What Virtual Excellence Academy does

Virtual Excellence Academy (VEA), operating under the legal entity Digital Nomad Kit LLC, is an online education and talent platform that trains virtual assistants (VAs), online business managers (OBMs), and independent freelancers to build location-independent service businesses. Founded in 2015 in Budapest by Hannah Dixon and Valentina Mercenaro, the company delivers its flagship VEA program (priced at $1,500-$1,900 with lifetime access) through the Teachable learning management system, supplemented by a lifetime Slack-based Inner Circle community of 1,500+ active graduates. The product portfolio includes an entry-level Freelance Foundations course ($37), a VEA Legacy Edition bundle combining eight specialist add-on modules (WordPress, Podcast, Contracts+, Client Experience, Sales & Marketing, Niching, VIP Days, Facebook Networking) priced at $1,900, plus individually sold courses ranging from $35 to $349, free lead magnets (Beginner's Guide, live masterclasses), and high-ticket live events such as the VA-cation retreat series.

The company monetizes through one-time course payments, paid coaching-adjacent content, the $599 VIP Matchmaking Service that connects vetted graduates with businesses seeking remote talent, and paid event experiences. Its GTM combines product-led self-serve enrollment with community-led referrals, event-driven engagement (global meetups in Budapest, Bangkok, Mexico City, NYC, Lisbon), and earned media amplification via features in Forbes, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, and NPR, plus a 20,000+ subscriber newsletter. A separate Youth VEA initiative runs in partnership with MaNaBu Movement and is backed by government bodies to train at-risk youth in Eastern Europe, positioning the company within the broader digital-nomad and remote-work education category.

VEA's alumni network spans 45,000+ trainees across 150+ countries, with publicly cited graduate outcomes including €7,500/month retainers, $5,000-$10,000 monthly earnings within six months of completion, and reported investment payback within two to three months. The business is bootstrapped and founder-owned, operating with a lean team of approximately six employees distributed globally, and does not disclose revenue, funding, or valuation.

Name

Virtual Excellence Academy

Legal name

Digital Nomad Kit LLC

Website

https://digitalnomadkit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Virtual Excellence Academy is an online education and talent platform that trains virtual assistants and freelancers to build location-independent service businesses, delivering a $1,500-$1,900 flagship course plus add-on modules, a lifetime alumni community of 1,500+, and a paid matchmaking service connecting graduates with hiring businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Professional Training

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN)

Keywords

• Virtual assistant training
• Freelancer education
• Online course platform
• Remote work certification
• VA hiring marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Remote

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Virtual Excellence Academy Course Sales: Flagship program sold as one-time payment ($1,500 standard, $1,900 Legacy Edition) or installment plans (6-8 monthly payments). Includes lifetime access to all learning materials and community. No subscription or recurring fees.
2. Specialty Courses and Toolkits: Individual courses including Freelance Foundations ($37), Get Clients Now ($155), Sales & Marketing Mastery ($49), Contracts+ Kit ($37.50), VIP Day Mastery ($150), Client Experience 101 ($125), Media Mastery ($45), Podcast Kit ($299), WordPress Kit ($349), Niching Masterclass ($79), and Facebook Networking ($35).
3. VIP Matchmaking Service: One-on-one headhunting and matchmaking service ($599) where Hannah or Kim personally match businesses with VEA graduates. Includes consultation call, expertly written job post, candidate assessment, and introduction to three matched freelancers.
4. Free Job Board Posting: Free job ad posting service broadcasting opportunities exclusively to VEA graduates. Employers submit forms and opportunities are shared in the exclusive community.
5. Events and Experiences: Paid events including VA-cation VIP Experience (1995 EUR for December 2025 Madeira retreat), plus free community events like meetups and expert sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Virtual Excellence Academy sells an award-winning, lifetime-access online training program that teaches individuals how to launch and scale a Virtual Assistant or freelance business. The core VEA flagship program bundles 10 training modules, bonus courses (Get Clients Now, Magnetic Money, Mindset Boost), and lifetime membership in the Inner Circle community; standalone specialty courses cover topics such as WordPress, podcast management, contracts, sales, niching, client experience, VIP Days, and media pitching, complemented by a paid matchmaking service that places vetted graduates with hiring businesses.

Product overview

Virtual Excellence Academy (VEA) is a platform-plus-modules architecture consisting of a core flagship program (the Virtual Excellence Academy) alongside multiple specialized add-on courses and services. The core VEA is an award-winning, lifetime-access business-building program for Virtual Assistants and freelancers, featuring 10 core modules and a lifetime Inner Circle community. The VEA Legacy Edition bundles the core program with 8 additional specialist courses (WordPress Kit, Podcast Management, Contracts+, Client Experience, Sales & Marketing, Niching, VIP Day Mastery, Facebook Networking). Freelance Foundations serves as an entry-level standalone course for complete beginners. DNK also offers separate standalone courses including Get Clients Now, Sales & Marketing Mastery, Contracts+ Kit, VIP Day Mastery, Client Experience 101, Media Mastery, Podcast Kit, and WordPress Beginners Kit. Beyond education, DNK operates a hiring and matchmaking service connecting businesses with trained VEA graduates. Free offerings include a Beginner's Guide and a Live Masterclass. A Youth VEA initiative in partnership with MaNaBu Movement supports at-risk youth in Eastern Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Virtual Excellence Academy (VEA) Flagship Program The flagship online training program for aspiring and established Virtual Assistants and freelancers, comprising 10 core modules covering business foundations, client acquisition, marketing, tech tools, mindset, and lifetime access to the Inner Circle community. Sold to individuals worldwide.
• Freelance Foundations A $37 standalone beginner course designed for complete newcomers to freelancing, covering service packaging, pricing, client finding, business setup, and outreach. Lifetime access. Sold to individuals globally.
• Get Clients Now (Standalone)

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates earn $5K-$10K+ monthly within 6 months of completing training
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Nomad Island FestflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2025VA-cation VIP Experience partnership with Nomad Island Fest 2025 in Madeira, Portugal (December 4-10, 2025). A week of personal and business growth, networking, and fun for VAs and freelancers. Previous VA-cation events were described as 'lifechanging' by attendees.
• MaNaBu MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MaNaBu Movement, backed by government bodies, to run the Youth Virtual Excellence Academy. Focuses on empowering at-risk youth in Eastern Europe with digital skills. Every enrollment in DNK programs directly contributes to accommodating up to 100 young people per year in the youth program.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Virtual Savvy: Founded by Abbey Ashley, The Virtual Savvy offers a VA training and freelancing course ecosystem that closely mirrors VEA's model, including signature course, community, and mentoring for aspiring virtual assistants. Directly competes for the same target customer (women and career changers entering remote work).
• Skillcrush: An online education platform teaching tech and digital skills (web development, UX, data analytics) primarily to women and career changers. Highly comparable audience and business model to VEA, and is listed in VEA's 'As Featured In' media kit, indicating recognition within the same category.
• Maven: A cohort-based online learning platform for professional skills with a heavy emphasis on live instruction, community, and instructor authority. Operates a similar high-touch, premium-priced digital education model serving career-focused adult learners.

Broad incumbents

• General Assembly: A well-established tech skills training company offering bootcamps and short courses in coding, data, UX, and digital marketing. While broader in scope than VEA, it overlaps on digital skills training and serves a similar career-changer audience at a larger scale.
• Coursera: A global online learning platform partnering with universities and companies to offer courses, certificates, and degrees across professional and technical domains. VEA's premium cohort model sits at the higher-touch end of the same online professional education category.
• Udemy: A massive open online course marketplace offering thousands of freelance, business, and tech courses. While broader and lower-priced, Udemy represents the long tail of online education where VEA competes for the same customer attention.
• LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn's professional development platform offering video courses on business, tech, and creative skills, integrated with the LinkedIn professional network. Targets the same career-development and upskilling use cases as VEA at a subscription price point.
• BELAY: A US-based remote staffing company specializing in virtual assistants, bookkeepers, and social media managers. Operates on the demand side of VEA's ecosystem by hiring VAs, making it an adjacent incumbent in the same remote-work talent market.
• Time Etc: A UK-headquartered virtual assistant services company providing vetted US/UK-based VAs to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Operates in the same VA ecosystem where VEA graduates compete for placements and clients.

Emerging players

• Wishup: An India-based virtual assistant services company providing trained remote assistants to global clients, particularly in the US market. Represents an emerging competitive threat on both the talent supply and training sides of the global VA ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@digitalnomadkit
• Facebookfacebook.com/digitalnomadkit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dixonhannah
• Instagraminstagram.com/digitalnomadkit
• TikToktiktok.com/@digitalnomadkit

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 Virtual Excellence Academy