Early Learning Ventures (ELV) is an innovative approach engaging the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to address the operational challenges facing early care and education (ECE) in Colorado. With extensive experience in capital finance, business development, and early childhood education we are uniquely poised to launch this initiative, together with our founders, the David and Laura Merage Foundation.
The Merage Foundation's leadership provides a model for new relationships with funders, new financing strategies and new partnerships so that it may systematically address:
- Streamlined ECE Funding and Finance
- Operational Efficiencies for ECE Businesses
- ECE Policy Reforms
- Public Awareness
- Parent Engagement and Consumer Education
- Access to High Quality ECE
To address these challenges, the foundation invests in the existing industry infrastructure and advocates for policies to reduce the fragmentation in the sector. This approach will increase coordination in the current system and stimulate new investments in ECE organizations by identifying key business, philanthropic, and education entrepreneurs to drive ECE finance and policy change, and facilitate innovative allocations of existing resources in order to bring innovations to scale.