Mindleaps
MindLeaps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses a dance-based curriculum and proprietary Tracker M&E system to develop cognitive and social-emotional skills in at-risk children across Rwanda, Guinea, Uganda, Mauritania, North Macedonia, and the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Mindleaps does
MindLeaps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, originally founded as the Rebecca Davis Dance Company in 2005 in Philadelphia and rebranded under its current name in 2014, that develops cognitive and social-emotional skills in at-risk children and youth through a dance-based curriculum. Its flagship Dance & Data Program targets children and families in under-resourced communities across five current program countries — Rwanda, Guinea, Uganda, Mauritania, and the United States — plus partnership-delivered activities in North Macedonia and historical programs in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kenya. The organization reports serving roughly 3,730 children and families annually and 10,000+ alumni cumulatively since 2014, with measured outcomes including an average 35% improvement in social-emotional learning skills, a 95% student retention rate after the initial two-week period, and 70% of program completers performing in the top quintile of their academic cohort.
The core technical asset is the proprietary Tracker system, co-developed with Carnegie Mellon University and Drexel University, which uses an Android tablet-based kinesthetic rubric to score children on seven skills — memorization, grit, teamwork, discipline, self-esteem, creativity, and language — and syncs to a web dashboard that renders individual learning curves. The Virtual Academy, created during the COVID-19 shutdown, extends the offering through WhatsApp and Zoom-based courses in digital literacy, entrepreneurship, project management, child development, and reproductive health, delivered in five languages. MindLeaps operates owned permanent centers in Kigali (Jim Bell Centre, 1,500+ youth), Conakry (38,000 sq ft Guinea hub opened 2023), and Kampala (2021), and licenses a Toolkit Suite of curriculum, Tracker, and Train-the-Trainer support to implementing partners such as UNHCR, HIAS, SOS Children's Village, and the Sumnal Roma Association.
The revenue model is non-commercial: MindLeaps is funded via individual donations, recurring child-sponsorship subscriptions (tiers from $1-$41 to $84+ per month), corporate and foundation grants (Goldman Sachs, Orange Foundation, Together Women Rise, US Embassy Julia Taft Fund), and in-kind contributions (Android tablets, laptops, audio gear). All beneficiary services are delivered free of charge. Marketing and donor acquisition run through owned digital channels, newsletter (3,000 subscribers), earned media (CNN, Huffington Post), Artistic Ambassador engagements (Misty Copeland, LaMar Baylor), and direct corporate partnership outreach.
Mindleaps firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mindleaps
- Legal name
- MindLeaps
- Website
- https://mindleaps.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MindLeaps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses a dance-based curriculum and proprietary Tracker M&E system to develop cognitive and social-emotional skills in at-risk children across Rwanda, Guinea, Uganda, Mauritania, North Macedonia, and the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mindleaps industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Youth Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), Computer Training (611420), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile Learning & Microlearning Authoring Tools (EDAFAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD), Foundational Computer & Device Literacy (EDAAAIAA)
Keywords
Where Mindleaps is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Mindleaps business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: General donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission to help at-risk children through dance and education programs.
- Child Sponsorship: Monthly recurring sponsorship program where donors support specific children in school. Tiers range from Education Program Sponsors ($1-$41/month), Day School Sponsors ($42-$83/month), to Boarding School Sponsors ($84+/month). Sponsorship covers tuition, uniforms, supplies, meal support, health insurance, and tutoring.
- Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from corporate partners, foundations, and government entities including Goldman Sachs, Orange Foundation, Together Women Rise, US Embassy programs, and various other institutional donors.
- In-Kind Donations: Corporate partnerships providing Android tablets, laptops, smartphones, audio equipment, and other in-kind support for programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Education Program Sponsors ($1-$41 monthly) - Receive annual Zoom meeting invitation and cohort progress reports |
| Subscription | Monthly | Day School Sponsors ($42-$83 monthly) - Receive photo, three progress reports per year, and annual reports |
| Subscription | Monthly | Boarding School Sponsors ($84+ monthly) - Receive video recordings, photos, and premium benefits |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Mindleaps product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MindLeaps is a nonprofit that delivers dance-based educational programs to at-risk children and youth, using a standardized five-module curriculum that develops seven cognitive and social-emotional skills (memorization, grit, teamwork, discipline, self-esteem, creativity, language). Its core delivery is supported by the proprietary Tracker software (an Android-based monitoring and evaluation system co-developed with Carnegie Mellon and Drexel Universities) and the Virtual Academy online learning platform covering digital literacy, entrepreneurship, project management, communications, and child development.
Product overview
MindLeaps is a not-for-profit organization offering educational programs for at-risk children and youth through the creative arts. The core offering is the Dance & Data Program—a kinesthetic-based curriculum that develops seven cognitive and social-emotional skills through dance. This is supported by the Tracker System (an Android-based data collection and analytics tool developed with Carnegie Mellon and Drexel Universities), the Virtual Academy (online learning platform), Education and IT programs, and Family Strengthening initiatives. MindLeaps operates permanent centers in Rwanda, Guinea, and Uganda, with additional programs in Mauritania, North Macedonia, USA, and via partnership models globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tracker: A data-driven monitoring and evaluation software system and mobile application that measures changes in cognitive skills and social-emotional learning through dance-based assessment rubrics.
- Virtual Academy
Products and services
- Dance & Data Program Flagship educational program that uses dance as a vehicle to develop seven cognitive and social-emotional skills in at-risk children and youth ages 7-18, delivered via a five-module standardized curriculum.
- Tracker System Proprietary Android tablet and web-based monitoring & evaluation software that captures individual kinesthetic-based data and generates skill development curves for the seven core cognitive and social-emotional skills.
- Virtual Academy Online learning platform that delivers courses in Digital Literacy, Business Entrepreneurship, Project Management & Budgeting, Communications, Child Development, Inclusion, Social Media & Marketing, and Sexual & Reproductive Health via WhatsApp and low-resolution videos in English, French, Kinyarwanda, Arabic, and Swahili.
- Child Sponsorship Program Recurring monthly sponsorship program where donors support specific children's education costs (tuition, uniforms, supplies, meal support, health insurance, tutoring), structured in three benefit tiers ranging from $1 to $84+ per month.
- Train The Trainer Program Capacity-building program that trains local dance teachers, youth leaders, and community members to implement the MindLeaps dance curriculum and use the Tracker system in their own organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 35% improvement in cognitive and social-emotional skills on average after program completion
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Mindleaps
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mindleaps technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Mindleaps partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Sumnal (Association for Development of the Roma Community)corePartnership extended Protection program to over 60 Roma youth. Included performance at Skopje Creative Fest during summer 2024.
- Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES)majorPartnership for DARE (Depolarization Activism for Resilient Europe) Program training seven instructors on Civic Engagement and Disinformation for high schools across North Macedonia.
- Queens Community HousemajorExpanded to Jackson Heights, Queens in 2024 through Beacon program at Public School 149, serving children ages 8-12 in after-school program.
- SOS Children's Village North MacedoniacorePartnership began September 2023 to relaunch Protection activities in Skopje with trained instructors. Program served 26 children initially, culminating in performance at US Embassy.
- Sunrise of PhiladelphiamajorExtended program launched January 2023 providing after school and summer programs for students grades K-12, particularly focused on English Language Learners.
- Children of Promise NYCcoreFirst US partner - after-school program and summer day camp specifically created for kids whose parents or guardians are incarcerated.
- Orange Foundation GuineacoreProvided technological equipment including 20 tablets, 10 computers, 2 Wi-Fi antennas, projector, printer for Women's Digital Dreams Center. Ongoing support for digital education programs.
- Together Women RisecoreNon-profit giving circle dedicated to empowering women and girls living in extreme poverty. Funded 'Building Our Bodies and Our Lives' holistic program in Mauritania serving 120 girls across 12 months.
- Kisumu Urban Apostolate ProgramsmajorPartnership for children with special learning needs in Kisumu, Kenya. Launched new inclusive curriculum serving 235 children.
- UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)coreMindLeaps program with UNHCR launched in 2018 with 60 youth leaders from six refugee camps in Rwanda. Refugee youth trained as dance trainers to implement programs in their home camps. Through 2019, MindLeaps served 450 children and youth in refugee camps.
- KiwimbimajorLocal NGO in Kenya creating Community Learning Centers to support education. MindLeaps provided dance classes to 150 youth for three months in Amagoro.
- HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society)corePartnership began in 2017 in Kampala to work with urban refugee children. HIAS is an international NGO facilitating refugee resettlement around the world.
- SOS Pairs EducateurscorePartnership in Nouakchott, Mauritania. First program in 2017 ran dance classes for 117 street children and juvenile offenders. Continued collaboration for girls' education programs.
- Guinea EdugrademajorLocal NGO partnered to offer STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) summer camp program for vulnerable youth in 2016.
- Centre Cyprien et Daphrose Rugamba (CECYDAR)majorFormerly FidesCo Rwanda. Partnered with MindLeaps from 2011-13 to administer dance and IT program for street children in Kigali.
- Carnegie Mellon UniversitycoreCollaboration to develop Tracker software system. Carnegie Mellon students and faculty developed software to capture daily data on cognitive skills and generate skill development curves.
- RINGO, Nešto Vise, B-DancemajorConsortium of local organizations for Bridging Mostar Youth program in divided city of Mostar, providing multi-disciplinary dance program for underserved children.
- Svitac ('Firefly')majorLocal partner organization in Brčko, Bosnia-Herzegovina for Naš Svijet ('Our World') project starting 2009. Ran summer dance workshops for multi-ethnic youth.
- Save Street Children UgandamajorLocal Ugandan organization working with MindLeaps to embed dance methodology in existing services for at-risk youth.
- Rockies Troupe UgandamajorTraditional dance group whose talented youth were trained and became assistant teachers of the MindLeaps dance curriculum.
- Drexel UniversitycoreDr. Janelle Junkin from Drexel University analyzed weekly data patterns and collaborated on research paper 'Leaping from Street Life to School'.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mindleaps competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Education Through Music: Nonprofit that partners with schools to provide music-based education for disadvantaged children. Closely mirrors MindLeaps' model of leveraging arts instruction as a vehicle for cognitive and social-emotional development, though focused on music rather than dance and primarily in US schools.
- buildOn: Nonprofit delivering education programs to children in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable operating model combining direct service delivery, partner replication, and outcome measurement in similar geographies where MindLeaps works.
- Dancing Classrooms: Nonprofit using ballroom dance to teach social-emotional skills and respect to elementary school children, primarily in the US. The closest methodological peer to MindLeaps given its near-identical thesis that dance instruction can drive social-emotional development in underserved children.
- Pencils of Promise: Nonprofit building schools and developing education programs in developing countries, including Ghana, Guatemala, Laos, and Nicaragua. Comparable model of combining infrastructure with structured educational programs for at-risk children, with strong donor sponsorship and individual child-sponsorship tiers similar to MindLeaps'.
- Magic Bus: Nonprofit using activity-based learning (sports, arts) to take children out of poverty in India and parts of Africa. Most directly comparable peer to MindLeaps given its use of dance/arts as a delivery mechanism for life-skills education among at-risk youth.
Broad incumbents
- Room to Read: Global nonprofit focused on literacy and gender equality in education across Africa and Asia. Comparable in operating permanent centers and partnership models in low-income countries and tracking child outcomes, but larger scale and more focused on formal literacy.
- War Child: International NGO protecting and supporting children affected by war. Overlaps with MindLeaps on its focus on conflict-affected and refugee youth, psychosocial support, and programs in East and West Africa, though War Child operates at a larger scale and broader programmatic scope.
- Right To Play: Global NGO using sport and play to protect and educate children in developing regions. Comparable to MindLeaps in using a non-traditional vehicle (sport vs. dance) to develop life skills for at-risk youth, with comparable geographic presence in Africa and refugee contexts, but at materially larger scale.
- Free The Children / WE Charity: International development and youth empowerment organization with programming for at-risk children in developing countries. Comparable mission around youth education and empowerment, with a broader portfolio including schools, clean water, and youth-led development.
- International Youth Foundation: Global nonprofit working to improve the conditions and prospects of young people, particularly in developing countries. Overlaps with MindLeaps in targeting at-risk youth and operating multi-country programs, though IYF operates at a much larger scale and funds/advises other implementers.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mindleaps social profiles
Digital presenceMindleaps financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mindleaps leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Mindleaps funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mindleaps 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 Mindleaps
What does Mindleaps do?
MindLeaps is a nonprofit that delivers dance-based educational programs to at-risk children and youth, using a standardized five-module curriculum that develops seven cognitive and social-emotional skills (memorization, grit, teamwork, discipline, self-esteem, creativity, language). Its core delivery is supported by the proprietary Tracker software (an Android-based monitoring and evaluation system co-developed with Carnegie Mellon and Drexel Universities) and the Virtual Academy online learning platform covering digital literacy, entrepreneurship, project management, communications, and child development.
Is Mindleaps a public or private company?
Mindleaps is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Mindleaps founded?
Mindleaps was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mindleaps based?
Mindleaps is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mindleaps make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are child Sponsorship, corporate and Foundation Grants and in-Kind Donations.
Who are Mindleaps's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Education Through Music, buildOn, Dancing Classrooms, Pencils of Promise and Magic Bus. Broad incumbents are Room to Read, War Child, Right To Play, Free The Children / WE Charity and International Youth Foundation.
Does Mindleaps have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mindleaps.
What industry is Mindleaps in?
Mindleaps's product category is Nonprofit Youth Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAHAE, Mobile Learning & Microlearning Authoring Tools, with a secondary code of EDAMAHAD, Innovation & Design Thinking Programs. Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8200.