EmpowerU
EmpowerU is a Minneapolis-based K-12 social-emotional learning platform that pairs online skill-building lessons with daily 1:1 coaching by licensed clinicians. It sells tiered SEL and mental-health programs to U.S. school districts, colleges, and channel partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersExcelsior, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What EmpowerU does
EmpowerU is a Minneapolis-headquartered, private K-12 social-emotional learning (SEL) and mental-health company founded in 2015 by three Minnesota clinicians. Its core product is a tiered intervention platform that pairs self-paced online lessons with daily 1:1 motivational coaching delivered by licensed master's-level clinicians through a secure portal (myEmpowerU.com). The platform is structured into Tier 1 universal instruction (K-12 curriculum) and Tier 2 targeted intervention (6- or 14-week coached programs), with the instructional architecture built around a proprietary Learn-Reflect-Apply Loop, the trademarked Do First™ methodology, and measurement grounded in Prochaska and DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model of Change. Add-on modules include Educator Self-Care and Resilience professional development, Summer Programs, Family Engagement resources, and age-banded versions for PreK-5 and 6-12.
The technology layer includes live dashboards for individual, school, and district-level progress tracking and integrations with universal screeners and MTSS/PBIS systems, notably a partnership with Illuminate Education (SAEBRS, EduClimber). EmpowerU monetizes primarily through subscription site-based licenses sold directly to K-12 districts and colleges on an annual cadence, supplemented by access to a credit-bearing wellness course distributed via channel partnerships with Northern Star Online and Minnesota Virtual Schools. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; ESSER II and Title IV funding are positioned as eligible payment vehicles.
The company sells sales-led to school districts, supported by a content-heavy marketing engine (blog, webinars, case studies, white papers, earned media in District Administration, EdWeek, eSchool News, and K-12 Dive) and by a network of named deployments across Minnesota (Carlton, Eden Prairie, ISD 728, Anoka-Hennepin, Wayzata, Elmbrook), the Pacific Northwest (Salem-Keizer, Twin Rivers), and other states including Wisconsin, California, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Reported outcomes include an 18X claimed ROI per dollar invested, 85-93% program completion versus 5-30% for comparable online programs, 93%+ of students shifting from discouragement to improved wellbeing, and an average 1.8 stages of change progression per Tier 2 student. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees and the company has raised a publicly disclosed $1 million seed round (December 2020) with additional rounds per the funding-rounds table.
EmpowerU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EmpowerU
- Legal name
- EmpowerU
- Website
- https://empoweru.education
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- EmpowerU is a Minneapolis-based K-12 social-emotional learning platform that pairs online skill-building lessons with daily 1:1 coaching by licensed clinicians. It sells tiered SEL and mental-health programs to U.S. school districts, colleges, and channel partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EmpowerU industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Social-Emotional Learning Platform
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Wellbeing Digital Curriculum (EDAFACAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling) (EDAJAKAE), Behavioral Intervention & PBIS Supports (Tiered, Gen Ed) (EDAJAGAL)
Keywords
Where EmpowerU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Excelsior
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
EmpowerU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Site-based Licenses: EmpowerU offers site-based licenses to schools and colleges, allowing districts to implement Tier 1 and Tier 2 programs across their institutions. This is the primary revenue stream, with pricing based on the number of sites or student seats.
- Credit-bearing Course Access: Access to the credit-bearing course through third-party online schools (Northern Star Online, Minnesota Virtual Schools) or directly from the company. Students can take the course as a semester wellness credit aligned with CASEL and National Health and Wellness standards.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Site-based licensing for schools and colleges |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
EmpowerU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EmpowerU delivers a data-driven Tier 1 universal curriculum and Tier 2 targeted intervention for K-12 social-emotional learning, combining self-paced online lessons with daily 1:1 motivational coaching from licensed master's-level clinicians. Programs are packaged as site-based licenses sold to school districts and higher-education institutions, with access delivered through the myEmpowerU online portal and integrations to MTSS systems.
Product overview
EmpowerU is a unified K-12 social-emotional learning platform offering tiered support through its core products: Tier 1 Curriculum (universal instruction for all students) and Tier 2 Intervention (targeted support for students needing additional help). The platform is delivered through the myEmpowerU online portal with integrated 1:1 coaching. Add-on modules include Educator Self-Care and Resilience PD for professional development, Summer Programs, and Family Engagement resources. Programs span PreK-5 Elementary and 6-12 Secondary levels, combining online lessons with licensed coach support using the learn-reflect-apply methodology and Transtheoretical Model of Change.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- EmpowerU Tier 1 Curriculum Universal social-emotional learning curriculum for grades K-12 designed to build resilience, motivation and confidence through blended online lessons with step-by-step teacher prompts, workbooks and reflection journals for whole-class instruction and prevention.
- EmpowerU Tier 2 Intervention Targeted 6- or 14-week intervention program for students needing additional support beyond Tier 1, featuring 1:1 highly-trained licensed coach support delivered through the secure myEmpowerU portal and integrated into district MTSS frameworks.
- EmpowerU Online Portal (myEmpowerU) Intuitive online platform that delivers EmpowerU's expert SEL support, integrates with universal screeners and MTSS systems, and provides live dashboards for real-time progress tracking at the individual, school, and district levels.
- EmpowerU Educator Self-Care and Resilience PD On-demand professional development course for K-12 educators and administrators that delivers data-driven mental health support and resilience training through self-paced lessons with optional 1:1 embedded coaching to improve educator wellbeing while helping them support students.
- EmpowerU Summer Programs Summer resilience programming embedded into district summer school sessions, providing tiered SEL support that extends mental-health and resilience skill-building beyond the traditional school year, with options for credit recovery combined with resilience skill-building.
- EmpowerU Family Engagement Resources and programming designed to involve families in student social-emotional learning and mental-health support, extending EmpowerU's approach into the home environment for consistent reinforcement of skills.
- EmpowerU PreK-5 Elementary Programs Turnkey Tier 1 curriculum and Tier 2 targeted intervention designed for kindergarten through fifth-grade students, building foundational resilience, motivation and confidence with age-appropriate lessons.
- EmpowerU 6-12 Secondary Programs Tier 1 curriculum and Tier 2 intervention for middle and high school students that addresses stressful challenges interfering with learning, with content aligned to state and national health education standards and CASEL standards.
- EmpowerU Credit-Bearing Wellness Course Credit-bearing wellness course aligned with CASEL and National Health and Wellness standards, offered through EmpowerU directly or via partner online schools so students can earn high-school credit while addressing anxiety, depression and other mental-health concerns.
Quantifiable outcome
- 18X ROI for districts per $1 invested (based on improved grades, attendance, reduced need for special education)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use EmpowerU
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
EmpowerU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
EmpowerU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.
- EdWeek (Education Week)strategicPartnership for joint webinar content and thought leadership. EdWeek hosted EmpowerU CEO Katie Dorn for a webinar on expanding district capacity for student and educator mental health support.
- Illuminate EducationcorePartnership to provide a comprehensive solution for Tier 2 behavior, motivation and well-being. Combines Illuminate's SAEBRS screening and EduClimber tracking with EmpowerU's adaptive instructional design and 1:1 coaching. Integrates with PBIS and MTSS frameworks.
- Northern Star OnlinecorePartnership to offer EmpowerU's credit-bearing course through Northern Star Online's catalog. Students can enroll in the course as part of their regular school day at no additional cost when added to their course load. The partnership enables access for students throughout Minnesota and expanding regions.
- Minnesota Virtual SchoolscorePartnership to make EmpowerU's supported e-Learning course available through Minnesota Virtual Schools. Students can sign up for the credit-bearing course through this channel if they have no open periods at their home school.
- Minnesota Rural Education Association (MREA)strategicMREA partnered with EmpowerU to provide vetted and trusted student and educator support to member districts. Carlton School District was referred through this partnership.
- North Dakota GrantscoreNorth Dakota grants provided access to EmpowerU for students in North Dakota as part of state efforts to address youth mental health needs during the pandemic.
- FullbloomminorFullbloom is listed as a partner organization, appearing on webinar headers and marketing materials alongside EmpowerU.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
EmpowerU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Panorama Education: Panorama is a leading K-12 social-emotional learning and MTSS data platform used widely by U.S. districts. Both companies compete for the same SEL/MTSS budget line and overlap on Tier 1/Tier 2 measurement and intervention use cases.
- Character Strong: Character Strong sells CASEL-aligned SEL curriculum and character education programming to K-12 districts. It targets the same Tier 1 SEL curriculum line item and competes on evidence-based outcomes and ease of implementation.
- Aperture Education (DESSA): Aperture provides the DESSA suite of SEL assessments and intervention tools for K-12. It overlaps with EmpowerU on Tier 2 behavioral and SEL measurement and intervention, particularly for MTSS-aligned districts.
- RethinkEd: RethinkEd delivers online SEL, behavior, and mental health resources to K-12 districts. Its online Tier 1/Tier 2 SEL and behavior intervention content competes with EmpowerU's Tier 1 and Tier 2 programs.
- BASE Education: BASE Education provides online SEL and mental health courses for students in grades K-12. Its self-paced, online SEL course delivery is a direct functional analog to EmpowerU's online lessons with coaching support.
- 7 Mindsets: 7 Mindsets offers a CASEL-aligned SEL curriculum and platform used by K-12 schools and districts. It competes with EmpowerU on Tier 1 SEL curriculum adoption and on outcome measurement claims.
Broad incumbents
- Committee for Children (Second Step): Committee for Children publishes Second Step, one of the most widely adopted K-12 SEL curricula in the U.S. It competes head-to-head with EmpowerU on Tier 1 SEL curriculum purchasing decisions but is a much larger, longer-tenured nonprofit publisher.
- Hazel Health: Hazel Health provides in-school and virtual mental health services to K-12 students, including therapy and psychiatry. It competes with EmpowerU for district mental health dollars, though at a different layer (clinical services rather than SEL curriculum).
Emerging players
- Daybreak Health: Daybreak Health provides teletherapy for adolescents, including partnerships with K-12 districts for student mental health. It is an emerging alternative for districts seeking therapy-led support, partially overlapping EmpowerU's coaching model.
Others
- Illuminate Education: Illuminate Education provides SAEBRS universal screening and EduClimber MTSS tracking tools used by K-12 districts. It is a strategic technology and channel partner of EmpowerU, integrating EmpowerU's Tier 2 instruction with its own screening and tracking stack.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
EmpowerU social profiles
Digital presenceEmpowerU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EmpowerU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
EmpowerU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EmpowerU M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EmpowerU
What does EmpowerU do?
EmpowerU delivers a data-driven Tier 1 universal curriculum and Tier 2 targeted intervention for K-12 social-emotional learning, combining self-paced online lessons with daily 1:1 motivational coaching from licensed master's-level clinicians. Programs are packaged as site-based licenses sold to school districts and higher-education institutions, with access delivered through the myEmpowerU online portal and integrations to MTSS systems.
Is EmpowerU a public or private company?
EmpowerU is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was EmpowerU founded?
EmpowerU was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is EmpowerU based?
EmpowerU is headquartered in Excelsior, United States, in the North America region.
How does EmpowerU make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Site-based Licenses are the primary driver. The others are credit-bearing Course Access.
Who are EmpowerU's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Panorama Education, Character Strong, Aperture Education (DESSA), RethinkEd, BASE Education and 7 Mindsets. Broad incumbents are Committee for Children (Second Step) and Hazel Health. Daybreak Health is listed as an emerging player. Illuminate Education is listed as an others.
Does EmpowerU have an API?
No public API is recorded for EmpowerU.
What industry is EmpowerU in?
EmpowerU's product category is K-12 Social-Emotional Learning Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFACAM, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Wellbeing Digital Curriculum, with a secondary code of EDAJAKAE, Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.