Classroom Teacher to Entrepreneur: How a Walden EdD Grad Built Her Own Business

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Book cover titled “Classroom Teacher to Entrepreneur,” featuring a woman in academic regalia raising her arm against a blue sky.

Walden University graduate Emily Himes, EdD ′26, holds a Doctor of Education with a specialization in Educational Technology, a Master of Arts in English Language Learning, and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education with an endorsement in Elementary Education. She shares her story about how she leveraged her teaching experience, connections to the homeschool community, and knowledge from her academic programs to successfully launch her own business, Rooted Education, which provides personalized learning services.

Please tell us about your professional background in early childhood through 12th-grade education, and what inspired you to pursue your Doctor of Education degree at Walden.

I started by being a mother’s helper, and by the time I was 14, I was helping with homework. Homework was one of the most dreaded after-school activities, but if kids got it done, parents were happy! Maybe they were learning math, and I was like, “Okay, let’s really look at mastering this concept.” And I really dug deep, talked with parents, and gave them some ideas, and then the parents would circle back to me and say, “Hey, that actually worked; my kid has been struggling with this for years.” At this point, I was in high school, and I really loved connecting with kids and helping build their confidence, not only while they were with me, but in every area of their lives.

These experiences led me to complete my BS in Early Childhood Education from Colorado State University in 2019 and start teaching kindergarten. By March of 2020, because of the pandemic, I no longer saw my students in person. I was teaching and learning from home, and I started to wonder, “What does it look like to teach in this era?” At that time, I was teaching students who were English language learners, so I decided to pursue my master’s degree in English Language Learning with a Cultural and Linguistic concentration.

By January of 2021, I was ready to start my doctorate. What led me to pursue a doctorate was a huge desire to avoid sinking into the problems that I was surrounded by within the public school system: the politics, the funding, the lack of subs, the need for teachers, and so many other things!  I had a teammate who was pursuing her doctorate, and she encouraged me. So, that’s when I became interested in Walden and enrolled in the Doctor of Education program with a specialization in Technology.

What motivated you to become an entrepreneur and create and grow your successful learning business named Rooted Education?

While I loved teaching in the classroom, I had always found myself focused more on one-on-one situations where I had an inside peek into kids. I wanted to sit with the kids who were struggling and take that extra time. That’s really where my first passion came from. Tutoring challenged me to learn how to help get kids interested, intrigued, and supported. 

After teaching in public schools for four years and directing a private early childhood program for two years, I started working closely with one or two homeschool families and supporting most of their academic needs. That experience gave me the opportunity to see education from a new perspective, as someone working closely alongside families to build learning around the individual child.

Now, my vision has grown beyond homeschooling and tutoring individual students. I want to lead a homeschool co-op and bring educational support into communities where families may have few options, particularly in rural mountain communities and other areas experiencing school closures, consolidation, displacement, or limited access to educational resources in Colorado.

I desire to empower communities to create educational opportunities that help the next generation succeed. After graduating with my doctorate in May 2026, I put that vision into action. By June 2026, Rooted Education was officially an LLC!

Can you describe your marketing strategy?

I originally joined one homeschool group where maybe 10 to 12 families showed up at any given meeting. From that group, I started working with one family, and then two more families, within a couple of months. It grew through word-of-mouth referrals from friends of friends, cousins, and neighbors. I also collaborated through referrals, for example, connecting a family seeking violin instruction with a local licensed music teacher. My marketing was really, really small at first. I was so focused on working with the kids that I was only leaving a small amount of time for business growth.

And so, I decided to work with a VP of enterprise operations with an MBA and expertise in business models. While I feel like I’m the expert in education, he’s the expert in business development. Even though our worlds are totally different, he’s been so helpful and creative in bringing my vision to life. A major focus for me is learning how to scale Rooted Education without sacrificing the individualized quality that makes it valuable.

Looking back, what are significant challenges you encountered, and what strategies helped you overcome them?

I would say balance was really the most important challenge. Running a business involves balancing a lot of demands, and how to balance all of those demands is something I am continually learning how to do.  Every season of the business is different, and every student brings new needs, so I have learned to meet each season as it comes and recognize when I need help.

I learned to surround myself with trusted, reliable people and lean on their expertise. Sometimes that means getting guidance from a business mentor or tax professional when I am making larger financial or operational decisions. Other times, it is much smaller and more practical—having someone help organize my classroom library, reset learning materials, or get books ready for the students coming the following week.

I am learning that growing Rooted Education does not mean that I need to personally do everything.  It means knowing what I do best, recognizing what each student and season needs, and building a community of people I trust to help make the larger vision possible.

How has your Walden education helped you achieve your professional goals and navigate the start of your business?

Walden has such an amazing plethora of pathways for help. When I was working on my coursework, it felt like there were so many opportunities for help to get to that next step. And I think the rigorousness of my Walden education has really, really helped me to plan and seek help for what I need to do next for my business.

The resources and advice from Career Planning and Development gave me that next breadcrumb of information to get me to the next step in my career. From building my resume and updating my LinkedIn profile, the resources helped me transition from being a student to being an entrepreneur.  I also think Walden has really empowered my courageousness.

As you reflect on your career path, what career-related advice do you have for other Walden students and alumni who are considering entrepreneurship or exploring new career opportunities?

I think I have to go with what I tell my kids when I’m teaching them, “Have courage and grace.” I remind myself to keep going, be courageous, and take the next step. You don’t have to know it all. It’s not always going to go well, and it’s probably going to look different than you expected. It’s a bit of a dance.

For me, being able to become a job creator feels like bringing a little bit of light into a really hard place in the world right now. I want to create opportunities for kids, teachers, and other members of the community to work alongside me and then empower them to recognize how they can use their own gifts and talents to serve their communities.

I think it’s completely worth taking the time to figure out what you’re good at, what makes you unique, and how you can share that with the world. You don’t have to have the whole thing figured out before you start. Have some courage, give yourself some grace, and take the next step.

We wish Dr. Himes the very best as she continues to expand her business, Rooted Education.

Resources:

Interview contributed by Walden University graduate Emily Himes, EdD ′26

Portrait of a smiling gray-haired woman wearing a scarf

Edited by Denise Pranke, Career Specialist, and Dina Bergren, Manager, Career Planning and Development