Tinkerlab
TinkerLab is a privately held creative education company that delivers process-based art curricula, video activities, and support resources to parents and early childhood educators of children ages 3-8 through a subscription membership and direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Tinkerlab does
TinkerLab is a privately held creative education company founded by Rachelle Doorley in 2011 and operated under North Campus LLC, headquartered at 855 El Camino Real, Suite 13A-144, Palo Alto, California. The company delivers process-based art education to parents, caregivers, and early childhood educators of children ages 3-8, with a secondary offering for adults seeking creative habit building. Its core product is the TinkerLab Kids Art Studio (TKAS), an online membership program providing 300+ video art activities, downloadable project guides, monthly calendars, and supply lists, delivered through a dedicated membership portal at members.tinkerlab.com. Supporting products include the TinkerLab Schoolhouse curriculum, TinkerSketch daily art challenge, the Art Habit Mail Club newsletter, published books, digital downloads, original artwork, and in-person Palo Alto workshops.
The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model with multiple revenue streams: recurring subscriptions (monthly and annual plans) for the Kids Art Studio, one-time digital product purchases, Amazon-distributed book sales, professional development workshops, in-person Palo Alto workshops, original artwork, and content sponsorship revenue from craft brands including Elmer's and Wonderful Halos. Distribution is primarily through tinkerlab.com (WordPress/WooCommerce), with supplementary channels including Amazon for books, ThriveCart for TinkerSketch enrollment, and Searchie for sample content delivery. The technology stack is content-based rather than platform-based, with no proprietary software, no AI/ML components, and no developer API.
The company is founder-owned and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding, no disclosed headcount, and operates as a small studio under single-founder leadership. Rachelle Doorley functions as the primary brand and operational figure, with her published books (notably the 2014 'TinkerLab: A Hands-on Guide for Little Inventors') serving as a third-party credibility anchor. The company has accumulated brand features in Disney, PBS, and Apartment Therapy, and serves a customer base described as 'thousands of parents and teachers' generated primarily through content marketing, organic social media, and community-led growth.
Tinkerlab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tinkerlab
- Legal name
- North Campus LLC
- Website
- https://tinkerlab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- TinkerLab is a privately held creative education company that delivers process-based art curricula, video activities, and support resources to parents and early childhood educators of children ages 3-8 through a subscription membership and direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tinkerlab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Art Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (611610), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital/Interactive Curriculum Content (Apps, Games, Multimedia Lessons) (EDACAJAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Creative Arts, Music & Movement Content (EDAGACAG), Family Engagement & Take-Home Learning Materials (Home Packs, Parent Guides) (EDACAJAL), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)
Keywords
Where Tinkerlab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Tinkerlab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Online Membership / Subscriptions: The TinkerLab Kids Art Studio is a recurring subscription membership (monthly or annual) providing access to a video library of 300+ art activities, project guides, supply lists, and a foundation course. Also referred to as Schoolhouse subscription for recurring membership access.
- Digital Products: One-time purchase digital downloads including printable art prompt cards, art journals, habit trackers, and curriculum materials sold through the TinkerLab shop.
- Books and Publications: Sale of published books including TinkerLab: A Hands-on Guide for Little Inventors, TinkerLab Art Starts, and Creative Adventures in Cursive, available through Amazon and the TinkerLab website.
- Art Workshops and Professional Development: In-person and online art workshops for educators and parents, including Palo Alto Art Workshops and Art Education Professional Development programs.
- Original Art and Physical Products: Sale of original artwork and physical goods through the tinkerlab.com shop under the Original Art product category.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Kids Art Studio monthly membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Kids Art Studio annual membership |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Art Dice Activity given to waitlist members. Free sample of three projects available through Kids Art Mini Studio (app.searchie.io hub). TinkerSketch free trial: three sample lessons available at a separate registration link. |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Alternative comparison: Art Camp $400/week ($1,600/summer); Private Art Lessons $80/month ($960/year); Craft Store Purchases ~$50/month ($600/year). The Kids Art Studio is positioned as less than art camp for a full year of content. |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | TinkerSketch is a month-long daily art prompt program with daily prompts, downloadable PDF art prompt cards, habit tracker, achievement badges, and community access. Sold through ThriveCart at a specific price point not publicly listed in the source. |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Tinkerlab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TinkerLab sells an online art education membership (Kids Art Studio) that gives subscribers access to a curated library of over 300 video art activities, downloadable project guides, monthly calendars, and supply lists for children ages 3-8. It complements the subscription with published books, one-time digital downloads, original physical artwork, in-person Palo Alto workshops, and educator professional development programs. The core promise is process-based, open-ended art experiences using household materials that adults can lead without prior art training.
Product overview
TinkerLab operates as a creative studio and educational platform primarily focused on art activities for children and families. The core product is the TinkerLab Kids Art Studio (TKAS), an online membership program with over 300 video activities for children ages 3-8. Supporting products include the TinkerLab Schoolhouse subscription curriculum, the Art Habit Mail Club newsletter, and TinkerSketch daily art challenges. The company also publishes books including 'TinkerLab: A Hands-on Guide for Little Inventors,' 'TinkerLab Art Starts,' and 'Creative Adventures In Cursive.' Additional offerings include Original Art, Art Education Professional Development, Palo Alto Art Workshops, and various free creativity resources and tools. The product portfolio spans digital memberships, physical products, books, and free educational content, all centered on process-based art exploration and creative confidence building.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TinkerLab Kids Art Studio: Online membership program featuring 300+ video art activities for children ages 3-8, with monthly calendars, printable resources, and a community platform for parents and teachers.
- TinkerSketch
- Art Habit Mail Club
- Art Around The Year Curriculum
Products and services
- TinkerLab Kids Art Studio (TKAS) Online subscription membership for children ages 3-8 featuring over 300 video art activities, downloadable project guides, monthly calendars, supply lists, and a foundation course for early childhood art education, with mobile-friendly access.
- Art Around The Year Curriculum (Schoolhouse) Monthly subscription curriculum offering art and STEAM activities with monthly calendars, downloadable project guides, and supply lists for organizing year-round creative learning at home or in the classroom.
- TinkerSketch Daily Art Challenge Month-long daily art practice program featuring one-word prompts, downloadable PDF art prompt cards, habit tracker, achievement badges, and access to a dedicated online community for accountability.
- TinkerLab: A Hands-on Guide for Little Inventors Bestselling book featuring 55 hands-on art and invention activities for children from toddlers to big kids, using everyday materials and requiring no prior art experience.
- TinkerLab Art Starts Book series focused on art activity starters and prompts for creative exploration with children.
- Creative Adventures In Cursive Book combining cursive handwriting practice with creative art activities for children.
- Original Art Physical original artwork available for purchase through the TinkerLab shop under the Original Art product category.
- Art Education Professional Development Professional development resources and training for art educators and teachers on process-based art instruction.
- Palo Alto Art Workshops In-person art workshops held in the Palo Alto, California area for parents, caregivers, and educators.
- Digital Products One-time purchase digital downloads including printable art prompt cards, art journals, habit trackers, and curriculum materials sold through the TinkerLab shop.
Quantifiable outcome
- Kids stop saying 'I can't' and start saying 'Let me show you what I made!' — demonstrating growth in creative confidence
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Tinkerlab
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Tinkerlab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Tinkerlab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Elmer's (North Campus LLC / TinkerLab sponsored content)minorElmer's has sponsored TinkerLab content in the slime recipe space, with TinkerLab creating branded activity content featuring Elmer's products (Elmer's School Glue, washable clear glue) in recipe posts. Sponsored posts include a disclosure that all opinions are the company's own. This is a content sponsorship arrangement rather than a formal equity or go-to-market partnership.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Tinkerlab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Outschool: Outschool is a marketplace for live online classes for kids, including significant art and creative offerings taught by independent educators. It competes with TinkerLab's Palo Alto Art Workshops and Kids Art Studio segments through on-demand, instructor-led alternatives.
Broad incumbents
- ABCmouse: ABCmouse is a large, established early childhood education subscription covering reading, math, science, and art for ages 2-8. It competes with TinkerLab for the same parent subscription budget but offers a far broader curriculum.
- KiwiCo: KiwiCo is a well-funded subscription box and digital content platform delivering STEAM and creative projects to children across multiple age ranges. It competes for the same parent wallet share as TinkerLab but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
Direct peers
- Deep Space Sparkle: Deep Space Sparkle sells art lesson plans and teaching resources to elementary art educators, with a curriculum store and professional development offerings. It overlaps with TinkerLab's educator segment and shares a focus on accessible, classroom-ready art instruction.
- Artful Parent: Artful Parent is a directly comparable online art education platform for parents and educators of young children, offering art activities, printables, and books built around process-based art. Its home-based, parent-led creative learning ethos and content-led model mirror TinkerLab's core offering.
- Hello Wonderful: Hello Wonderful publishes kids' art, craft, and sensory activity content for parents and educators, with a free activity library and shop. It mirrors TinkerLab's content-led, parent-targeted creative learning model.
- Brave Writer: Brave Writer is a homeschool-oriented subscription and curriculum program for language arts and creative writing. It targets the same homeschool parent persona that TinkerLab serves and uses a membership-driven content model.
- Pink Stripey Socks: Pink Stripey Socks offers kids' art and craft tutorials, printables, and project ideas aimed at parents and teachers of young children. Like TinkerLab, it runs a content-driven blog plus paid digital products in the early childhood art space.
- The Art of Education: The Art of Education is a leading provider of art education professional development, online graduate courses, and curriculum for K-12 art teachers. It directly competes with TinkerLab's Art Education Professional Development offering and shares the educator-focused lens.
- Cassie Stephens: Cassie Stephens operates an art teacher blog, online courses, and resources for elementary art educators, with a personal brand similar to Rachelle Doorley's. It is comparable in the professional development and teacher-resource niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tinkerlab social profiles
Digital presenceTinkerlab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tinkerlab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Tinkerlab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tinkerlab 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 Tinkerlab
What does Tinkerlab do?
TinkerLab sells an online art education membership (Kids Art Studio) that gives subscribers access to a curated library of over 300 video art activities, downloadable project guides, monthly calendars, and supply lists for children ages 3-8. It complements the subscription with published books, one-time digital downloads, original physical artwork, in-person Palo Alto workshops, and educator professional development programs. The core promise is process-based, open-ended art experiences using household materials that adults can lead without prior art training.
Is Tinkerlab a public or private company?
Tinkerlab is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tinkerlab founded?
Tinkerlab was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Tinkerlab based?
Tinkerlab is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tinkerlab make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Online Membership / Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are digital Products, books and Publications, art Workshops and Professional Development and original Art and Physical Products.
Who are Tinkerlab's main competitors?
Outschool is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are ABCmouse and KiwiCo. Direct peers are Deep Space Sparkle, Artful Parent, Hello Wonderful, Brave Writer, Pink Stripey Socks, The Art of Education and Cassie Stephens.
Does Tinkerlab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tinkerlab.
What industry is Tinkerlab in?
Tinkerlab's product category is Children's Art Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAJAK, Digital/Interactive Curriculum Content (Apps, Games, Multimedia Lessons), with a secondary code of EDAGACAG, Creative Arts, Music & Movement Content. Its NAICS code is 611610.