Meghan K. Freeman Announces Next Chapter: From Founding Elite Academic Academy to Launching Illuminate XR’s Global Learning Mission
Education leader Meghan Freeman shifts from founding Elite Academic Academy to launching Illuminate XR , a bold, human-centered AI and immersive learning venture.
Meghan K. Freeman: From My Living Room to the National Stage
What began in Ms. Meghan Freeman’s living room with a single vision to do education differently has grown into a nationally recognized story of innovation and heart. As Elite Academic Academy prepares to be featured on All Access with Andy Garcia this December, I’m reflecting on the journey that turned humble beginnings into a movement redefining how students learn, connect, and thrive.
The Arena
Meghan Freeman, M.Ed., founder of Elite Academic Academy, shares her journey of courage, compassion, and innovation in public education. Rooted in the belief that every student deserves to be seen and supported, Freeman reimagined what learning can be through personalized, non-classroom-based education. Under her leadership, Elite achieved a 98% teacher retention rate, California Distinguished School recognition, WASC accreditation, and Marzano High Reliability Schools Levels 1 & 2 certification.
Freeman’s story—beginning with a simple act of kindness at a lunch table—underscores her lifelong mission: to stand with the misunderstood, lead with truth, and build schools where students and educators thrive.
Personalized Learning Is Not a Trend — It’s the Future
Personalized learning is not a program or a slogan. It is a system built around people. At Elite Academic Academy, where I serve as Co Founder and former CEO, we proved it can be real, measurable, and scalable. In one year, English Language Arts proficiency rose 8 percent and Math climbed 14 percent, even as enrollment grew by 35 percent.
Through innovation, courageous leadership, and programs like Elite X, we built a culture that empowers teachers, centers students, and delivers results.
When schools trust teachers, personalize learning, and lead with integrity, everyone wins.
I shared more about this journey and how it can be replicated in my latest blog. I invite you to read it and join the conversation about the future of learning. Personalized learning is not a trend. It is the future.
Born To Leap
Some people follow the expected path. I never have. From jumping straight from the classroom into a principal role during the recession to leaving a secure job to start my own school to now building a global edtech startup, my life has been a series of leaps. Not all were easy, but each was worth it. Along the way I discovered my purpose: creating spaces where others can be seen, valued, and inspired to dream bigger. As my mom likes to say, some of us are just born to leap.