The 15 White Coats

What The 15 White Coats does

The 15 White Coats is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 by Russell J. Ledet, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, alongside co-founders Sydney Labat, M.D., Rachel Turner, M.D., and Brian Washington, Jr. Headquartered in Gretna, Louisiana, the organization operates a structured pre-medical-to-medical-school pathway platform for students from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine (URiM), with a primary focus on Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native students facing financial and mentorship barriers. Its core offerings include the Funding the Future Physicians (FTFP) program and its expanded FTFP-University Partnership (FTFP-UP), the 18-month HBCU Tethered Tour across 20 historically Black colleges and universities, a scholarships program (including the $200 Future Physician Scholarship and the Reflective Visionary Scholarship), and the Performance Interface Model — a structured academic preparation framework delivering mentorship, MCAT preparation, AMCAS application guidance, personal statement coaching, and longitudinal advising from freshman year through graduation.

The organization reports cumulative fundraising of more than $990,000 against $450,000+ awarded in scholarships, with 50-60 individuals supported into medical school admission. Its revenue mechanics combine episodic corporate grants (notably $500,000 from Genentech in August 2023 and $50,000 from GE HealthCare in March 2026), individual donations, a 250/50 monthly giving campaign, and made-to-order merchandise sales through an e-commerce storefront spanning eight branded collections priced from $4 stickers to $60 hooded sweatshirts. Distribution is direct: online merchandise, in-person HBCU campus activations, virtual mentorship matching, and targeted university partnerships.

The business model is fundamentally philanthropic rather than commercial. The organization explicitly states that 100% of donated funds support programs and that no merchandise proceeds are retained by founders. Customer segments consist of pre-med students (program participants), HBCU institutional partners, and corporate healthcare sponsors (Genentech, GE HealthCare). Its competitive positioning rests on physician-led authenticity, the enduring brand equity of the viral Whitney Plantation photograph, and a self-reinforcing alumni pipeline in which FTFP graduates become Legacy Ambassadors. Headcount is 1-10 employees, reflecting a lean nonprofit operating structure rather than a venture-scale organization.

Name

The 15 White Coats

Legal name

The 15 White Coats

Website

https://the15whitecoats.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The 15 White Coats is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that supports underrepresented pre-med students through structured mentorship, MCAT preparation, scholarships, and the HBCU Tethered Tour, serving Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous scholars pursuing medical careers via university partnerships and healthcare-industry sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Gretna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and grants from healthcare organizations. The organization is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit. 100% of funds raised support the organization's programs and initiatives.
2. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded apparel and merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, mugs, and accessories. All proceeds from merchandise sales go back to the community, not into organizational pockets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The 15 White Coats is a physician-led nonprofit that supports underrepresented pre-medical students through structured mentorship programs (FTFP and FTFP-University Partnership), MCAT preparation, AMCAS application guidance, personal statement coaching, and scholarships to reduce financial barriers to medical school. It also delivers in-person mentorship events across HBCU campuses via the HBCU Tethered Tour, places iconic imagery in classrooms to inspire students, and sells branded apparel whose proceeds fund its programs.

Product overview

The 15 White Coats is a physician-led nonprofit organization that operates a multi-faceted platform for advancing diversity in medicine through visible inspiration, structured mentorship, economic support, and university-based pathway partnerships. The core offerings include the Funding the Future Physicians (FTFP) and FTFP-University Partnership programs providing comprehensive mentorship from pre-med through medical school admission, the HBCU Tethered Tour conducting mentorship events at historically Black colleges and universities, and a Scholarships program offering financial support for medical school applications. The organization also supports its mission through merchandise collections (The 15WC Signature, Culture x Medicine, Doctor. Collection, I Am Living Black History, Resilience Is In Our DNA, PreMed, Me Becoming BHM, and Nah Fam I'm the Doctor) and the 250/50 Campaign monthly giving initiative. All proceeds from merchandise sales and donations (100% as stated) fund the organization's programs, with zero profit taken by founders. The Performance Interface Model serves as the underlying framework connecting these programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Funding the Future Physicians (FTFP) Program Structured mentorship program providing MCAT preparation, medical school application guidance (AMCAS, personal statements, letters of recommendation), and ongoing support for pre-med students from freshman year through graduation, with a focus on underrepresented students. Free for participants.
• HBCU Tethered Tour 18-month tour across historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) delivering free in-person mentorship events, medical school application guidance, MCAT preparation, networking opportunities, and scholarship assistance for minority students interested in medical careers.
• Scholarships Financial support programs for students pursuing medical careers, including the Future Physician Scholarship ($200 per recipient) and Reflective Visionary Scholarship, aimed at reducing the financial barriers (approximately $5,000 average cost) to medical school applications.
• School Posters Program Distribution of iconic framed and signed The 15 White Coats posters and curated academic materials placed in classrooms, learning environments, and civic spaces to inspire students pursuing academic and professional goals in medicine.
• Funding the Future Physicians - University Partnership (FTFP-UP) Expanded university partnership program providing structured mentorship, MCAT preparation, and medical school application guidance from freshman year through graduation, powered by healthcare industry sponsors and designed to reach students at multiple partner institutions. Initial phase expected to reach up to 600 students.
• The 15 White Coats Branded Merchandise Made-to-order branded apparel and accessories (t-shirts from $14.73, sweatshirts $34.98-$45.00, hoodies $60.00, stickers $4.00-$4.02, mugs $19.03, water bottles $22.98, socks $9.87, blankets $17.58, infant bodysuits $19.47) sold through the organization's own online store, with proceeds supporting the nonprofit's programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mentorship improves student readiness by 70%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Major U.S. health philanthropy funding diversity-pipeline and health-equity initiatives (including SHPEP). Comparable as a funder of the same physician-diversity outcomes and a likely repeat sponsor or peer funder for 15WC's work.

Emerging players

• Health Career Connection: Nonprofit providing paid internships, mentorship, and leadership development for underrepresented undergraduate students pursuing health careers. Comparable target audience (underrepresented pre-health students) and mentorship-driven model, with a more workforce/employer-oriented approach.
• MedMentor (MedMentor.org / mentorship programs): Pre-med mentorship community pairing students with medical students and physicians for application support. Smaller-scope version of FTFP's structured mentorship, with overlapping target user (URiM pre-meds) but less formalized programming.

Direct peers

• Student National Medical Association (SNMA): National student-led organization supporting underrepresented pre-medical and medical students through pipeline programs, mentorship, and community service. Operates the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS) chapters, which directly overlap with 15WC's pre-med audience.
• Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP): Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded free summer enrichment program for pre-health students from underrepresented backgrounds, focused on strengthening academic preparation and admissions readiness. Closest mission-comparable federal/pipeline program.
• Black Men in White Coats: Nonprofit producing the 'Black Men in White Coats' documentary and youth summits to increase Black male representation in medicine. Shares the same physician-led, image-driven diversity-in-medicine mission and targets similar pre-med youth audiences.
• Tour for Diversity in Medicine: Runs campus-based tours of minority-serving institutions to recruit pre-health students into medical and dental careers. Closest functional analog to the HBCU Tethered Tour model, with a comparable event-driven, mentorship-led approach.

Broad incumbents

• National Medical Association (NMA): Oldest and largest national organization representing African American physicians, running pipeline and mentorship initiatives into medicine. Overlaps with 15WC on the diversity-in-medicine mission but operates as a professional society rather than a student-facing nonprofit.
• Morehouse School of Medicine: HBCU medical school historically producing a large share of Black physicians and operating its own pre-med pathway programs. Comparable as both a producer of Black physicians and a recipient pipeline partner for HBCU students like those 15WC serves.
• Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science: Health-sciences-focused minority-serving institution with explicit mission to train physicians for underserved communities. Comparable mission and student demographic to 15WC's target population, though delivered through a degree-granting institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@the15whitecoats
• Facebookfacebook.com/the15whitecoats
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-15-white-coats
• Instagraminstagram.com/the15whitecoats
• Xx.com/the15whitecoats

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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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 15 White Coats