About the Founders

​Amanda and Melissa are two teachers from West Michigan with a passion for innovation, creativity and building thriving learning communities!

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We are two bold visionaries (some might say a little crazy) who dared to imagine a different kind of education. Back in grad school, we’d often joke, “When we start a school, we’ll…” followed by wild ideas and laughter at the sheer absurdity of it all. Fast forward to the height of COVID: with time to dream and a world turned upside down, we took a leap of faith. Fueled by hope and caffeine, we dove headfirst into creating Thrive, trusting there were families out there who shared our vision.

Since 2021, it’s been a whirlwind of building, growing, and occasionally wondering, “What have we created?!” We’ve learned to ask big questions, seize new opportunities, and stay true to our mission—even when it means making hard choices. Through it all, we’ve embraced the chaos, laughed at the unexpected, and stayed authentic to ourselves and our vision. Thrive is a labor of love, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the families who’ve trusted us to help their children learn, grow, and thrive (pun intended). We continue to be overwhelmed by the support, encouragement, and community that has been created at Thrive. 

We can't wait to see what's next in this journey! 

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