We built Prism because
we needed it.

After decades in alternative education, we knew the problem intimately. Scattered photos. Invisible learning. Documentation that never added up to anything. So we built the tool we wished we'd had all along.

Our Story

Learning isn't contained by the classroom. It happens at the kitchen table, on nature walks, during long conversations in the car, and in the middle of a project that started as "just messing around." Parents and educators who work outside traditional schooling know this deeply, and they've been documenting it with sticky notes, camera rolls, and sheer force of will.

We've built learning communities from the ground up and watched families struggle with the same problems year after year: How do we capture what's really happening? How do we show grandparents, evaluators, or—most importantly—ourselves the full picture of who our children are becoming?

Prism exists because learning deserves to be seen and supported—not graded, not standardized, but truly witnessed. We need tools that support the educators and parents who understand meaningful learning is emergent, iterative, and expansive.

Meet the founders

Tomis Parker with his family

Tomis Parker

Founder & Creator

I've spent my entire career in the alternative education world. I started as a teaching assistant in a Montessori classroom, then worked as a facilitator at a startup free school, organized summer camps for homeschoolers, and eventually co-founded the Agile Learning Centers model—a grassroots network of self-directed learning communities that has spread internationally.

For years, I have served as Operations Director at ALC Mosaic, a (large) microschool in Charlotte, NC, where I experienced firsthand the documentation challenges that plagued programs like ours.

All of this—the facilitation, the community-building, the product thinking, the decades of watching families struggle to communicate the value of learning environments that valued collaboration over control—led me to create Prism. I'm so energized to be building the tool I wished we'd had at every program I've ever worked with.

Photo coming soon

[Partner Name]

Technical Co-Founder

[Partner's story and background goes here. What brought them to Prism? What's their expertise? What do they care about?]

[Second paragraph about their perspective, what they bring to the team, and why this work matters to them personally.]

What we believe

Learning is natural

We are born with the biological drive to learn new things. The more we can design an education around each child's innate curiosities, interests, and motivations, the more valuable and meaningful their education will be. The question isn't how to make learning happen; it's how to see it and how to support it.

Learning is multidimensional

Real education includes who we're becoming: as friends, collaborators, problem-solvers, and community members. We believe in seeing and supporting learning in all its forms—not just the subjects that fit neatly on a transcript, but the growth that will actually prepare a child for life.

Real-world learning matters more than ever

When information is at our fingertips, the value of in-person, intentionally social, and deeply relational learning environments only increases. We believe in real-world learning and the importance of translating those experiences into something you can reflect on, share, and build upon.

Every child's journey is unique

There is no standard path. No single measure of success. Each learner deserves an education and portfolio that captures and communicates who they actually are—not just the curriculum they completed. That's what we're building for.

The portfolio belongs to the learner

A child's learning story spans home, programs, trips, and everyday moments. We believe portfolios should capture it all, stay portable, and belong to families. When you leave, everything goes with you.

AI that serves, not surveils

AI is powerful—and it's here. We choose to embrace it thoughtfully and with intention, using it to help parents and educators translate real-world moments into meaningful insights. Not to monitor or control. To illuminate what's already true.

We'd love to hear from you.

Whether you're a homeschooling parent, a program director, or just curious about what we're building—we're here. Reach out anytime.

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