SMARTstartSMARTstart Incubator Member Launches Event to Connect Home Education Families with Educational Support Services
January 28, 2026
Lilly Education Foundation grand opening in July 2025.
Lexa Duno also graduated from the inaugural SMARTstart CO.STARTERS for Causes.
PASCO COUNTY, FLORIDA (January 28, 2026): Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC) SMARTstart Incubator Member, Lexa Duno, founder of LILLY Education Foundation (LILLY), opened her Zephyrhills learning center in July 2024. The business focuses on providing the right tools and paths to support diverse learners beyond the traditional classroom setting. LILLY is bringing an innovative matchmaking approach to educational services with a "Find Your Match: A Parent-Provider Speed Dating Event" on February 5, 2026, at 6:30 PM. The Valentine's Day-themed gathering at SMARTstart at The Grove will unite 11 specialists and professionals offering therapies, alternative education programs, and support services with local home families.
Over the past three years, LILLY has supported nearly 200 families and educators in the Tampa Bay area to find the right tools and paths to support diverse learners beyond the traditional classroom setting. "In many ways, the vision I have for LILLY and Village in the Valley was inspired by and developed under the mentorship of Pasco EDC and the SMARTstart program," shared Lexa Duno, Founder, Lilly Education Foundation. "I realized, this kind of community and support is exactly what parents, providers, and edupreneurs need right now."
Duno has participated in multiple SMARTstart programs which have helped grow her business, including the incubator program, CO.STARTERS for Causes, the SMARTstart Education Series, and GROW Pasco. "LILLY Education Foundation will be remembered as one of SMARTstart's great success stories, not just because of its achievements as a venture, but even more so for the impact it will have on our community's youth," shared Dan Mitchell, Assistant Vice President, Entrepreneurship, Pasco EDC.
The Pasco EDC entrepreneurship program, SMARTstart, is Penny for Pasco supported and features an innovative suite of programs that provide the tools growing businesses need for long-term success in areas like funding, education, guidance, collaboration, and workspace. SMARTstart has helped businesses create over 929 jobs and currently has 54 incubator members. The members’ businesses vary from numerous food companies in the East Pasco Incubator Kitchen in Dade City, hands-on creators in the West Pasco Entrepreneur Center, and high-technology companies with offices at SMARTstart at the Grove in Wesley Chapel. All members have access to the three Entrepreneur Centers across Pasco County to provide opportunities to best suit their needs.
The upcoming event represents the latest iteration of LILLY Education Foundation's Village in the Valley initiative, which transforms how Pasco County families access resources for students who benefit from nontraditional approaches to teaching and learning. Unlike traditional resource fairs where providers compete for attention, "Find Your Match" structures genuine conversations through timed rotations, allowing families to meet each service provider for focused discussions about their child's unique needs.
"Our LILLY provider speed dating event addresses a critical need among independent, field-based providers seeking professional support and collaboration with like-minded peers who are deeply committed to the children they serve," said Zielia Crespo on behalf of Calmer Pathways Therapy, LLC, one of the participating event providers. "Solo providers benefit greatly from the insight of colleagues with complementary expertise. While individual providers may specialize in one discipline, a multidisciplinary team enables a comprehensive, holistic approach to care that allows us to meet any challenge and better serve our children."
The LILLY Education Foundation event is coming up next week on Wednesday, February 5, 2026, at 6:30 PM at the SMARTstart at the Grove entrepreneur center. The event is free and open to all home education families and those exploring educational alternatives and will feature providers offering a range of services including but not limited to occupational therapy, speech language pathology, specialized tutoring, music therapy, executive function coaching, and alternative educational programs. Learn more and register, here. Local businesses and providers interested in establishing community partnerships may contact emily@lillyedu.org.
# # #
About Pasco Economic Development Council
The Pasco Economic Development Council is committed to developing Florida's most competitive climate for business growth by providing businesses that seek to start, move, or grow in the North Tampa Bay area, a comprehensive suite of programs that can help them to reach their full economic potential. Since 1987, Pasco EDC has fostered a strong partnership funded by corporate and public investors focused on the economic vitality of Pasco County. Discover more at www.pascoedc.com.