IGNITE Worldwide

What IGNITE Worldwide does

IGNITE Worldwide is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, that delivers STEM career-exposure programming to girls and gender-diverse students in grades 6-12. Its core product is the IGNITE Program, which connects students with female STEM professionals through a portfolio of event formats — panel presentations, in-person field trips to corporate worksites, conferences, workshops, school chapters, and virtual events — all provided at no cost to public schools. The newer IGNITE Career Launch Program adds a longitudinal layer of mentorship, networking, and alumni community support, while the IGNITE Alumni Network sustains engagement beyond graduation. Underlying technology is minimal: delivery relies on standard digital collaboration tools for virtual events, with no proprietary platform or AI components identified.

The organization operates a multi-sided model. Schools and students are the served end-users; corporate partners are the primary funders, with a formalized five-tier sponsorship ladder ranging from MaryJackson at $25,000 to KatherineJohnson at $500,000+. Named partners include AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, Accenture, Deloitte, Weyerhaeuser, Dolby, Piper Sandler, Alaska Airlines, Crane, Newmark, and P2P. Foundation grants (e.g., The Stefany and Simon Bergson Foundation) and individual donations supplement corporate revenue. The organization is led by Founder & CEO Cathi Rodgveller, runs on a small 1-10 employee base, and serves students both domestically (primarily Washington State, including a 2024 expansion into Tribal Schools) and internationally through chapters in Nigeria, Rwanda, Poland, Brazil, and Uruguay.

IGNITE's positioning is reinforced by measurable outcomes — a 45% increase in young female STEM enrollment in Washington between 2013 and 2017, and 88% of students reporting interest in STEM after field trip events — and by high-credibility endorsements including the PAESMEM award, U.S. Department of State recognition for 14+ years of international work, and Washington State Senate Resolution 8621 in 2025. The organization has publicly stated a "10 to the Power of 1 Mission" targeting expansion to 20 new cities, 1,000+ events delivered, and $10 million in funding, signaling an explicit scale-up agenda within its existing nonprofit, donation-funded structure.

Name

IGNITE Worldwide

Legal name

IGNITE Worldwide

Website

https://igniteworldwide.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IGNITE Worldwide is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers no-cost STEM career-exposure programming — panels, field trips, workshops, and mentorship — to girls and gender-diverse K-12 students, funded through corporate sponsorship tiers, foundation grants, and donations, and operating in the U.S. and five international chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit STEM Education Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Gender equity initiatives
• Youth mentorship services
• K-12 STEM outreach
• Nonprofit education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountlake Terrace

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners provide funding at various tier levels (MaryJackson $25,000 through KatherineJohnson $500,000+) in exchange for engagement with IGNITE programs, volunteer opportunities, and visibility with students.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including The Stefany and Simon Bergson Foundation supports program delivery and expansion.
3. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to support IGNITE programming and operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IGNITE Worldwide is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers STEM education programming to girls and gender-diverse students in grades 6-12 by connecting them with female STEM professionals through panel presentations, workplace field trips, conferences, workshops, and virtual events. Programs are delivered at no cost to public schools, while funding comes from corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and individual donations.

Product overview

IGNITE Worldwide operates as a nonprofit STEM education organization offering a unified program portfolio centered on the IGNITE Program, which provides engaging, hands-on events connecting girls and gender-diverse students with STEM professionals. The core offerings include Panel Presentations, In-Person Field Trips, In-Person Conferences, Workshops, and Virtual Events. The IGNITE Career Launch Program complements the core program by providing ongoing mentorship, networking, and community support for program alumni. IGNITE School Chapters enable sustained STEM engagement at partner schools. The organization delivers these services at no cost to public schools, with a focus on reaching historically marginalized communities during the school day.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IGNITE Program The flagship STEM education program that connects girls and gender-diverse students in grades 6-12 with STEM professionals through hands-on events including panel presentations, field trips, conferences, workshops, and virtual events. Delivered at no cost to public K-12 schools.
• IGNITE Career Launch Program A mentorship, networking, and community-building program that connects IGNITE students and alumni with experienced STEM professionals for one-on-one mentorship, peer networking, and long-term career development support in STEM fields.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% increase in young female enrollment in STEM courses in Washington State (2013-2017)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• OraclecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology partner providing support for IGNITE programming and events
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner with formal partnership through IGNITE Partners with AWS initiative, providing infrastructure and program support
• MicrosoftcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor technology partner supporting IGNITE events and providing volunteer STEM professionals
• AccenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional services partner supporting IGNITE programming with employee volunteers and strategic resources
• WeyerhaeusersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting IGNITE events and programs
• DolbysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology company partner providing support for IGNITE programming
• DeloittecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional services firm providing employee volunteers and strategic support for IGNITE events
• Alaska AirlinessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting IGNITE events and programs
• CranesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting IGNITE events and programs
• NewmarksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting IGNITE events and programs
• P2P (workp2p.com)supportingTechnology or IntegrationWorkplace partnership platform supporting IGNITE's corporate volunteer matching

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Society of Women Engineers (SWE): Global professional society advancing women in engineering, with K-12 outreach programs (SWENext). Overlaps with IGNITE on female STEM pipeline focus and corporate partner ecosystems, though SWE primarily serves collegiate and professional women.

Direct peers

• Girls Who Code: Largest girls-in-STEM nonprofit in the U.S., offering clubs, summer programs, and college-loops. Highly comparable mission, similar K-12 focus, and directly competes for the same corporate sponsor dollars.
• Black Girls CODE: Nonprofit focused on introducing girls of color to technology and computer science. Overlapping mission around gender and racial equity in STEM, similar school-based delivery model, and competes for corporate diversity sponsorships.
• Technovation: Global nonprofit running technology entrepreneurship programs for girls. Overlaps with IGNITE on girls-in-tech mission, school-based delivery, and international footprint across multiple countries.
• NCWIT (National Center for Women & Information Technology): Nonprofit coalition addressing women in computing through K-12, higher-ed, and workforce programs. Comparable mission around closing the gender gap in technology, with deeper industry and academic partnerships.
• National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP): Network connecting organizations that encourage girls in STEM. Serves as a peer/convener in the girls-in-STEM space, with comparable programmatic focus on connecting girls with STEM professionals and role models.
• AnitaB.org: Nonprofit (formerly Anita Borg Institute) focused on advancing women in technology through programs, events (Grace Hopper Celebration), and research. Comparable mission on gender equity in tech with strong corporate sponsor overlap.
• Million Women Mentors: STEM mentoring initiative aimed at expanding the pipeline of girls and women into STEM careers. Strongly overlapping mentorship-driven model and corporate partner base.

Broad incumbents

• Code.org: Major nonprofit expanding access to computer science in K-12 schools nationally. Overlaps on K-12 STEM access mission but operates at much greater scale with proprietary curriculum and a fully built technology platform.
• STEM Next Opportunity Fund: Nonprofit focused on expanding equitable access to STEM learning opportunities for youth. Comparable youth-STEM focus and foundation/federal funding relationships, but operates more as a funder/network than a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IGNITEworldwide
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxZk7rC3aG0RikOltR5qXSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/IGNITEworldwide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ignite-worldwide
• Instagraminstagram.com/ignite_worldwide

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 IGNITE Worldwide