We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel King a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

Infinite Minds is a dream, a vision, and a goal that’s been over 10 years in the making—and I’m still actively cementing its foundation.

The story began in 2013, when I found myself sitting in an empty apartment in Texas, having just relocated from Nashville, TN, with my husband James and our daughter Jayla. It was a time of hope for our family, but it was also a time of reckoning. The news of George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the death of Trayvon Martin hit close to home. As a sister to three younger brothers born and raised in the South, I couldn’t shake the thought that it could have easily been one of them—or my husband—in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I felt an urgent need to act, to contribute to social justice within my community. That night, surrounded by poster boards and magazine clippings, I created a vision board. Education reform stood out as the path where I could channel my time, energy, and talents. Shortly after, I accepted a role as an Academic Counselor for a middle school, committed to serving students and families as a mental health advocate who believed wholeheartedly in the empowerment of education—a value my parents had instilled in me.

Fast forward to 2017: I applied to launch a school through an incubator program, made it to the second round, and was ultimately denied. Around the same time, I applied to become a Dean of Culture (Assistant Principal) but was told I lacked specific credentials and classroom teaching experience. Each denial stung, but they also redirected me.

In 2018, I was offered the role of Director of Operations to help launch a new school in Tarrant County under an established charter management organization. It was divine timing. I was entrusted with overseeing student and staff recruitment and managing the operational preparations for opening the campus. The experience was both humbling and daunting, but we opened with over 400 students and 40 staff members, despite facing construction delays, leadership changes, and grade-level pivots. Those challenges shaped me, building the confidence, grit, and expertise I needed to envision leading my own school.

In 2022, I secured one of only four spots in the Texas Incubator Program. This two-year journey was rigorous, requiring deep research, writing, and defending the vision for Infinite Minds. Against all odds, we received an unprecedented vote of approval. On September 23, 2024, we signed our charter contract.

Now, in the Year 0 planning phase, I’m focused on cementing the foundation for Infinite Minds to ensure a strong launch. We’re on track to welcome our founding class in August 2025.

From an empty apartment with a vision board to creating a charter school dedicated to reimagining education, this journey has been fueled by resilience, determination, and the unwavering belief that education is the greatest tool for empowerment.

Rachel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am Rachel King, a founder, CEO, mental health advocate, and educator. From a young age, I knew that health and wellness would be central to my career. As a child, I dreamed of becoming a pediatrician or child psychiatrist—both paths that reflected my passion for working with children and advocating for their mental and physical well-being.

During high school, I participated in a multi-day university program focused on medical careers. That experience unexpectedly steered me away from medicine and toward the study of psychology, a discipline that resonated deeply with my desire to understand and support people.

As a first-generation college student, I declared psychology as my major and navigated my undergraduate journey with determination. After earning my degree, however, I faced the challenge of entering a competitive workforce in Nashville, TN—a city filled with college graduates. With a liberal arts degree, I quickly realized that meaningful opportunities often required advanced education.

Undeterred, I immersed myself in work that aligned with my values, taking roles in daycares, a special education school, and tutoring programs. I also volunteered with a local nonprofit, further solidifying my commitment to contributing to my community.

In 2011, I took the leap into graduate school to pursue a degree in community counseling, a decision that amplified my passion for fostering community wellness. Since then, I’ve worked as a mental health advocate in schools, using education as a catalyst for mental health and wellness for children and their families.

Through my work, I’ve learned that growth, self-awareness, and development often start with education. These principles shape my leadership at Infinite Minds, a charter school dedicated to reimagining how education can empower individuals and communities.

At Infinite Minds, every student and staff member is encouraged to show up as their full, authentic selves. Our community is rooted in psychological safety, growth mindsets, and collaborative efforts that benefit not only ourselves but those around us.

What sets my work apart is this unwavering commitment to holistic well-being. I’m proud to create environments where individuals feel valued, supported, and inspired to thrive. For me, this is more than a career—it’s a lifelong mission to build stronger communities through education and mental health advocacy.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The birth of Infinite Minds is a testament to resilience and an unwavering commitment to a dream, vision, and goal—one that has been over a decade in the making.

In 2013, the journey began with a simple yet profound act: creating a vision board. With no mentor to guide me, I laid the foundation for what would eventually become Infinite Minds. By 2017, I had grown determined to bring this vision to life, applying to a fellowship program to launch a school. I made it to the second phase but was ultimately denied. That same year, I pursued an instructional leadership role and faced rejection again.

In 2018, I pivoted, pursuing a founding operations leadership role for a new school. This time, I was hired, and the experience proved pivotal. I learned how to co-lead a school from the ground up, building systems, relationships, and a strong culture. Those lessons became the bedrock of my future endeavors.

In 2022, I applied and was accepted into an incubator program designed for aspiring school founders. After two years of research, planning, and countless revisions, I submitted Infinite Minds’ proposal to the Texas Education Agency in 2024. The approval process was rigorous, involving five separate steps and culminating in a historic moment: an unprecedented voting outcome by the State Board of Education. Even after this success, I had to wait until August 26, 2024, for confirmation that no further actions would halt the process.

Finally, on September 20, 2024, I received the official charter contract, and on September 23, I signed it—cementing the dream of Infinite Minds as a reality.

This journey has not been linear or easy. It has been marked by setbacks, rejections, and moments where the goal felt impossibly far away. But with each challenge, I recommitted myself to the vision. Every step—no matter how small or difficult—has been a lesson in resilience, growth, and faith. Today, Infinite Minds stands as a beacon of hope and possibility, reminding me that perseverance turns dreams into reality.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

March 2020 was a time of immense change, a period where pivoting became not just a choice but a necessity. For me, this moment of global uncertainty coincided with one of the most critical phases of my career: the founding year of opening a new school.

Our school community, like many others, closed its doors on a Friday before spring break, never imagining it would mark the last in-person school day of that academic year. At home, my youngest child, a Kindergartener just learning to read, had to transition to learning in a way I could hardly prepare for, while my oldest, a middle schooler on the cusp of puberty, faced challenges of her own. My husband, also an educator, was navigating the demands of teaching in this new reality.

Professionally, the stakes were high. Our school population included many students who relied on free meals as a critical part of their daily lives. Halting operations was simply not an option. While much of the world slowed down, our operations team and instructional leaders became essential workers—working tirelessly to provide for our community.

We organized weekly drive-thru meal distributions for anyone in need, ensuring that no child or family in our community went hungry. We opened childcare for essential workers, including police officers and health professionals, offering them much-needed support during an unprecedented time. Our campus became the first within our school network to host on-site COVID testing, providing critical data for the CDC.

As we moved forward, each subsequent school year brought a new set of challenges: updated COVID requirements, revamped standard operating procedures, and the delicate task of rebuilding our school culture. It often felt like we were rewriting the rulebook for what it meant to run a school, without a guide to follow.

This experience taught me resilience like never before. It showed me how to adapt, lead, and innovate under pressure. More than anything, it helped me realize just how much I can bend without breaking—a lesson that continues to shape my approach to leadership, education, and life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.infinitemindstx.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infinitemindstx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/infinitemindstx
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/infinite-minds-tx/

Image Credits

Photographer who gave rights to photos to use as I see fit for marketing purposes.