Yellowbrick Learning
Yellowbrick Learning is a B2B2C online education platform that partners with elite universities and global brands to co-develop, produce, and deliver premium certificate programs in creative industries (entertainment, fashion, music, design, performing arts) to career-focused individual learners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Yellowbrick Learning does
Yellowbrick Learning, Inc. is a New York-based private education technology company founded in 2013 that operates a B2B2C online education platform for the creative industries. The company designs, produces, and delivers approximately 20 premium certificate programs across verticals including entertainment and media (Business of Entertainment, Film & TV Industry Essentials, Modern Journalism, This is Animation with Sony), music (Music Industry Essentials, Songwriting Across Genres), design (Product Design Essentials, UX Design Foundations, Fashion Industry Essentials), fashion and lifestyle (Streetwear, Beauty, Footwear, Sneakers, Ecommerce), and performing arts (Acting Essentials, Performing Arts Industry Essentials, Auto Design). Programs are delivered asynchronously via a proprietary enterprise-grade learning platform (courses.yellowbrick.co) with broadcast-quality video production infrastructure, and each is co-developed under a co-investment model with an elite university partner — NYU Tisch, Parsons School of Design, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), Juilliard Extension, or the Petersen Automotive Museum — and/or a global brand partner such as Sony Pictures Animation, Rolling Stone, Condé Nast, Billboard, or Complex.
The core platform architecture combines cinematic production (white-glove art direction, high-fidelity assets, narrative-driven storytelling) with shared enterprise-grade infrastructure for managing global cohorts at scale, plus AI-assisted curriculum generation and AI-generated feedback on learner project submissions (text and video modalities). The company makes money through three primary revenue streams: (1) recurring subscription-based certificate program fees with automatic renewal and an optional one-time purchase, (2) managed-services-style enterprise partnership revenue where Yellowbrick and partner institutions co-invest in program development, production, marketing, and delivery, and (3) partial tuition collected from scholarship awards that cover a portion of program cost. Pricing is not publicly disclosed at the program level; a freemium tier exists (e.g., the free 'This is Animation' course from Sony Pictures Animation) and a scholarship program reduces access barriers.
Yellowbrick acquires individual learners through a hybrid go-to-market: self-serve online enrollment on its owned platform, plus co-marketing and audience-distribution through partner brand channels (university websites, brand marketing, partner newsletters). Enterprise partnerships are sold via direct consultation with a strategic partnerships team. The company is founder-led by Rob Kingyens (President & CEO) and supported by strategic backers including Achieve Partners (co-founder/investor), Sony Innovation Fund/Sony Ventures, and advisors from Condé Nast.
Yellowbrick Learning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yellowbrick Learning
- Legal name
- Yellowbrick Learning, Inc.
- Website
- https://yellowbrick.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Yellowbrick Learning is a B2B2C online education platform that partners with elite universities and global brands to co-develop, produce, and deliver premium certificate programs in creative industries (entertainment, fashion, music, design, performing arts) to career-focused individual learners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Yellowbrick Learning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Education
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate/L&D Course Licensing from Creators (B2B Upskilling) (MPACALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL), Corporate Training Course Marketplaces (B2B Content Libraries) (EDAFAIAH), Certification & Credentialed Creator Programs (MPACALAI)
Keywords
Where Yellowbrick Learning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Yellowbrick Learning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Certificate Program Fees: Enrollment in Certificate Programs are provided for a fee. Programs are subscription-based with automatic renewal at the end of each billing cycle. One-time purchase option also available.
- Enterprise Partnership Services: Co-investment and strategic partnership model where Yellowbrick and partner institutions share investment in program development, production, marketing, and delivery infrastructure
- Scholarship Revenue: Scholarship awards typically cover a portion of course costs, with revenue collected from partial tuition not covered by scholarships
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Certificate Program Enrollment |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Access Courses |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Scholarship Awards |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Yellowbrick Learning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yellowbrick Learning co-develops and delivers premium online and hybrid certificate programs in partnership with elite universities (NYU Tisch, Parsons, FIT, Juilliard) and global brands (Sony, Rolling Stone, Condé Nast, Complex, Billboard), covering entertainment, fashion, music, design, performing arts, beauty, and gaming industries. Programs are delivered asynchronously through a proprietary enterprise-grade learning platform featuring cinematic, broadcast-quality production. The company sells these programs directly to individual learners for career advancement while operating a parallel B2B enterprise partnership model where universities and brands co-invest in content development and leverage Yellowbrick's platform, production, and global marketing infrastructure.
Product overview
Yellowbrick Learning operates a digital education platform offering premium online certificate programs across multiple industries. The core platform delivers courses in partnership with elite universities (NYU, Parsons, FIT, Juilliard) and global brands (Sony, Rolling Stone, Complex). The portfolio includes approximately 20 distinct certificate programs organized into industry verticals: Entertainment & Media (Business of Entertainment, Modern Journalism, Film & TV Industry Essentials, This is Animation); Music (Music Industry Essentials, Songwriting Across Genres); Design (Product Design Essentials, UX Design Foundations, Fashion Industry Essentials, Fashion Business Essentials); Fashion & Lifestyle (Streetwear Essentials, Beauty Business Essentials, Beauty Industry Essentials, Footwear Business Foundations, Sneaker Essentials, Ecommerce Foundations); Performing Arts (Acting Essentials, Performing Arts Industry Essentials); and Automotive/Gaming (Auto Design and Sketching, Gaming & Esports Industry Essentials). Each program is co-developed with institutional partners, delivered asynchronously online, and results in a non-credit certificate of completion. The company also offers scholarship programs and corporate partnership opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Yellowbrick Learning Platform Proprietary digital education platform that powers the delivery of online and hybrid certificate programs, learner enrollment, course access, content delivery, and certificate issuance across all Yellowbrick programs.
- Business of Entertainment Online NYU Tisch certificate course covering the business of entertainment across Film & TV, Music & Audio, Gaming, and Live Performance sectors, including AI-era questions around IP and royalties.
- Auto Design and Sketching Course from Petersen Automotive Museum teaching automotive design principles, famous car case studies, and sketching techniques under instructors from ArtCenter College of Design.
- Modern Journalism NYU certificate course covering investigative tools, interviewing skills, journalistic ethics, audio/visual storytelling, and social media for newsgathering and personal branding.
- Music Industry Essentials NYU Clive Davis Institute course covering recording industry history, music business deals, artistry, image development, record production, and new-economy marketing.
- Product Design Essentials Parsons School of Design certificate course covering design thinking, user scenarios, prototyping, and packaging with instructors from Scott Henderson Inc. and Pensa.
- UX Design Foundations Parsons certificate course covering usability research, wireframing, user interface design, and UX analytics with contributors from Creative Bloq, Gensler, Google, Spotify, and frog design.
- Film & TV Industry Essentials NYU Tisch certificate course covering film fundamentals, television production, cinematic arts, production business, and marketing/distribution with experts from Netflix, A24, Disney, and other studios.
- Performing Arts Industry Essentials NYU certificate course exploring theatre history, production mechanisms, stage design, performance roles, and career paths in the performing arts with Backstage experts.
- Streetwear Essentials Parsons and Complex certificate course covering streetwear origins, design, marketing, branding, retail distribution, and entrepreneurship with founders from Diamond Supply Co., RHUDE, and Heron Preston.
- Acting Essentials: Preparing for a Role Juilliard Extension certificate course teaching acting craft, text analysis, character research, rehearsal techniques, and audition preparation with Juilliard faculty and alumni.
- Fashion Business Essentials Parsons certificate course covering fashion entrepreneurship, production management, branding, marketing strategies, and retailing/distribution with Highsnobiety and industry experts.
- Songwriting Across Genres Juilliard Extension certificate course covering melody, harmony, lyrics, rhythm, and creative process across pop, country, hip-hop, and jazz genres with Juilliard faculty.
- Beauty Business Essentials FIT certificate course covering beauty product development, costing, sourcing, brand identity, retail management, and data-driven retail with BeautyStat and Glow Recipe founders.
- Fashion Industry Essentials Parsons certificate course covering visual style, portfolio design, fashion production, and marketing/PR with instructors including Rebecca Minkoff and Brandon Maxwell.
- Ecommerce Foundations Parsons certificate course covering ecommerce strategy, digital branding, customer journey design, SEO, paid media, data analysis, and distribution logistics with Shopify and Printful experts.
- Beauty Industry Essentials FIT certificate course with Allure Magazine covering beauty product development, packaging, marketing, beauty entrepreneurship, and influencer careers.
- Footwear Business Foundations FIT certificate course covering footwear production cycle, industry trends, sourcing, costing, branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship with Sam Edelman and FOOTWEAR DISTRIBUTORS & RETAILERS OF AMERICA.
- Gaming & Esports Industry Essentials FIT certificate course covering game design, development, revenue models, esports management, and community/social impact with industry professionals from NBA 2K League and Finji.
- Sneaker Essentials FIT and Complex certificate course covering sneaker history, design, materials, manufacturing, distribution, retail, brand strategy, marketing, media, and legal aspects with Complex Media and ESPN experts.
- This is Animation Free online course from Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks providing unprecedented access to the animation production process with industry experts from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Hotel Transylvania franchises.
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% student recommendation rate
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Yellowbrick Learning
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Yellowbrick Learning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
Yellowbrick Learning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NYU Tisch School of the ArtscoreYellowbrick partners with NYU Tisch to deliver certificate programs including Business of Entertainment, Modern Journalism, Film and TV Industry Essentials, Performing Arts Industry Essentials, and Music Industry Essentials. NYU provides academic rigor and faculty expertise while Yellowbrick handles production, technology, and global marketing.
- Parsons School of DesigncoreYellowbrick partners with Parsons (#1 ranked art and design school in US) to deliver Fashion Industry Essentials, Fashion Business Essentials, Product Design Essentials, UX Design Foundations, Streetwear Essentials, and Ecommerce Foundations. Programs feature Parsons faculty and industry experts.
- The Juilliard SchoolcoreYellowbrick partners with Juilliard Extension to deliver Acting Essentials: Preparing for a Role and Songwriting Across Genres. Programs feature Juilliard faculty, alumni, and working professional actors.
- Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)coreYellowbrick partners with FIT to deliver Beauty Industry Essentials, Beauty Business Essentials, Footwear Business Foundations, Gaming and Esports Industry Essentials, and Sneaker Essentials. Programs feature FIT faculty and industry experts from Beauty Inc, Complex, and leading brands.
- Sony Pictures AnimationcoreYellowbrick partners with Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks to deliver free 'This is Animation' course providing unprecedented access to the animation production process with 20+ industry experts from Sony.
- Rolling StonecorePartnership with Rolling Stone to deliver journalism and entertainment programs, sharing Rolling Stone's history of groundbreaking reporting with aspiring storytellers.
- Condé NastcoreYellowbrick partners with Condé Nast brands to deliver educational content leveraging Condé Nast's cultural authority and media expertise.
- ComplexcoreYellowbrick partners with Complex to deliver Streetwear Essentials course featuring industry leaders from across the streetwear world.
- BillboardcoreYellowbrick partners with Billboard for Music Industry Essentials course, leveraging Billboard's authority in the music industry.
- JuilliardcoreJuilliard partnership makes high-level artistic training feel reachable, flexible, and grounded in real-world practice through certificate programs.
- Petersen Automotive MuseumcoreYellowbrick partners with Petersen Automotive Museum to deliver Auto Design and Sketching course from the world-renowned museum in Los Angeles, studying under leading car designers.
- BackstageminorYellowbrick partners with Backstage for Performing Arts Industry Essentials course, featuring experts from the performing arts industry resource.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Yellowbrick Learning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Skillshare: Subscription-based online learning community for creative professionals with project-based courses. Targets the same creative-industry learner segment as Yellowbrick, though at lower price points and with more UGC-driven content.
- CreativeLive: Online learning platform focused on creative arts (photography, design, business, crafts) featuring expert-led video courses. Directly competes in Yellowbrick's core creative verticals with similar premium video-based instruction.
- MasterClass: Premium subscription-based platform offering creator-led video courses from world-renowned experts. Most directly comparable to Yellowbrick on premium content positioning, cinematic production quality, and aspirational learner targeting in creative/lifestyle categories.
- GetSmarter (2U): University-partnered online short courses, now part of 2U. Shares Yellowbrick's co-developed model with elite institutions and asynchronous online delivery, though broader in scope and not creative-arts focused.
- Emeritus: Partners with top universities (MIT, Columbia, Wharton) to deliver online certificate programs. Closest business model analog to Yellowbrick's university partnership approach, though focused more on business/tech than creative industries.
Emerging players
- Domestika: Online creative community offering premium courses in illustration, design, photography, and craft taught by working professionals. Similar premium-positioned creative education with growing global reach and Spanish-language strength.
- Kadenze: Online platform partnering with leading art schools and universities to deliver courses in arts, music, and creative technology. Overlaps significantly with Yellowbrick's creative-arts focus area with similar institutional partnership model.
Broad incumbents
- Coursera: Massive online learning platform partnering with 200+ universities and companies to deliver courses, certificates, and degrees. Significantly larger and broader, but competes for the same university-partnered certificate learner.
- edX: University consortium (MIT, Harvard founded) offering online courses and credentials. Overlaps with Yellowbrick on the university-partnered online certificate model at much larger scale.
- LinkedIn Learning: Subscription-based professional development video library from LinkedIn/Microsoft. Competes for the same professional upskilling learner in adjacent creative/business categories, with significant distribution advantage via LinkedIn network.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Yellowbrick Learning social profiles
Digital presenceYellowbrick Learning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yellowbrick Learning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Yellowbrick Learning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors18 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yellowbrick Learning M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Yellowbrick Learning
What does Yellowbrick Learning do?
Yellowbrick Learning co-develops and delivers premium online and hybrid certificate programs in partnership with elite universities (NYU Tisch, Parsons, FIT, Juilliard) and global brands (Sony, Rolling Stone, Condé Nast, Complex, Billboard), covering entertainment, fashion, music, design, performing arts, beauty, and gaming industries. Programs are delivered asynchronously through a proprietary enterprise-grade learning platform featuring cinematic, broadcast-quality production. The company sells these programs directly to individual learners for career advancement while operating a parallel B2B enterprise partnership model where universities and brands co-invest in content development and leverage Yellowbrick's platform, production, and global marketing infrastructure.
Is Yellowbrick Learning a public or private company?
Yellowbrick Learning is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Yellowbrick Learning founded?
Yellowbrick Learning was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Yellowbrick Learning based?
Yellowbrick Learning is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Yellowbrick Learning make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Certificate Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are enterprise Partnership Services and scholarship Revenue.
Who are Yellowbrick Learning's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Skillshare, CreativeLive, MasterClass, GetSmarter (2U) and Emeritus. Emerging players are Domestika and Kadenze. Broad incumbents are Coursera, edX and LinkedIn Learning.
Does Yellowbrick Learning have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yellowbrick Learning.
What industry is Yellowbrick Learning in?
Yellowbrick Learning's product category is Online Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACALAH, Corporate/L&D Course Licensing from Creators (B2B Upskilling), with a secondary code of BPAMAJAL, Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.