What The Hidden Genius Project does

The Hidden Genius Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 and headquartered in Oakland, California, that trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. The core offering is a 15-month Intensive Immersion Program delivering 800+ hours of instruction in computer science, software development (including Unity, C#, HTML, and Swift), game and app design, entrepreneurship, and leadership to Black male high school students. All programs are provided free of charge to participants.

The organization's technology base is a proprietary multi-disciplinary curriculum rather than a software platform; delivery is in-person at partner sites supplemented by structured apprenticeship and accelerator phases. Supporting program lines include Catalyst Programming (introductory workshops led by alumni Youth Educators), Community Partnerships (on-site workshops at schools and community centers), the Alumni Venture Seed Fund (a five-phase startup accelerator covering Business Ideation, Legal, Technology, Marketing, and Investor Readiness), Tech Slam events, Brothers Code workshops, and the inaugural Genius 4 Life Summit. Technology partnerships with Google, Microsoft, Autodesk, and NASA (Tech Transfer Program) extend the technical surface area.

The business model is grant-funded philanthropy: there are no tuition fees and no commercial product revenue. Revenue is sourced from corporate grants (Comcast NBCUniversal, Disney, Google.org, Salesforce), institutional foundations (Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, MetLife Foundation, Walter Kaitz Foundation), sports-franchise and venue partnerships (Chelsea FC Foundation, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, Detroit Pistons, LA Dodgers Foundation, Golden State Warriors), and individual donations. Programs are distributed through direct on-site delivery at partner schools and community organizations (including the RYSE Center, Lawrence Tech University, and University of Chicago Charter School), reaching students across Oakland, Richmond CA, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, and international sites in London, Birmingham, Johannesburg, and Senegal. As of 2024, the organization has served 18,000 students and delivered 1,248,800 hours of direct training since founding.

Name

The Hidden Genius Project

Legal name

The Hidden Genius Project

Website

https://hiddengeniusproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Hidden Genius Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 in Oakland that delivers a 15-month, 800+ hour technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership mentorship program to Black male high school students across 8+ U.S. cities and four international markets, funded entirely by corporate grants and foundation donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Technology Education and Mentorship

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD), Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs (EDAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Youth technology education
• STEM mentorship programs
• Nonprofit workforce development
• Tech entrepreneurship training
• Diversity in tech pipeline

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grants and Corporate Philanthropy: The primary revenue source is grants from corporations and foundations. Major grants include a $2 million grant from Comcast NBCUniversal (Part of Project UP), $500,000 from Google.org, and $1 million from Disney's Wakanda Forever celebration split among multiple STEM nonprofits including The Hidden Genius Project. Additional grants from organizations such as Salesforce ($13 million donation to Bay Area schools, partially supporting programs).
2. Individual Donations: The organization accepts individual donations as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 46-0689949). A donation page is available on the organization's website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Hidden Genius Project delivers free technology education, mentorship, and entrepreneurship training to Black male youth through its 15-month Intensive Immersion Program (800+ hours), Catalyst Programming workshops, Community Partnership workshops, and the Alumni Venture Seed Fund accelerator. Programs are delivered at no cost to participants by alumni serving as Youth Educators, and span computer science, software development, game/app design, entrepreneurship, and leadership across 8+ U.S. cities and multiple international locations.

Product overview

The Hidden Genius Project is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of technology education and mentorship programs for Black male youth. The core offerings include the 15-month Intensive Immersion Program (800+ hours of training in computer science, software development, entrepreneurship, and leadership) and Catalyst Programming (introductory workshops for youth of color). Additional programs include Community Partnerships (on-site technology workshops), the Alumni Venture Seed Fund (startup development for alumni), Tech Slam events, Brothers Code workshops, Global Tech Slam: Beyond the Classroom, Genius Lab, Responsible AI education, Ubuntu Center, Uber Career Prep partnership, and the annual Genius 4 Life Summit for alumni. The organization operates across multiple cities including Oakland, Richmond, CA, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, and internationally in the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Intensive Immersion Program A 15-month intensive program providing Black male high school students with 800+ hours of mentorship and training in computer science, software development, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills. Provided at no cost to participants.
• Catalyst Programming Introductory workshops and events led by Youth Educators (alumni) for youth of color, designed to spark students' interest in gaining technical skills and exploring careers within the technology landscape.
• Community Partnership Programming On-site, exposure-based technology workshops delivered by Youth Educators for local youth throughout the cities served by the organization.
• Alumni Venture Seed Fund A multi-phase startup accelerator for alumni covering Business Ideation and Validation, Legal, Technology, Marketing, and Investor Readiness phases, with coaching from industry professionals. Supports alumni entrepreneurs in launching technology startups.
• Tech Slam Exposure-based technology events that connect youth with career pathways and opportunities at the intersection of sports and technology, hosted in various cities including UK, Chicago, Detroit, and Austin.
• Brothers Code Annual tech workshop event celebrating Computer Science Education Week, teaching coding and technology skills to young Black men.
• Global Tech Slam: Beyond the Classroom A 20-day programming series designed to introduce young people to exciting career pathways through technology.
• Genius Lab A program offering focused technology and innovation experiences for participants.
• Responsible AI Educational initiative focused on teaching responsible use and understanding of artificial intelligence technologies.
• Ubuntu Center A program providing technology education and career pathway support for Black youth.
• Uber Career Prep Career preparation programming in partnership with Uber for exposing youth to technology career opportunities.
• Genius 4 Life Summit Annual alumni retreat held in Los Angeles, CA providing workshops, networking opportunities, and professional development for program graduates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000 students served since 2012; 1,248,800 hours of direct training delivered; programs in 8+ cities in the U.S. and internationally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chelsea FC FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Tech Slam UK has been delivered in partnership with Chelsea FC Foundation since 2018. The partnership exposes UK youth (London and Birmingham) to technology career pathways at the intersection of sports and technology. The foundation provides venue access (Chelsea FC stadium), community expo infrastructure, and collaborative program delivery.
• Tottenham Hotspur FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with The Hidden Genius Project for Tech Slam UK 2023 and 2024. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosted the third annual Tech Slam UK in 2023, providing facilities and sports-tech programming for students. Tottenham player Wilson Odobert participated as a mentor and speaker at the 2024 event.
• NASAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHidden Genius alum Honorebel Walker participated in the NASA Technology Transfer Program, a highly selective accelerator that gives entrepreneurs access to NASA's patent portfolio for commercialization. The Hidden Genius Project connected Walker with this opportunity through its Alumni Venture Seed Fund and alumni network.
• RYSE CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRYSE Youth Center in Richmond, CA hosts The Hidden Genius Project's Intensive Immersion Program at its expanded RYSE Commons campus (45,000 sq ft). RYSE serves as an anchor partner providing facilities and youth referral pipelines. Programs are held in RYSE's renovated Legacy Building. The partnership supports local Richmond youth including justice-involved youth through dedicated programming.
• RYSE Youth CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe RYSE Center hosts The Hidden Genius Project's Richmond programs. In 2022, RYSE expanded to its new 45,000 sq ft Commons campus, with The Hidden Genius Project as an anchor partner holding programming in the renovated Legacy Building. The partnership includes serving justice-involved youth through Solano County Probation Department collaborations.
• Detroit Pistons / Pistons in the CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Detroit Pistons, in partnership with Pistons in the Community, TEAM Inc., Rocket Fiber, and Google hosted Tech Slam Detroit in January 2020, serving 200+ Detroit youth. The partnership was repeated in February 2020 for a Tech Slam presented by Rocket Fiber. This represents the core partnership driving The Hidden Genius Project's Detroit expansion.
• Golden State WarriorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Golden State Warriors and Google Cloud hosted 'Basketball Decoded' in partnership with The Hidden Genius Project in February 2020, introducing youth to sports analytics and technology at the intersection of basketball and data.
• Kaiser PermanenteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKaiser Permanente sponsored the Total Health Tech Slam in Los Angeles (February 2018), designed to expose young people to technology skills and healthcare career pathways. Kaiser Permanente also sponsored the Brothers Code 2018 event in partnership with Kapor Center.
• SplunkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSplunk's Black Employees and Mentors ERG turned data into doing at Tech Slam Austin (2022), with Splunk mentors engaging with youth participants at the event.
• MicrosoftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft's Scott Hanselman (Vice President of Developer Community) served as a guest speaker and coach in the Technology Phase of the Alumni Venture Seed Fund 2023-24. Microsoft has also sponsored the Genius 4 Life Summit (2024).
• After School MattersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter School Matters (Chicago) provided partial funding for The Hidden Genius Project's programming in Chicago, including the Yusuf journey story coverage highlighting youth participants in the Catalyst Programming.
• Black Education ExpominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hidden Genius Project was an exhibitor at the Black Education Expo (BEE), a K-12 resource event co-presented by Pasadena Councilmember Tyron Hampton and founded by Victoria Williams. The expo drew attendees from across Southern California, Toronto, and beyond with over 60 exhibitors and 500+ books distributed.
• AutodeskminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutodesk partnered with The Hidden Genius Project to deliver an AutoCAD Fusion 360 apprenticeship for alumni. Over six weeks, Hidden Genius Alumni learned 3D modeling basics using Autodesk's Fusion 360 platform and networked with Autodesk employees. Chevron sponsored this program.
• ColorintechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hidden Genius Project supported Colorintech's ColorCode event in London (October 2018), with alumni serving as Youth Educators leading coding workshops for UK students of color. This international collaboration exposed 200+ UK students to technology pathways.
• United AirlinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Airlines served as the Official Aviation Partner for The Hidden Genius Project's first international Tech Slam UK trip (October 2018), providing travel support for five Intensive Immersion Program alumni and seven staff members from SFO to London.
• Oakland Natives Give BackminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakland Natives Give Back collaborated with The Hidden Genius Project on international Tech Slam programming, including the 2018 Tech Slam UK event where they participated in the community expo at Chelsea FC stadium.
• TEAM Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTEAM Inc. (now known as TEAM) has been a long-standing community partner with The Hidden Genius Project, collaborating on international Tech Slam programs including Tech Slam UK (2018-2024) and sports-tech events. TEAM Inc. also led sports analytics programming at Tech Slam UK and continues as a core program collaborator.
• Lawrence Tech UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawrence Tech University serves as The Hidden Genius Project's program site partner in Detroit. Alumni Jeremiah Scheday attended dual enrollment classes at Lawrence Tech in preparation for college. The partnership provides college pathway support for Detroit cohort participants.
• Walter Kaitz FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Walter Kaitz Foundation awarded The Hidden Genius Project the ChangeMaker Award for Social Impact at the 40th annual Kaitz Dinner in New York (September 2023), accompanied by a $40,000 grant. The Kaitz Dinner is the cable industry's premier diversity fundraising event.
• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & RosatiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati provided legal expertise through the All Things Legal Phase of the Alumni Venture Seed Fund 2023-24. Multiple attorneys from the firm (Brandon Middleton-Pratt, Imani Ivery, Khalil Nobles, Nikkisha Smith, Barath Chari) served as phase coaches, covering founder agreements, entity formation, and trademark filings.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Code2040: Nonprofit focused on racial equity in tech, providing fellowships and career pathways for Black and Latinx talent. Directly comparable mission of increasing Black/underrepresented representation in the technology industry through training and employer placement.
• Black Girls CODE: Provides technology education to young Black girls through workshops and intensive programs targeting underrepresented youth in tech. Directly comparable as a community-based nonprofit delivering K-12 and young-adult STEM education to Black youth, with similar corporate-funder model.
• https://www.hiddengeniusproject.org/dev/color: Largest community of Black software engineers, providing career development, mentorship, and community for Black technologists. Comparable in mission of supporting Black representation and advancement in the tech industry through community-driven programs.
• NPower: National nonprofit providing free tech training and job placement for underserved young adults and veterans. Comparable as a workforce-development nonprofit delivering multi-month technology training programs with employer partnerships.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology training and career advancement for adults from underrepresented communities. Comparable as a multi-city, employer-aligned tech-training nonprofit serving underrepresented populations.
• Year Up: Workforce-development nonprofit providing young adults from low-income communities with tech and business training combined with corporate internships. Comparable as a free, intensive, multi-month program with strong employer partnerships and outcome tracking.
• The Knowledge House: Tech workforce-training nonprofit serving young adults from underrepresented communities in New York with software development and digital skills training. Comparable in mission, demographic focus, and training intensity.
• Hack the Hood: Nonprofit introducing low-income youth of color to technology careers through web development and digital marketing training. Comparable as a community-based, free training program for underrepresented youth in tech.
• Genesys Works: Nonprofit providing pathways to tech careers for high school students from underserved communities through training and corporate internships. Comparable as a youth-focused, multi-city tech-training nonprofit with employer-aligned outcomes.

Emerging players

• Kapor Center: Foundation focused on increasing diversity and equity in tech, partnering with programs like Brothers Code. Comparable as a funder/convener in the diversity-in-tech ecosystem with similar Oakland roots and overlapping partner network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hiddengeniuspro
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheHiddenGeniusProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hidden-genius-project

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Hidden Genius Project