Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Davis.
Hi Amanda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have always loved the written word, so pursuing a degree in literature seemed like the best way to spend my college years. Along the way, I discovered that I also had a talent for teaching. Whether I was babysitting, giving swim lessons, assisting my peers in a writing lab, or volunteering in classrooms, I found immense satisfaction in the craft of teaching.
Becoming an English teacher was a natural progression. My first teaching job was at a private high school with a strong emphasis on college readiness. The students came from affluent backgrounds. They were intelligent, well-behaved, and possessed many of the advantages of a life seemingly engineered for success.
And yet, occasionally, I encountered students who puzzled me. They struggled to grasp concepts that seemed straightforward to their classmates. Some had difficulty even putting together a coherent sentence. I would work with them after school, watching them work tirelessly just to earn a C. Their determination was exhausting for everyone—including themselves.
What I didn’t understand at the time was why they were struggling or, more importantly, how to remediate the underlying problem.
My early teaching abilities were a combination of instincts and techniques I had picked up from other competent teachers who seemed to know exactly what they were doing. I had never been taught how to identify or remediate significant reading difficulties. In fact, I had never even heard the term dyslexia until someone in my administration suggested that it was essentially a scam invented by parents to obtain undeserved accommodations for their children. At the time, low achievement was often equated with poor work ethic.
Several years later, after I had children of my own, I took a part-time position at a nonprofit reading clinic. I wanted an outlet beyond the endless diaper changes and stroller walks, but I had no idea that the job would completely change the direction of my career.
It was there that I finally learned how to truly teach a student to read. I learned what dyslexia actually was, how reading develops, and how systematic, explicit instruction could unlock skills that had previously seemed inaccessible to a child.
I witnessed what I can only describe as magic: taking a student who didn’t even know their letters and sounds and eventually watching that same child read chapter books independently.
It became the most addictive pursuit of my professional life. There is something extraordinary about helping a child accomplish something they have been told—or have come to believe—they cannot do. Knowing that you can change the trajectory of a child’s life by teaching them to read is incredibly powerful. I was hooked.
I spent approximately seven years working with that clinic and also developed nonprofit programs to provide reading intervention to struggling students in foster care. During those years, I began to dream about eventually having a tutoring practice of my own.
MindRise Learning technically started in my heart long before it had a name, but it was officially established in 2019.
The catalyst was surprisingly simple. My neighbor had two boys who were struggling significantly with reading, and despite the help they were receiving at school, they weren’t making meaningful progress. I agreed to work with them.
Those two students quickly became ten, then fifteen.
Before long, our home office had become a revolving door of students, overflowing with curriculum, books, teaching materials, and supplies. At some point, it became obvious that what I had started informally could become a real business.
We leased our first office space in 2020, and MindRise Learning has continued to grow from there. Dennis, my husband, joined the business full-time in 2022, taking on an active operational role. We added additional services and improved our systems. What began with two boys in my home has grown into a learning clinic serving a growing number of families. We now offer reading, writing, and math support.
Our mission at MindRise Learning has remained consistent: we seek to help children discover that they can rise to success regardless of the challenge.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have learned that if you are comfortable when it comes to building a business, you probably aren’t doing it right! But seriously, building a business has been the most thrilling yet difficult endeavor of my life. The COVID pandemic and school closures provided both unprecedented challenges to overcome and an unimaginable transformation in what it meant to be an educator and businessperson. During that time period, we did not know if we would survive. So many businesses were shutting down, and there was a pervasive sense of hopelessness about education and our economy. Another test of our fortitude came when it was apparent that my husband, Dennis, would need to transition to MindRise full-time in order for MindRise to thrive and grow as we envisioned. It was an uncomfortable period of time going from a traditional full-time job to a young business. Three years later, we are grateful that we stayed the course and chased our dreams.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
MindRise Learning specializes in reading, writing, and math support for students who struggle to succeed in traditional classroom settings. Our strongest area of expertise is reading intervention, including support for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning difficulties.
We are most proud of the trust families place in us and the transformation we see in our students. Each student and family becomes part of the MindRise family. We believe that superior instruction is supported by excellent systems. We operate with warmth, responsiveness, and intentionality, meeting students where they are while supporting them to rise to greater success.
Another initiative that we are excited about is our scholarship program, the Ben Elliott Memorial Scholarship Fund, which has been established under the MindRise Foundation. This fund will provide financial support for students in need of reading intervention who might otherwise be unable to access these services. For more information or to donate, go to https://www.mindriselearning.org/mindrise-foundation.
What makes you happy?
I have learned (the hard way) that happiness is not the absence of difficulty or a state where you are completely comfortable. I am happiest when I am enjoying time with my husband of 24 years and my three amazing children. Besides that, I love working and making a difference. “Working” doesn’t feel very much like drudgery to me. I am also really happy reading a great book, painting something delightful, cooking delicious things, spending time with people I love, and going to interesting places.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mindriselearning.org/
- Instagram: mindrise_learning (MindRise Learning)
- Facebook: MindRise Learning, LLC
