Communication Academy
Communication Academy is a Bay Area K-12 enrichment provider founded in 2001, offering in-person and online classes and camps in public speaking, debate, writing, and math across 12+ cities through recreation department partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersCauseway Bay, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Communication Academy does
Communication Academy is a private K-12 enrichment education company founded in 2001 by Jackson Chow in the Bay Area. It delivers after-school classes, seasonal camps, and private instruction in public speaking, debate, academic writing, and math (including Math Olympiad and AMC 8 preparation) to students ages 5-14, plus adult professional public speaking training. The company operates from a headquarters classroom at 1054 S De Anza Blvd Suite 103 in San Jose (Cupertino area) and distributes its courses through partnerships with municipal recreation departments across 12+ Bay Area cities, a school partnership with Saint Andrew's Episcopal School, certified vendor relationships with two homeschool communities, and live online classes.
Communication Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Communication Academy
- Legal name
- Communication Academy
- Website
- https://communicationacademy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Communication Academy is a Bay Area K-12 enrichment provider founded in 2001, offering in-person and online classes and camps in public speaking, debate, writing, and math across 12+ cities through recreation department partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Communication Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Education Enrichment
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Debate Academies & Speech Coaching Centers (EDAMAOAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies) (EDANAHAA), Language & Communication Continuing Education (EDAAAEAF)
Keywords
Where Communication Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Causeway Bay
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Communication Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Weekly Classes: After school enrichment classes offered in quarterly sessions (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer). Classes in public speaking, debate, writing, reading, and math for students K-12. Maximum 12 students per class with experienced instructors.
- Summer/Winter/Holiday Camps: Full-day and half-day camps offered during school breaks including Summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year weeks. Camps focus on the same subjects as weekly classes with age-appropriate activities.
- Private Classes: Private instruction for individuals or groups (minimum 4 students). $65 for first student, $30 for each additional student. Minimum 5 one-hour meetings. Available in public speaking, debate, advanced English, or advanced math.
- Corporate Training: Professional public speaking training delivered at company offices for adult professionals.
- Math Contest Hosting: Math Olympiad Contest hosting service with instructor-guided solutions. Fee of $245 for 5 monthly tests with one hour of instructor-guided problem-solving per test.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Classes - Individual |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Classes - Group Addition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Math Olympiad Contest |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Combo Classes Discount |
| Other | Annual | Financial Aid |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Referral Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Communication Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Communication Academy is a Bay Area educational enrichment provider delivering in-person and live online classes, camps, and private instruction in public speaking, debate, academic writing, and mathematics to K-12 students. Programs are organized by age bands (Junior 5-8, intermediate 8-11, advanced 11-14), run in quarterly sessions with capped 12-student class sizes, and are delivered by professional educators using in-house developed curriculum. Supplementary offerings include a competitive speech and debate team, Math Olympiad/AMC 8 contest preparation, and adult/corporate public speaking training.
Product overview
Communication Academy is an educational enrichment company offering a comprehensive suite of after-school classes, camps, and private instruction for K-12 students. The core portfolio consists of four main subject areas: Public Speaking (with Junior Speakers, Impromptu, Persuasive, Expository, and Creative Interpretation programs), Confident Debate (covering Public Forum, Congressional, Parliamentary, and Team formats), Math (Math Olympiad, Junior Math Olympiad, and AMC 8 preparation), and Academic Writing (Common Core aligned with creative and journalism tracks). These subjects are offered as weekly classes (quarterly), summer camps, and holiday break camps across multiple Bay Area locations in Cupertino, Palo Alto, San Jose, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Fremont, Dublin, Livermore, San Mateo, Foster City, Burlingame, Millbrae, and San Leandro, plus live online delivery. Premium offerings include Private Classes (small group or individual instruction), a Competitive Speech & Debate Team for tournament participation, and Professional Public Speaking for adult learners and corporate clients. All programs feature small class sizes (maximum 12 students), experienced professional instructors, and age-appropriate curriculum that progresses through different topics each quarter.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Public Speaking Classes Builds confidence and speaking skills through programs including Junior Speakers (ages 5-8) and advanced Public Speaking (ages 9-14+). Topics include improv, reader's theater, storytelling, persuasive speech, impromptu speech, expository speech, and creative interpretation. Delivered to K-12 students across Bay Area locations.
- Confident Debate Classes Improves critical thinking, research, speaking, and listening skills through Public Forum, Congressional, Parliamentary, and Team Debate formats for students ages 9-14.
- Math Classes
Quantifiable outcome
- Students develop confidence and success in communication skills applicable to academic and professional settings
Companies that use Communication Academy
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Communication Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Communication Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Cupertino RecreationcoreLong-standing partnership with Cupertino Recreation for after school enrichment classes and camps in public speaking, debate, reading, writing, and math.
- Palo Alto RecreationcoreLong-standing partnership with Palo Alto Recreation serving families throughout the Palo Alto area with after school enrichment programs.
- Los Gatos RecreationcorePartnership with Los Gatos Recreation offering classes in public speaking, debate, and writing to middle school students in the Los Gatos school district.
- Fremont RecreationcorePartnership with Fremont Recreation offering after school enrichment classes and camps to K-8 students in Fremont.
- Milpitas RecreationcorePartnership with Milpitas Recreation promoting ongoing learning for students in grades 1-6 with after school enrichment programs.
- Dublin RecreationcorePartnership with Dublin Recreation bringing families academic after school enrichment classes and camps in public speaking, reading, writing, and math.
- San Mateo RecreationcorePartnership with San Mateo Recreation and San Mateo Community College District serving students ages 6-14 in public speaking, debate, reading, writing, and math.
- Foster City RecreationcorePartnership with Foster City Recreation offering after school enrichment classes and camps in public speaking, debate, reading, writing, and math for K-8 students.
- Burlingame RecreationcorePartnership with Burlingame Recreation bringing academic after school enrichment classes and camps for students ages 7-9 in public speaking and writing.
- San Leandro RecreationminorPartnership with San Leandro Recreation for after school enrichment classes.
- Saint Andrew's Episcopal SchoolcoreLong-standing partnership with Saint Andrew's Episcopal School in Saratoga offering debate courses as after school enrichment classes.
- Ocean Grove Home School CommunitycoreCertified vendor for Ocean Grove Homeschool Community offering courses in public speaking, debate, reading, writing, and math.
- Connecting Waters Home School CommunitycoreCertified vendor for Connecting Waters Homeschool Community offering courses to fulfill homeschooling requirements.
- Livermore RecreationminorPartnership with Livermore Recreation offering after school enrichment classes and camps in public speaking, reading, writing, and math.
- Millbrae RecreationminorPartnership with Millbrae Recreation offering after school enrichment classes and camps to K-8 students.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Communication Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- iD Tech: Operator of in-person and online STEM summer camps and after-school programs for kids and teens. Comparable structure of multi-city, in-person enrichment delivery plus a live-online channel serving the same K-12 market.
- Outschool: Online marketplace for live K-12 enrichment classes in subjects including speech, debate, writing, and math. Competes for the same parent dollar with a digital-only, group-class model versus Communication Academy's hybrid in-person/online delivery.
- Mathnasium: Franchise-based math enrichment centers serving K-12 students with small-group instruction and competition preparation (AMC/Math Olympiad). Directly comparable to Communication Academy's math offerings but operating on a much larger national footprint.
- Capitol Debate: National provider of debate and public speaking summer camps, workshops, and private coaching for elementary through high school students. Closely comparable specialty focus and camp-based delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- Varsity Tutors: Large online platform offering K-12 tutoring, test prep, and enrichment including speech and debate coaching. Overlaps with Communication Academy on speech/debate private instruction but operates at much broader national scale with a tech-led model.
- Sylvan Learning: Established franchise tutoring and enrichment provider offering reading, math, writing, and test prep for K-12 students. Comparable K-12 enrichment overlap, especially on the writing and math program lines.
- The Princeton Review: National test-prep and tutoring company with adjacent enrichment offerings. Less direct overlap on debate-specific offerings but competes for the same high-academic Bay Area parent segment with broader credentials and stronger brand reach.
- Kumon: Global franchise for after-school math and reading enrichment. Comparable to Communication Academy's recurring class structure and small-group model but at vastly larger scale and with a standardized worksheet-based curriculum.
Emerging players
- Wyzant: Online marketplace connecting students to private tutors across subjects including public speaking and writing. Offers an on-demand alternative to Communication Academy's private-class offering but lacks the structured curriculum and small-class experience.
Others
- National Speech & Debate Association: National membership organization that runs competitive speech and debate tournaments across the U.S. Not a direct competitor; instead it is an ecosystem participant whose events provide competitive outcomes that Communication Academy's tournament team programs aim to prepare students for.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Communication Academy social profiles
Digital presenceCommunication Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Communication Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Communication Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Communication Academy 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 Communication Academy
What does Communication Academy do?
Communication Academy is a Bay Area educational enrichment provider delivering in-person and live online classes, camps, and private instruction in public speaking, debate, academic writing, and mathematics to K-12 students. Programs are organized by age bands (Junior 5-8, intermediate 8-11, advanced 11-14), run in quarterly sessions with capped 12-student class sizes, and are delivered by professional educators using in-house developed curriculum. Supplementary offerings include a competitive speech and debate team, Math Olympiad/AMC 8 contest preparation, and adult/corporate public speaking training.
Is Communication Academy a public or private company?
Communication Academy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Communication Academy founded?
Communication Academy was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Communication Academy based?
Communication Academy is headquartered in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does Communication Academy make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Weekly Classes are the primary driver. The others are summer/Winter/Holiday Camps, private Classes, corporate Training and math Contest Hosting.
Who are Communication Academy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are iD Tech, Outschool, Mathnasium and Capitol Debate. Broad incumbents are Varsity Tutors, Sylvan Learning, The Princeton Review and Kumon. Wyzant is listed as an emerging player. National Speech & Debate Association is listed as an others.
Does Communication Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Communication Academy.
What industry is Communication Academy in?
Communication Academy's product category is K-12 Education Enrichment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAOAC, Private Debate Academies & Speech Coaching Centers, with a secondary code of EDANAHAA, K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies). Its NAICS code is 61169 and its SIC code is 8200.