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Help select one of this year's Teacherpreneur winners!

Watch pitch preview videos from the cohort and vote for the Community Favorite award March 3 through March 4 at 5:00 p.m. CT.

Learn more and cast your vote
application opens 10/20/25

Create. Refine. Pitch. Pilot.

The Teacherpreneur program is designed to harness educator innovation to remove barriers to success so that all students thrive.

This professional learning opportunity will help teachers identify an issue, research root causes of the issue, and create innovative solutions while developing their skills as change-makers both in and beyond the walls of their classroom.
The Teacherpreneur cohort will participate in professional learning in January and February 2025 to design and refine their solution to a challenge they see in their classroom or school. The cohort experience will culminate in a pitch event awarding $25,000 in cash prizes to the top concepts.

The top three winners will also receive seed funding to implement their innovative solution as a pilot program.

SEE previous WINNING SOLUTIONS

THE COHORT's JOURNEY

See below for some highlights from our inaugural Teacherpeneur cohort as they prepared to pitch their prototypes on February 24.

Cohort mentor Brian Purvis advises the inaugural cohort

Teacherpreneurs David Myers and Paula Pendergrass discuss root causes of educational inequities

Teacherpreneurs Addison Barrack and LaKesha Rayford share findings from their empathy interviews

Teacherpreneurs Justin Montenegro and Nita Smith practice their pitches and provide feedback

Inspired by words from local entrepreneur and educator Emily Freitag, CEO of Instruction Partners, to “find a problem you can fall in love with,” our 12 Teacherpreneurs are designing solutions to problems they are most passionate about addressing. Some of these include:

  • The effect of high teacher turnover on teachers and students
  • The need for more effective instructional supports for English Learners
  • The struggle of balancing work and school for some students
  • The lack of access to teachers of color
  • The lack of accessible opportunities for parents to engage in their child’s education

"Teachers are the backbone of education! To hear the passion and brilliance of my Teacherpreneurs cohort members was confirmation of why this think-tank is needed and even more so amid such perilous times in education."

- Inaugural cohort member

Teacherpreneurs Nikki Bolling and Chriseni Pulse discuss ways to increase equitable access to parent involvement activities

Each cohort member received a box full of books, supplies, and mementos

Teacherpreneurs Daven Oglesby and Quanita Adams practice their pitches and provide feedback

NPEF's Katie Cour interviews Instruction Partners CEO Emily Freitag

Applications for Cohort 3 close November 5 at midnight.

The Teacherpreneur application is open to any MNPS or MNPS-operated public charter school educator who is certificated non-administrative staff (teachers, librarians, counselors, etc.) instructing students at least 50% of the time.

Teacherpreneur sessions will take place from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. on the following dates:

Session 1 | December 7, 2023

Session 2| January 11, 2024

Session 3 | January 25, 2024

Session 4 | February 1, 2024

Session 5 | February 15, 2024

Teacherpreneurs will also participate in office hours held virtually in between sessions and the pitch event in late February, exact time/date TBD.

Teacherpreneur D. Olige pitches her idea to provide behavioral supports to students in the classroom at our inaugural pitch night.

Teacherpreneur Saul Calzadilla reacts to being named the first place winner in 2025.

The second cohort of Teacherpreneurs pose for a group shot following pitch night in 2023.

Teacherpreneur Sarai Ovalle pitches her idea to increase access to academic magnet schools for English Learner students.

Here’s what past cohort members have to say about participating in Teacherpreneur:

"The opportunity to become a Teacherpreneur with NPEF shifted my perspective to view how I might package my ideas and get them into the hands of people who want to know more. This training expanded my knowledge in ways that I did not know existed."

“I learned strategies for networking, marketing, and change management. I feel empowered as a teacher leader to now use these strategies in a variety of contexts. Teacherpreneur was unique in the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills that can initiate and cultivate lasting changes in an organization.”
“The NPEF facilitators effectively crafted development sessions that attended to our time, engagement, expanded our resources, and more. This experience helped me to deepen my understanding in a whole new direction. After 30 years of teaching, this was the first professional development that provided a new paradigm shift of how my expertise can be harnessed for others to succeed in and outside of the classroom.”

"The Teacherpreneur experience empowered me to fight for change within the education world, and showed me that change is truly possible within our classrooms, schools, and district!"

Teacherpreneur in the news

Nashville teachers confronting classroom inequities through 'Teacherpreneur' program

NewsChannel 5, 1/11/22

A dozen Nashville teachers will try to tackle some of Metro Schools' biggest challenges

The Tennessean, 12/27/21