What KnowledgeWorks does

KnowledgeWorks Foundation is a nonprofit education transformation organization founded in 2000 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, with 101-250 employees. The organization works with state education agencies, K-12 school districts, and individual educators to advance personalized, competency-based learning systems across the United States. Its primary clients include state departments of education in North Dakota, Kentucky, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, alongside district-level engagements and a national educator network.

The organization does not sell a commercial technology product. Its core offerings consist of proprietary frameworks (State Policy Framework for Personalized Learning, Portrait of a Leader, Portrait of a Graduate, Educator Competencies, Finding Your Path navigation tool), strategic foresight publications (seven Future Forecasts published since 2006), interactive policy data visualizations (State of CBE Maps co-developed with FullScale and the Aurora Institute), professional development workshops delivered by former teachers and administrators, technical assistance engagements, and the Lead for Learners national network of education leaders.

KnowledgeWorks generates revenue through multi-year, place-based state and district partnership contracts for technical assistance and professional development, legislative appropriations (e.g., a $1 million North Dakota investment in 2025), competitive government grants (collaboration on the FY2022 $21 million CGSA program), and philanthropic foundation grants (notably a $7.4 million Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation award in 2007). The organization has historically incubated and spun off initiatives — New Tech Network (2014), StriveTogether (2017), and StrivePartnership (2020) — establishing a pattern of building programs within the foundation before releasing them as autonomous entities.

Name

KnowledgeWorks

Legal name

KnowledgeWorks Foundation

Website

https://knowledgeworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KnowledgeWorks Foundation is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit founded in 2000 that partners with U.S. state education agencies, K-12 districts, and educators to advance personalized, competency-based learning through policy frameworks, professional development, foresight publications, and the Lead for Learners national network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Transformation Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Adaptive/Personalized Curriculum & Intelligent Courseware (EDAFACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Learning Strategy, Instructional Design & Content Development (BPACANAG), Interactive Practice & Skill-Building (Drills, Games, Mastery Practice) (EDAFACAC)

Keywords

• Education policy consulting
• Competency-based learning services
• K-12 systems transformation
• Professional development workshops
• Strategic foresight publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. State and District Partnership Agreements: KnowledgeWorks generates revenue through long-term, place-based partnerships with state education agencies and school districts. These partnerships involve contracted technical assistance, professional development delivery, policy consulting, and facilitation services. Engagement terms are multi-year and structured around co-developed workplans.
2. Legislative and Government Grants: Government funding through legislative appropriations (e.g., $1 million legislative investment in North Dakota in 2025) and competitive grant programs. In FY2022, Congress invested $21 million for the CGSA program with KnowledgeWorks collaborating as a key stakeholder.
3. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from philanthropic organizations, including a $7.4 million award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2007 for the Ohio High School Transformation Initiative.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

KnowledgeWorks is an education transformation organization that delivers customized technical assistance, professional development, facilitation, and policy consulting to state education agencies and K-12 school districts advancing personalized, competency-based learning. Its core offerings include strategic foresight publications (the Future Forecast Series), proprietary frameworks (Portrait of a Leader, Portrait of a Graduate/Learner, State Policy Framework, Educator Competencies, Finding Your Path navigation tool), interactive policy data products (State of CBE Maps), and the Lead for Learners national educator network. Services are delivered through direct, multi-year place-based partnerships rather than commercial product sales.

Product overview

KnowledgeWorks is an education transformation organization offering a portfolio of strategic services, frameworks, tools, and publications focused on personalized, competency-based learning. The core offering includes the Lead for Learners national network, the Portrait of a Leader and Portrait of a Graduate frameworks, the State Policy Framework for Personalized Learning, and strategic foresight publications including the Forecast 7 series. These products work together as an integrated ecosystem: KnowledgeWorks provides strategic foresight and visioning tools (Forecasts, Portrait frameworks), policy frameworks and innovation guides, professional development workshops and technical assistance, and a national peer network. The Finding Your Path navigation tool and Educator Competencies framework support implementation, while publications like Vision-Led, Learner-Driven provide guidance for transformation. The State of CBE Maps offer data visualization of policy landscapes across all 50 states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lead for Learners Network A national network of education leaders dedicated to systems transformation through personalized, competency-based learning. Provides monthly strategy workshops, asynchronous professional learning courses, and virtual peer-to-peer networking opportunities for educators and school leaders.
• Portrait of a Leader A framework defining the essential knowledge, skills, and mindsets educators need to lead sustainable, learner-centered change within educational systems, with competency-based progressions for personalized leadership development. Designed for K-12 school districts and state education agencies building leadership capacity for personalized learning.
• Portrait of a Graduate/Learner A tool used by K-12 school districts to identify the essential skills, knowledge, and dispositions graduates need to succeed in an uncertain future. Used to build shared vision across school communities for personalized, competency-based learning.
• State Policy Framework for Personalized Learning A policy framework establishing an end-state policy structure for advancing student-centered and competency-based approaches at the state level. Includes conditions states need to tackle as they refine and transform policy systems.
• Finding Your Path Navigation Tool A navigation tool designed to help learning communities understand conditions for sustainable systems change and develop strategic plans for district-wide transformation to personalized, competency-based learning.
• Charting a New Course for Education (Forecast 7) KnowledgeWorks' seventh anchor forecast exploring how four drivers of change might shape the future of learning over the next decade. Part of the Future Forecast Series of strategic foresight publications.
• Vision-Led, Learner-Driven A publication helping learning communities spark transformation toward personalized, competency-based learning and confident, skilled learners.
• Educator Competencies for Personalized, Learner-Centered Teaching A customizable framework highlighting teacher competencies essential for preparing students to succeed in an increasingly complex world. Designed as a tool to guide educator development and professional learning.
• IMPACT: Learning Edition A board game that helps people in learning communities think about and discuss the education futures they want.
• State of CBE Maps Interactive maps developed with FullScale showing which policies key to student-centered learning innovation are present across all 50 states and Washington D.C., updated regularly to reflect policy change and show movement toward competency-based systems.
• Future Forecast Series Comprehensive forecasts on the future of learning published since 2006, examining critical issues, identifying future possibilities, and suggesting ways to translate insights about the future into action today. Includes seven major forecasts (2006 Map of Future Forces; 2010 2020 Forecast; 2012 Forecast 3.0; 2015 Forecast 4; 2018 Forecast 5; 2022 Forecast 6; 2025 Forecast 7).
• Policy Primers and Innovation Guides Resources created in partnership with state and district leaders to help school and district leaders design and scale new learning models, highlighting policy flexibilities that can be leveraged. Includes the Kentucky Innovation Guide, North Dakota Innovation Guide, Pennsylvania Innovation Guide, Arizona Policy Primer, and others.
• Professional Development Workshops and Technical Assistance Tailored professional development workshops and technical assistance delivered by former teachers, principals, and superintendents to help state education agencies and districts implement personalized, competency-based learning. Engagements are customized based on educator needs and readiness level.

Quantifiable outcome

• 0% math gains gap — personalized learning environments equal to peers in traditional schools
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, minor and former.

• Valley City State University (VCSU)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership to establish the North Dakota Intermediary for Innovative Education at VCSU, backed by a $1 million legislative investment in 2025. The intermediary serves as the hub for professional learning statewide and the permanent home for the North Dakota Personalized Learning Network (300+ members across 5 higher education institutions and 16 school districts). KnowledgeWorks continues as strategic partner, aligning policy and practice while accelerating teacher leadership and scaling effective approaches.
• North Dakota Personalized Learning NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn educator-driven community with over 300 members including five higher education institutions and 16 school districts in North Dakota. The network aims to ensure long-term sustainability of learner-centered education in the state and is housed at VCSU as part of the North Dakota Intermediary for Innovative Education.
• Center for the Future of ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched the 'Permission Granted' initiative with Northern Arizona University, aimed at helping Arizona school systems translate existing policy flexibilities into practical actions to improve student success. The program includes a Policy Primer and Innovation Guide to clarify permissible policies.
• Northern Arizona UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the Center for the Future of Arizona to launch the 'Permission Granted' initiative, helping Arizona school systems use existing policy flexibility to improve student success.
• FullScalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop the State of CBE Maps — interactive maps showing which policies key to student-centered learning innovation are present across all 50 states and Washington D.C. Also collaborated on the FY2022 Congressional appropriation of $21 million for the CGSA program.
• Aurora InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop an interactive policy map showing how states are advancing student-centered, competency-based education. The map is a key resource for tracking policy change and identifying opportunities for growth.
• National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NASBE on high school transformation, including joint publication work on transcripts and competency-based education policy. KnowledgeWorks contributed to a report on reimagining diplomas with the Prichard Committee and Kentucky Department of Education.
• EDSAFE AI AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledgeWorks is a member of the EDSAFE AI Alliance Steering Committee, along with Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), Chiefs for Change, and EDC. The collective expertise spans higher ed, district leadership, learning science, and personalized learning to drive Safe, Accountable, Fair, and Effective AI policies and practices in education.
• Penn State Readiness Institute at Penn StateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with KnowledgeWorks, the second annual Penn State K-12 Sustainability Summit was hosted by the Readiness Institute at Penn State and Penn State Sustainability, bringing together K-12 and higher education stakeholders.
• iCivicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledgeWorks partnered with iCivics on a publication about civic education for democratic health and thriving futures, with KnowledgeWorks VP Katherine Prince co-authoring with iCivics Chief Education Officer Emma Humphries.
• Kentucky Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledgeWorks supported Kentucky's High School Transformation Working Group and produced the Kentucky Innovation Guide, providing a roadmap for exploring innovative learning opportunities in the commonwealth. The guide has allowed more school systems to embark on personalized, competency-based transformations.
• Nevada Center for the Future of LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with KnowledgeWorks to create a Portrait of Learner from community level up, launch the Nevada Future of Learning Network, and inform commission efforts driving a 10-year plan for education in Nevada.
• North Dakota Department of Public InstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReleased its K-12 innovation guide created in partnership with KnowledgeWorks, bringing together exemplars of districts leveraging state policy flexibilities to advance competency-based education structures.
• Utah State Board of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for educator competencies workshops providing professional development that helps teachers positively impact their profession. KnowledgeWorks delivered workshops on competencies, and participants noted the value in helping teachers stay in the classroom.
• Remake LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished the Pennsylvania Innovation Guide in partnership with KnowledgeWorks to support those interested in creating personalized educational experiences in their communities.
• Advance CTE and Education Commission of the StatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledgeWorks' Emily Brixey partnered with Advance CTE and Education Commission of the States to examine how policy can support more learner-driven systems, highlighting state policy in Arizona, Delaware, and Montana.
• TranscendminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledgeWorks' Lillian Pace and Jon Alfuth reviewed a Transcend white paper on modernizing state assessments, and KnowledgeWorks contributed to 'A Bridge to the Future of State Assessment' publication.
• New Tech NetworkformerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired in 2009 and spun off as a standalone organization in 2014. New Tech Network helps establish schools with project-based learning environments across the country. The spin-off allowed the network to continue and expand its success independently.
• StriveTogether (formerly StrivePartnership)formerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished as StrivePartnership in 2006 (Cincinnati area), expanded nationally as StriveTogether in 2010, and spun off as a standalone organization in 2017 to focus on collective impact in communities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• StriveTogether: Cradle-to-career collective impact network spun off from KnowledgeWorks in 2017. Engages the same school districts and community stakeholders on systemic change, making it a directly comparable peer in systems-change work.
• Aurora Institute: Competitor and collaborator in competency-based, student-centered learning policy. KnowledgeWorks and Aurora jointly produce the State of CBE policy map. Aurora is the most directly comparable peer on personalized-learning policy advocacy and research.
• Chiefs for Change: Network of state and district education leaders focused on systems transformation. Board member Robert Runcie serves as interim leader. Operates in overlapping district/systems change space with similar policy-advocacy capability.
• New Tech Network: Project-based learning school network spun off from KnowledgeWorks in 2014. Operates in the same K-12 personalized/competency-based learning category and competes for similar district transformation engagements.
• Transcend Education: Nonprofit that designs and spreads innovative school models, including competency-based and personalized learning. KnowledgeWorks' leaders have collaborated with Transcend on assessment modernization. Strong overlap on district-level transformation support.
• CAST: Nonprofit focused on Universal Design for Learning and competency-based instruction. Board member Lindsay Jones is CAST's CEO. Operates in overlapping K-12 personalized learning and educator capacity-building space.
• International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE): Provides consulting, professional development, and conferences to districts on personalized and competency-based learning. Directly competes with KnowledgeWorks on PD workshops and district transformation advisory services.

Broad incumbents

• Jobs for the Future (JFF): Larger national nonprofit driving workforce and education transformation, including competency-based pathways. Overlaps with KnowledgeWorks on district/state transformation but operates at significantly greater scale and broader scope.
• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): Membership organization of state education chiefs that influences federal and state policy. KnowledgeWorks' State Policy Framework maps directly to CCSSO priorities, making it a relevant institutional peer for policy advisory work.
• National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE): State board of education membership organization that partners with KnowledgeWorks on high school transformation. Comparable in serving state-level education policymakers but operates as a broader membership body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/knowledgeworks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/KnowledgeWorks
• Facebookfacebook.com/KnowledgeWorks.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knowledgeworks-
• Instagraminstagram.com/weareknowledgeworks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 KnowledgeWorks