Mr. Quinn and two U.S. business associates along with an Argentine partner formed Suenitos, a U.S. based non-profit organization working in Buenos Aires.

In 1998 a group of San Diego business professionals led by Gary Jacobs from Qualcomm voted to start a charter school. They engaged Larry Rosenstock, then President of Price Charities in San Diego, as the founding principal. The founding group was clear about its intent: to create a school where students would be passionate about learning and would acquire the basic skills of work and citizenship.