Surge Institute

What Surge Institute does

Surge Institute is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by Carmita Semaan and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It educates, develops, and connects leaders of color - primarily Black, Latinx, Asian American, and Pacific Islander education professionals - working to transform urban education systems. The organization runs a portfolio of cohort-based programs: the 10-month Surge Fellowship (its flagship, launched in Chicago in 2015 and also operating in Oakland), the 6-month Surge Academy for leaders in smaller and mid-sized cities, the Black Principals Network for school principals, the 7-month Surge Angels venture incubation program for alumni, and Power Surge. Programs are delivered in person with hybrid components and operate across eight U.S. cities (Chicago, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Oakland, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Washington D.C.), supported by monthly full-day sessions and opening/closing retreats.

The underlying delivery mechanism is non-technological: Surge's core IP is its culturally affirming curriculum, alumni community, and movement-building brand. Distribution is community-led, with prospective fellows recruited through alumni referrals, city-specific #LeadTheSurge events, virtual information sessions, and application office hours. Applications are processed through website portals and require essays, recommendations, and an employer memorandum of understanding.

Surge's revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit stack. Primary funding comes from individual donations and institutional funders, with sponsorships supplemented by program tuition charged to sponsoring organizations (for example, $2,500 per fellow for the Las Vegas Academy six-month program, with limited need-based scholarships). The organization publishes a bi-weekly newsletter (The Charge), an annual convening, annual impact reports, and a formalized Strategic Plan 2026-2028. Headcount sits in the 11-50 range. Surge Angels additionally disburses venture awards to alumni-founded education ventures, with $100,000 distributed to three ventures at the June 2024 Pitch Night.

Name

Surge Institute

Legal name

The Surge Institute

Website

https://surgeinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Surge Institute is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs cohort-based leadership development and venture incubation programs for leaders of color in education, operating across eight U.S. cities with flagship offerings including the Surge Fellowship, Surge Academy, Surge Angels, and the Black Principals Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Leadership Development

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (6117), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Education equity fellowships
• Nonprofit leadership training
• Principal leadership development
• Cohort-based professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Surge Institute operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that accepts donations from individuals and organizations to support its mission of developing leaders of color in education.
2. Institutional Funding: The organization receives funding from institutional funders to support fellowship programs and operations.
3. Program Tuition: Sponsoring organizations pay tuition for fellows to participate in programs. For Las Vegas Academy, sponsoring organizations pay $2,500 per fellow for the six-month program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Surge Institute is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates fellowship, academy, and incubation programs (Surge Fellowship, Surge Academy, Surge Angels, Black Principals Network) to develop leaders of color in education, delivered through cohort-based experiences across eight U.S. cities.

Product overview

Surge Institute is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a suite of leadership development programs for people of color in education. The core portfolio includes: the Surge Fellowship (a 10-month intensive fellowship for emerging leaders, operating in Chicago and Oakland), Surge Academy (a 6-month national program for leaders in smaller cities), Surge Angels (a 7-month entrepreneurial incubation and investment program for alumni), and the Black Principals Network (BPN, focused on professional development and liberation of Black principals). Additional offerings include Power Surge, TheCharge Newsletter (a bi-weekly newsletter), and The Convening (annual gathering). Programs operate across multiple cities including Chicago, Oakland, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, and Detroit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Surge Fellowship: 10-month cohort-based leadership development experience for emerging leaders of color in education, operating in Chicago and Oakland.
• Surge Academy
• Surge Angels
• Black Principals Network
• Power Surge

Quantifiable outcome

• $100,000 awarded to three ventures through Surge Angels program in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AMPT ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with AMPT Chicago to offer 'Funding Your Freedom Dreams' workshop exclusively for Surge Alumni, facilitated by Surge alumni Ana Agarrat (CHI19) and ángela munguía (CHI18).
• Uproot TalentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Uproot Talent to offer a WOKESHOP® exclusively for Surge Alumni on 'Leveraging and Maximizing Your LinkedIn Profile'.
• Black Principals Network (BPN) PartnerscoreOthersBPN hosts professional learning series events, regional leadership summits, and wellness events for Black school leaders. Regional summits scheduled for October 9-10, 2026 in Greater Baltimore, MD.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Teach For America: Teach For America is a large national nonprofit developing leaders in education, with multiple programs for alumni including leadership development tracks. Comparable as a broader pipeline of education leaders of color, though at much larger scale and earlier career stage.
• City Year: City Year is a national service organization that develops young leaders, many of color, for education and civic roles. Comparable as a multi-city leadership-onramp in education with a national footprint and alumni pipeline.
• Relay Graduate School of Education: Relay GSE is a graduate school and leadership development institution preparing teachers and school leaders, including principal preparation programs. Comparable as a structured leadership development provider in education, with a credentialed academic model.
• KIPP Foundation: KIPP is a national network of public charter schools with leadership development programs for school leaders, including a focus on developing leaders of color. Comparable as a scaled education leadership pipeline, though embedded within a school operating model.

Emerging players

• EdFuel: EdFuel is a national nonprofit that supports the talent and leadership development strategies of education organizations, with a focus on equity. Comparable as a leadership infrastructure peer serving the education sector, though operating as a support function rather than direct cohort programs.
• 4.0 Schools: 4.0 Schools supports education entrepreneurs through incubators and small grants. Comparable to Surge Angels in its focus on backing education innovators, though with a narrower, more venture-style approach.
• NewSchools Venture Fund: NewSchools is a venture philanthropy that supports education entrepreneurs and innovative school leaders, with a focus on equity. Comparable in its support for education leaders of color launching ventures, overlapping with Surge Angels.

Direct peers

• Education Pioneers: Education Pioneers is a national nonprofit that recruits and develops leaders for education sector roles, with explicit focus on diverse leaders. Directly comparable as a leadership-onramp organization serving emerging and established education leaders.
• New Leaders: New Leaders is a national nonprofit that trains and develops school leaders, with a strong focus on equity and leaders of color in urban schools. Directly comparable to Surge in mission, cohort-based leadership development model, and target audience.

Others

• Schusterman Family Foundation: Schusterman is a major Jewish philanthropy with a dedicated education equity portfolio, including the launch of the Black Principals Network that Surge later absorbed. Comparable as a funder and partner, and as a peer in the broader education leadership and equity ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/SurgeinstituteOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/surgefellowship
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surge-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/surge_institute
• Xx.com/surge_institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Surge Institute