Empowering Under-resourced Communities: Hrag Hamalian’s Vision for Transformative Education”
Tell us about your work!
At the age of 23, I embarked on an ambitious journey into educational leadership by founding Valor Academy Charter School in Los Angeles. My goal was to create a learning environment that truly served the needs of the community, particularly focusing on providing equitable education opportunities for under-resourced, low-income youth. Valor Academy grew out of a desire to address the achievement gap and to empower students with the tools they need to succeed in high school, college, and beyond.
Following the success of Valor Academy, I expanded this model to create a network of charter schools under Bright Star Schools. Bright Star now serves over 4,000 students across Los Angeles in nine different schools, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Our mission goes beyond just high school graduation—we’ve built support structures that extend into higher education and career access, ensuring our students are well-equipped to succeed in life. This holistic approach includes wraparound services, college counseling, and career preparation, tailored specifically to the unique needs of our low-income and first-generation students.
In addition to my work in K-12 education, I founded Liveguide, a SaaS platform that helped higher education institutions recruit for diversity. Liveguide was designed to diversify recruitment pipelines by connecting colleges and universities with students from underrepresented backgrounds. Liveguide’s mission to enhance inclusivity and representation in higher education continues to resonate in many of the initiatives I lead today.
Currently, I am the President of TGR Learning Labs and National Programs where I lead efforts to expand our TGR Learning Labs and education programs across the country. Our goal is to bridge the gap between education and real-world applications, particularly for students in under-resourced communities. Through hands-on learning experiences, mentorship, and access to cutting-edge technology and programs, we aim to foster a generation of students who are not only college-ready but also equipped to thrive in the 21st-century workforce. This work is rooted in our theory of change, which focuses on creating access to opportunities that inspire and empower students to pursue their passions.
What inspired you to pursue an entrepreneurial path focused on impact? Can you share the key moment or shift that shaped your journey as an early impact entrepreneur?
For me, entrepreneurship is fundamentally about problem-solving and initiative. It’s the ability to look at a situation and recognize when something important isn’t being addressed, especially when it creates obstacles for those who are under-resourced. My journey into impact entrepreneurship started with a deep frustration around the lack of equitable access to education for many young people. I realized that waiting for someone else to fix these issues wasn’t enough—I had to be the one to step in and create the solutions.
The first major shift for me as an early impact entrepreneur was recognizing that entrepreneurship is not always about grand, sweeping ideas but about taking action where it’s needed and being persistent in the pursuit of change. I realized that the real value of being an entrepreneur lies in continuously finding ways to remove barriers and create opportunities, particularly for young people. Whether it was starting a charter school to address the educational gap, building a platform to diversify higher education recruitment, or leading TGR Foundation’s efforts to develop TGR Learning Labs, each venture has been driven by the desire to solve a problem that others had overlooked or dismissed.
What do you enjoy most about being an impact entrepreneur? What are the main challenges?
What I enjoy most about being an impact entrepreneur is the opportunity to drive real, meaningful change. The ability to create solutions that positively affect people’s lives, particularly in under-resourced communities, is deeply fulfilling. There’s a certain excitement in turning an idea into reality and seeing it make a difference, especially when that difference is removing obstacles to education or access to opportunities for young people. Every venture I’ve taken on has had the potential to improve lives in a tangible way, and that impact is what keeps me motivated and inspired.
That said, the path of an impact entrepreneur also comes with significant challenges. One of the main challenges is navigating the complexities of scaling solutions while maintaining their authenticity and mission. As you grow, it becomes harder to stay true to your core values while balancing the need for sustainability and reaching larger audiences. Another challenge is that resources are often limited, especially when you’re tackling systemic issues like education inequality, which requires not only innovation but also continuous advocacy and partnership-building to overcome. Lastly, ensuring that the changes you’re implementing have long-term sustainability and are truly addressing the root causes of the issues, rather than just treating symptoms, can be a complex, ongoing effort.
How has your identity and personal background as an immigrant influenced your career journey, particularly in navigating the challenges of impact entrepreneurship and becoming a founder?
Navigating the space of being a founder while also being an undocumented immigrant from a war-torn country has shaped my entrepreneurial journey in significant ways. Coming to the U.S. as a young immigrant, I quickly learned the importance of resilience and resourcefulness. These qualities became the foundation of my work as a founder, helping me tackle the unique challenges that arise when you’re trying to build something impactful while simultaneously adjusting to a new culture and environment.
As someone who has experienced displacement and the struggle to find opportunity, I’ve been deeply motivated to create ventures that address inequities—particularly in education. My experiences have given me a deep sense of empathy for others facing systemic barriers, which is why my work often focuses on creating access for marginalized or under-resourced communities.
At the same time, being an immigrant in the entrepreneurial space comes with its challenges. There are moments when you feel like you have to work twice as hard to prove yourself, not only as a founder but also as someone who comes from a different background. Whether it’s navigating biases or ensuring your voice is heard, there are additional hurdles, but they’ve also made me more determined. I’ve learned to turn those obstacles into opportunities to forge new paths and build a network that supports diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship.
Ultimately, I believe my background gives me a unique perspective. It has allowed me to lead with empathy and focus on creating real impact. For me, the entrepreneurial journey is not just about building businesses—it’s about building bridges and creating opportunities for others who may not have had the same access or privilege.
What advice do you have for early-stage impact entrepreneurs about using their time and relationships to prepare for this kind of career? What would you tell your younger self?
To early-stage impact entrepreneurs, my biggest piece of advice would be to invest intentionally in relationships and be strategic with your time. Entrepreneurship—especially when focused on impact—can be a demanding journey, and how you allocate your time and build your network early on will determine much of your success.
Relationships are everything. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, challenge you, and share your values. Seek out mentors who have walked a similar path, and don’t be afraid to learn from them. At the same time, invest in peer relationships—your peers will be your support system, your collaborators, and sometimes even your first customers. I’d also advise being generous in building connections—help others succeed, and they’ll help you in return. I’ve found that many of the best opportunities in my career came from relationships I nurtured long before I needed them.
Time is your most valuable resource. Be disciplined about how you spend it. Early on, it’s easy to say “yes” to every opportunity that comes your way, but not all of them will move the needle. Prioritize the work that aligns most closely with your long-term vision and values. I’d tell my younger self to avoid getting caught up in distractions and focus on the activities that make the greatest impact—whether that’s developing skills, building your team, or creating systems to scale.
Finally, remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Being an impact entrepreneur is rewarding, but it also requires long-term resilience and adaptability. Focus on your well-being and cultivate patience. Success in impact work is about persistence and understanding that meaningful change takes time.
Click here to connect with Hrag on Linkedin and here to learn more about the TGR Foundation.