1 Million Teachers
1 Million Teachers delivers a free, belt-based teacher training and mentorship program through a web portal and mobile apps, serving educators in under-resourced communities across Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, Zambia, and beyond, funded primarily by donations and partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersKingston, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What 1 Million Teachers does
1 Million Teachers is a Canadian-incorporated, founder-led social enterprise headquartered in Kingston, Ontario that delivers reward-based, belt-style professional development to educators in under-resourced communities across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The core offering is a tiered curriculum (10 belts culminating in Black Belt certification) covering soft skills, gender-responsive pedagogy, sustainability, reflective thinking, and leadership, delivered through a self-serve web portal (start.1millionteachers.com, hosted on Thinkific), native iOS and Android applications, and a post-certification mentorship track (HPMAT, supported by HP). As of September 2025, the program had produced 900 Black Belt graduates and set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of teachers at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.
The organization's revenue model blends charitable donations (primary, via the 1MT Cares platform), a single paid course (AI for Educators on Thinkific), and partnership/advisory fees from governments and development organizations engaging 1MT as an Education Advisory Hub. Core teacher training is free; monetization is indirect through donor funding, corporate partnerships (HP, Queen's University, EDVES, HHMSII), and B2G/B2B advisory services rather than per-seat licensing. Customer segments span individual teachers (B2C, long tail), partner schools and institutions (e.g., Cedar Presidential College, Konkola Copper Mines Trust School, Shah International School, Mara Girls Leadership School), and government/NGO buyers of training implementation services. Go-to-market is product-led (self-paced, self-registered learning) layered with community-led mentorship and event-driven visibility campaigns, including founder speaker engagements at international education conferences.
Technically, the platform is a lightweight LMS-plus-mobile stack rather than a proprietary AI system; AI exposure is limited to an educational course about AI rather than embedded AI capability. The organization is privately held by co-founders Hakeem Subair (CEO) and Rizma Butt (COO), with no disclosed institutional equity, parent company, or M&A activity in the available data, and appears bootstrapped with grant/incubator support from Injini and Co-Creation Hub Nigeria.
1 Million Teachers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 1 Million Teachers
- Legal name
- 1 Million Teachers
- Website
- https://1millionteachers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- 1 Million Teachers delivers a free, belt-based teacher training and mentorship program through a web portal and mobile apps, serving educators in under-resourced communities across Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, Zambia, and beyond, funded primarily by donations and partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
1 Million Teachers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Teacher Professional Development & Training
- NAICS
- Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes (EDAHAFAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instructional Coaching & Teacher Professional Learning (School-Embedded) (EDAJAFAO), Professional Development / CPD Requirement Administration for Licensure (EDADAJAL)
Keywords
Where 1 Million Teachers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kingston
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
1 Million Teachers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary funding model. The organization operates as a nonprofit/charitable entity supported by individual and institutional donations through its 1MT Cares platform. Donors contribute to fund teacher training programs in under-resourced communities globally.
- Course Enrollment Revenue: Revenue generated through the Thinkific-hosted course platform (start.1millionteachers.com) where certain courses may be offered for a fee, such as the AI for Educators course. The AI for Educators course is offered via Thinkific at a cost.
- Partnership and Advisory Services: The organization functions as an Education Advisory Hub and Implementer, collaborating with governments, private sector, and development organizations (e.g., HP, Queen's University) on teacher training programs, generating revenue through consultancy and program implementation fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free teacher training via belt-based curriculum |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | AI for Educators paid course on Thinkific |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
1 Million Teachers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
1 Million Teachers delivers a tiered, rewards-based teacher training program structured as a belt progression (10 belts culminating in Black Belt certification) covering soft skills, gender-responsive pedagogy, reflective thinking, sustainability, and leadership. Training is delivered through an online learning portal, mobile applications, and a post-certification mentorship program (HPMAT), with adjacent paid courses (e.g., AI for Educators) hosted on Thinkific and advisory/implementation services provided to governments, schools, and development organizations.
Product overview
1 Million Teachers operates as a unified education advisory and teacher training platform consisting of a tiered belt-based certification program (Black Belt Program) as the core product, complemented by the 1MT App for mobile access, the Teacher Portal for online learning management, the HPMAT mentorship program for advanced professional development, and specialized course modules like AI for Educators and Girl Rising. The 1MT Village provides community-based support structures. Together, these products form a comprehensive ecosystem that scales teacher training through technology and peer-to-peer support in under-resourced communities globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 1MT Village: A design brochure initiative showcasing the vision, key features, and lasting impact of a groundbreaking initiative.
- 1MT Cares
- Black Belt Program
- HPMAT
Products and services
- Black Belt Program A tiered professional development program for teachers consisting of multiple belt levels (starting belts leading to Black Belt certification), focusing on pedagogical skills, leadership, gender equity, sustainability, reflective thinking, and teaching methodologies for educators in under-resourced communities. Provided free of charge to teachers.
- 1MT Mobile App A native mobile application providing teachers with innovative teaching resources, course materials, community connection with other educators, and a gateway to the 1MT learning platform, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
- AI for Educators Course An online course designed to help educators understand and apply artificial intelligence concepts in their teaching practice, hosted on the Thinkific platform and offered for a fee.
- HPMAT (HP Mentor-A-Teacher) Program A mentorship program that pairs Black Belt graduates with mentors for ongoing professional development, covering leadership, technology skills, and gender dynamics via Zoom and WhatsApp. Supported by HP.
- Teacher Portal An online platform providing teacher registration, course access, dashboard activation, and learning management for the 1MT belt-based curriculum and Black Belt program.
- 1MT Village A community-based initiative providing a collaborative environment and peer support structures for teachers at the grassroots level, with downloadable design brochure resources.
- Girl Rising Course An educational course focused on girls' education and empowerment, available within the 1MT program curriculum on the Teacher Portal.
Quantifiable outcome
- 900 Black Belt graduates; Guinness World Record holder for largest gathering of teachers (September 20, 2025, Lagos)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use 1 Million Teachers
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
1 Million Teachers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
1 Million Teachers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HP (Hewlett-Packard)coreHP partners with 1MT on the HP Mentor-A-Teacher (HPMAT) Program, supporting Black Belt graduates through a mentorship phase. HP's involvement includes financial support, mentorship platform access, and recognition of teachers who complete the program. The HPMAT program covers leadership, technology skills, and gender dynamics via Zoom and WhatsApp. Patrick Osadebey graduated from HPMAT in July 2023 under mentor Dorcus Magoba.
- Queen's University (Canada)coreQueen's University collaborates with 1MT through student teacher exchanges. Chileshe Nakambale at Konkola Copper Mines Trust School collaborated with Queen's University student teachers, exchanging teaching experiences and enriching her professional growth. This partnership contributes to the global knowledge exchange and cross-cultural teaching development between the organizations.
- EDVESminorPatrick Osadebey references EDVES alongside HP and Queen's University as a learning platform partner within the 1MT ecosystem, contributing to teacher professional development programs.
- HHMSII SDG ChallengeminorThe HHMSII SDG Challenge incubator program selected Rasheedat Sadiq's The Reading Room project, which uses the 1MT Black Belt program as a platform for teacher development. The challenge helped launch a mobile library serving children aged 5-12, emphasizing reading comprehension and phonics skills.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
1 Million Teachers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BRAC: Large development organization running education programs including teacher training in under-resourced communities across Africa and South Asia. Comparable donor-funded operating model and target geographies (Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan, Liberia), serving teachers and schools in similar low-resource contexts.
- Teach For All: Global network of independent partner organizations recruiting and developing teachers and leaders in under-resourced communities. Directly comparable mission to 1MT's 'Triple Challenge' (Attract, Train, Motivate), with similar emphasis on teacher leadership and long-term alumni impact.
- Teach.org: Nonprofit focused on recruiting and supporting teachers, particularly into high-need schools. Shares 1MT's mission of attracting and training teachers in under-resourced settings, with similar digital content and pathways into the profession.
- Room to Read: Nonprofit focused on literacy and gender equality in education across low-income communities in Asia and Africa. Operates teacher training and school-system programs in geographies overlapping 1MT's Pakistan, Zambia, and other markets, with a comparable nonprofit/donor-funded model.
Broad incumbents
- Edmodo: Global K-12 teacher and classroom platform providing professional development resources and educator communities. Comparable in serving teachers globally with community features, but as a broader edtech incumbent rather than a specialized teacher-training provider.
- Coursera: Large online learning platform offering teacher professional development courses from universities and institutions globally. Provides overlapping content (pedagogy, AI in education, leadership) and certificate pathways, but as a broad incumbent serving many subjects beyond teacher PD.
Others
- Injini: African edtech accelerator and investor. Already listed as a 1MT funding/incubation partner, making it an ecosystem participant supporting the growth of African education ventures including 1MT.
- Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB): Nigerian innovation hub and investor active in education and social-impact ventures across Africa. Functions as a 1MT ecosystem enabler and listed investor, comparable as a pan-African edtech/impact ecosystem player rather than a direct program competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
1 Million Teachers social profiles
Digital presence1 Million Teachers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
1 Million Teachers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
1 Million Teachers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
1 Million Teachers 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 1 Million Teachers
What does 1 Million Teachers do?
1 Million Teachers delivers a tiered, rewards-based teacher training program structured as a belt progression (10 belts culminating in Black Belt certification) covering soft skills, gender-responsive pedagogy, reflective thinking, sustainability, and leadership. Training is delivered through an online learning portal, mobile applications, and a post-certification mentorship program (HPMAT), with adjacent paid courses (e.g., AI for Educators) hosted on Thinkific and advisory/implementation services provided to governments, schools, and development organizations.
Is 1 Million Teachers a public or private company?
1 Million Teachers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 1 Million Teachers founded?
1 Million Teachers was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is 1 Million Teachers based?
1 Million Teachers is headquartered in Kingston, Canada, in the North America region.
How does 1 Million Teachers make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are course Enrollment Revenue and partnership and Advisory Services.
Who are 1 Million Teachers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BRAC, Teach For All, Teach.org and Room to Read. Broad incumbents are Edmodo and Coursera. Others are Injini and Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB).
Does 1 Million Teachers have an API?
No public API is recorded for 1 Million Teachers.
What industry is 1 Million Teachers in?
1 Million Teachers's product category is Teacher Professional Development & Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAFAM, Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes, with a secondary code of EDAJAFAO, Instructional Coaching & Teacher Professional Learning (School-Embedded). Its NAICS code is 6114 and its SIC code is 8200.