Governance and where the money goes

Who we are

The Family Seed Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Miami. We teach entrepreneurship to children ages 7 to 16 through a four-week course that ends in a Shark Tank style pitch night, along with workshops, more classes, and community markets. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Leadership

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Claudia Sandino

Founder & Executive Director

I'm a first-generation Latina, raised in a blue-collar household where entrepreneurship wasn't even part of our vocabulary. The roadmap I was handed was simple: work twice as hard as everyone else, earn straight A's, and climb the corporate ladder. So I did. I graduated from my dream college and spent fifteen years building digital brands at the highest levels of corporate America.

Then, at 36, I became a mother, and the reality of that world hit me with brutal clarity. It was never built for working mothers. I lived through layoffs while carrying the full weight of providing for my family, and I learned the most expensive lesson of my life: our kids graduate with plenty of knowledge, but almost no one teaches them to build something of their own. They leave school ready to fill a role, not to create one.

So I built The Family Seed Foundation for kids like the little girl I used to be, the working-class and immigrant children whose families were never handed the playbook for building wealth or starting a business.

Children have the most fearless imaginations in the world. Instead of letting that spark fade, we help them see themselves as creators and owners from day one. In our Miami programs, kids ages 7 to 16 build with AI, run real micro-businesses, publish their own books, learn chess, and stand on stage at a Shark Tank-style Pitch Night to defend an idea that's entirely theirs. One nine-year-old came home and explained profit margins to her mom. An eleven-year-old made $80 selling sticker packs at our market day and is now saving for a printer to make more.

We're not replacing what schools do. We're adding the piece that's missing. Every seat is free, so cost never decides which child gets to build.

Why our programs are free

Being free for families does not mean free to run. A four-week studio has real costs: materials, printing, instructors, and space. Donations cover those costs.

Every program we run today is free to families. There is no tuition and nothing to pay out of pocket. Donations cover the full cost of each child's seat. That is exactly what gifts to this foundation are for.

The result is simple and it is our standing policy: no child is turned away for cost. Every class and workshop, including our AI for Kids Workshop, is open to everyone at no cost.

How funds are used

Program materials

Business kits, art and building supplies, printing and binding for published books, and the signage kids use at pitch night.

Instructors and mentors

Stipends for the teaching artists and entrepreneurs who lead sessions, plus background checks and training.

Venue and events

Classroom and workshop space, pitch night production, and the additional classes we run for the wider community.

Family access

Keeping every program free for families, so cost never decides who participates.

Bylaws and governance practices

The foundation operates under written bylaws. In plain language, here is what they commit us to.

Board oversight

The board of directors approves the annual budget, reviews program spending, and sets compensation for any staff role. No single person can approve their own expenses.

Conflict of interest

Directors and officers disclose any financial or family interest in a vendor, partner, or contract, and step out of the vote when one exists.

Annual review

Finances and programs are reviewed once a year against the approved budget, and the board records the results in the meeting minutes.

Document retention

Governing documents, meeting minutes, financial records, and family registrations are retained and stored securely, with access limited to those who need it.

Want to read the full bylaws or our most recent financial summary? Email us and we will send them.

Ask us anything

Questions about program costs, governance, or how a specific gift was used? Write to info@thefamilyseed.org and a real person will answer.