Hack the Hood
Hack the Hood is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 in Oakland that provides free tech education — coding, data science, and AI skills — to 16-25 year-old underrepresented youth across the San Francisco Bay Area, with all costs covered by donations and grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hack the Hood does
Hack the Hood is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 and headquartered in Oakland, California, that delivers free technology education and career-navigation programs to 16-25 year-old youth from historically marginalized communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its core program portfolio comprises the 12-week Hustle introductory coding course (Python fundamentals, agile, software development), the intermediate Build data science program (computational thinking, APIs, visualization), the 12-month Drive career-pathway program delivered in partnership with Laney Community College (leading to Associate's degrees and Data Science certificates), and the forthcoming Build.AI program launching Summer 2026 that adds generative AI and machine learning. All programs are tuition-free and bundled with laptops, wifi assistance, and learning stipends, and they share a proprietary "Tech for Justice" curriculum that integrates racial-justice and ethics modules (facial-recognition bias, algorithmic medicine) into technical instruction.
The underlying technology stack is conventional for an educational nonprofit: Python-based curriculum, standard data-science tooling, and Unity for select hackathon projects (e.g., the CODE-E coding-education app). The organization has no proprietary AI models, software platform, or SaaS product; its technology moat is curricular rather than infrastructural. Distribution is direct-to-participant through community-college and school-district partnerships, corporate volunteer pipelines, and alumni referrals, supported by an in-house content-marketing and newsletter operation.
Hack the Hood's revenue model is a nonprofit donations-and-grants stack. The single largest inflow on record is a $2 million unrestricted grant from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving Open Call in 2023 (the largest gift in the organization's history and a top score among 6,300+ national applicants). Recurring funding is diversified across corporate donors (Google, Microsoft, New Relic, Okta, Salesforce, BlackRock, Moody's, Capital One, Genesys), foundations (Kapor Center, NBA Foundation, Adobe Digital Academy), government entities (Alameda County-Oakland Community Action Partnership), and individual giving. The organization employs 51-100 staff, has served over 1,000 youth since founding, and has reached 7 Bay Area counties as of 2023.
Hack the Hood firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hack the Hood
- Legal name
- Hack the Hood
- Website
- https://hackthehood.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Hack the Hood is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 in Oakland that provides free tech education — coding, data science, and AI skills — to 16-25 year-old underrepresented youth across the San Francisco Bay Area, with all costs covered by donations and grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hack the Hood industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development and Tech Education
- NAICS
- Computer Training (611420), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technical Bootcamps & Accelerated Reskilling (Full-time/Part-time) (BPAEANAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++) (EDAMACAB), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)
Keywords
Where Hack the Hood is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hack the Hood business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Nonprofit organization funded primarily through individual donor contributions, including a network of named individual donors listed in annual reports.
- Corporate and Foundation Grants: Major funding from corporate partners and foundations including tech companies (Google, Microsoft, New Relic, Okta, Salesforce, etc.) and philanthropic foundations (MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving, Kapor Center, NBA Foundation, etc.).
- Government and Institutional Funding: Funding from government entities such as Alameda County-Oakland Community Action Partnership and educational institutions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hack the Hood product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hack the Hood delivers free tech skill-building programs and career navigation support to underrepresented youth aged 16-25 in the San Francisco Bay Area, including a 12-week introductory Python coding bootcamp (Hustle), an intermediate data science program (Build), and a 12-month community college-linked career pathway (Drive). All programs integrate a Tech for Justice curriculum, provide laptops and learning stipends, and connect participants to industry internships and certifications.
Product overview
Hack the Hood is a nonprofit tech education organization based in Oakland that provides a portfolio of free programs for underestimated youth (ages 16-25). The core offerings include the Hustle program (introductory 12-week coding bootcamp), the Build program (intermediate data science course), the Drive program (year-long career pathway with Laney Community College), and the upcoming Build.AI program (12-week AI skills launching summer 2026). All programs incorporate a Tech for Justice curriculum that contextualizes technical learning through a socio-political lens. Programs are free and include laptop provision, wifi assistance, learning stipends, and mentorship support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hustle Program A 12-week introductory coding program for youth ages 16-25 with little to no tech experience, teaching Python fundamentals (data types, functions, syntax, error handling), agile principles, software development processes, and professional development. Free to participants, with laptops and stipends provided.
- Build Program An intermediate Data Science program where learners build computational thinking, Python and software skills including data selection, manipulation, wrangling, exploration, and visualization, along with APIs and data science platforms. Targeted at youth progressing beyond introductory coding.
- Drive Program A 12-month career pathway program delivered in partnership with Laney Community College that supports learners in obtaining Associate's Degrees and/or certificates in Data Science/Computer Information Systems. Includes self-paced Python and data analytics instruction, mentorship from tech professionals, monthly career development workshops, and a pathway to paid tech internships.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of learners increase technical and professional skills and continue toward tech careers
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Hack the Hood
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Hack the Hood technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature4 records
Hack the Hood partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Build.AI Program PartnersminorIndustry partners for the upcoming 12-week Build.AI program launching Summer 2026, emphasizing community-driven solutions and industry-relevant projects.
- New ReliccoreParticipated in career exposure and data science panels; launched $10,000 matching campaign for Beyond the Code initiative. Company team members serve as mentors and role models for students.
- Laney Community Collegecore12-month career pathway program (Drive) in partnership with Laney College supporting learners in obtaining Associate's Degrees and/or certificates in Data Science. The partnership provides holistic support including mentorship, career workshops, and pathway to paid internships.
- Google PlaycorePartnership for Hack the Town hackathon event. Young developers created mobile applications serving their communities, including CODE-E, a Duolingo-style coding education app.
- Google / NBA FoundationcoreBeyond the Court: AI All Stars event collaboration during NBA All Star Weekend. Hack the Hood learners participated in AI/ML workshops and projects at Google headquarters.
- Oakland Public Education FundminorPartnership providing AP Computer Science students through Intel partnership to participate in Hack the Hood programs.
- thredUPminorOakland neighbor hosting product challenges and networking opportunities for Hack the Hood learners.
- ExabelisminorAlameda-based biotechnology company that hosted Drive learners for lab tours and career exposure panels.
- SentinelOneminorCybersecurity company that provided invitations for Hack the Hood participants to attend RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco.
- Adobe Digital AcademycoreScholarship program providing pathways for Hack the Hood alumni to attend Adobe's 12-week bootcamp with potential for internship and full-time roles.
- MicrosoftminorHack the Hood alumni Sean Garcia participated in Microsoft's New Technologist Internship program.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hack the Hood competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Code2040: Nonprofit that promotes racial equity in the tech industry by creating pathways for Black and Latinx talent; Hack the Hood's Executive Director Samia Zuber previously worked at Code2040. Highly comparable mission and target population.
- AI4ALL: Nonprofit that provides AI education and career pathways for underrepresented students; Hack the Hood's former ED Tiffany Shumate was previously Senior Director at AI4ALL. Directly comparable mission around AI/tech education for marginalized youth.
- Black Girls CODE: Nonprofit providing technology education for Black girls and other girls of color; Tiffany Shumate was a Founding Regional Director here. Highly comparable in mission and target demographic of underrepresented youth in tech.
- Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free IT training and career pathways to underemployed adults from low-income communities. Closest scaled peer in free tech bootcamps for underrepresented populations, though with broader IT curriculum.
- Generation: Global nonprofit providing free, employment-focused training in tech and adjacent fields to underserved adults. Comparable as free, employer-aligned tech training for low-income learners, but operates at greater scale globally.
- Year Up: Workforce development nonprofit providing young adults from low-income communities with skills training and corporate internships. Comparable in target demographic (youth/young adults from low-income backgrounds) and employer partnership model.
- Techtonica: Bay Area-based nonprofit providing free full-stack web development training to women and non-binary adults from low-income backgrounds. Comparable as Bay Area tech training nonprofit with similar funding model; Hack the Hood alumni Anta Thiane later joined Techtonica.
- Kode With Klossy: Nonprofit running free coding camps for young women and non-binary teens; comparable in free introductory coding bootcamps for underrepresented youth demographics.
- The Knowledge House: Nonprofit providing free tech training (web development, data analytics) to young adults from underserved communities in NYC. Comparable in free tech bootcamp model and youth workforce focus, though operating in a different metro.
Emerging players
- Code for America: Nonprofit using technology for civic impact; Hack the Hood's "Tech for Justice" curriculum themes (facial recognition bias, algorithmic fairness) align closely with Code for America's civic-tech mission. Comparable in tech-and-justice framing but adjacent rather than direct workforce prep.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hack the Hood social profiles
Digital presenceHack the Hood financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hack the Hood leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Hack the Hood funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hack the Hood 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 Hack the Hood
What does Hack the Hood do?
Hack the Hood delivers free tech skill-building programs and career navigation support to underrepresented youth aged 16-25 in the San Francisco Bay Area, including a 12-week introductory Python coding bootcamp (Hustle), an intermediate data science program (Build), and a 12-month community college-linked career pathway (Drive). All programs integrate a Tech for Justice curriculum, provide laptops and learning stipends, and connect participants to industry internships and certifications.
Is Hack the Hood a public or private company?
Hack the Hood is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Hack the Hood founded?
Hack the Hood was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Hack the Hood based?
Hack the Hood is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hack the Hood make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate and Foundation Grants and government and Institutional Funding.
Who are Hack the Hood's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Code2040, AI4ALL, Black Girls CODE, Per Scholas, Generation, Year Up, Techtonica, Kode With Klossy and The Knowledge House. Code for America is listed as an emerging player.
Does Hack the Hood have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hack the Hood.
What industry is Hack the Hood in?
Hack the Hood's product category is Workforce Development and Tech Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEANAE, Technical Bootcamps & Accelerated Reskilling (Full-time/Part-time), with a secondary code of EDAMACAB, Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++). Its NAICS code is 611420 and its SIC code is 8200.