iWRITE
iWRITE is a Houston-based non-profit that builds writing confidence in students grades 3-12 through its "i" The Guy journal curriculum, an annual publishing contest producing student anthologies, summer camps, and workshops, serving underserved Houston communities and participants from 11 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What iWRITE does
iWRITE is a Houston, Texas-based non-profit organization founded in 2009 (originally as READ3Zero) by children's author Melissa Williams Murphy, focused on building writing confidence in students in grades 3-12, particularly those in underserved Houston communities. The organization rebranded to iWRITE in 2016 alongside the launch of its mascot, "i" The Guy, and has since published 2,800+ student authors and illustrators across 16 anthology volumes (18,000+ copies in print) with participants from 11 countries.
Its core product is the "i" The Guy writing curriculum, delivered as physical journal workbooks in English, Bilingual English/Spanish, and Texas History editions, paired with a 15-week in-school program that includes mascot visits and access to an Online Writing Center and virtual workshop platform. Complementary programs include an annual global publishing contest (submissions via Submittable, producing a printed anthology of approximately 150 winning student works per year), in-person summer camps priced at $225-$350 per child in the Greater Houston area, the iWRITE Youth Leadership Club for grades 6-12, and the iWRITER Magazine (a quarterly digital magazine produced by youth aged 10-18).
Revenue is generated primarily through donations and corporate sponsorships — anchor sponsors include H-E-B (Official Publishing Contest Sponsor), Phillips 66, ExxonMobil (Presenting Sponsor of the annual Literacy Festival), Pi Beta Phi, and the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation — supplemented by fee-based summer camps and workshops. The go-to-market model is community-led, relying on school-district partnerships (Houston ISD, Spring Branch ISD, Alief ISD), Houston Public Library collaborations, University of Houston AmeriCorps volunteers, and annual events such as the Book Signing & Literacy Festival. Distribution combines regional direct-to-school delivery in Greater Houston with a self-serve global contest funnel.
iWRITE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- iWRITE
- Legal name
- iWRITE
- Website
- https://iwrite.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- iWRITE is a Houston-based non-profit that builds writing confidence in students grades 3-12 through its "i" The Guy journal curriculum, an annual publishing contest producing student anthologies, summer camps, and workshops, serving underserved Houston communities and participants from 11 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
iWRITE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Literacy & Creative Writing Education
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Book Publishers (513130), Stationery Product Manufacturing (32223)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online & Hybrid Creative Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Writing, Journalism & Publishing Camps (EDAMALAM), Children’s Activity & Workbook Publishing (MPAJAFAG)
Keywords
Where iWRITE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
iWRITE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Sponsorships: Primary revenue stream from individual donations and corporate sponsorships. Major sponsors include Phillips 66, H-E-B, ExxonMobil, Pi Beta Phi, and others who fund specific programs, contests, and operational costs.
- Summer Camps and Workshops: Fee-based creative writing and illustration camps for children ages 6-12, priced at $225-$350 per child. Also offers workshops throughout the year.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | Creative Writing and Art Spring Break Camp (8-12 year olds) |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Creative Writing and Illustration Summer Camp (9-12 year olds) |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Developing Writer's Summer Camp (9-12 year olds) |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Early Writer's Summer Camp (6-8 year olds) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
iWRITE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
iWRITE is a non-profit literacy organization that delivers creative writing curriculum, summer camps, workshops, and publishing opportunities for students in grades 3-12. Its core products are the "i" The Guy writing journal curriculum (English, bilingual English/Spanish, and Texas History editions), the annual "I Write Short Stories by Kids for Kids" publishing contest and printed anthology, and in-school writing programs delivered through Houston-area school district partnerships. Complementary offerings include summer camps, writing workshops, the quarterly iWRITER Magazine produced by youth, and the iWRITE Youth Leadership Club for grades 6-12.
Product overview
iWRITE is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive literacy and creative writing ecosystem for students in grades 3-12. The core offering centers on the "i" The Guy writing curriculum, which includes three journal editions (English, Bilingual English/Spanish, and Texas History) designed to guide students through the creative writing process. Complementing the curriculum are the flagship products: the annual "I Write Short Stories by Kids for Kids" publishing contest that produces a printed anthology of student work (16 volumes published since 2009), and the "i" The Guy Creative Writing Program for Schools that provides in-classroom instruction with mascot visits. Additional offerings include iWRITE Summer Camps, the iWRITE Youth Leadership Club for middle and high school students, the iWRITER Magazine (a quarterly digital publication by students for students), and Writing Workshops. All products work together to build student confidence through writing, from early elementary journaling through teen leadership and publication opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- i" The Guy: The organization's mascot and writing buddy featured in the journal curriculum, a 7-foot mascot that visits schools, libraries and afterschool programs to encourage kids to write.
- iWRITER Magazine
- I Write Short Stories by Kids for Kids
Products and services
- "i" The Guy Writing Journal (English Edition)
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,800+ students published as authors
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use iWRITE
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
iWRITE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
iWRITE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Phillips 66majorPhillips 66 supports "i" The Guy school writing program for Houston's underserved schools and educational video resources for students and teachers.
- H-E-BmajorH-E-B is iWRITE's Official Publishing Contest Sponsor, making it possible for young authors to share their voice with the world.
- ExxonMobilmajorExxonMobil is the official Presenting Sponsor of iWRITE's Annual Literacy Festival.
- Pi Beta PhicorePi Beta Phi makes it possible to bring "i" The Guy programs to Houston classrooms, supporting teachers and students with a curriculum that builds creativity and confidence.
- AirtoolminorAirtool has supported iWRITE programming and operations for more than a decade.
- SheSpacecoreSheSpace supports multiple iWRITE programs that help build creativity and confidence in Houston-area students. Also provides office space.
- Castro's KidscoreCastro's Kids makes it possible to bring "i" The Guy programs to Houston classrooms, supporting teachers and students with a curriculum that builds creativity and confidence.
- Barbara Bush Houston Literacy FoundationcoreFoundation has funded workshops and broader distribution of iWRITE's annual anthology and "i" The Guy Journal to Houston's public libraries. Supports "i" The Guy School Writing Programs in Greater Houston area.
- Houston Public LibrarycoreLibrarians from Houston Public Library serve as judges for the annual publishing contest. Collaborating to host after-school workshops in Houston's most underserved neighborhoods.
- Houston ISDcoreHouston ISD is an "i" The Guy partner school, and their students often enter the annual publishing contest.
- Spring Branch ISDcoreSpring Branch ISD is an "i" The Guy partner school, and their students often enter the annual publishing contest.
- Alief ISDcoreAlief ISD hosts after-school workshops for students.
- Long Tale PublishingcoreLong Tale manages printing, publication, and distribution of all iWRITE books.
- University of HoustonminorThrough AmeriCorp, the University of Houston's education department provides volunteers for in-school programming and events.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
iWRITE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program: Young Writers Program provides free classroom writing resources and novel-writing challenges for K–12 students. Comparable online-and-classroom writing engagement for the same grade band, with a global self-serve distribution model.
- LitWorld: International literacy nonprofit combining reading, writing, and advocacy for children, with emphasis on underserved communities. Directly comparable mission, demographic focus, and school/community partnership model to iWRITE.
- Studentreasures Publishing: Free classroom publishing program that turns student writing into bound books. Closely comparable to iWRITE's annual anthology model and school-pipeline distribution, but operates as a commercial publisher rather than a nonprofit.
- Reading Is Fundamental: Major national literacy nonprofit focused on children's reading and book distribution. Comparable youth literacy mission, school-distribution model, and corporate-sponsor base; complementary (reading-focused) rather than overlapping (writing-focused) programs.
- Adventures in Writing Camp: Summer creative writing day camps for elementary and middle school students. Directly comparable to iWRITE Summer Camps in target age, format, and tuition-style fee model, with a competing camp operator footprint.
- The Telling Room: Portland-based youth writing nonprofit that publishes student-authored books and runs in-school workshops. Closely comparable publishing-plus-workshop model with a smaller operating footprint, useful as a regional peer benchmark.
- 826 National: National youth writing nonprofit operating a network of writing and tutoring centers for K–12 students. Directly comparable mission and programming model (creative writing, publishing, school partnerships) to iWRITE, but at significantly larger national scale.
- Young Authors Publishing: Publishes books of student writing for schools and homeschool groups. Closely comparable student-publication value proposition and school-channel distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- National Writing Project: Long-established network of teacher-led writing programs at university sites across the U.S. Comparable youth-writing development mission, but its primary constituency is teacher professional development rather than direct student publishing like iWRITE.
- Junior Achievement USA: Large, established youth-education nonprofit with school-district programs, volunteer-driven delivery, and corporate-sponsor base. Useful benchmark for nonprofit scale, sponsorship mix, and school-channel distribution, though focused on financial literacy rather than writing.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
iWRITE social profiles
Digital presenceiWRITE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
iWRITE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
iWRITE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
iWRITE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about iWRITE
What does iWRITE do?
iWRITE is a non-profit literacy organization that delivers creative writing curriculum, summer camps, workshops, and publishing opportunities for students in grades 3-12. Its core products are the "i" The Guy writing journal curriculum (English, bilingual English/Spanish, and Texas History editions), the annual "I Write Short Stories by Kids for Kids" publishing contest and printed anthology, and in-school writing programs delivered through Houston-area school district partnerships. Complementary offerings include summer camps, writing workshops, the quarterly iWRITER Magazine produced by youth, and the iWRITE Youth Leadership Club for grades 6-12.
Is iWRITE a public or private company?
iWRITE is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was iWRITE founded?
iWRITE was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is iWRITE based?
iWRITE is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does iWRITE make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are summer Camps and Workshops.
Who are iWRITE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program, LitWorld, Studentreasures Publishing, Reading Is Fundamental, Adventures in Writing Camp, The Telling Room, 826 National and Young Authors Publishing. Broad incumbents are National Writing Project and Junior Achievement USA.
Does iWRITE have an API?
No public API is recorded for iWRITE.
What industry is iWRITE in?
iWRITE's product category is Youth Literacy & Creative Writing Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAMAL, Online & Hybrid Creative Writing Workshops, with a secondary code of EDAMALAM, Writing, Journalism & Publishing Camps. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 2731.