Announcing our investment in Champaign-based Top Tier Lessons, a marketplace matching college student athletes with parents in the community looking for sports lessons for their children.
Top Tier Lessons has developed a unique marketplace that connects college student-athletes with parents looking for sports lessons for their children. The platform addresses a significant gap in the market, leveraging the relatability and recent competitive experience of college athletes to provide high-quality, personalized coaching sessions.
The founder, Cara Bognar, brings an impressive background with dual degrees in Bioengineering and Innovation Leadership from the University of Illinois combined with her experience as a Division I swimmer. She was a D1 swimmer all four years of college and was the team captain in 2022–2023. In addition to being a full-time student and athlete, Cara has worked at two startups (in addition to Top Tier Lessons), was a cohort member of the competitive iVenture Accelerator on campus, participated in the WMNtech Founders 12-week affinity program hosted by 1871 (pitch competition semifinalist), and co-founded Women in Entrepreneurship at U of I. Her leadership and dedication have been evident through her involvement in multiple startups and entrepreneurial programs, making her exceptionally suited to lead Top Tier Lessons.
“I’m incredibly excited about the future of Top Tier Lessons as we continue to create sustainable and equitable NIL opportunities for student-athletes nationwide,” said Cara Bognar, CEO & Founder of Top Tier Lessons. “As a founder, it’s been inspiring to see the connections that emerge between our coaches and the children they support.”
Top Tier Lessons stands out by providing college athletes with a unique opportunity to monetize their skills through NIL in a way that wasn’t even an option — until now. While most NIL opportunities have focused on endorsements and social media promotions, Top Tier Lessons offer athletes the chance to earn money by directly applying their sports expertise. This approach not only helps athletes earn income but also builds their personal brands and provides them with valuable real-world experience in coaching and mentorship. By addressing the needs of athletes in traditionally non-revenue generating sports, the platform opens up new revenue streams that are beneficial for both the athletes and the youth they coach.
“As someone who has long thought about the unique nuances of student-athletes and collegiate athletics — dating back to my own undergraduate studies — I was really excited by the vision Cara shared with our team around unlocking potential that, until recently, was constrained by the NCAA,” said Mike Asem, Founding Partner. “Cara clearly has a unique insight into the challenges and a deep understanding of the opportunities NIL brings, beyond just brand deals and marketing. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Cara and the growing Top Tier Lessons team.”
The team has built a robust platform, processed initial transactions and executed successful clinics, laying a solid foundation for future growth. We believe that with focused execution, Top Tier Lessons can achieve significant market penetration and become a category-defining business in the NIL space. We are excited to back Top Tier Lessons as they scale their operations, refine their platform and expand into new markets and sports — driven by a mission to unlock opportunities for college athletes and provide valuable coaching to young athletes nationwide.
About Top Tier Lessons: Top Tier Lessons is a three-sided marketplace designed specifically as a way for student athletes to make money — on their own terms — doing the sport they love. Top Tier Lessons connects student athletes with parents in the local community looking for sports lessons for their kids. A student athlete is able to go onto the site, sign up and list their time availability. Parents then browse the selection of student athletes in their area, and book a time slot and lesson through the site. The venue is either chosen by the parent or we suggest one in the area based on our partnerships. We handle the venue, payment, scheduling and safety of each lesson. Learn more at toptierlessons.com.
Learn more: Top Tier Lessons has raised an oversubscribed pre-seed round
About M25: M25 is an early-stage venture firm based in Chicago, investing solely in tech startups headquartered in the Midwest. Since launching in 2015, M25 is among the most active investors in the region, quickly becoming the preferred seed investor for the next generation of Midwest unicorns. Portfolio companies include Kin Insurance, Loop Returns, Astronomer, Summersalt, SteadyMD, Branch, Authenticx and more. Learn more at m25vc.com.
