Meet our Founder

Ariel grew up in an entrepreneurial family. She was fortunate at a young age to travel with her father on many of his business trips. Insatiably curious and with a deep love of business, Ariel used to sneak down to the bars to question his CEO peers about how they obtained their business success.

To fulfill her lifelong dream of working for the Walt Disney Company, she flew to Orlando during spring break of her freshman year and knocked on the doors of the Walt Disney World education department, where they were creating an innovative school to serve the needs of the Celebration community (modeled after Walt Disney’s original vision of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow or EPCOT). When they granted her a meeting, the executives informed her their funding was being cut and suggested she apply for the college internship program “Management, Disney Style.”

Ariel worked in Disney management for 3 years before starting Biorhythms Publishing with her husband, Lucas Miller, developing education programs and several award-winning products. Lucas has performed for approximately 2,000,000 children and been named an American Masterpiece Artist (he is also part of the Appamada School staff).

When her son became school-aged, Ariel joined the board of the innovative private school he was attending, served as their Communications and Development Director, increased admissions 69%, and created a mission-based fundraising program. The fundraising budget went from $2000 per year to over $125,000 in pledges.

After homeschooling for three years so her family could be together while she cared for her terminally ill mother, Ariel's family decided they were ready for a new beginning.  Ariel and her children imagined the most vital learning environment they could dream of, and Appamada School was born.

Ariel has joyously been creating The Appamada School program since 2011.  She is Appamada's most avid student.

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