LRNG
Nonprofit youth learning platform (Collective Shift) connecting in-school, out-of-school, employer, and online learning through digital badges, playlists, and city-based learning networks serving tens of thousands of young people across U.S. cities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersRedwood City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What LRNG does
LRNG, operated by the nonprofit Collective Shift, is a youth-learning initiative founded in 2014/2015 with the mission of redesigning learning for young people by connecting in-school, out-of-school, employer-based, and online learning experiences into a single recognized pathway. The organization is anchored by founding partners including the MacArthur Foundation, the National Writing Project, and the Show Me Campaign, with additional program funding from the Fossil Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, and others.
Its core product is the LRNG Platform, launched in Spring 2016, which delivers playlists, digital badges, learning paths, and the Passion Collector mobile app to translate interest-driven learning into employer-recognized credentials. Demand is generated through city-based learning networks — Cities of LRNG — operating in Chicago, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and the San Francisco Bay Area, with footprint expanding from 4 to 15 cities during 2016. Scale signals include approximately 60,000 youth in Chicago, 34,000+ in Dallas, and 300 credentials in Pittsburgh.
The business model is nonprofit and grant-funded rather than commercial. LRNG monetizes through philanthropic grants (e.g., the 2016 City Challenge with Fossil Foundation grants of up to $50K per city) and corporate partner coalitions (Microsoft, GAP, Fossil, EA) that provide employer-recognized content and pathways. There is no disclosed pricing model, subscription, or fee-based revenue; the end users (youth) are not paying customers, and the beneficiaries of the platform are learners, schools, employers, and youth-serving organizations.
LRNG firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LRNG
- Legal name
- Collective Shift
- Website
- https://lrng.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nonprofit youth learning platform (Collective Shift) connecting in-school, out-of-school, employer, and online learning through digital badges, playlists, and city-based learning networks serving tens of thousands of young people across U.S. cities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LRNG industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Learning Platform
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), All Other Miscellaneous Schools and Instruction (611699)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) & Learning Portals (EDAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Social Learning & Community-Enabled LMS (EDAFAAAH), LMS Integrations, Interoperability & Identity (LTI/SCORM/xAPI, SSO, APIs) (EDAFAAAI), LMS Analytics, Insights & Learning Record Stores (LRS) (EDAFAAAJ)
Keywords
Where LRNG is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Redwood City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
LRNG business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Nonprofit/Funded Operations: LRNG operates as a nonprofit organization. Revenue is generated through grants and partnerships rather than product sales. The organization receives funding from foundations (MacArthur Foundation, Fossil Foundation) and corporate partners who co-design learning experiences.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
LRNG product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LRNG operates a digital learning platform that connects in-school, out-of-school, employer-based, and online learning experiences into a unified network for youth. The platform features Playlists (linked learning experiences, resources, and events), Digital Badges (verifiable micro-credentials), Learning Paths (interest-driven competency trajectories), and the Passion Collector mobile app. Cities of LRNG and LRNG Innovators are community and educator programs that expand the ecosystem geographically and programmatically.
Product overview
LRNG is a unified educational platform ecosystem built around its core technical platform that connects youth to learning experiences. The portfolio includes Playlists (linked learning activities), Digital Badges (micro-credentials for completed Playlists), and Learning Paths (interest-driven competency trajectories). The Passion Collector mobile app extends access to teens on-the-go. Cities of LRNG and LRNG Innovators are community and educator programs that expand the ecosystem geographically and programmatically.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cities of LRNG: Local learning network that links in-school, out-of-school, and employer-based learning opportunities across communities
- LRNG Innovators
- Passion Collector
- LRNG Playlists
- Digital Badges
Products and services
- LRNG Platform Central technical platform that serves as a connector, combining in-school, out-of-school, employer-based, and online learning experiences into a seamless open network for youth.
- Playlists Linked sets of learning Experiences, Resources, and Events—both in-person and online activities—that when completed lead to mastery of a skill or competency.
- Digital Badges Digital micro-credentials that document learning achievements; capstone awards earned upon completing a Playlist that can unlock additional learning challenges, mentorship, and internship opportunities.
- Passion Collector Mobile App Mobile application that helps teens define their interests through a quiz, recommends Playlists to develop skills, and guides career-choice decision-making.
- Learning Paths Interest-driven pathways that ladder up from completed Playlists, leading to mastery of skills and competencies.
- Cities of LRNG City-based local learning networks that link in-school, out-of-school, and employer-based learning opportunities across communities.
- LRNG Innovators A challenge program that invests in teams of teachers to develop partnerships and programs connecting in-school and out-of-school learning.
Companies that use LRNG
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
LRNG technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
LRNG partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.
- Electronic Arts (EA)flagshipWorking with LRNG to co-design first Playlist focusing on game design, teaching technical and workforce skills. First corporate partner to co-design learning experience.
- MicrosoftcorePartnering to co-design learning experiences for youth as part of LRNG ecosystem.
- GAPcorePartnering to co-design learning experiences for youth as part of LRNG ecosystem.
- FossilcorePartnering to co-design learning experiences for youth, with on-the-ground partnership in Dallas to introduce young people to careers in design.
- National Writing ProjectcoreDeveloped LRNG Innovators program supporting educator innovators. Co-founded LRNG in 2014. Partnered with John Legend for LRNG Innovators challenge.
- Collective ShiftcoreLRNG is a project of Collective Shift, a nonprofit organization. Collective Shift includes projects such as LRNG, Cities of LRNG, GlassLab, and the Badge Alliance.
- Mozilla FoundationcoreCo-launched Open Badges project in 2011. Member of Badge Alliance pushing forward badging ecosystem work.
- IMS Global Learning ConsortiumcorePartnered with Mozilla Foundation and Collective Shift to advance Badge Alliance work and ensure digital badges have clear and recognized value through conformance certification.
- Badge AlliancecoreInternational badging community working to develop a robust badging ecosystem. LRNG joined to support and extend the promise of alternative learning paths.
- DePaul University Digital Youth NetworkcoreAnchored Chicago's City of Learning effort since summer 2013, serving as national model. Engaged nearly 60,000 youth through partnerships with over 100 youth-serving institutions.
- DC TrustcoreLed the District of Learning in Washington D.C., fully launched in early 2015 with over 40 organizations involved in year-round ecosystem.
- Big ThoughtcoreManaging Dallas City of Learning. Brings together network of 200 partner organizations providing learning opportunities for 34,000+ youth.
- Sprout FundcoreSpearheaded Pittsburgh's pilot LRNG city since 2014. Led Summer Dreamers Academy badge integration with Pittsburgh Public Schools.
- One Summer ChicagomajorSummer youth employment program partnering with LRNG to connect youth to playlists and digital badges for workforce development.
- MHA LabsmajorWorkforce development organization partnering with LRNG to connect youth to learning playlists and badges.
- Philadelphia Youth NetworkmajorWorkforce development partner at White House Champions of Change event tackling summer opportunity gap.
- Steeltown Entertainment ProjectmajorPittsburgh partner providing filmmaking and media production learning opportunities. Helped teen earn badges that led to internship and full-time employment.
- Philadelphia Academies Inc.majorApplying for LRNG City Challenge to create community-wide learning infrastructure. Focused on career academies connecting youth to employment pathways.
- Peggy Notebaert Nature MuseumminorChicago partner providing nature and science learning experiences as part of City of Learning network.
- Carnegie Museum of Natural HistoryminorPittsburgh partner offering 'junior naturalist' badge among 300 credentials available through City of Learning network.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
LRNG competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a free digital learning platform that connects learners to structured content and mastery-based pathways. Both serve youth with free, online learning experiences, though LRNG focuses on connecting out-of-school experiences across cities.
- GlassLab: GlassLab is a sister project under Collective Shift (LRNG's parent nonprofit) that designs learning games with embedded assessment. Both share parent organization and research lineage from MacArthur.
- Degreed: Degreed is a learning experience platform that aggregates skills and credentials across sources. LRNG is the youth/out-of-school analog, with similar interoperability and badge-portfolio ambitions.
- City of Learning (UK): UK-based network linking in-school and out-of-school learning through digital badges. LRNG and City of Learning are direct conceptual peers—both built on the Cities of Learning model with shared MacArthur Connected Learning heritage.
- Remake Learning: Remake Learning is a Pittsburgh-based network of schools, museums, libraries, and nonprofits that connects learning experiences for youth. LRNG's Pittsburgh City of Learning is essentially a Remake Learning node.
- Open Badges (Mozilla Foundation): Mozilla and LRNG co-launched the Open Badges initiative in 2011. Both operate the badge specification layer that underpins interoperable digital credentialing across issuers and consumers.
Broad incumbents
- Coursera: Coursera is a large-scale online learning platform offering credentials and pathways. While Coursera focuses on higher-ed and adult learners, its certificate and credential infrastructure is a broader incumbent in the same digital learning space.
Emerging players
- Credential Engine: Credential Engine maintains a registry of credentials and competencies. LRNG's Badge Alliance partnership is a parallel effort in mapping and surfacing alternative credentials.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LRNG social profiles
Digital presenceLRNG financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LRNG leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
LRNG funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LRNG 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 LRNG
What does LRNG do?
LRNG operates a digital learning platform that connects in-school, out-of-school, employer-based, and online learning experiences into a unified network for youth. The platform features Playlists (linked learning experiences, resources, and events), Digital Badges (verifiable micro-credentials), Learning Paths (interest-driven competency trajectories), and the Passion Collector mobile app. Cities of LRNG and LRNG Innovators are community and educator programs that expand the ecosystem geographically and programmatically.
Is LRNG a public or private company?
LRNG is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was LRNG founded?
LRNG was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is LRNG based?
LRNG is headquartered in Redwood City, United States, in the North America region.
How does LRNG make money?
One revenue line is on record: nonprofit/Funded Operations.
Who are LRNG's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Khan Academy, GlassLab, Degreed, City of Learning (UK), Remake Learning and Open Badges (Mozilla Foundation). Coursera is listed as a broad incumbent. Credential Engine is listed as an emerging player.
Does LRNG have an API?
No public API is recorded for LRNG.
What industry is LRNG in?
LRNG's product category is Digital Learning Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAAAB, Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) & Learning Portals, with a secondary code of EDAFAAAH, Social Learning & Community-Enabled LMS. Its NAICS code is 61169 and its SIC code is 8200.