Discover. Transform. Thrive.
Unlock Your Child's Potential
At BLI Learning, our teachers believe that every child is capable of reaching their full potential as a learner when provided the right resources. Whether you are seeking books and materials for home learning, or enrollment in one of our tutoring programs or private schools, our teachers are here for you. Teachers at BLI know that high student engagement leads to high student achievement. We are committed to building a strong community of learners and fostering a lifelong passion for reading!
Giving Children the Advantage They Need to Succeed
MISSION & VISION
Our mission at BLI is to improve the quality of children’s lives through education. Leah Veal, a specialist level educator and equity champion, founded the organization so that children from every community will have access to a high-quality education. Our teachers envision a world where all children find value in learning and want to help their community thrive.
OUR STORY
BLI Learning launched its first educational program in 2017 with one teacher, ten students, and a retired school bus converted into a mobile classroom. Our first two partners were the City of St. Pete, namely Child's Park Recreation Center, and Gulfport Library. We will always be grateful to those who helped us roll out our programs in South St. Pete!
Our mobile classroom made weekly rounds providing free tutoring sessions and book giveaways to local elementary students. Under Ms. Veal’s leadership, and with the help of generous donors, volunteers, and like-minded community partners, the organization expanded to include multiple tutoring programs, micro schools, and educational products for home learning. Today, we proudly serve families in several counties in Central Florida, North Florida, and Central Kentucky.
our founder
Leah Veal
Leah Veal is an educator, counselor, and learner with over two decades of practical experience in the classroom, as well as in education management. Her experience in healthcare and education make her uniquely attuned to the social-emotional and academic needs of young learners. Leah received her Education Specialist from Georgia State University and her Master of Arts from the University of Tennessee. After years of working as a tutor, assistant director, private school kindergarten teacher, and as an elementary teacher at the second lowest performing elementary school in Florida, she opened BLI Learning so that children, regardless of socio-economic status, would have a supportive, creative space to learn and grow.
testimonials
Hear why families and teachers choose BLI
Martha G.
"Private tutoring” covers a wide range of services, which are frequently quite expensive and which offer vastly different levels of targeted instruction. It can be difficult to ascertain what you’re paying for and whether it has a reasonable likelihood of benefitting your child. BLI Learning Labs is a moderately priced option for both group and individual tutoring, but I would describe my child’s experience with BLI tutoring as “priceless.” Some businesses promise very specific results in terms of test scores and reading levels — you won’t find that at BLI. Instead you will find educators with a different approach, who genuinely want to help kids find a love of learning and a path to success!
Cynthia M.
I enrolled my kids in BLI Institute in the beginning of the school year. The pandemic left a lot of gaps in the foundation of their education and I knew putting them back into a public classroom would only frustrate them and widen those gaps. BLI assesses where they are and that is where the gaps begin to get filled in. My kids are able to feel successful and are no longer intimidated by school. They are choosing to read in their free time because they feel successful while doing so. BLI Institute offers so much more than the average private school. I am so happy we made this choice!
Silvia H.
I purchased one puzzle and book bundle for my science class and after one week, I purchased 5 more. I use the puzzles and books as learning stations in my room, and my kids love them! BLI’s educational products are great for children at various levels of development, being both therapeutic and educational. This is multisensory learning at its best. And the innovative packaging is very cool!
Mark L.
My wife and I are so thankful for BLI Learning and all they have offered our family and our two sons. Our boys love school, love their teachers, and are always excited to learn now. Big thanks to Leah and the entire team at BLI Learning!
OUR TEAM
Board of Directors
Lorena Grizzle - President
(Pinellas County Schools)
Lorena Grizzle is a 18-year teacher with Pinellas County Schools. She graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Fine Arts, and had a career in art, banking and sales before returning to teaching. She earned a Masters degree in Exceptional Student Education in 2011 and a Master’s in Reading Education in 2012 from USF St. Petersburg. Lorena has one son and lives with her husband in Seminole, Florida enjoying art, cartooning, and swimming. She is a cherished member of the board!
Patrick H. Mazza - Vice President
Patrick brings over 34 years of experience in commercial insurance and risk management to the Board. He helps business owners understand their insurance programs and reduce their total cost of insurance. Patrick is invested in making sure that Florida youth have access to quality educational programs. He happily volunteers his time to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed. He currently lives in Largo, FL with his beautiful bride, Julia, of 31 years and his three wonderful children - Nicholas, Annamarie and Brendan. He is a member of St. Matthew Catholic Church and loves to spend time with his family.
Howard Braun - Treasurer
(Score Mentor)
Howard is a proven problem solver with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors. He has worked as an engineer, a management consultant in planning, an investment banker, and a compliance officer. Although retired, he continues to volunteer as a Score Mentor in Pinellas County and his background in both fundraising and finance make him a valued addition to the team. He brings an MIT education and over 55 years of practical experience to the board.
Tina Fischer - Board Member
(Fletcher Fischer Pollack P.L)
Tina represents developers and small and medium-sized businesses as outside corporate and real estate counsel. She also represents landlords and tenants in commercial lease transactions and provides assistance to clients with land acquisition and disposition, due diligence, environmental permitting, and negotiation of land use approvals, master development agreements, interlocal agreements and public/private partnership agreements. Tina is dedicated to her community as active board member and supporter.
Victor Huff - Board Member
Victor is a small business advisor who helps businesses develop growth strategies by offering high impact professional business counseling. He is a resourceful and disciplined senior manager and civil servant. Before joining BLI, he served on various church ministry boards, as well as the Library Advisory Board and Public Art Committee at the City of Safety Harbor. Victor holds a Master of Accounting from Florida International University and is happy to offer his skills and expertise to further BLI's mission to improve the lives of children through education.
Michael Fridovich - Board Member
Michael received a B.S. in Urban Studies and a master’s degree in history from Georgia State University. He is a dedicated community servant who served on the Gulfport City Council for ten years. In addition to serving as a board member of BLI, he is a present board member of the Pinellas County Historical Board. As a published poet and Honorary Chancellor of Catholic University of Spain in Miami, Florida, Michael values education and knows that providing quality educational programming to youth is at the cornerstone of building healthy, safe, vibrant communities.
Tony Beams - Advisory Board Member
Tony is a strategically minded Finance Operations executive with a background in tech and tech-enabled enterprises. He has a proven ability to define strategies, build teams, implement systems and processes, and drive data capability insights. With experience working with current and potential investors, management teams, boards of directors, auditors, and other financial service providers, Tony brings a firm understanding of financial planning to the executive advisory board. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkley and NYU Stern School of Business. Join us as we leverage Tony’s expertise to shape the future of education and provide every child with the advantage they need to succeed.
our locations
Pinellas Park, FL
7790 61st Street
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
Tarpon Springs, FL
111 Lime Street
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
Tallahassee, FL
222 S Copeland St.
Tallahassee, FL 32306
