Tanya Sheckley is the Founder and President of UP Academy – a progressive elementary lab school in San Mateo, California. UP Academy is reinventing education by customizing learning for each student, integrating project-based learning throughout its curriculum, and supporting students with disabilities to attend school alongside able-bodied students in mixed-age classrooms. She is the host of the Rebel Educator podcast and recently launched rebeleducator.com to support educators and schools on their project-based journey.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I spent almost ten years working in sales and marketing in consumer goods.  I reached a point in my career when I realized that everyone in the positions I wanted to pursue had master’s degrees.  I went back to school and received an MBA in entrepreneurship.  My business background allows me to approach founding a school differently than a traditional educator.

What inspired you to start your business?

Having children literally changed my life.  My oldest daughter was born with cerebral palsy and finding the right educational fit for her was challenging.  We looked all over the world for a school that would support independence and academics; when we didn’t find what we were looking for, we decided to start one. 

Where is your business based? 

San Mateo, CA.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took? 

I began by talking to families and parents of students with disabilities, like Eliza, and discovered we were all frustrated by the same issues.  It was time to start something new and different that could support different types of students and learners.  I reached out to some friends and acquaintances and formed a board of directors to file for non-profit status and build a team to launch the school.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Whenever we are featured in the newspaper or local news we raise awareness and have families reach out.  Speaking at events and conferences and being active in social media has also helped us create visibility.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Our biggest challenge was finding affordable real estate in the Bay Area.  We spent over a year looking for a location that was suitable for students and affordable.  We also struggled to get real estate agents to call us back and take us seriously as women who were starting a school.  For a time we had our male board member make all the real estate calls.  Eventually, we got lucky and found an amazing location with a wonderful owner who has made starting just a little easier.

How do you stay focused? 

When you are following your passion and doing what you love, making a difference every day, it is easy to become too focused.  It’s important to remember to take breaks and make sure there is balance in life.  On days when I’m not feeling motivated, I work to do one thing to move the business forward.  One thing a day leads to big momentum.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Our school is different in philosophy, educational method, and size than most other schools around here.  We are more progressive and project-based than other schools around us. Our classes are smaller and our learning is personalized and designed for mastery.    In addition, because of our focus on students with disabilities, we have a much more diverse student body than many private schools.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Our current families word of mouth and sharing their stories of the fun their kids have in school and how they are thriving.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?  

Just keep going.  Some days move faster, some move slower, some have big wins and some have big losses, but if you just keep moving forward toward your goal, you will get there.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why? 

Calendly has changed my life.  It’s like having a scheduling assistant taking care of all of my meetings and connecting with new families and colleagues.  It has saved me hours of emails and scheduling conversations and made me more accessible.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Sir Richard Branson.  He values his employees and works to take care of them while spending time taking care of himself and continuing to dream big ideas.  He genuinely works to make the lives of those around him better.  He is always looking for opportunities to learn.

How do you balance work and life?

I take frequent family breaks and head to the woods to hike, camp and ski whenever possible.  It is necessary to take breaks for my brain to function well.  My children are growing quickly and these years are fleeting.  It’s the moments with my family that are most important.  I am lucky that by starting a school, my kids come to work with me!

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Escaping to the wilderness.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

We are continuing to grow our school and enrolling for the coming fall.  My YouTube interview series, Voices of Education, will launch as a podcast called Rebel Educator in August and my book, Rebel Educator,  is currently scheduled to publish in November.  In addition, we are growing our consulting and professional development arm of the business designed to help others support all types of learners with project based learning.

How can our readers connect with you?

My school's website is upacademysf.com, our professional development website is rebeleducator.com and my personal website is tanyasheckley.com.  You can connect with me on Linked In at linkedin.com/in/sheckley.  You can also follow our school on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @upacademysf.  Thank you, I look forward to connecting!