Marisa Palmer is the cofounder, along with her husband Brandon, of <a href="https://www.actonmadison.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Acton Academy Madison West</a> in Madison, Wisconsin. A former investment banker and hedge fund analyst in New York City, Marisa launched her microschool in January 2023 with four students as part of the global Acton Academy network of learner-driven schools. Today, she has 15 students enrolled in her school, including her 8-year-old son, and expects to grow significantly over the next three years. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at <a href="http://www.fee.org/liberated" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">fee.org/liberated</a>.

Marisa Palmer is the cofounder, along with her husband Brandon, of Acton Academy Madison West in Madison, Wisconsin. A former investment banker and hedge fund analyst in New York City, Marisa launched her microschool in January 2023 with four students as part of the global Acton Academy network of learner-driven schools. Today, she has 15 students enrolled in her school, including her 8-year-old son, and expects to grow significantly over the next three years. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Marisa Palmer is the cofounder, along with her husband Brandon, of <a href="https://www.actonmadison.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Acton Academy Madison West</a> in Madison, Wisconsin. A former investment banker and hedge fund analyst in New York City, Marisa launched her microschool in January 2023 with four students as part of the global Acton Academy network of learner-driven schools. Today, she has 15 students enrolled in her school, including her 8-year-old son, and expects to grow significantly over the next three years. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at <a href="http://www.fee.org/liberated" rel="noopener noreferrer">fee.org/liberated</a>.

Why A Former Investment Banker Decided to Become An Acton Academy School Founder

The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. 

This twice-weekly podcast is hosted by Kerry McDonald, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and leader of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab. A regular contributor at Forbes.com and The 74, Kerry is the bestselling author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019), and the author of the forthcoming book, Joyful Learning: How To Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (Hachette, 2025). She has a BA in economics from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. A mom of four, Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter at edentrepreneur.org.

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Education for Kids

The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. This twice-weekly podcast is hosted by Kerry McDonald, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and leader of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab. A regular contributor at Forbes.com and The 74, Kerry is the bestselling author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019), and the author of the forthcoming book, Joyful Learning: How To Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (Hachette, 2025). She has a BA in economics from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. A mom of four, Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter at edentrepreneur.org.

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Why A Former Investment Banker Decided to Become An Acton Academy School Founder

Why A Former Investment Banker Decided to Become An Acton Academy School Founder

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