Nasiyah Isra-Ul
Nasiyah Isra-Ul is a LiberatED Education Associate at FEE. She is the founder of Homeschool EmpowerED Inc, a nonprofit homeschool network and advocacy hub she created as a teenager.
Being a trailblazer is hard. It typically means going against the grain and navigating the limitations of existing systems until you can change them. But it is also rewarding. Depending on who you talk to, people may tell you change making is about good storytelling, extensive data, or maybe viral TikTok videos, but that’s only part of it. In the several years I’ve been building solutions as an education trailblazer, I’ve learned that the number one way to make an impact in the world is to believe you have the power to create that impact. From launching my first business as a homeschooled teen entrepreneur to becoming an advocate for education entrepreneurship and choice, to now joining the Foundation for Economic Education as a LiberatED Education Associate, I have worked to create positive change through entrepreneurship and innovation.
It all started in 2016 when my mom decided it was time for her to return to the workforce. Up until this point, my mom was a stay-at-home parent and my dad worked full-time in education. Our family decided that we would continue to homeschool, and the responsibility would be shared equally between us all. When my younger brother started having challenges with a few subjects we could only find in textbook format at an affordable price, I tried looking for alternatives that catered to his active learning style. I was shocked to find that I could not find one place where families like mine could go to find affordable, customizable learning opportunities, connect with other homeschoolers, and find recommendations for top curricula. I decided to build one.
As a high schooler at the time, I didn’t really think that starting a business or getting involved in education policy were things I could do at my age. Plus, what did I know about them anyway? I was content with being an online teacher making videos and learning resources for friends and family. But in 2020, I got news of a $10,000 pitch competition for innovators of all ages hosted by the National Society of High School Scholars. That opportunity changed everything.
I had no idea how to pitch a business idea. My only reference was Shark Tank, but I thought it would be a cool way to raise awareness about homeschooling amid the pandemic. It was a surprisingly successful pitch, and I ended up as a top-10 finalist.
Suddenly thrust into the spotlight as a young founder, my life changed overnight. By 2021, my business was featured in the local news, and my growing team and I received our first grant to support dozens of families. By 2022, we went from serving dozens to hundreds. By the end of 2023, we had served over 1,100 families in total and officially gone national. We distributed over 1,000 laptops and other useful technology to homeschool families from underserved communities, hosted training on homeschooling and entrepreneurship and traveled the country sharing the joy of homeschooling with audiences of policymakers, parents, and educators. Newly rebranded as a national network for homeschooling families, Homeschool EmpowerED is branching into storytelling and research as we continue to champion the homeschooling option.
My Top Tips for Becoming a Successful Edupreneur
If you also want to become a change-maker through entrepreneurship – especially as a young entrepreneur – here are my top three tips from lessons learned:
1. Find your people
Network, attend conferences, and don’t be afraid to reach out to people to start building connections and finding mentors and supporters. Look for those who will believe in you from the early stages of your work, and are willing to give you feedback as you grow.
2. Grind
Never be afraid to work hard to make your dream a reality. To grind is to understand that while starting is never easy, the results are worth it and what you learn along the way will continue to shape you in the future. This is your heart’s work, so stay true to yourself and your beliefs, but be willing to iterate, grow, and constantly learn new things.
3. Believe in Yourself
Entrepreneurship comes with roadblocks and challenges. Sometimes, when we forget to celebrate the small wins, it can seem like we’ve had more hardship than success. These are the moments in which you trust yourself, celebrate your small victories, cherish your first “yes,” and remember that your story matters. Whenever you doubt yourself, remember that you are creating change through your entrepreneurial efforts.
I’m so excited to be the new LiberatED Education Associate at FEE through Stand Together’s Koch Associate Program (KAP), where I’ll be working closely with FEE Senior Fellow Kerry McDonald to expand the LiberatED brand to support edupreneurs and innovators of all ages. I am particularly eager to share more stories about homeschooling and similar educational approaches. I want people to see just how beautiful unconventional education is, not just because of my experience, but because I believe this is the future of education. My days of trailblazing are only beginning, and I hope others will continue to join me on the path of transforming education through entrepreneurship and innovation.
This article was originally published by the Foundation for Economic Education.
