Chrissybil Boulin could have had her pick of lucrative jobs after graduating from the University of Cambridge with a master’s degree in economics. But instead of taking the easy road, she decided to gamble it all on herself and her true passion: Helping underprivileged kids succeed.
At that point, Boulin had already started the Merkabah International Foundation to support schools in Haiti, something she was inspired to do after witnessing the country’s extreme poverty when she spent the summers there with her father. Still, when she was offered a high-paying position at an intragovernmental economic organization, she was tempted – but not for long.
“[The offer] was more money than I had ever made, but I turned it down because I felt I wasn’t going to be in a position to empower people in poverty,” said Boulin, who was recently featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, which highlights young, up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
A college education, she realized, is key to improving the long-term economic prospects of low-income people and underserved communities. With that in mind, Boulin launched Fort Lauderdale-based Jump Start Tutoring in 2018. At the beginning, it was a one-woman tutoring operation customized to target the academic strengths and weaknesses of K-12 students. Boulin couldn't afford to advertise in the early months, so the company grew by word-of-mouth.
“I started the business with $500 and maybe 66 followers on Instagram – no co-founder, no business experience, just a passion for teaching kids,” she said.
Three years later, Jump Start has trained thousands of students in the South Florida area and entered partnerships with the Broward County Public Library and the Urban League of Broward County to provide free and discounted services to low-income youth.
Boulin said the company’s flagship SAT tutoring program helps students increase their test scores by 180 points on average, an improvement that can lead to more scholarship and financial aid opportunities for those who may not otherwise be able to afford a college education.
Now, Jump Start is creating software products designed to make test prep and academic tutoring more affordable and accessible. The venture is developing a revamped online SAT tutoring program that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to adapt to the individual needs of each user. The goal is higher test scores with less prep time, all at a fraction of the cost of traditional tutoring with a private instructor.
Jump Start plans to debut the new software, which is still under research and development, next year. The company is currently raising a $1.3 million seed round to support that development and enable it to expand outside of Florida. Boulin said Jump Start already secured some funding from early-stage venture investor Chisos Capital and launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on WeFunder, with investments starting at $100.
On top of helping young people obtain new opportunities with education, Boulin hopes she can serve as a model for other founders of color who may be unsure of whether they should take a risk and start their own business.
“For anyone who’s afraid to leave that big job or thinks they’re too young to start, I want them to know it’s all possible,” she said. “If you have the passion and grit to solve a problem that needs solving, invest in yourself and take a chance.”
For more stories like this one, sign up for Miami Inno newsletters from the South Florida Business Journal and the American Inno network.
