From English teacher to TikTok‑fluencer founder: How Rhavi Carneiro built Fluency Academy

Rhavi Carneiro, an English teacher in Brazil, struggled to understand native‑speaker English despite years of study, realizing that local classes lacked real‑world practice and personal connection. After improving his fluency through immersion in Florida, he took a teaching job at a large language academy, where he saw students’ desire for genuine interaction with teachers.

In 2019 Carneiro partnered with entrepreneur Finn Puklowski to launch Fluency Academy, an online school that leverages his TikTok and Instagram influence to deliver language courses. The platform now serves about 70,000 students, projects $25 million in annual revenue, and has expanded to six additional languages, turning influencer reach into a scalable edtech business.

Built Fluency Academy, reaching ~70,000 students and projecting $25 M annual revenue, while adding courses in six other languages for Portuguese speakers.

Carneiro’s personal experience revealed a gap between textbook English and the conversational fluency needed by learners.

His social‑media following demonstrated that learners trusted and engaged with him as a relatable teacher, providing a ready‑made audience for educational content.

Partnering with an experienced entrepreneur allowed the venture to build a structured curriculum, technology platform, and operational support beyond pure influencer content.

Authentic teacher‑student rapport, amplified through social media, can rapidly scale language education into a profitable edtech venture.

Since its launch, Fluency Academy has taught around 70,000 students, each paying about $400, and is on track to generate up to $25 million in revenue in 2021. The startup is raising funds to expand across Latin America and eventually worldwide, while continuing to offer courses in six languages besides English.