Work to Ride

What Work to Ride does

Work to Ride is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community-based youth development program founded in 1994 by Lezlie Hiner and headquartered at the Chamounix Equestrian Center in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. Its core mission is to provide free, full-access equestrian experiences — horsemanship instruction, riding lessons, polo training, and educational support — to under-resourced Philadelphia youth ages 7-18, with a minimum one-year participant commitment that typically extends through high school graduation. The program is widely described as the only one of its kind in the United States.

The organization's product surface includes the free core Work to Ride Program, public horse riding lessons offered year-round in monthly group packages ($220 for 4 weeks, $275 for 5 weeks), a summer camp for ages 5-13 priced at $525 per weekly session, polo lessons at $75/hour, and Discovery Days field trips for groups of 6-35 people, all delivered on-site at Chamounix Stables. Infrastructure consists of the newly completed McCausland Arena, a $15 million, 45,000-square-foot indoor riding facility opened in 2023. There is no underlying software or AI technology layer; the offering is operational and service-based, reliant on equine assets, physical facilities, and human instruction.

Revenue is generated through a mix of individual and corporate donations, restricted grants (notably a $1M United States Polo Association grant in April 2026 and approximately $500K from Philadelphia casino gaming revenue sharing in 2023), and fee-for-service revenue from the paid public programs. Distribution is direct-to-participant at the single Philadelphia site, supplemented by school partnerships and community word-of-mouth. The organization underwent a leadership transition on February 1, 2026, with founder Lezlie Hiner moving to Senior Director and program graduate Kareem Rosser assuming the Executive Director role.

Name

Work to Ride

Legal name

Work to Ride, Inc.

Website

https://worktoride.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Work to Ride is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free equestrian experiences, horsemanship, polo training, and educational support to under-resourced urban youth ages 7-18, supplemented by paid public riding lessons, summer camp, and polo programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Equestrian Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Equestrian Teams & Stables (Racing/Show Jumping/Eventing) (MPAKABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sport/Show Horse Training & Performance Programs (AFAEAGAF), Equine Care & Stable Management (EDAOAOAE), Horse Boarding, Livery & Stable Operations (AFAEAGAG)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• Equestrian education services
• Nonprofit community programs
• Equine sports training
• After-school prevention services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual and corporate donations through online portal, monthly giving program, donor-advised funds, stock donations, wire transfers, and legacy giving. The program is free for under-resourced youth participants.
2. Philadelphia Casino Gaming Revenue: Philadelphia casinos share gaming revenue that supports the organization, with gamblers contributing to fundraising efforts.
3. Summer Camp Fees: Summer camp registration fees for ages 5-13, priced at $525 per session. Additional revenue from polo camp and session changes.
4. Public Riding Lessons: Group riding lessons for adults and children offered April through December at $55 per lesson ($220 for 4-week session, $275 for 5-week session). Also polo lessons at $75/hour.
5. Grant Funding: United States Polo Association provided $1 million grant for facility expansion. Additional grants from various organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Work to Ride operates a free, year-round youth development program at Chamounix Equestrian Center in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, providing horsemanship instruction, equine sports (primarily polo), and educational support to under-resourced urban youth ages 7-18 with a minimum one-year commitment through high school graduation. The organization supplements its free core mission with paid public programs including group riding lessons for adults and children, summer day camps for ages 5-13, polo lessons and clinics, and Discovery Days field trip experiences. All operations are housed at the Chamounix Equestrian Center, which includes the new 45,000-square-foot McCausland Arena.

Product overview

Work to Ride is a single, unified nonprofit youth development program (501 c3) providing free or low-cost equestrian experiences to under-resourced urban youth in Philadelphia. The core Work to Ride Program serves as the foundation, offering year-round horsemanship instruction, equine sports (primarily polo), and educational support for participants ages 7-18. This core program is supplemented by paid public offerings including Horse Riding Lessons for adults and children, a Summer Camp for ages 5-13, a Polo Program with lessons and interscholastic competition, and Discovery Days field trips. All programs are housed at the Chamounix Equestrian Center in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Work to Ride Program Core year-round youth development program for Philadelphia youth ages 7-18 from under-resourced communities. Participants commit to a minimum of one year and typically remain through high school graduation. The program combines horsemanship instruction, equine sports (primarily polo), academic tutoring, college enrollment assistance, and mentorship. Free to participants.
• Horse Riding Lessons

Quantifiable outcome

• First-ever all-African American team to win National Interscholastic Polo Championship (2011)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Ralph LaurenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Work to Ride youth were featured in the Ralph Lauren 2020 Holiday campaign, bringing significant national brand visibility and marketing exposure to the program as part of their Game Changers series.
• Mural Arts PhiladelphiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMural Arts Philadelphia created a mural celebrating the Work to Ride community-based youth prevention program. The mural is located in the West Philadelphia neighborhood.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The First Tee: National 501(c)(3) youth development program that teaches life skills through golf. Highly comparable to Work to Ride in structure, mission (underserved youth, sport as vehicle), public-lesson revenue model, and chapter-based local delivery.
• United States Pony Clubs: National youth equestrian education organization teaching horsemanship and riding skills to children and teens. Comparable target demographic, equestrian instructional content, and volunteer/staff structure.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Largest U.S. youth development nonprofit serving under-resourced children and teens through after-school programming. Comparable nonprofit youth-development mission, fundraising model, and volunteer engagement, but broader scope without an equestrian specialization.
• City Year: National youth-development nonprofit deploying young adults as mentors in under-resourced schools. Similar mission around youth outcomes, donation-driven revenue, and brand-driven fundraising, but service-based rather than sport-based delivery.
• Police Athletic League: Long-running youth-development nonprofit offering athletic and educational programming to at-risk urban youth. Comparable mission (crime prevention through structured activities), nonprofit funding model, and program format (youth + sports + academics).

Emerging players

• The Polo Training Foundation: Nonprofit focused on growing polo through player development and instructional programs. Directly comparable in sport (polo) and development mission, though smaller in scale and without Work to Ride's youth-development and free-access positioning.

Others

• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: Large U.S. nonprofit serving at-risk youth. Comparable nonprofit donor base, brand profile, and youth-protection mission alignment, though not a sport-instruction peer.
• United States Polo Association: Governing body for polo in the U.S. and Work to Ride's primary institutional partner. Comparable sport category (polo) and ecosystem role, but as a federation/funder rather than a direct operating competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/worktoride
• Facebookfacebook.com/work.ride
• Instagraminstagram.com/worktoride1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Work to Ride