Spark Business Academy, Inc.

What Spark Business Academy, Inc. does

Spark Business Academy, Inc. is a privately-held, Arlington, Virginia-based educational services company founded in 2015 by J. Chuchi Arevalo, a CFA and CFE credentialed finance professional with prior experience at PwC Financial Services Advisory, the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, and Economists Incorporated. The company delivers financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and investment education programs to K-12 students through a diversified channel strategy spanning public schools, independent/private schools, Parks & Rec Departments, Girl Scout troops, Jack and Jill chapters, and direct-to-consumer online classes. As of the latest data, SPARK partners with 250+ schools across 22 US states and has cumulatively served over 6,000 students online since pivoting to Zoom-based delivery in March 2020, plus over 3,500 Girl Scouts through badge-aligned workshops.

The company's product portfolio comprises Summer Camps, After-School Classes, Online Programs, Girl Scouts Workshops, Jack and Jill Workshops, Independent Schools Programs, Public Schools/Parks & Rec Programs, a Teacher Partnership Program, Parent Programs, and Employee Financial Wellness Services for corporate clients. The core technology is a Zoom-based live online delivery platform augmented with Kahoot quizzes, breakout sessions, and weekly parent communications; registration is handled through partner portals, 6Crickets, and Wix-hosted direct registration. The curriculum is age-segmented across K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grade bands and covers budgeting, investing, credit, career planning, philanthropy, leadership, and innovation.

SPARK operates a professional services revenue model with per-student fees for after-school classes and summer camps, workshop fees for youth organizations, and corporate wellness contracts. The Teacher Partnership Program is a distinctive force-multiplier that trains in-house teachers to deliver SPARK content at up to $120 per hour, allowing the company to scale curriculum reach without proportional headcount. The company is bootstrapped and founder-owned, with no disclosed external funding, and is recognized as a pioneer by Business Week, Bloomberg TV, and Georgetown Business.

Name

Spark Business Academy, Inc.

Legal name

Spark Business Academy, Inc.

Website

https://sparkbusinessacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Spark Business Academy delivers K-12 financial literacy and entrepreneurship education programs across 250+ US schools, Girl Scouts, Jack and Jill chapters, and corporate employers, operating as a boutique, founder-led professional services provider since 2015.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Financial Literacy Education Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

Keywords

• Youth financial literacy
• Entrepreneurship education
• After-school enrichment programs
• Summer camp curriculum
• Corporate financial wellness

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. After-School Classes: Innovative after-school programs offered at hundreds of high-performing schools in 22 states. Revenue generated through per-student fees paid by parents or schools. Teachers earn up to $120/hour teaching these classes.
2. Summer Camps: Premium specialty summer camps on financial literacy and entrepreneurship at partner schools. Programs include Budding Entrepreneurs, Bulls & Bears, Jr CEOs, Money Matters, Sports Management and more. Offered both in-person and online.
3. Youth Organization Workshops: Financial literacy workshops for Girl Scouts and Jack and Jill chapters. Badge-aligned programs for various age groups and organizational levels.
4. Corporate Financial Wellness: Financial wellness programs for employers designed to reduce employee financial anxiety, increase productivity, and enhance recruiting and retention profiles. Purely educational organization with no conflicts of interest.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Spark Business Academy delivers financial literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and philanthropy education programs for K-12 students through summer camps, after-school classes, live online classes, badge-aligned youth organization workshops, and corporate employee financial wellness services. Programs are delivered in person at partner schools and online via Zoom, with a Teacher Partnership Program that trains educators to scale curriculum delivery.

Product overview

SPARK Business Academy offers a portfolio of educational programs promoting financial literacy and entrepreneurship for K-12 students. The core offerings include Summer Camps, After-School Classes, Online Programs, Girl Scouts Workshops, and Jack and Jill Workshops—each available at partner schools (public, independent, and youth organizations) or directly to parents. The company also operates a Teacher Partnership Program that trains educators to deliver SPARK content, and provides Employee Financial Wellness Services for employers. Key branded program modules include Budding Entrepreneurs, Bulls & Bears (stock market), Jr. CEOs, Money Matters, and Sports Management. Programs are delivered in-person and online, reaching over 6,000 students online and partnering with hundreds of schools across 22 states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Camps In-person and online summer programs on financial literacy and entrepreneurship for K-12 students, offered at hundreds of schools including top independent schools such as Sidwell Friends, The Park School, Lake Highland Prep, and Milton Academy. Programs include themed modules like Budding Entrepreneurs, Bulls & Bears, Jr CEOs, Money Matters, and Sports Management.
• After-School Classes After-school enrichment programs at hundreds of high-performing schools across 22 U.S. states, covering financial literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and philanthropy for grades K-12. Delivered by SPARK-trained teachers or by school teachers through the Teacher Partnership Program at up to $120/hour compensation.
• Online Programs Live, fully interactive online programs delivered via password-protected Zoom meetings, covering topics such as the stock market, sports management, and entrepreneurial training. Over 6,000 students from top schools across the country have participated in online classes since March 2020. Registration is handled directly through sparkbusinessacademy.com and the 6Crickets provider directory.
• Girl Scouts Workshops In-person and online programs tailored to specific Girl Scout badge requirements across all levels from Daisies through Ambassadors, covering financial literacy and entrepreneurship. Over 3,500 kids have participated. Topics include Toy Business Designer, Money Counts, Budding Entrepreneur, Cookie CEO, Business Plan, and Entrepreneur Accelerator badges.
• Jack and Jill Workshops Financial literacy workshops for Jack and Jill chapter youth in grades K-12, supporting leadership development with age-appropriate modules covering budgeting, investment, credit, and philanthropy. Contact is Ainsley Green.
• Independent Schools Programs Premium specialty programs at hundreds of high-performing independent schools across the U.S., promoting 21st-century skills with themes including financial literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and philanthropy for grades K-12. Partner schools include Sidwell Friends, Park School, Lake Highland Prep, Milton Academy, Potomac, Concord Academy, Leman Manhattan Prep, and others.
• Public Schools and Parks & Rec Programs Partnership programs with hundreds of public schools and dozens of Parks & Rec Departments, including support for PTAs/PTOs, fundraising through donations, need-based scholarships for low-income students, and teacher training through the Teacher Partnership Program.
• Teacher Partnership Program Program that trains school teachers to lead SPARK classes at partner schools with above-market compensation rates (up to $120/hour), with training, supplies, and materials provided. Teachers earn additional income teaching after-school classes and summer camps, and the program scales SPARK's curriculum delivery while reducing operational burden.
• Employee Financial Wellness Services Workplace financial wellness programs designed to reduce employee financial anxiety, improve productivity, and enhance employer recruiting and retention profiles. Covers topics including budgeting, investing, retirement planning, and debt management. Marketed as a purely educational organization with no conflicts of interest to differentiate from product-selling competitors.
• Parent Programs Programs for parents to equip students with 21st-century life skills, combining technical skills with soft skills such as collaboration, public speaking, and problem-solving. Weekly communications keep parents informed about curriculum content.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 students have participated in online classes since March 2020
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Girl Scouts of the USAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPARK is an official Girl Scout program partner providing badge-aligned financial literacy and entrepreneurship workshops for all Girl Scout levels from Daisies through Ambassadors. Programs cover topics including Toy Business Designer, Money Counts, Budding Entrepreneur, Cookie CEO, Business Plan, and Entrepreneur Accelerator badges.
• Jack and Jill of AmericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPARK is the trusted financial literacy partner for many Jack and Jill chapters throughout the country. Programs support chapter youth leadership efforts with empowering workshops aligned to their programmatic thrust and mission to develop future leaders. Contact is Ainsley Green.
• Public Schools (multiple)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPARK partners with hundreds of public schools across the US. They work closely with PTAs/PTOs, handle administrative tasks including registration, flyers, and communication to reduce burden on parent volunteers. They support fundraising efforts through donations and provide need-based scholarships for low-income students.
• Parks & Rec Departments (dozens)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPARK partners with dozens of Parks & Rec Departments across the US to deliver financial literacy programs to youth in their communities.
• Independent Schools (hundreds)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPARK is a boutique provider of programs at hundreds of high-performing independent schools across the US. Schools include Sidwell Friends School, The Park School, Lake Highland Preparatory School, Milton Academy, and many others. Programs include summer camps and after-school classes on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, and philanthropy.
• All Saints Episcopal SchoolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTeacher Partnership Program where SPARK trains school teachers to lead their classes. Teacher earns up to $120/hour teaching after-school classes.
• Lake Highland Preparatory SchoolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTeacher Partnership Program and summer camp partnership. Teachers trained to deliver financial literacy curriculum at above-market compensation rates.
• Milton AcademyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTeacher Partnership Program where trained teachers deliver SPARK programs including Budding Entrepreneurs, Bulls & Bears, Jr CEOs, Money Matters, Sports Management and more.
• Nysmith School for the GiftedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTeacher Partnership Program offering after-school financial literacy and entrepreneurship classes to gifted students.
• Weston Public SchoolsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTeacher Partnership Program delivering programs through trained teachers at public schools.
• Corporate EmployerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPARK provides financial wellness programs to employers targeting employee financial anxiety reduction and productivity enhancement. Programs designed to enhance recruiting profile and retention strategy as an innovative employer providing leading-edge training on financial matters.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EverFi (Vector Solutions): Digital financial literacy and life skills curriculum sold to K-12 schools and employers. Directly competes for the same school-district and corporate wellness budget with a more tech-enabled delivery model.
• Financial Finesse: Provider of workplace financial wellness programs to employers. Directly comparable to SPARK's Employee Financial Wellness Services line in buyer (HR), use case, and curriculum.
• FoolProof Foundation: Provider of free financial literacy curriculum for K-12 schools and consumers. Competes on the same curriculum topic and K-12 channel, mostly via digital delivery.
• Next Gen Personal Finance: Provider of free, standards-aligned personal finance curriculum for high school students. Directly competes in the school financial-literacy category and pressures SPARK's paid offering.
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): Nonprofit providing entrepreneurship education programs to young people, often in under-resourced schools. Comparable in youth entrepreneurship focus and school-channel distribution.
• Junior Achievement USA: National nonprofit delivering financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education to K-12 students. Closest direct peer in mission, audience (schools and youth), and curriculum scope.

Broad incumbents

• Money Smart for Young People (FDIC): FDIC-published free financial education curriculum for K-12. A free, federally-backed competitor that constrains pricing across the school financial-literacy category.
• Ramsey Education (Dave Ramsey): Provides Foundations in Personal Finance curriculum for high schools. Strong brand in personal finance education and competes for the same school and parent audiences.
• GreenPath Financial Wellness: Established financial counseling and workplace financial wellness provider for employers. Competes in SPARK's corporate wellness line with broader counseling capabilities.

Emerging players

• BizWorld Foundation: Nonprofit delivering youth entrepreneurship programs through schools. Overlaps in entrepreneurship curriculum and K-12 channel but more narrowly focused than SPARK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spark-business-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Spark Business Academy, Inc.