Black Girls Leadership Academy

What Black Girls Leadership Academy does

Black Girls Leadership Academy (BGLA) is a national 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It serves young Black girls and women aged 11 to 24 through a multi-program portfolio centered on three pillars: Access (mentorship), Enrichment (leadership training and age-specific curriculum), and Opportunity (community service projects). Core programs include a 6-month bi-annual Mentorship Program pairing mentees with adult mentors, an Academic Fellowship with 3-month, 6-month, and academic-year tracks that may yield academic credit, the annual ELEVATE Summit (a 5-day virtual leadership conference — 2025 theme 'Reclaiming Our Narrative' running October 20-24), and a forthcoming Global Service Initiative launching with an inaugural Jamaica pilot in July/August 2026.

The organization operates without proprietary technology. Its infrastructure consists of a Squarespace website (blackgirlslead.org), Tally.so and Google Forms for program applications, Zoom for virtual events, Stripe and PayPal for payment processing, and social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) for outreach. No mobile app, API, or AI/ML capability is offered. Programs are delivered virtually and through community-based cohorts; no physical office locations are disclosed.

BGLA's revenue model is donation-dependent, accepting one-time, weekly, and monthly contributions at suggested tiers of $10, $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, or custom amounts. The Global Service Initiative introduces a paid participant fee of $2,000-$2,500 inclusive of travel, lodging, meals, and project expenses. The organization actively solicits corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and university partnerships to support scholarships and program operations. BGLA employs 1-10 staff and is led by co-founders Jazzalyn Livingston and Victoria Gichohi with a board including educators, a US Army Reserve career counselor, and an academic fellow.

Name

Black Girls Leadership Academy

Legal name

Black Girls Leadership Academy

Website

https://blackgirlslead.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Girls Leadership Academy is a 501c3 nonprofit, founded 2020 in Los Angeles, that runs mentorship, an academic fellowship, an annual virtual leadership summit, and a forthcoming Global Service Initiative for Black girls and women ages 11 to 24 across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Leadership Development and Mentorship

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL) (EDAKAMAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leadership, Character Education & Values Development (EDAMAIAG), Cultural, Identity & Inclusion Programs (EDALAHAF)

Keywords

• Youth mentorship programs
• Leadership development
• Nonprofit education
• Community service programs
• Cultural enrichment

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization accepts one-time, weekly, and monthly donations at various tiers ($10, $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, and custom amounts). Donations support programs and resources for young Black girls and women leaders.
2. Event Registration: The ELEVATE Summit appears to be free to attend based on available registration information.
3. Global Service Initiative Participant Fees: The Global Service Initiative charges $2,000-$2,500 per participant, inclusive of travel, lodging, meals, and project expenses for the week-long Jamaica trip.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BGLA delivers leadership development for young Black girls and women ages 11-24 through four core programs: a 6-month Mentorship Program pairing mentees with adult mentors, an Academic Fellowship supporting curriculum and program work over 3-12 months, the annual 5-day virtual ELEVATE Summit, and the Global Service Initiative connecting participants with Black Diaspora heritage through cultural service trips. Programs emphasize emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being alongside cultural identity cultivation, with participants progressing through Access (mentorship), Enrichment (training and curriculum), and Opportunity (community service projects).

Product overview

Black Girls Leadership Academy is a national 501c3 nonprofit organization offering a multi-program portfolio focused on leadership development for young Black girls and women ages 11-24. The core offerings include: the Mentorship Program (6-month commitment pairing mentees with mentors), the Academic Fellowship (3-12 month program with potential academic credit), the ELEVATE Summit (annual 5-day virtual leadership conference), and the Global Service Initiative (cultural immersion trips). Supporting infrastructure includes a Volunteer Program (guest speakers, interns, community helpers) and a Donation Platform for supporters. The organization achieves its mission through three pillars: Access (mentorship), Enrichment (leadership trainings and curriculum), and Opportunity (community service projects).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mentorship Program A 6-month mentorship program connecting young Black girls and women (ages 11-24) with adult mentors who share similar professional and personal interests; mentors engage monthly to develop and empower their mentees. Applications open year-round with interviews each spring and cohorts starting in summer.
• Academic Fellowship Fellowship program lasting 3 months, 6 months, or one academic year in which students work with Academy leaders, educators, and mentors on curriculum development, program implementation, communications/marketing, research analysis, and event planning; fellows may earn academic credit and receive a certificate of participation and recommendation letter.
• ELEVATE Summit Annual 5-day virtual event (held via Zoom) designed to Enhance Leadership, Empower Values, and Teach Excellence to Black women and girls; features wellness, financial empowerment, education, and career-advancement workshops, plus networking sessions and career panels. The 2025 edition under the theme 'Reclaiming Our Narrative' runs October 20-24, 2025.
• Global Service Initiative An expansion program connecting Black women and girls with the cultural heritage of the Black Diaspora through impactful service projects and immersive cultural experiences. The inaugural pilot trip is planned for late July/early August 2026 to Jamaica, with participant costs of $2,000-$2,500 inclusive of travel, lodging, meals, and project expenses.
• Volunteer Program Service-oriented volunteer opportunities including Guest Speakers (presentations on financial literacy, college development, professionalism, mentorship training), Interns (leadership, engagement, programming, media), and Community Helpers (support for programmatic efforts, College Expos/Tours, and ELEVATE Summit).

Quantifiable outcome

• A mentee was accepted Early Decision to NYU with mentor guidance on college prep

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universities & Educational InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGLA seeks partnerships with universities and educational institutions for service-learning projects and curriculum development as part of the Global Service Initiative. These partnerships would enable collaborative educational experiences and academic credit opportunities for participants.
• Corporate SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsors are sought to provide in-kind sponsorships, matching fund opportunities, and professional expertise for BGLA programs and the Global Service Initiative.
• Local Organizations (Grassroots)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGLA partners with grassroots local organizations dedicated to advancing the rights and well-being of Black girls and women, providing both financial and human resource support. The inaugural Global Service Initiative pilot trip to Jamaica (July/August 2026) will involve local partnerships.
• JAF (Joshua A. Foster)minorOthersJAF is credited as the site creator for the BGLA website (blackgirlslead.org). Their logo appears on the sponsors page.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Black Girls Rock!: Founded by Beverly Bond, Black Girls Rock! is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Black girls and young women through mentorship, education, and an annual awards/mentorship showcase. It targets the same demographic as BGLA (Black girls and women) and operates the same combination of mentorship, leadership development, and high-visibility events.
• BYP100 (Black Youth Project 100): BYP100 is a national youth-led organization of Black 18–35-year-olds building organizing, advocacy, and leadership capacity for Black liberation. It overlaps with BGLA on the older end of BGLA's 11–24 demographic, with shared leadership/mentorship programming for young Black people.
• Higher Heights for America: Higher Heights for America builds the political and economic power of Black women through leadership pipelines, civic engagement, and mentorship. It is directly comparable to BGLA in mission (Black women/girls leadership), programming style (fellowships, networks, summits), and beneficiary focus.
• Sadie Nash Leadership Project: Sadie Nash Leadership Project runs leadership and mentorship programming for young women and girls in New York City, including summer institutes and ongoing cohorts. It is a direct peer to BGLA's mentorship model with the same life-skills/leadership curriculum, but its primary footprint is NYC-focused.
• The Young Women's Leadership Network: YWLN operates a network of all-girls public schools and leadership programs focused on college-bound young women from underserved communities. While more school-based than BGLA, it shares the youth-women leadership, mentorship, and college-prep framing.
• Black Women's Blueprint: Black Women's Blueprint centers Black women and girls through organizing, leadership development, and gender-based violence prevention programming. It is directly comparable to BGLA's mission of addressing systemic marginalization and providing leadership pathways for Black women and girls.

Broad incumbents

• National Council of Negro Women: NCNW is an established national nonprofit advocating for Black women and girls through programs in education, health, and economic empowerment. It is a broader incumbent that touches many of the same problem areas as BGLA but operates at a much larger historical scale and broader demographic.
• Girls Inc. Girls Inc. is a national nonprofit network operating mentoring, STEM, and leadership programming for girls across the U.S. It is a broader incumbent in the girls-leadership space with an established affiliate model, but it does not specifically center Black girls and women as BGLA does.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BlackGirlsLead1

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Black Girls Leadership Academy