfolio schools — and an Elevate Initiative that pairs schools with best-in-class academic support providers. Outreach is primarily via the siliconschools.com website, earned media (Education Week, The 74 Million, Authority Magazine, Denver Frederick), and dedicated investor and proposal inboxes.
The fund is supported by philanthropic investments from individuals and foundations described as thought leaders in education, philanthropy, business, and technology, with all donations qualifying as tax-deductible charitable contributions. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Shauntel Garvey (with Brian Greenberg, Lisa Sobrato Sonsini, John Fisher, Grace Voorhis, Tommy Chang, Kathleen Donohue, and Felix Ruano). CEO Caitrin Wright leads strategy and investor relations after serving more than a decade as Managing Partner. The fund has cumulatively raised approximately $100M and funded over 100 innovative schools, with cumulative scale, scope broadening to edtech, and recognition via the 2025 Hart Vision Supporter of the Year award signaling continued momentum rather than rapid expansion.
Silicon Schools firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Silicon Schools
- Legal name
- Silicon Schools Fund
- Website
- https://siliconschools.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Silicon Schools Fund is a 501(c)(3) venture philanthropy foundation providing seed funding and on-the-ground expertise to launch innovative K-12 charter, district, and independent schools, education support providers, and edtech tools across California, having supported over 100 schools cumulatively with $100M of philanthropic impact since 2012.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Silicon Schools industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Education Philanthropy
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)
Keywords
Where Silicon Schools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Silicon Schools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Donations and Grants: The organization is funded through philanthropic investment from individuals and foundations who are thought leaders in education, philanthropy, business, and technology. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, all donations are tax-deductible. The fund uses these donations to provide funding and on-the-ground expertise to innovative schools and education entrepreneurs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Silicon Schools product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Silicon Schools Fund is a nonprofit philanthropic foundation that provides seed funding and on-the-ground operational and strategic expertise to launch and expand innovative K-12 charter, district, and independent schools and education entrepreneurs across California. It also invests in education support providers and tech-enabled tools that make teaching, learning, and school management more effective, including through its Academic Improvement/Elevate Initiative.
Product overview
Silicon Schools is a non-profit philanthropic fund (501(c)(3)) that provides funding and on-the-ground expertise to innovative, excellent schools and education entrepreneurs across California. The organization does not offer a technology product or SaaS platform; instead, it operates as an investment vehicle that funds schools, educational models, and education support providers. Their portfolio includes charter schools, district schools, independent schools, and education solutions providers that focus on innovative educational models, cutting-edge technology integration, new classroom models, and outstanding educators. They also invest in tech-enabled tools that make teaching and learning more effective through their Academic Improvement and Elevate Initiative programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Silicon Schools
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Silicon Schools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Silicon Schools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Silicon Schools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative: A major philanthropic organization with a sizable K-12 education portfolio focused on personalized learning and whole-child approaches. Overlaps with Silicon Schools on EdTech tools and innovative school models but operates at a fundamentally larger scale.
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: The largest U.S. education philanthropy, funding personalized learning, charter networks, and EdTech at massive scale. Overlaps with Silicon Schools' thesis on innovative K-12 models but is a far broader incumbent with global operations.
- Walton Family Foundation: One of the largest U.S. education funders, with significant investments in charter school growth and education reform. Comparable as a major philanthropic backer of the same types of operators Silicon Schools funds, but with much broader scope and resources.
- Emerson Collective: A larger impact organization that invests across education, immigration, journalism, and the environment. Its K-12 education work funds innovative schools and tools at a significantly larger scale than Silicon Schools, making it a broad incumbent in the same space.
Direct peers
- NewSchools Venture Fund: A venture philanthropy fund that invests in innovative K-12 schools, networks, and edtech tools. Highly comparable to Silicon Schools as both back breakthrough charter, district, and independent school models plus education technology with a focus on equity and innovation.
- CityBridge: A philanthropic initiative investing in innovative schools and education entrepreneurs, particularly in Washington, D.C. and select regions. Directly comparable as a venture philanthropy model funding breakthrough K-12 operators and tools.
- Charter School Growth Fund: A philanthropic fund that provides growth capital and support to high-performing charter management organizations. Silicon Schools' VP Elena Sanina previously helped launch its Impact team, and both funds share a charter-focused thesis and grantee overlap with operators like Aspire.
Emerging players
- Barr Foundation: A Boston-based foundation funding innovative education approaches, including personalized learning and school redesign. Comparable to Silicon Schools as a regional education venture funder targeting breakthrough school models.
- Overdeck Family Foundation: A family foundation funding evidence-based K-12 programs, schools, and STEM initiatives. Overlaps with Silicon Schools on innovative school and EdTool investments but is more oriented toward proven, evidence-based models.
Others
- KIPP Foundation: While primarily a charter network operator (a Silicon Schools grantee via KIPP Northern California), KIPP's national infrastructure and adjacent funding relationships make it thematically related as a system player in the same innovative K-12 ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Silicon Schools social profiles
Digital presenceSilicon Schools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Silicon Schools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Silicon Schools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Silicon Schools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Silicon Schools
What does Silicon Schools do?
Silicon Schools Fund is a nonprofit philanthropic foundation that provides seed funding and on-the-ground operational and strategic expertise to launch and expand innovative K-12 charter, district, and independent schools and education entrepreneurs across California. It also invests in education support providers and tech-enabled tools that make teaching, learning, and school management more effective, including through its Academic Improvement/Elevate Initiative.
Is Silicon Schools a public or private company?
Silicon Schools is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Silicon Schools founded?
Silicon Schools was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Silicon Schools based?
Silicon Schools is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Silicon Schools make money?
One revenue line is on record: philanthropic Donations and Grants.
Who are Silicon Schools's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation and Emerson Collective. Direct peers are NewSchools Venture Fund, CityBridge and Charter School Growth Fund. Emerging players are Barr Foundation and Overdeck Family Foundation. KIPP Foundation is listed as an others.
Does Silicon Schools have an API?
No public API is recorded for Silicon Schools.
What industry is Silicon Schools in?
Silicon Schools's product category is K-12 Education Philanthropy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAK, Education Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGADAB, K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.