Kelly Smith

Kelly Smith is the Founder and CEO of Prenda, an innovative education company that focuses on helping individuals establish and run microschools for children in grades K-8. His journey into education began with volunteering at a public library, where he taught kids computer programming. This experience ignited his passion for fostering a love of learning among students and led him to create Prenda in 2018, starting with a microschool in his home with just seven students.123

Background and Education

Kelly holds a master's degree in nuclear fusion from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Before founding Prenda, he had a diverse career that included roles in engineering, marketing, and entrepreneurship within the technology sector. He also sold a small software business focused on clean energy.24

Vision for Education

Prenda's mission is to empower learners by creating environments where children can thrive through self-directed learning. The organization has successfully helped over 1,000 individuals start their own microschools, impacting nearly 10,000 students.13 Kelly emphasizes the importance of community involvement and believes that education is a transformative opportunity to connect meaningfully with others.3

Personal Life

Residing in Mesa, Arizona, Kelly is a family man with four children. He attributes much of his motivation to his family's educational background; both of his grandparents were teachers.23

Recent Work

In addition to running Prenda, Kelly has authored a book titled A Fire to Be Kindled, which discusses the potential of empowered learning and its impact on personal development and community.5

For more insights into his work and philosophy, Kelly can be found on LinkedIn under the username kellysmith35.6