A New College Experience
AdvanceEDU is an innovative, new kind of college experience designed to propel students toward a career in a high-growth industry.
Our unique approach relies on deep partnerships with trusted, nonprofit universities. They provide our students affordable access to their degree programs, and we provide all the things that students need to be successful: a deeply supported onboarding process, personalized coaching and supports in our co-learning location, and a community of caring staff and peers that will be with them every step fo the way.
For us, college and career is a joint venture – with our partners and with our students.
Our students thrive because we make college and the path towards a career a joint venture – between the student and our staff. Our students commit to earning a college degree and exploring career pathways. Our staff commit to helping students navigate a path forward by providing a personal Success Coach, academic support, and a unique co-learning location – all aimed at helping students succeed.
Founded in 2020, AdvanceEDU is a team approach to college and career that propels students forward.
Our Team
Lauren Trent
Anthony DeLaRosa
Anthony has a deep commitment to developing, improving and sustaining equitable education systems. He has served in various roles in pursuit of an educational landscape that responds to student and community needs including Senior Manager of Innovation Programs at Denver Public Schools and Chief of Staff, Elected Leadership at Leadership for Educational Equity. Anthony started his career at the United States Student Association where he worked as a community organizer running higher education access and affordability campaigns around the country. At AdvanceEDU, Anthony is committed to building a postsecondary model that is low-to-no debt, accessible, career-relevant and equitable. Anthony believes that education and career are a joint venture, and if we provide students the right opportunities and personalized support we will dramatically improve college attainment rates and career success. Anthony grew up in Bloomington, MN and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Holly Armstrong
Holly is passionate about helping students thrive in education, career, and life. She has held multiple roles dedicated to building high-quality programs that promote equity for all students and communities. Prior to AdvanceEDU, she led an academic support program as Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction at Metropolitan State University of Denver. As the Assistant Director of College Completion for PelotonU, she helped create innovative student support resources and programming for the emerging hybrid college sector. Before PelotonU, she worked in various PK-12 roles coaching district leaders and teachers, overseeing curriculum and instruction, and creating remedial reading programs. Holly, a native Texan, graduated from Austin College and received her Master’s in Teaching from Marian University and her Master’s in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She hopes to help shape the future of higher education through AdvanceEDU’s dynamic, flexible, and career-relevant approach to supporting students.