# Nontraditional Education Is Outpacing the System With Real-World Skills, Student-Led Ventures, and Community-Driven Networks By Michael B. Horn · Published 2025-05-07 · Updated 2026-06-08 · Education Technology on MarketScale Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/education-technology/educators-redefining-school-with-entrepreneurship Creator hub: The Future of Education with Michael Horn > Alternative learning models are giving students hands-on experience and entrepreneurial networks that traditional schools struggle to provide ## Key points - Every Colossal Academy student runs their own business as a core part of the curriculum, not as an extracurricular add-on. - Relevance drives instruction — financial literacy, web design, and nature education are taught through real entrepreneurial goals. - Rattigan argues that elite schools' true advantage is connections, and her network-building work aims to create equivalent social capital for underserved students. Block Field Across the country, a growing number of students and educators are taking education into their own hands—literally. As frustration with traditional education mounts, a new wave of entrepreneurial energy is leading to radically reimagined learning spaces. From food forests to fashion start-ups, the classroom looks more like a collaborative studio than a lecture hall. A 2023 survey involving over 3,800 parents found that more than half of them have thought about, or are currently exploring, a [new school or different learning environment](https://schoolchoiceawareness.org/school-choice-survey-winter-2023/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) for their children. This growing shift signals a broader embrace of nontraditional education options that prioritize flexibility, relevance, and student engagement. > This growing shift signals a broader embrace of nontraditional education options that prioritize flexibility, relevance, and student engagement. What does it look like when students aren't just learning *about* business but running one? What happens when educators reject rigid systems in favor of real-world relevance, joy, and student agency? Welcome to [*The Future of Education](https://marketscale.com/shows/the-future-of-education-with-michael-horn/).* In this episode, host [Michael Horn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbhorn/) sits down with **Shiren Rattigan**, founder and CEO of the [Colossal Academy](https://www.colossal-academy.com/) and co-founder of the [Innovative Educators Network](https://www.innovativeeducatorsnetwork.com/). Together, they explore how [microschools](https://marketscale.com/?p=202465), entrepreneurship, and intentional network-building are helping a generation of students prepare for a future that doesn't yet exist. Their conversation reveals how nontraditional education models can unlock creativity, connection, and purpose for students often underserved by conventional systems. **Key takeaways from the conversation…** - **Entrepreneurship as Core Curriculum**: Every student at **Colossal Academy** runs their own business—from designing t-shirts tied to personal identity to selling handmade guinea pig costumes. This isn't a side project—it's central to learning. - **Relevance Over Rote**: Literacy, numeracy, and nature-based education are non-negotiables. But relevance drives everything—from financial literacy through business goals to web design through brand storytelling. - **Network Is the New Diploma**: Rattigan argues that what elite schools offer isn't better education—it's better connections. Her goal? Rebuild that kind of social capital for students on the margins. > What elite schools offer isn't better education—it's better connections. ### About the Guest **Shiren Rattigan** is an innovative education leader with over 15 years of experience in adolescent learning, specializing in experiential, inquiry-based, and student-centered models. As the founder and CEO of Colossal Academy, she created an award-winning microschool that integrates entrepreneurship, nature, and real-world skills for middle and high school students. A fifth-generation educator, Shiren has taught across public, private, Montessori, and international schools, and holds advanced degrees from Bournemouth University and Universidade do Algarve. Tags: Colossal Academy, entrepreneurship, Innovative Educators Network, microschools, Shiren Rattigan --- Source: MarketScale, https://www.marketscale.com/industries/education-technology/educators-redefining-school-with-entrepreneurship. Published for AI indexing and citation; cite the canonical URL. Site guide for agents: https://www.marketscale.com/llms.txt