Steel Smiling

What Steel Smiling does

Steel Smiling is a Pittsburgh-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 by Julius Boatwright that addresses disparities in mental health access for the Black community of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The organization is headquartered at 429 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1900, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, and operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Neighborhood Allies Inc.

Its service portfolio comprises three programs. Beams to Bridges (BTB) is a cohort-based education and training program that has run through at least six iterations and functions as the organization's ambassador-pipeline. Steel Healing, launched in March 2020, is the clinical-services arm and bundles three components: the Black Mental Health Fund (which has paid more than $500,000 in treatment costs since inception), Wellness Navigation Services, and Peer Services staffed by specialists with lived experience. Wellspring, introduced in 2026, is positioned as a care atlas for the Black mental health ecosystem, signaling an evolution from direct service provision toward ecosystem coordination across Allegheny County.

Steel Smiling is funded through donations, grants, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events; all participant services are delivered free of charge. The organization is governed by an Organization-in-Residence partnership with fiscal sponsor Neighborhood Allies. As of February 2026, leadership comprises Managing Director Courtney Abegunde, Founder Emeritus Julius Boatwright, and Program Manager of Steel Healing Shawn Thomas (joined 2025). The organization does not operate on a proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-mediated across clinical, peer, navigation, and training functions.

Name

Steel Smiling

Legal name

Steel Smiling

Website

https://steelsmilingpgh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Steel Smiling is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit founded in 2016 that addresses mental health access disparities for Black residents of Allegheny County through cohort training, clinical and peer services, treatment funding, and a new ecosystem navigation program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mental Health Services

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Community Support Services (Case Management, Referrals) (EDAJAIAK)

Keywords

• Community mental health
• Peer support services
• Mental health education
• Wellness navigation
• Treatment funding assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Steel Smiling operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations and grants. The organization is fiscally sponsored by Neighborhood Allies Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN #25-1578436). Revenue comes from individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and community fundraising events such as marathon runners raising funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Steel Smiling is a nonprofit community organization that bridges the gap between Black community members in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and culturally responsive mental health support. Its core offerings are three programs: Beams to Bridges (cohort-based education and training program), Steel Healing (direct-access care comprising the Black Mental Health Fund, Wellness Navigation, and Peer Services), and Wellspring (a care-atlas program mapping the Black mental health ecosystem). All services are provided free of charge to community members, funded through donations and grants.

Product overview

Steel Smiling is a community mental health organization offering a portfolio of three interconnected programs designed to bridge the gap between Black community members and mental health support. Beams to Bridges is a cohort-based education and training program that equips residents with skills grounded in Black history and healing traditions. Steel Healing provides direct access to care through the Black Mental Health Fund (which has disbursed over $500,000 in treatment services), Wellness Navigation Services, and Peer Services. Wellspring, the newest initiative launching in 2026, serves as a care atlas designed to strengthen the Black mental health ecosystem by mapping resources and building community coalitions. Together, these programs form a holistic ecosystem of care that addresses financial barriers, provides culturally responsive support, and builds community capacity for mental health and wellness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Beams to Bridges: A cohort-based program that equips residents with practical skills grounded in Black history and healing traditions to support mental health and community wellbeing.
• Steel Healing
• Wellspring

Products and services

• Beams to Bridges (BTB) A cohort-based education and training program that equips residents with practical skills grounded in Black history and healing traditions to support mental health and community wellbeing. Through facilitated learning, reflective dialogue, and applied practice, participants deepen their understanding of mental health within the context of cultural identity, lived experience, and collective care. The sixth cohort (BTB 6) runs from May 13, 2026 to November 18, 2026 at Community Forge in Wilkinsburg.
• Steel Healing A collaborative space where community members and mental health professionals come together to cultivate connection, care, and culturally aligned support. Operates through three pillars: Wellness Navigation Services (matching community members with Black-centered clinicians and wellness practitioners), the Black Mental Health Fund (community-raised dollars that subsidize or fully cover mental health treatment costs — over $500,000 in treatment services paid since inception), and Peer Services (one-on-one peer check-ins and community support groups led by individuals with lived experience).
• Wellspring A developing care-atlas program designed to create a network of healers, advocates, and community members dedicated to strengthening the Black mental health ecosystem in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Wellspring will map available resources, document the history of community healing, and build coalitions to make care more visible, accessible, and culturally grounded.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $500,000 in treatment services paid for Black community members since March 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Community ForgecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Community Forge hosts the Beams to Bridges (BTB) cohort program at their Wilkinsburg location (1256 Franklin Ave, Wilkinsburg, PA 15221). BTB 6 runs from May 13, 2026 to November 18, 2026 at this community partner venue.
• Neighborhood AlliesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Neighborhood Allies is Steel Smiling's Organization-in-Residence partner. The Organization-in-Residence initiative is a pilot program co-created to nurture Steel Smiling's organizational growth, capacity building and sustainability. Steel Smiling is also fiscally sponsored by Neighborhood Allies Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN #25-1578436). The partnership began with fiscal sponsorship in 2019 and evolved into the Organization-in-Residence model in 2021.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation: National nonprofit dedicated to eradicating the stigma of mental health in the African American community through scholarships, therapy access, and culturally competent provider training. Highly comparable mission to Steel Smiling, but operating at a larger national scale.
• The Loveland Foundation: Nonprofit committed to showing up for communities of color by bringing opportunities and resources to the world of mental health, with a focus on Black women and girls. Comparable in mission around culturally-grounded mental health access and therapy support.
• BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective): Collective of therapists, artists, and advocates creating culturally relevant resources to promote mental health and healing in Black communities. Comparable in combining peer support, education, and advocacy for Black mental health, with broader national reach than Steel Smiling.
• Steve Fund: Organization focused on the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color. Comparable in mission to support the mental health of marginalized communities, with a focus on students and youth rather than the general adult population Steel Smiling serves.
• The Confess Project: National nonprofit training barbers and stylists as mental health advocates for Black men and boys. Comparable in its community-led, non-clinical, culturally-grounded model of mental health support within trusted Black community spaces.
• Therapy for Black Girls: Platform and community focused on mental health and wellness for Black women and girls, including a national therapist directory. Comparable culturally-grounded, community-led approach; differs in its digital/directory scale versus Steel Smiling's in-person cohort model.

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health America: Nation's oldest community-based mental health nonprofit, addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting overall mental health. Comparable as a broad community mental health advocate, but operates at a national scale without Steel Smiling's specific Black-cultural focus.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Largest grassroots mental health organization in the U.S., providing advocacy, education, support groups, and public awareness. Comparable as a community-based mental health support and education provider, but general-population rather than Black-community-specific.

Emerging players

• Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness: Community mental wellness organization focused on the mental health of Black women, providing support groups, therapy referrals, and wellness resources. Comparable culturally-grounded community mental health model; operates more as a digital-first emerging player than Steel Smiling's in-person cohort model.
• Ethel's Club: Members-based social and wellness community for people of color, offering mental wellness programming and culturally-relevant healing spaces. Comparable in creating culturally-grounded, community-led wellness and mental health programming, though more digitally delivered.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SteelSmilingPGH
• Facebookfacebook.com/SteelSmilingPGH
• Instagraminstagram.com/steelsmilingpgh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Steel Smiling