Episode 88: Money For Microschools. A Conversation with Allison Serafin.

We trace Allison Serafin’s path from restless learner to teacher, elected education leader, and capital guide who helps schools access facilities and finance. The heart of the talk is practical: how founders can become “underwritable” without losing their mission.

• early sparks in entrepreneurship and a misfit K–12 experience
• classroom wins and structural limits seen in Houston and Philadelphia
• leading in Las Vegas across TFA, district change, and state board service
• learning finance to build IDEA campuses and earn credibility
• what Building Hope does and why facilities cost so much
• pilot microloans for microschools with humane, unsecured terms
• clean bookkeeping, days cash on hand, and debt coverage explained
• how to use AI to learn finance fast and prepare for lenders
• start scrappy, then professionalize when you choose to grow

About our guest
Allison Serafin brings experience, accomplishment and energy to her responsibilities at Building Hope. Allison has more than 20 years in the education field, including time as an elected member of the Nevada State Board of Education. She helped raise more than $40 million for IDEA Public Charter School in her hometown of Houston and was Domestic Portfolio Director at Dovetail Impact Foundation. Allison is a dedicated Peloton bicyclist. She earned a BS in Political Science at Texas Christian University and an MS in Social Work at the University of Texas-Arlington.

Connect with Allison
Building Hope

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About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

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We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

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