LeadersUp
LeadersUp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects BIPOC young adults to high-growth careers through employer partnerships, career coaching, and policy advocacy. Operating since 2015 from Los Angeles, it has placed over 60,000 youth into jobs via a network of 200+ corporate partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What LeadersUp does
LeadersUp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California, founded in 2015 to create economic opportunities for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) young adults. The organization operates through a "Transformative Solidarity Approach" organized into three core portfolios: EVOLVE LU (research and narrative change), EVOLVE INNOVATION (scalable solution design), and EVOLVE NETWORK (movement building and policy advocacy). Supporting program initiatives include the LA Economic Empowerment Alliance (LAEEA), Fair Chance Hiring, and Equity Unleashed, which collectively connect underserved youth to high-growth careers through employer partnerships, career coaching, and equitable apprenticeship models.
The organization's business model is donation-driven, supported by a base of over 200 corporate partners (including Starbucks as a notable financial backer), academic collaborators (USC Price), government entities (LA County), and individual donors. As a 501(c)(3) (EIN 46-2606773), LeadersUp reinvests contributions into workforce programming and produces evidence-based research publications such as the Equity Unleashed Apprenticeship Insights Report, Workforce Accelerator Fund 10 evaluation, and Accelerating Fair Chance Hiring report. The organization does not sell products or services; revenue is generated through charitable contributions, grants, and corporate partnerships.
Since 2015, LeadersUp has placed over 60,000 diverse young adults into high-growth careers and reports generating over $956 million in economic return for communities. With 11-50 employees, the organization maintains a relatively lean operating structure for its scale of impact, relying on its partner ecosystem, proprietary methodology, and thought leadership content published through 'The Shift' insights platform to advance its mission of building a "future-proof economy."
LeadersUp firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LeadersUp
- Legal name
- LeadersUp
- Website
- https://leadersup.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- LeadersUp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects BIPOC young adults to high-growth careers through employer partnerships, career coaching, and policy advocacy. Operating since 2015 from Los Angeles, it has placed over 60,000 youth into jobs via a network of 200+ corporate partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LeadersUp industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Inclusive Leadership & Leading Diverse Teams (EDABAAAM), Organizational Culture & Values-Based Leadership (EDABAAAE)
Keywords
Where LeadersUp is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
LeadersUp business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, LeadersUp generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations who support workforce development for BIPOC young adults.
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
LeadersUp product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LeadersUp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers workforce development and career placement services for BIPOC young adults. It operates through three core portfolios—EVOLVE LU (research and narrative change), EVOLVE INNOVATION (scalable solution design), and EVOLVE NETWORK (movement building and policy)—alongside named programs such as the LA Economic Empowerment Alliance, Fair Chance Hiring, and Equity Unleashed apprenticeship models. Since 2015, the organization has placed over 60,000 diverse youth into high-growth careers in partnership with 200+ employers.
Product overview
LeadersUp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as a workforce development and economic empowerment ecosystem rather than a traditional technology product company. The organization operates through three core portfolio pillars—EVOLVE LU (research and narrative change), EVOLVE INNOVATION (scalable solution design), and EVOLVE NETWORK (movement building and policy)—supported by programmatic initiatives including the LA Economic Empowerment Alliance (LAEEA), Fair Chance Hiring, and Equity Unleashed. LeadersUp produces research publications including apprenticeship insights, workforce accelerator evaluations, and fair chance hiring studies. The organization publishes content through its 'The Shift' insights platform and offers donation-based engagement for supporters. Founded in 2015, the organization has placed over 60,000 diverse youth into careers and generated over $956 million in economic return.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EVOLVE LU: Portfolio focused on driving liberatory research and narrative change, generating insights and policies that inform systemic transformation.
- EVOLVE INNOVATION
- EVOLVE NETWORK
- LA Economic Empowerment Alliance (LAEEA)
- Equity Unleashed
- The Shift
Products and services
- LA Economic Empowerment Alliance (LAEEA) A collaborative ecosystem initiative focused on building an inclusive workforce in Los Angeles through employer, educator, and community partnerships.
- Fair Chance Hiring A workforce initiative providing best practices and resources for inclusive hiring strategies targeting justice-involved youth and individuals with barriers to employment.
- Equity Unleashed A program focused on equitable apprenticeships and policy innovation that scales access to high-growth careers for BIPOC young adults through evidence-based models.
- EVOLVE LU A research and narrative change initiative that drives liberatory research and empowers BIPOC young adults to lead systemic transformation through insights and policy work.
- EVOLVE INNOVATION An innovation design program that advances economic inclusion and mobility through scalable solutions across the education and workforce sectors.
- EVOLVE NETWORK A movement-building initiative that advances policy, practice, and systemic change by convening cross-sectoral partnerships to scale economic empowerment.
Companies that use LeadersUp
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
LeadersUp technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
LeadersUp partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- USC Price SchoolcorePartnership with USC Price (the Sol Price School of Public Policy) on the 'Accelerating Fair Chance Hiring' report, outlining key findings from innovation labs and surveys with LA-based employers on pathways to shift hiring practices from exclusion to inclusion.
- SK Food GroupcoreEmployer-led pilot partnership between LeadersUp and SK Food Group resulted in a 56% retention rate, $495K in savings, and scalable lessons for future workforce pilots. This partnership serves as a case study in employer-led pilot design, implementation, and impact.
- LA CountycoreThe Workforce Accelerator Fund 10 pilot was conducted in LA County, exploring the impact of personalized coaching on job readiness, confidence, and social capital for BIPOC opportunity youth.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
LeadersUp competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Year Up: A large nonprofit workforce development organization providing training, internships, and career placement for young adults from underserved communities — the most direct comparable to LeadersUp in mission, target population, and employer-partnership model.
- Braven: Nonprofit accelerator partnering with universities to prepare underrepresented college students for strong first careers through coaching, employer partnerships, and a capstone project — a strong peer in the career-launch / employer-pipeline niche.
- Opportunity@Work: Nonprofit focused on translating skills rather than credentials to expand access to middle-class careers for STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes), with employer engagement and policy work — a close functional peer to LeadersUp's inclusive hiring mission.
- Grads of Life: Workforce intermediary that helps employers tap into young adult talent pipelines through employer coaching and partnerships — directly comparable to LeadersUp's employer-relationship-driven approach.
- Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free tech training and career placement to adults from underserved backgrounds. Comparable in its employer-driven training-to-placement model targeting underrepresented talent pools.
- Generation: Global nonprofit that prepares unemployed and underemployed adults for careers through employer-aligned training programs with strong placement and retention metrics — closely comparable to LeadersUp's outcome-driven model.
- NPower: Nonprofit that launches digital careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities, combining tech training with employer partnerships — directly comparable to LeadersUp's workforce intermediary role.
Broad incumbents
- National Skills Coalition: Policy and advocacy organization working to advance equitable skills training and workforce policy at federal and state levels — comparable to LeadersUp's EVOLVE NETWORK policy work, with a broader cross-industry mandate.
- Jobs for the Future (JFF): A national nonprofit driving workforce and education system transformation through research, policy, and program design. Comparable to LeadersUp's EVOLVE LU/NETWORK portfolios of research and policy advocacy, though operating at significantly larger scale.
Emerging players
- Code for America: Nonprofit working at the intersection of technology, policy, and social services to improve economic mobility, including benefits access for underserved populations — adjacent to LeadersUp's systemic-change approach but focused on digital government services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
LeadersUp social profiles
Digital presenceLeadersUp financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LeadersUp leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
LeadersUp funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LeadersUp 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 LeadersUp
What does LeadersUp do?
LeadersUp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers workforce development and career placement services for BIPOC young adults. It operates through three core portfolios—EVOLVE LU (research and narrative change), EVOLVE INNOVATION (scalable solution design), and EVOLVE NETWORK (movement building and policy)—alongside named programs such as the LA Economic Empowerment Alliance, Fair Chance Hiring, and Equity Unleashed apprenticeship models. Since 2015, the organization has placed over 60,000 diverse youth into high-growth careers in partnership with 200+ employers.
Is LeadersUp a public or private company?
LeadersUp is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was LeadersUp founded?
LeadersUp was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is LeadersUp based?
LeadersUp is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does LeadersUp make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are LeadersUp's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Year Up, Braven, Opportunity@Work, Grads of Life, Per Scholas, Generation and NPower. Broad incumbents are National Skills Coalition and Jobs for the Future (JFF). Code for America is listed as an emerging player.
Does LeadersUp have an API?
No public API is recorded for LeadersUp.
What industry is LeadersUp in?
LeadersUp's product category is Workforce Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAJAH, Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture), with a secondary code of EDABAAAM, Inclusive Leadership & Leading Diverse Teams. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 7361.