About Us

Flight School is the result of over 30 years worth of experience creating, teaching, launching, and failing with art, education and entrepreneurship. We wanted to take what we have learned and help others avoid our mistakes.

Our name and logo are inspired by Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach’s allegory about pushing past limitations, embracing mastery, and pursuing higher purpose.

Our work is driven by the same principles that fueled Jonathan’s journey. Namely: curiosity, mastery, resilience, and the drive to elevate others. At Flight School we are students of transformation, and there are several schools of thought that under-gird our work. While this list is by no means exhaustive, here are three core principles essential to our collective success:

The Neuroscience of Innovation: We help innovators and creatives rewire reality. We believe that visionaries thrive in the right environment, where they are supported with resources, mentorship, and a community that values visionary thinking and doing.
The Buddhist Pursuit of Transcendence – Flight School is not about chasing quick wins; it’s about building ventures that create lasting impact. We see past the short-term rewards of traditional business and focus on long-term, meaningful transformation for individuals, industries, and society.
The Stoic Philosophy of Resilience – Breakthrough ideas often face skepticism and resistance. We teach our founders to embrace the dichotomy of control, focusing on what they can build rather than being deterred by external noise. Obstacles are not barriers, they are the way.

At Flight School, we recognize that true innovation requires courage: the courage to challenge norms, to pursue ideas that others dismiss, and to believe in something before the world does.

We are of course here to make money, and we are doing so without compromising our values or mission.

Our Mission

Our mission is to develop transformative ideas that positively impact the world. We empower creators and innovators by providing the resources, mentorship, and community needed to turn visionary concepts into reality. Our focus is on projects that democratize opportunities, shine light on the beautiful, clean up messes, and drive meaningful change.

Our Vision

We envision a world where every groundbreaking idea gets its chance to fly, leading to a more equitable, sustainable, and innovative global community. Flight School is building the premier launchpad for socially conscious ventures, fostering a ripple effect of positive change across education, mental health, the arts, technology, and social progress, extending far beyond the projects we support.

The Journey is the Destination

Just like Jonathan discovered, the real reward isn’t simply reaching new heights. Rather, it’s in the process of becoming something greater. At Flight School, we don’t just launch companies. We help founders and artists master their craft, defy limits, and inspire the world. Whether it’s an entrepreneur shaping the future of technology or an artist creating beauty that challenges perspectives, we believe in the power of ideas to transform lives.

If this resonates with you, and you have an idea keeping you up late at night, we’d love to help you get it off the ground.

OUR TEAM

Ellie Kovacs

CMO

When I graduated from college with a degree in education, I thought I was headed to a life of teaching. As fate would have it, I wound up managing a tutoring branch for a small startup, and it turned out to be the first of many roles spanning more than a decade.
Early on, I learned how to build systems that empower people to succeed, transform chaos into clarity, and keep the human side of business at the forefront, especially in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
Over time, I took on larger roles with greater responsibility: owning revenue, designing organizational structures, building operational playbooks from the ground up, and helping high-performing teams reach the next level. I became the person leaders called when they needed a reset, a turnaround, or a clear strategic path. For a while, that was more than enough.
Then, I hit a wall.
I found myself in roles that looked ideal on paper but felt increasingly misaligned in practice. The boxes were checked. The numbers were hit. The title was there. But the work lacked meaning. I wanted deeper impact, better alignment, and a more authentic sense of purpose. So, I paused. Reflected. And I started again.
Since then, I’ve coached executives, advised startups, clarified strategies, and built momentum where things had stalled. I’ve made hard decisions and helped others do the same. I’ve learned what it takes to lead with integrity and what happens when we don’t. I’ve become a better listener, a sharper strategist, and a systems thinker who cares just as much about people as performance.
I decided to leave my corporate career to help grow Flight School because I see it as a place to do meaningful, high-stakes work with founders and artists who are ready to imagine, build, and create a better tomorrow for themselves and the larger world. Some of these creators are at inflection points. Others are navigating reinvention. Many are stepping into something bigger than anything they’ve done before. What unites them is a willingness to ask the right questions and do the hard work.
I don’t claim to have the perfect formula. But I do know how to help leaders bring clarity to complexity, chart a course through uncertainty, and turn their ambition into outcomes. I’ve spent most of my career doing just that. And I plan to continue with Flight School for years to come.
If that resonates with where you are or where you're headed, I’d love to build with you.

Phil Kovacs

CEO

I started my career in the classroom, teaching high school students how to read the world with just as much criticality as they read the word. Then I spent over a decade in higher ed, eventually earning promotion and tenure. I left that security behind to join a startup and learn how to build something from scratch. That startup succeeded. Then I outgrew it. I pressed repeat. I grew another company. That company outgrew me. It happens.
Since then, I’ve helped launch almost a dozen startups, designed products, grown communities, and coached teams and team leaders through the difficult and sometimes disorienting work of creation. I’ve made money, lost it, made it again. I’ve burned out, rebuilt, repeated. I’ve raised a son. I’ve learned to be a better husband. I’ve written books I’m still afraid to share. I’ve watched parts of my life fall apart, held onto the important bits, and I’ve kept building.
I’ve learned that my superpower is bringing out the best in people and teams, and I’m putting that to work at Flight School.
I want this venture studio to be a place for creatives and entrepreneurs who are ready to design, build, and implement important and colorful ideas. Some of my clients have had successful businesses and just need a new altitude. Some are launching their first thing. Some have no idea what’s next but know their current path is dead. All of them are interested in better versions of themselves and the world we live in.
I don’t have all the answers. I have a lot of questions. I ask them out loud. I build containers for people to hear themselves think. I offer roadmaps to take their thinking and to turn those thoughts into reality. I’ve been doing that in some way, shape or form for almost 25 years. I’m hoping I am allowed to do it for another 25 (at least). I’d like to positively impact the lives of 10M “students” during that time. If I can work with you and make that happen, I’m eager to get started.

Tom Patterson

CCO

My design career has ranged from working as a graphic designer within corporate in-house creative teams to leading multidisciplinary teams—including front-end and back-end developers, motion designers, art directors, and graphic designers—as the creative director at a strategic advertising agency. I’m passionate about building, guiding, and continuously elevating design teams.

Brand identity is where I find the greatest fulfillment. I thrive on developing brands through intentional storytelling and visually compelling design that brings their essence to life. This is why building creative brands through Flight School is so compelling to me. My goal is to take world-changing creative ideas and help bring them to life through purpose-driven design and creative direction.

I am so excited to be part of the projects that Flight School will help bring to market. Let's go!