The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has announced Northern Kentucky-based ParentCamp Consulting, LLC has been named to its CO—100: America’s Top 100 Small Businesses in the Disruptor category.
Selected from more than 12,500 applicants across the nation, ParentCamp was recognized for its approach to transforming family-school-community engagement.
ParentCamp was founded by Julie Pile and Laura Gilchrist, who recognized traditional family engagement models — such as back-to-school nights and parent-teacher conferences — often left families feeling unheard and educators overwhelmed. ParentCamp was launched to flip the script, centering conversations instead of presentations and creating safe, inclusive spaces where families, educators, and community leaders come together as equal partners.
ParentCamp has grown into a movement that strengthens relationships, builds trust, and empowers communities to support the whole child. With both in-person and virtual ParentCamp events now happening across the country, schools and districts are adopting the model to embed equity, empathy, and shared leadership into everyday practice.
“ParentCamp was born out of a simple yet disruptive idea: what if every voice — family, educator, and community was truly heard and valued?” said Pile. “We’re honored to be recognized as a Disruptor because breaking down barriers is at the heart of our mission.”
As part of the CO—100 honor, ParentCamp will be featured at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Washington, D.C. from October 6–8, joining other top small business leaders for the Small Business Forum and awards dinner. At the event, 10 businesses will receive additional recognition across specific categories, and one company will be named America’s Top Small Business with a $25,000 prize.
ParentCamp is actively working with schools, districts, communities, and states to expand its family of camps — including ParentCamp, StudentCamp, CareerCamp and CommunityCamp. Leaders interested in bringing ParentCamp or one of their family of camps to their school or community are encouraged to reach out via email to Julie Pile at julie@parentcamp.org or Laura Gilchrist laura@parentcamp.org.
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