WELCOME TO
The Secret Society of Academic Entrepreneurs
Where you don’t have to choose between academia and entrepreneurship.
The Secret Society of Academic Entrepreneurs is a private membership for professors and scholars building online businesses that align with their expertise - without being consumed by institutional constraints.
You will gain the support, strategy, and visibility you need to grow your business beyond academia while staying connected to a community of fellow professorpreneurs who are navigating the same journey.
Inside the Secret Society, you will:
Join a community of like-minded academic entrepreneurs
Grow your business without burnout
Shift from hiding to showing up with confidence
Let’s Redefine What it Means to be a Professor in Business!
You don’t need another generic business course.
You don’t need to waste time piecing together random strategies.
You don’t need to choose between academia and entrepreneurship.
We’re rewriting the narrative of what it means to be a professor in business, dismantling the outdated belief that academia and entrepreneurship can’t coexist. The Secret Society of Academic Entrepreneurs is your space to be visible, to thrive, and to create the kind of business that allows you to reclaim your time, energy, and financial future.
A PRIVATE NETWORK FOR PROFESSORS WHO REFUSE TO STAY INVISIBLE
I started my online business while working as a college lecturer, navigating a heavy course load, mentoring, and leadership responsibilities — and still grew a business that supports my lifestyle and values.
I’VE BUILT A SIX-FIGURE BUSINESS HELPING GRAD STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS, ALL WHILE KEEPING MY WORKLOAD INTENTIONAL AND SUSTAINABLE.
I know what it’s like to want financial independence, impact, and balance. I also know what it’s like to be hesitant to step outside of the academic structure.
That’s why I created this community—to give you the support, visibility, and strategy to make your business work for you.
PROFESSORS ARE BUILDING BUSINESSES—AND WINNING
And they need a community of other academics who get it!
The Secret Society of Academic Entrepreneurs is built for professors and academic professionals who are ready to take their business seriously.
Inside, you’ll gain access to high-impact business training, thought partnerships, and the kind of community that ensures you’re never navigating this journey alone.
THIS MEMBERSHIP WILL HELP YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH CONFIDENCE AND IN COMMUNITY.
You can access all of this inside The Secret Society:
Bi-Weekly
Co-working sessions - dedicated time to work on your business
Monthly
Goal setting calls - set and evaluate visibility and business goals each month
Quarterly
Expert-led business workshops designed for academic entrepreneurs
Collaborations
A dedicated space to promote your offers and collaborate with fellow members
Resources
Exclusive access to business-building tools, revenue planning templates, and referral/affiliate income
You’re already running a business, but every semester, grading, research, and committee work push it to the back burner.
Is this you?
You’re in online business communities, but you rarely see conversations that reflect your unique experience as an academic entrepreneur.
You know your expertise is valuable, but marketing yourself outside of academia still feels unnatural.
You have revenue goals, but your launch cycles and business growth feel unpredictable because of the demands of the academic calendar.
You’re tired of explaining to traditional business coaches why your schedule, audience, and professional identity are different from a typical entrepreneur’s.
If this sounds like you, The Secret Society of Academic Entrepreneurs was created especially for you!
You want to step into a space where professorpreneurs thrive—without having to justify your dual career.
What you get when you join…
The Secret Society of Academic Entrepreneurs
A private community of professors and scholars growing online businesses that align with their expertise.
Ready to join us?
Here's what's included:
Monthly Goal Setting, Reflection, and Accountability
Each month, we set intentional business goals, reflect on progress, and hold each other accountable.
Our structured approach ensures you’re making steady progress, even during busy semesters.
We’ll also host two monthly co-working sessions (1.5 hours each) structured around 30-minute Pomodoro-style work sprints—so you can focus on executing your goals alongside peers who understand your workload.
Quarterly Expert-Led Workshops
Each quarter, you’ll learn from accomplished WOC business owners who have built sustainable, thriving businesses.
These workshops provide actionable strategies tailored to the unique challenges and strengths of academic entrepreneurs.
Whether it’s revenue planning, personal branding, or scaling your impact, these workshops give you the tools you need to move forward with confidence.
Promotion and Collaboration Opportunities
Gain visibility for your offers within the community and beyond.
We provide dedicated spaces to promote your courses, speaking engagements, and consulting services while encouraging collaborations with fellow academic entrepreneurs.
You’ll also have access to affiliate opportunities so that you can amplify your revenue without additional work.
Community Mixers and Peer Support
This is not another Facebook group. Our community is hosted on Communi—a distraction-free space designed for deep connections and meaningful engagement.
You’ll have access to ongoing discussions, accountability threads, and a dedicated virtual co-working space outside of Zoom.
Whether you’re seeking advice, brainstorming ideas, or just need moral support, this is the space where academic entrepreneurs thrive together.
ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNITY EVENTS
We know that professors have demanding schedules that shift throughout the year. That’s why The Secret Society offers Asynchronous Community Events, allowing you to engage in meaningful activities and collaborations at your own pace.
These events are designed to fit seamlessly into your busy life, ensuring that no matter your schedule, you can stay connected and participate fully.
Community Private Podcast – Every member gets an episode to introduce themselves, creating an evolving audio directory of our community. You’ll also find event recordings, discussions, and ongoing reflections all in one place—so you can engage when it works best for you.
The Intelligence Dossier Challenge – Participate in a thought-provoking ChatGPT-powered prompt challenge. Share your findings and reflections asynchronously, and we’ll compile them into a collective podcast episode featuring community insights.
Professorpreneur Roundtable Series – Each quarter, we’ll pose a big question about academic entrepreneurship (e.g., “How do you balance teaching and business growth?”). Members submit voice notes, and we compile them into a dynamic podcast episode.
Semester Reflection & Goal Mapping – Record and submit your reflections on your past semester’s business wins and challenges. Listen in as fellow professorpreneurs share their experiences and insights on how to strategically plan for the next semester.
Our Mission
Support Women of Color
(Almost) every guest workshop speaker will be a woman of color.
Quarter 2 Workshop Guest Speaker Facilitator
Monique Bryan is a Personal Branding and visibility coach. She helps seasoned experts (undiscovered gems) who have amazing things to offer but haven’t figured out how to get people to take notice. In short, she helps experts articulate their “juice” online.
Quarter 3 Workshop Guest Speaker
Gloria Chou is a former TV producer and U.S. Diplomat turned PR coach for BIPOC and WOC-owned businesses. She helps small businesses go from unknown to being SEEN, HEARD, and VALUED without ever paying for ads or agencies.
Quarter 4 Workshop Guest Speaker
Dr. Cecily Moore is a professor, therapist, and entrepreneur. She is a fellow academic entrepreneur and recovering SBW (Strong Black Woman) dedicated to the wellness of professional black women through the lens of self, work, and motherhood.
Meet our Facilitators
Dr. Toyin Alli, Founder
Toyin Alli is a Math PhD and university lecturer. She is a six-figure entrepreneur who helps academic professionals build sustainable, semester-proof businesses. As the founder of The Academic Society and The Secret Society of Academic Entrepreneurs, she has empowered countless professors and grad students to create thriving businesses without sacrificing their academic careers. Through her proven frameworks, she teaches professorpreneurs how to generate consistent income, secure speaking engagements, and establish authority in their fields—all while maintaining balance and freedom.
Dr. Bedelia Richards (Chief Accountability Officer)
Dr. Bedelia Richards is a race and education scholar and equity consultant with expertise in helping college professors incorporate inclusive and antiracist pedagogical strategies into their classrooms. She also helps professionals across industries improve their racial literacy and racetalk skills. She is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Richmond and the Founder and CEO of RaceTalk LLC. She has a Ph.D. in Sociology and has taught courses in sociology, race, and education for over 20 years.
Bonus Mini-Courses for Academic Entrepreneurs
🗓️ Semester-Proof Business Planning Session Walkthrough
Plan your business around the realities of the academic calendar. This walkthrough will help you design a strategy that keeps your business growing without overwhelming your workload during the busiest times of the year. [Previously sold for $25]
👩🏾🏫 Independent Professor Workshop
Learn how to position yourself as an independent expert outside of academia, structure offers that align with your expertise, and create income streams that give you financial freedom. [Previously sold for $127]
💌 Evergreen Email Blueprint
Stop relying on live launches. This mini-course walks you through setting up an evergreen email sequence that sells your offers consistently while you focus on your research, teaching, and speaking engagements. [Previously sold for $47]
🗣️ Visibility Training for Academic Entrepreneurs
Gain the confidence to show up in front of the right audiences. This training will help you leverage your existing expertise to attract opportunities, whether that’s through speaking engagements, guest teaching, or content marketing. [Valued at $147]
Bonus Private Podcast Feed
Never miss an important discussion.
Get access to recordings of live workshops, goal-setting sessions, and community updates so you can stay engaged even when you’re balancing your academic and business responsibilities.
Meet our Members
Dr. Jessye Talley
Dr. Jessye Talley is an engineering professor who helps new tenure-track faculty prepare a successful third-year review. She also runs a business with her sister that supports doctoral students in finishing their degree.
Dr. Cecily Moore
Dr. Cecily Moore is a counseling professor, therapist, and entrepreneur dedicated to the wellness of professional Black women through the lens of self, work, and motherhood.
Asya Spears (soon to be Dr)
Asya Spears is a stastician, grad student, and entrepreneur who transforms the landscape of data education through training and innovation that infuse more Data Joy into people's data practices.
Dr. Kendrick Savage
Dr. Kendrick Savage is a math professor, speaker, and author. In his business he helps first generation college students overcome adversity and graduate through speaking engagement and specialty programs.
Dr. Roberta Roberts
Dr. Roberta Roberts is an attorney, law professor, and entrepreneur helping Black Christian women pass the bar exam through her Blessed and Barred coaching program.
Select the plan that works for you:
Monthly
CANCEL ANYTIME
$100/mo
Annual
2 MONTHS FREE
$1000/year
Note that both membership options include the exact same resources. They are identical, so please choose the best-fit option for you. The annual plan has an installment option.
Refund Policy
There are no refunds.
The Secret Society for Academic Entrepreneurs is designed for professors who are ready to join a community of peers and transform their online business.
It’s not designed for academics who haven’t started their business yet.
Due to the live event access included in this community and instantly redeemable digital downloads, I uphold a strict no-refund policy.
If you join monthly, you are welcome to cancel your membership at any time.
If you annually, you will be notified 30 days prior to your membership renewal date and have the option to rejoin or cancel your membership.
One last thing:
I want you to build a business that truly works for you.
If you’ve made it this far, it’s because you’re ready for something different. You’re ready for a space where your academic career and entrepreneurial dreams don’t have to compete.
I created The Secret Society of Academic Entrepreneurs for professors like you—who are juggling research, teaching, and business, and want a way to make it all work without burnout.
You don’t have to keep wondering how others are doing it—you can join us and see for yourself. With the right community, strategy, and support, you’re closer than you think to a thriving, sustainable business that fits your life.
I can’t wait to celebrate your wins inside the community.
Here’s to your success and a future that honors both your academic and entrepreneurial ambitions.
Dr. Toyin Alli
Frequently Asked Questions
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The community is designed specifically for busy professors. If you aren’t available for our live sessions a video recording and audio recording via our private podcast will be available for you.
Plus, you’ll get audio updates on what is going on the in the group that you can listen to while you drive to work or go for a walk.
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About 1-3 hours per month.
We will have 1 hour long goal setting call per week and optional bi-weekly co-working sessions as part of our monthly schedule.
We will have 1 live workshop and 1 community mixer per quarter. These workshops will last 60-90 minutes.
If you miss a live goal setting session, community building call, or live workshop, the recording will be adding to our private podcast for you to listen at any time.
I recommend checking in with the community space in Communi once a week.
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Wonderful question!
You will share your available ours in our application and we will do our best to accommodate your schedule.
Also, I know that as a professor, your schedule fluctuates.
The times that you will be available in July or August will be vastly different than your availability in October.
Each season, I'll send out a "When Is Good" poll to determine your availability and set the schedule based on that.
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If you sign up for a monthly membership, you can cancel at any time. There is a video inside of the community to walk you through the simple process of canceling your membership.
If you join annually, you will receive an email 30 days before your year is complete asking if you would like to continue for another year or cancel your membership.
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If you haven't started your business yet, this program isn't the right fit for you.
However, if you've been in business for a while and are finding yourself stuck or in need of guidance, you are a perfect fit for Six Figure Professor!
We’ll help you solidify and validate your WHO and WHAT you teach, ensuring you have a clear and profitable business to continue building.
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Feel free to reach out with any questions at hello@drtoyinalli.com. We’re here to help!
Do you have any other questions?
contact me at hello@drtoyinalli.com and I'll be happy to answer.
You don’t have to choose between being a professor and being an entrepreneur. You can have both—and you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Inside The Secret Society, you’ll gain the clarity, community, and confidence you need to grow a profitable, fulfilling business alongside your academic career.
Select the plan that works for you:
Monthly
CANCEL ANYTIME
$100/mo
Annual
2 MONTHS FREE
$1000/year
Note that both membership options include the exact same resources. They are identical, so please choose the best-fit option for you. The annual plan has an installment option.