United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation

What United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation does

The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation founded in 2004 and headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. Its stated mission is to promote the geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) tradecraft and build a multi-stakeholder community spanning government, industry, academia, and individual professionals. USGIF does not develop a unified software product; instead it operates a portfolio of programs and convening functions, including the annual GEOINT Symposium (4,000+ attendees), GEOGala, GEOINTeraction Tuesday networking series, Mission Focus thematic events, Spatial EDGE regional forums, and the GEOINT Foreword science and technology day. It runs seven working groups covering topics such as Machine Learning & AI, Maritime Domain Awareness, Modeling/Simulation/Gaming, Education, Tradecraft, and NRO Industry Advisory, and produces proprietary knowledge assets including the GEOINT Essential Body of Knowledge (EBK), Open Geospatial Compendium, and Anthology.

USGIF's revenue is generated through three primary streams: membership fees (organizational tiers including Strategic, Premier, Associate, Sustaining, Small Business, and Academic, plus individual memberships), event sponsorships and registration fees (symposium registration $249-$2,199 depending on member status and timing; premier event sponsorships $15,000-$35,000; GEOGala sponsorship tiers $5,000-$25,000), and donations supporting educational programs including the USGIF Scholarship Program, GEOINT Certificate Program (accredited through partner universities), the Golden Ticket young professionals program, and K-12 outreach via Gateway Global. Pricing is transparent and publicly disclosed on usgif.org.

The foundation serves federal government partners including the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), U.S. Space Force, and Department of Defense, alongside an organizational membership base of defense contractors (Leidos, L3Harris, GDIT, RTX/Raytheon, Peraton), commercial satellite and analytics firms (Planet Labs Federal, Capella Space, Vantor, Albedo Space), and technology companies (Google Public Sector, AWS, NVIDIA, Esri). USGIF was founded by Stu Shea (Chairman, President and CEO of Peraton) and is currently led by CEO Ronda Schrenk, with Board Chair Robert Cardillo (former NGA Director) and VP for Strategic Development Gary Dunow (former NGA Associate Director for Enterprise).

Name

United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation

Legal name

United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation

Website

https://usgif.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

USGIF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation, founded in 2004 and based in Herndon, Virginia, that convenes the U.S. geospatial intelligence community. It operates the annual GEOINT Symposium, working groups, scholarship and certificate programs, and regional forums serving government agencies, defense contractors, and commercial GEOINT firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geospatial Intelligence Foundation Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK), Geospatial Data Management & Enterprise GIS (Geodatabases, Web GIS, Spatial Analytics) (EUAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Geospatial intelligence foundation
• GEOINT community building
• Intelligence community events
• GEOINT education programs
• Geospatial professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Herndon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: USGIF generates revenue through organizational and individual membership fees, providing benefits including access to working groups, events, and the GEOINT community network.
2. Event Sponsorships and Registration: Revenue from GEOINT Symposium registration fees (ranging from $249-$2,199 depending on category and timing), event sponsorships (Premier sponsorships at $15,000-$35,000), and various Gala sponsorship tiers ranging from $5,000-$25,000.
3. Educational Programs: Scholarship program and educational initiatives supported through donations and partnerships, including GEOINT certificate programs and academic accreditation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

USGIF is a nonprofit educational foundation that builds and sustains the geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) community through paid events, working groups, accredited educational programs, scholarships, and membership services. Its core sellable offerings include the annual GEOINT Symposium, GEOGala, GEOINTeraction Tuesday, Mission Focus events, Spatial EDGE international forums, GEOINT Foreword, working group participation, the GEOINT Certificate Program, and organizational/individual memberships.

Product overview

USGIF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and building a stronger GEOINT community. Rather than offering a unified software product, USGIF provides a portfolio of programs and events including the annual GEOINT Symposium (the world's largest GEOINT gathering), Working Groups (such as Machine Learning & AI, Maritime Domain Awareness, and Education), the GEOINT Certificate Program with university accreditation, the Scholarship Program supporting students from high school to PhD, GEOINT Essential Body of Knowledge (EBK), and competitive programs including the Golden Ticket Program and Student Poster Competition. The foundation also organizes recurring events including GEOGala (black-tie annual celebration), GEOINTeraction Tuesday (networking evenings), Mission Focus (mission-specific discussions), and Spatial EDGE (international forums). The Trajectory Event Center serves as USGIF's physical venue in Herndon, VA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GEOINT Symposium
• GEOGala
• GEOINTeraction Tuesday
• Mission Focus Events
• Spatial EDGE
• GEOINT Foreword
• Working Groups
• GEOINT Certificate Program
• USGIF Membership Program
• Trajectory Event Center
• Golden Ticket Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 attendees at annual GEOINT Symposium representing the nation's largest gathering of GEOINT professionals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.

• SPACETIDEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026SPACETIDE, a Japanese space industry organization, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with USGIF to collaborate on geospatial intelligence initiatives. The partnership was announced in March 2026 and includes the Spatial EDGE: Japan event hosted within the 2026 SPACETIDE Conference.
• SynMaxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSynMax leads USGIF's Maritime Domain Awareness Working Group to coordinate satellite operators, analytics firms, government agencies, and academic institutions. The initiative addresses industry-wide challenges including platform overload and advocates for greater standardization in data presentation and integration.
• Planet Labs FederalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanet Labs Federal partnered with NGA under the Luno B framework to deliver AI-enabled Maritime Domain Awareness technologies. The $12.8 million AAMOR contract combines Planet's daily satellite imagery with SynMax's Theia analytics platform for maritime operations and reconnaissance.
• Planet LabsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerVIP Reception Sponsor for GEOGala 2026; provides satellite imagery and is a leading organizational member supporting GEOINT community events
• Google Public SectorflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLive Auction Sponsor for GEOGala 2026; cloud and AI partner for GEOINT community
• LeidosflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGeoAI Stage sponsor for GEOINT Symposium 2026; defense and intelligence contractor and organizational member
• L3Harris TechnologiesflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee & Cordials Bar Sponsor for GEOGala 2026; defense technology partner
• GDITflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerDessert Reception Sponsor for GEOGala 2026; federal IT and digital transformation partner
• EsriflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerRed Carpet Photo Sponsor for GEOGala 2026; geographic information system software provider and GEOINT Foreword sponsor
• RTX (Raytheon)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGala-tini Bar Sponsor for GEOGala 2026; defense and aerospace contractor
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationMission Focus AI First Approaches sponsor; provides cloud infrastructure and AI/ML capabilities for GEOINT applications including the Maven program
• NVIDIAflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerScaling AI track sponsor for GEOINT Symposium 2026; provides GPU computing and AI platforms for GEOINT
• Capella SpaceflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGEOINT Data at Speed track sponsor for GEOINT Symposium 2026; SAR satellite imagery provider
• CarahsoftcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelcome Sponsor for GEOGala 2026; government technology reseller and distributor
• Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Innovative Tradecraft Competition; collaborative effort to demonstrate GEOINT solutions addressing mission problems through visualization and interoperability
• Gateway GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSGIF's only accredited high school program partner; provides GEOINT education outreach to high school students in St. Louis, East Illinois, and rural Missouri communities
• VantorsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerTribute Video Sponsor for GEOGala 2026; defense and intelligence solutions provider
• GRVTY Royce GeosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLight the Way Votives Sponsor for GEOGala 2026; geospatial solutions company
• MASY GroupsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCoat Check Sponsor for GEOGala 2026; professional services firm
• Albedo SpacesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for GEOINTeraction Colorado event featuring satellite cleanroom tours

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC): International geospatial-standards consortium and active USGIF partner. Comparable in mission (geospatial interoperability, community building) and stakeholder base (government, industry, academia), with a different focus on technical standards vs. USGIF's tradecraft/events emphasis.
• Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA): Nonprofit membership organization that, like USGIF, convenes government, industry, and academia across the U.S. intelligence community. Directly comparable in mission (IC tradecraft advancement), revenue model (membership + events), and stakeholder base.
• Space Foundation: 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that convenes the space industry via the Space Symposium and educational programs. Closely comparable in foundation model, defense/intel stakeholder base, education-pipeline focus, and flagship-event-driven revenue model.
• ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing): Professional society for the geospatial and remote-sensing community, with overlapping membership, conferences, certification, and scholarship programs. Most direct U.S. peer in the technical geospatial domain, though smaller in scope than USGIF's IC focus.

Others

• SatNews: Trade publisher and event organizer covering the commercial space and satellite industry. Adjacent rather than directly competitive: comparable in industry-news/content role and satellite-industry audience, but a for-profit media company rather than a nonprofit foundation.

Broad incumbents

• AAG (American Association of Geographers): Long-standing academic and professional society covering geography, GIS, and geospatial methods. Comparable in education/scholarship programs, academic accreditation, and conference model, but with a broader academic and civilian focus vs. USGIF's IC/industry orientation.
• I/ITSEC (Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference): Large annual defense simulation/training conference with similar size (~4,000+ attendees), sponsor monetization, and IC/defense audience. Comparable in event scale and revenue model, though focused on modeling, simulation, and training rather than GEOINT specifically.
• National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA): Larger, established defense-industry trade association with similar membership/event/working-group structure. Overlaps with USGIF on government-industry convening but operates broadly across defense rather than specializing in GEOINT.

Regional players

• GEO Business (Diversified Communications): Major U.K.-based geospatial industry event and conference series. Comparable in event-driven community convening and vendor sponsorship model, but operates primarily in EMEA rather than North America/IC ecosystem.
• Defence Geospatial Intelligence (DGI) Conference: Long-running European defense-GEOINT conference that, like USGIF's GEOINT Symposium, brings together military, intelligence, and industry GEOINT leaders. Comparable in audience and use case, but with a European/EMEA geographic anchor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation