Empower Schools

What Empower Schools does

Empower Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that partners with state education agencies, policymakers, public school districts, institutions of higher education, and community organizations to redesign K-12 school systems in the United States. The organization operates three interconnected program areas: Innovation Schools (incubating autonomous, empowered school models with formalized district flexibility), Rural Innovation (cross-district rural collaboratives offering shared career pathways, dual credit, and industry certifications), and Early College and Career Pathways (blending high school, college, and workforce through Early College High Schools and state coalition-building). Supporting infrastructure includes the SEA Fellowship for senior state education leaders, the LeadRural Fellowship for rural leaders, the annual Innovation Schools Action Summit, the Rural Collaborative Toolkit, and research publications such as the "Unlocking Student and Educator Empowerment" white paper.

Underlying delivery is entirely human facilitation and policy advisory work, with no software or hardware platform; the "product" is a codified methodology of autonomy agreements, governance structures, accountability frameworks, and convening infrastructure. The organization is funded through philanthropic grants (e.g., $750,000 from Greater Texas Foundation in September 2025, $500,000 from Carnegie Corporation of New York in June 2025) and tax-deductible individual/institutional donations, with go-to-market executed exclusively by invitation from state agencies, policymakers, and districts across 6 core states and 10 emerging states. Headcount is 11-50, leadership includes a CEO and four partners, and an advisory bench comprises former secretaries of education, Gates Foundation officers, and Bain/Harvard/Goldman Sachs alumni. Documented impact includes serving 1.5 million+ students, raising SEZP's four-year graduation rate from 44% to 86%, and helping catalyze Massachusetts Alliance for Early College (MA4EC) and the Texas R-PEP policy framework.

Name

Empower Schools

Legal name

Empower Schools

Website

https://empowerschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Empower Schools is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 that partners with state agencies, school districts, and communities across 16 U.S. states to redesign K-12 systems through Innovation Schools, Rural Collaboratives, and Early College and Career Pathways programs, serving 1.5 million+ students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy and Consulting Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF), Educational Leadership & Administration Programs (EDAHAFAD)

Keywords

• Education policy consulting
• School district partnerships
• Innovation school programs
• Rural education collaboratives
• Early college pathways

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants and Donations: Empower Schools operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Revenue is generated primarily through philanthropic grants from foundations (e.g., Greater Texas Foundation $750,000 grant) and donations. Donations support general operating funds and are tax-deductible.
2. Donations: Individual and institutional donations accepted on a one-time or recurring basis (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual). Donors can designate gifts to general operating or specific initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Empower Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with state education agencies, policymakers, and public school districts to redesign K-12 school systems through three interconnected programs: Innovation Schools (formalized school-level autonomy and flexibility), Rural Innovation (cross-district rural collaboratives and shared career pathways), and Early College and Career Pathways (blending K-12, college, and workforce). Services are delivered by invitation and supported by the SEA Fellowship program and the annual Innovation Schools Action Summit.

Product overview

Empower Schools operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected education programs rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include: Innovation Schools (school-level autonomy and flexibility programs), Rural Innovation (rural community collaboration initiatives), and Early College and Career Pathways (blending K-12 with college and workforce development). Supporting programs include the SEA Fellowship professional development program, the annual Innovation Schools Action Summit event, the Rural Collaborative Toolkit resource, and research publications like the 'Unlocking Student and Educator Empowerment' white paper. These programs work together to help communities create school systems that serve students through policy change and direct partnership support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Innovation Schools Core program that incubates local and state conditions for the development and sustainability of empowered school models. Provides formalized autonomy and flexibility for public schools to tailor programs to specific student needs, enabling educators to innovate and meet students where they are. Targeted at state education agencies and public K-12 school districts seeking to redesign schools.
• Rural Innovation Core program partnering with state leaders and rural community champions to create and scale enabling policies and localized partnerships that expand postsecondary opportunities for rural students and accelerate economic development in rural regions. Delivered through Rural Collaboratives (e.g., RSIZ, FMI, WSSCC, SWCEC, RAZ-32) with shared career pathways, dual credit, and industry certifications.
• Early College and Career Pathways Core program creating and codifying policies and practices that blend high school, college, and career to prepare students to thrive in higher education and excel in the workforce. Includes Early College High Schools, Career Pathways, and State Coalition-Building. Target users are state agencies, districts, higher education partners, and employers serving predominantly low-income students of color.
• SEA Fellowship (State Education Agency Fellowship) Two-year learning community for senior state education professionals to redesign school systems at scale. Fellows receive coaching and mentorship and work to pilot new projects and policies in their state agencies, with a focus on incentivizing innovation schools, catalyzing postsecondary success, and sustaining student outcomes.
• Innovation Schools Action Summit (ISAS) Annual three-day convening for district leaders, policymakers, school administrators, and education champions exploring how districts, schools, higher education partners, employers, funders, and policymakers are redesigning high school. Includes school site visits, plenaries, breakout sessions, action planning, and networking.

Quantifiable outcome

• SEZP graduation rate increased from 44% to 86% (2014-2021); dropout rate from 10.8% to 1.7%
• +4 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

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship / core, minor and emerging.

• Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2025Research partnership titled 'Examining Enabling Policies and the Impact of Rural Collaboratives.' Multi-state study including impact analysis of RSIZ, evaluation of Texas HB2209 policy, and review of collaboratives in Colorado and Indiana. Will produce policy briefs and a model rural policy framework.
• Fremont Multi-District Initiative (FMI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Rural Collaborative in Fremont County, Colorado expanding rural student access to career pathways, industry certifications, and on-the-job training. Offers four career pathways: Computer Information Systems, Health Science, Agriculture and Environmental Science, and Education.
• Western Slope Schools Career Collaborative (WSSCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Rural Collaborative on the Western Slope of Colorado providing career-connected learning programs across multiple districts through cross-sector collaboration with higher education and industry partners.
• Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative (SWCEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Rural Collaborative that completed its 3rd 'Behind the Drywall' week-long paid summer program where students engage in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical skills training. Multiple district collaboration model serving rural Colorado communities.
• Rural Schools Innovation Zone (RSIZ)flagship / coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017First-of-its-kind collaboration between South Texas school districts, institutions of higher education, and community workforce organizations. RSIZ is a Rural Collaborative that enables rural districts to offer multiple high-quality pathways through shared governance, resources, and accountability. Inspired Texas legislature to pass R-PEP (HB2209). Hosts academies in construction, education, electrical engineering, healthcare, HVAC, STEM, welding.
• Leadership Academy Network (LAN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership between Fort Worth ISD and Texas Wesleyan University enabled by Texas SB 1882. Empower Schools supports the LAN with school-level autonomy, data-driven instruction, teacher development, extended learning time, and community-based supports.
• Luminary Learning Network (LLN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Denver-based network of Innovation Schools that pursued greater autonomy over decision-making, finances, and operations. Enabled by Colorado Innovation Schools law. Empower Schools has documented the LLN model as an example of district-level school flexibility.
• Massachusetts Alliance for Early College (MA4EC)flagship / coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Empower Schools helped catalyze and launch MA4EC, which has resulted in 26 state-designated Early College programs with 38 high schools and 20 colleges serving approximately 4,000 predominantly low-income students of color. MA4EC pioneers the Early College Promise '13th grade' model. 41% of Early College students entered and remained in college vs 24% of matched peers.
• Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP)flagship / coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Groundbreaking collaboration between the Massachusetts state government, Springfield Public Schools, and the teachers' union formed as a voluntary partnership with a mission to dramatically improve student outcomes. SEZP encompasses 16 Springfield public schools and serves as Empower Schools' first and most prominent Empowered Partnership, demonstrating a model for reimagining community schools with graduation rates rising from 44% to 86%.
• Colorado Education InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado nonprofit education organization that partnered with Empower Schools, Colorado Succeeds, and Lyra to host rural track sessions at The Attainment Network Pathways Conference and advance rural career pathways.
• Colorado SucceedsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado business coalition for education that co-authored 'Elevating Rural Colorado' report with Empower Schools and partnered on rural education policy initiatives.
• Lyra (Colorado)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado organization that partnered with Empower Schools, Colorado Succeeds, and Colorado Education Initiative on rural education policy and career pathway initiatives.
• National Center for Rural Education Research Networks (NCRERN) at CEPRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Jennifer Ash, NCRERN brings expertise in rural impact evaluations to the Rural Collaboratives research partnership, applying methodology developed through prior rural education research.
• Wilmington Learning Collaborative (Delaware)emergingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmerging partnership where community and educational leaders have come together in a new organization to support Innovation Schools in Wilmington, Delaware.
• Texas Wesleyan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner for Fort Worth ISD's Leadership Academy Network. Brings local, diverse, and representative leaders to the decision-making table and enables dual enrollment and pathway programming.
• Paul Quinn CollegeemergingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with Crowley ISD on middle school programs and new opportunities for students. Christopher Shropshire, Special Assistant to the President at Paul Quinn College, serves on Empower Schools' Board of Directors.
• Crowley ISD (Texas)emergingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas school district partnering with Paul Quinn College on middle school programming as part of Empower Schools' Innovation Schools support in Texas.
• Ivy Tech Community College (Richmond, Indiana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner for RAZ-32 in East Central Indiana. Provides dual credit courses and career pathway programming in health science, early childhood education, welding, and other fields.
• Randolph County CommissionersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided funding to RAZ-32 to enable career-connected learning pathways for students in East Central Indiana.
• Reid HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare employer partner providing work-based learning opportunities and support for RAZ-32's health science career pathway.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chiefs for Change: Chiefs for Change is a nonprofit network of state and district education leaders driving systems change; directly comparable through its focus on cultivating state education leaders, parallel to Empower Schools' SEA Fellowship.
• Communities In Schools: Communities In Schools is the nation's largest dropout prevention organization embedded inside public schools; comparable as a school-based nonprofit serving high-need student populations with measurable graduation outcome improvements.
• Jobs for the Future (JFF): JFF advances pathways from education to economic advancement with deep rural and early college work; directly comparable through dual-credit, career pathways, and cross-district rural collaboratives serving similar populations to RSIZ and MA4EC.
• TNTP: TNTP is a national education nonprofit focused on teacher quality, school leadership, and district improvement; both organizations partner with districts and state agencies to redesign schools serving low-income students and share a Boston/New York footprint and similar talent pipelines (e.g., Harvard, Bain, City Year).
• Bellwether Education Partners: Bellwether is an education-focused advisory nonprofit providing consulting, research, and policy support to states, districts, and foundations; comparable because both organizations provide strategic and policy advisory to districts and state agencies on education system redesign.
• The Education Trust: Education Trust is a national advocacy nonprofit focused on closing opportunity gaps for low-income students and students of color; directly comparable in mission (80% Black/Hispanic/poverty-aligned student focus) and state-level policy engagement.
• 50CAN: 50CAN is a state-level education advocacy network that builds local campaigns to advance policy change; comparable because both organizations influence state education policy and operate fellowship-style programs to cultivate state leaders.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: Year Up is a workforce development nonprofit connecting young adults to career pathways and corporate partners; comparable in mission around postsecondary and career pathway access for underserved populations, parallel to Empower Schools' Early College and Career Pathways program.
• City Year: City Year places near-peer tutors and student success coaches inside high-need public schools; comparable because several Empower Schools staff (including CEO's network and a Partner) previously worked at City Year, and both target student outcome improvement in underserved schools.

Emerging players

• NewSchools Venture Fund: NewSchools funds and supports innovative education ventures and is a peer in the broader education innovation ecosystem; comparable as a mission-aligned education reform funder and convener, though not a direct service partner to districts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EmpowerSchools
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@empowerschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empower-schools-inc-
• Facebookfacebook.com/empowerschools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empower Schools