What Brooklyn Workforce Innovations does

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI), legally LEAP, Inc. dba BWI, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization founded in 2000 through a merger between Leap, Inc. and Fifth Avenue Committee's workforce development programs. Headquartered at 621 Degraw Street in Brooklyn with 51-100 employees, BWI operates eight free sector-based vocational training programs targeting unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers facing barriers to employment, including gaps in work history, limited English proficiency, criminal records, and lack of formal credentials. Approximately 42% of participants reside in NYCHA public housing and 34% have been unemployed for a year or more. The organization serves roughly 900 individuals annually and has launched more than 11,000 careers since inception, with 80%+ placement rates across multiple flagship programs.

BWI's programs are short-duration (3-7 weeks), free of charge, and award industry-recognized credentials. Core offerings include Brooklyn Networks (6-week low-voltage cabling training with BICSI certification), Brooklyn Woods (7-week woodworking with OSHA 30 certification and an associated cabinetmaking social enterprise), Red Hook on the Road (4-week Class B CDL training), Made in NY PA Training Program (4-week film/TV production assistance, partnered with the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment since 2006), KindWork Customer Experience Fellowship (4-week tech-sector CX training with Zendesk and Intercom certifications, partnered with 100+ tech employers), NYCHA Resident Training Academy (3-week caretaker training with 1,500+ graduates since 2010), Customized Training Opportunities (including Housing Career Pathways and Maritime Deckhand Training), and the Sunset Park Bridge Program (ESL and job-readiness preparation). BWI is not a technology company; its technology footprint is limited to standard nonprofit tooling — Zoom for information sessions, Give Lively and PayPal for donation processing, and Constant Contact for email outreach. Post-graduation career support extends up to two years.

BWI operates on an $8 million annual budget (FY24) funded through a diversified mix of NYC and New York State government contracts (NYC Department of Small Business Services, NYC Economic Development Corporation, NYC Workforce Development Corporation, NYS Department of Labor, NYS Office of Strategic Workforce Development, NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance), foundation and corporate grants (Robin Hood Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Citi Foundation, Amazon, CD&R Foundation, Ponce De Leon Foundation), and individual donations. Programs are free to participants, recruited through community outreach, mandatory information sessions, and partnerships such as NYCHA's Resident Economic Empowerment Services (REES). Major multi-year inflows include a $2.3 million New York State Workforce Development Initiative award in 2020 for CDL training and a $4.25 million grant from CD&R Foundation in 2023. Employer partners span film/TV production, transportation, technology, affordable housing, and skilled trades.

Name

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations

Legal name

LEAP, Inc.

Website

https://bwiny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI) is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2000 that operates eight free sector-based vocational training programs, serving approximately 900 low-income New Yorkers annually with industry-recognized credentials and job placement support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development & Vocational Training Services

NAICS

Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC), Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO), Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Vocational training programs
• Job placement services
• Sector-based training
• Career pathways programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: BWI receives funding through government contracts including NYC Department of Small Business Services, NYC Economic Development Corporation, NYC Workforce Development Corporation, NYS Department of Labor, NYS Office of Strategic Workforce Development, and NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: BWI receives grants from foundations and corporations including Amazon, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Robin Hood Foundation, Citi Foundation, and numerous others listed on their supporters page.
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, with many employers matching contributions through company giving programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations delivers eight free sector-based vocational training programs that combine classroom instruction, industry-recognized credentials, hands-on training, and up to two years of post-graduation job placement assistance for unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers. Programs span low-voltage cabling (Brooklyn Networks), woodworking and fabrication (Brooklyn Woods), commercial driving (Red Hook on the Road), film/TV production assistance (Made in NY PA), public housing maintenance (NYCHA Resident Training Academy), tech-sector customer experience (KindWork), employer-tailored pathways (Customized Training), and an ESL bridge program (Sunset Park Bridge). A related cabinetmaking social enterprise generates supplementary revenue and provides transitional paid work.

Product overview

Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI) is a nonprofit workforce development organization offering eight free sector-based job training programs targeting unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers. The programs span industries including telecommunications (Brooklyn Networks — low-voltage cabling), skilled trades (Brooklyn Woods — woodworking and fabrication, with an associated Social Enterprise cabinetmaking venture), film and television (the "Made in NY" Production Assistant Training Program), commercial driving (Red Hook on the Road — Class B CDL), public housing maintenance (NYCHA Resident Training Academy), tech-sector customer experience (KindWork Customer Experience Fellowship), and employer-customized career pathways (Customized Training Opportunities including Housing Career Pathways and Maritime Deckhand Training). A supporting bridge program (Sunset Park Bridge Program) provides ESL and job-readiness preparation for entry into Brooklyn Networks and Red Hook on the Road. All programs provide job placement assistance and up to 2 years of career coaching post-graduation. The organization was founded in 2000, operates a $8 million budget, and serves approximately 900 individuals annually with over 11,000 careers launched since inception.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brooklyn Networks: Low-voltage cable installation training program providing careers in voice and data cabling, security system installation, broadcast cabling, and A/V system installation.
• Brooklyn Woods
• Red Hook on the Road
• KindWork Customer Experience Fellowship
• Made in NY PA Training Program
• NYCHA Resident Training Academy
• Customized Training Opportunities
• Sunset Park Bridge Program

Products and services

• Brooklyn Networks Free 6-week full-time low-voltage cable installation training program based at NYC College of Technology; leads to BICSI-recognized certification in voice/data cabling, security systems, broadcast cabling, and A/V system installation. Includes 2 years of job placement assistance. For low-income NYC residents seeking careers in telecommunications.
• Brooklyn Woods Free 7-week full-time woodworking and fabrication training program in Brooklyn; trainees earn OSHA 30 certification and may gain paid transitional work experience through the program's cabinetmaking social enterprise. For low-income NYC residents seeking skilled woodworking careers.
• Red Hook on the Road BWI's longest-running and largest program; 4 weeks of classroom and behind-the-wheel training leading to a NYS Class B CDL (Class BPS) license, with 2 years of job placement support. Approximately 25 training slots per month. For low-income NYC residents seeking careers as commercial drivers.
• "Made in NY" Production Assistant Training Program Free 4-week full-time hybrid (in-person and virtual) training program in film and TV production assistance, run in partnership with the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. Training cycles run in January, March, May, and September. For low-income NYC residents seeking careers as production assistants in film and television.
• NYCHA Resident Training Academy (NRTA) 3-week full-time training program for NYCHA public housing residents, most frequently preparing them for Caretaker J positions with NYCHA and its contractors. Over 1,500 graduates since 2010, with 80%+ job placement. For NYCHA residents seeking stable housing-related employment.
• KindWork Customer Experience Fellowship Free 4-week hybrid (70% in-person, 30% remote) training program for adults aged 20–29, preparing graduates for entry-level Customer Experience, Customer Support, and Customer Success roles in the tech sector. Includes certifications in Zendesk and Intercom and 1 year of post-placement coaching. For young adults from overlooked communities seeking tech-sector CX careers.
• Customized Training Opportunities Employer- and community-partner-driven training programs tailored to specific workforce needs along Brooklyn's industrial waterfront, including Housing Career Pathways (4 weeks plus 2-week paid internship) and Maritime Deckhand Training (4 weeks). Programs are offered free of charge to trainees. For employers needing tailored cohorts and trainees seeking emerging-sector careers.
• Sunset Park Bridge Program Pre-training ESL and job-readiness bridge program (3–4 weeks) for non-native English speakers preparing to enter Brooklyn Networks or Red Hook on the Road. Provides language instruction, permit preparation, and academic skills building at no cost. For non-native English speakers preparing for skilled-trade vocational training.
• Brooklyn Woods Social Enterprise Cabinetmaking social venture that manufactures low-environmental-impact bathroom vanities, kitchen cabinets, architectural millwork, custom furniture, and West Elm houseware products from reclaimed woods and shop scrap. Provides transitional paid work for Brooklyn Woods program graduates while generating revenue to support the program. For retail and commercial buyers of sustainable wood products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 910 people served in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYC Mayor's Office of Media and EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Long-standing partnership to deliver the Made in NY Production Assistant Training Program. The program prepares low-income and unemployed NYC residents for careers in film and television production, with over 2,000 graduates placed on productions.
• NYC College of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrooklyn Networks training takes place at a fully-outfitted skills training lab within NYC College of Technology campus. Seasoned telecommunications professionals teach the course.
• NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NYCHA's Resident Economic Empowerment Services (REES) to provide training and placement for NYCHA residents. Since 2010, over 1,500 graduates with 80%+ placement rate.
• Brooklyn Navy Yard Employment CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to match skilled-up labor force with employers at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and surrounding communities through customized training.
• Industry City Innovation LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop customized training opportunities matching labor force with employers at Industry City.
• Tech Employer Partners (100+ companies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 100 tech companies including Uber, Alma, Capsule, Olo, and Justworks partner with KindWork to hire Customer Experience graduates.
• Enterprise Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Housing Career Pathways initiative launched in 2019 with NYC Housing Authority and HPD to connect low-income New Yorkers to affordable housing careers.
• Port Authority of NY & NJminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Brooklyn Woods for specialized 10-week job training program for formerly incarcerated individuals. Eight participants built custom benches for the World Trade Center Oculus Plaza.
• Reel Works (MediaMKRS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership strengthening pathways into NYC film and television industry through the Made in NY Production Assistant Training Program.
• West ElmminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrooklyn Woods partnership to manufacture cutting boards and housewares from reclaimed woods and shop scrap, available through West Elm website.
• Fifth Avenue CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWI was founded in 2000 through a merger between Leap, Inc. and Fifth Avenue Committee's workforce development programs.
• FPWA (Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFPWA hosts KindWork Customer Experience Fellowship hybrid training at their location (40 Broad Street, NYC).

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NPower: Nonprofit providing tuition-free tech and cybersecurity training to underemployed adults, with employer partnerships for job placement — closely parallels KindWork's tech-sector Customer Experience training and BWI's barrier-population mission.
• Year Up: Workforce-development nonprofit offering intensive training and corporate internship pathways for young adults facing economic barriers; comparable to BWI's mission, employer-partnership approach, and bridge-to-living-wage focus.
• Henry Street Settlement: Long-standing Lower East Side social services nonprofit with workforce-development programming serving low-income NYC residents, including training and job placement — comparable population, geography, and funding mix.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing free, sector-based technical training (IT, cybersecurity) to adults from low-income communities, with employer-paid tuition and placement support — the closest analog to BWI's KindWork CX Fellowship model, but at a national scale.
• Hot Bread Kitchen: NYC nonprofit running culinary and workforce training programs with a social-enterprise component (food production/sales) for immigrant and low-income women — parallels BWI's Brooklyn Woods social-enterprise plus free-training model.
• JVS (Jewish Vocational Service) New York: Workforce-development nonprofit providing free occupational training and job-placement services to immigrants and low-income New Yorkers across sectors — directly comparable to BWI's sector-based training and ESL-pipeline approach.
• Pursuit (formerly Pursuit Coding): NYC-based nonprofit training low-income adults for software and tech roles with employer partnerships and long-term coaching — directly mirrors KindWork's tech-CX focus and BWI's barrier-population, no-stipend model.

Others

• MDRC: Social-policy research nonprofit that partnered with BWI in 2024–2025 to study applicant retention; while not a direct operator, MDRC is the leading evaluator of workforce-development programs and a key research/validation partner for the sector.

Regional players

• Brooklyn Community Services: Brooklyn-based human services nonprofit with workforce and youth-employment programming serving the same NYC low-income communities as BWI, often funded by the same city agencies.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey: Large regional workforce-development nonprofit operating multiple training and placement programs across NYC; broader service portfolio than BWI but similar mission around career access for low-income New Yorkers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nybwi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MadeinNYPA
• Facebookfacebook.com/BrooklynWorkforceInnovations
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brooklyn-workforce-innovations
• Instagraminstagram.com/brooklynworkforceinnovations/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brooklyn Workforce Innovations