Eat. Learn. Play.

What Eat. Learn. Play. does

Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation is a private 501(c)-equivalent non-profit established in 2019 by NBA player Stephen Curry and entrepreneur Ayesha Curry, headquartered in Oakland, California. The foundation operates a 'Whole Child, Whole School' model structured around three programmatic pillars: EAT (food access and nutrition), LEARN (literacy and educational resources), and PLAY (safe play spaces and physical activity). All programs are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries, with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD, ~34,000 students, 80%+ free/reduced-price lunch eligible) functioning as the sole institutional delivery channel for schoolyard transformations, cafeteria redesigns, library modernizations, and literacy tutoring.

The foundation's core service offerings include the Schoolyard Transformation Program (24 schoolyards and 6 gymnasiums remodeled, with 20 additional builds announced for 2025), the Eat. Learn. Play. Bus mobile resource center (delivering 25,000 meals and 85,000 culturally affirming books annually), the annual Christmas with the Currys book fair (13th edition in 2025 across 47 OUSD elementary schools, distributing 68,000+ books to 17,000+ students), the Little Town Libraries initiative (target of 150 installations), the $25 million LEARN literacy commitment (10,000 tutoring spots over five years), and the newly launched Davidson College Curry Scholars Program (5–10 full scholarships per year starting fall 2027). The foundation does not operate a technology platform and has no software products, APIs, or proprietary AI/ML systems.

The foundation's revenue model is philanthropic: it generates inflows through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, celebrity-driven auction events (Sotheby's sneaker auctions, eBay-hosted Warren Buffett 'A Seat at the Table' lunch auction), recurring signature events (Oakland Marathon, Workday Charity Classic, Memorial Tournament), and strategic partnerships with Kaiser Permanente, Rubrik, Workday, Under Armour/Curry Brand, Davidson College, GLIDE Foundation, and others. Since 2019, the foundation has invested over $90 million toward its mission and provided 25 million meals to Oakland children and families, including 12 million meals generated during its COVID-19 response in 2020.

Name

Eat. Learn. Play.

Legal name

Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation

Website

https://eatlearnplay.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eat. Learn. Play. is a private non-profit foundation founded in 2019 by Stephen and Ayesha Curry, serving Oakland children through three pillars: nutritious meals (EAT), literacy and education (LEARN), and safe play spaces (PLAY), with over $90 million invested since inception.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Charity and Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Community Food Services (624210), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Child Nutrition & Meal Programs (CACFP/Snack Programs) (EDACAMAA), Physical Activity & Motor Development Programs (Health-Focused) (EDACAMAI)

Keywords

• Children's charity foundation
• Child nutrition programs
• Literacy education services
• Youth play spaces
• Schoolyard transformations

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Fundraising: The foundation generates revenue through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, celebrity-driven fundraising events (auctions, galas), and partnerships with corporations. Major events include the Warren Buffett charity lunch auction and Sotheby's sneaker auctions benefiting the foundation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation is a charitable organization founded in 2019 that supports Oakland children's wellbeing through three pillars: EAT (providing nutritious meals to address food insecurity), LEARN (literacy resources, tutoring, and library modernization to improve reading proficiency), and PLAY (transforming schoolyards, gymnasiums, and cafeterias into safe, vibrant spaces for physical activity). The foundation has invested over $90 million and served 25 million meals since inception.

Product overview

Eat. Learn. Play. is a charitable foundation founded by NBA star Stephen Curry and entrepreneur Ayesha Curry in 2019. The foundation operates under a 'Whole Child, Whole School' approach with three core programmatic pillars: EAT (ensuring access to nutritious meals), LEARN (supporting literacy and educational resources), and PLAY (providing safe places and equitable opportunities to play). The foundation has invested over $90 million and provided 25 million meals to Oakland kids and families. Key programs include the annual Christmas with the Currys book fair initiative, Schoolyard Transformation Program (24 schoolyards and 6 gymnasiums remodeled), the Eat. Learn. Play. Bus mobile resource center, Curry Scholars Program at Davidson College, and Little Town Libraries literacy initiative. The foundation is not a technology product company and does not offer software products or APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation A charitable foundation operating under a 'Whole Child, Whole School' approach with three core programmatic pillars (EAT, LEARN, PLAY) to support Oakland children's wellbeing. Invested over $90 million since founding.
• EAT Program Program ensuring all Oakland students have access to nutritious meals to grow, learn, and play. Works with partners to provide fresh produce, nutritious meals, and kid-friendly groceries directly to families.
• LEARN Program Program ensuring all Oakland elementary school students have the support and resources to become proficient readers by the end of third grade. Includes one-on-one tutoring support, literacy strategy implementation, and library modernization.
• PLAY Program Program ensuring all Oakland elementary and middle school students have access to excellent places and equitable opportunities to play. Includes schoolyard transformations, gymnasium refurbishments, and youth sports programming.
• Christmas with the Currys Annual holiday initiative providing free, themed book fairs at Oakland elementary schools. The 2025 edition distributed over 68,000 books to more than 17,000 students across 47 OUSD schools.
• Schoolyard Transformation Program Transforms underutilized schoolyards into vibrant, student-centered spaces supporting learning, physical activity, creativity and community connection. Has remodeled 24 schoolyards and 6 gymnasiums as of 2026.
• Eat. Learn. Play. Bus State-of-the-art mobile resource center providing nutritious meals and culturally-affirming books to Oakland youth and families. Provides 25,000 nutritious meals and 85,000 books annually.
• Curry Scholars Program Full scholarship program for high-achieving students from underserved Bay Area communities at Davidson College. Five to ten students selected each year, receiving full tuition, fees, housing, meals, books, and computer allowance.
• Little Town Libraries Initiative to install 150 little libraries across Oakland to combat low literacy rates, particularly for Black and Latinx youth. First libraries unveiled in 2022.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 million meals provided to Oakland children and families
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• GLIDE FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026GLIDE Foundation is the co-beneficiary of the 'A Seat at the Table' charity auction alongside Eat. Learn. Play. Warren Buffett's matching donation is split between both organizations. GLIDE focuses on fighting poverty, hunger, and homelessness in San Francisco. This partnership bridges generations and industries uniting business, sports, and culture for transformative community impact.
• Kaiser PermanentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKaiser Permanente has expanded its partnership with Eat. Learn. Play. to provide healthy meals and safe places for Oakland students to play. They sponsor the Kids Fun Run at the Oakland Marathon and support the Eat. Learn. Play. Bus, providing snacks to youth runners and supporting overall foundation initiatives.
• RubrikcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRubrik, a Security and AI operations company, is the lead sponsor of Christmas with the Currys 2025, investing significantly across foundation focus areas including literacy, hunger relief, and access to play. Rubrik helped distribute over 68,000 books to Oakland students.
• Davidson CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavidson College partners with Eat. Learn. Play. and College Track on the Curry Scholars Program, offering full scholarships to high-achieving Bay Area students from underserved communities. Davidson is Stephen Curry's alma mater.
• College TrackcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational college completion program partnering with Davidson College and Eat. Learn. Play. on the Curry Scholars Program. College Track provides individualized college and career coaching to first-generation college students, supporting them from high school through graduation.
• Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary education partner for all foundation programs. OUSD enrolls nearly 34,000 students, over 80% of whom qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Foundation has remodeled schoolyards, redesigned cafeterias, modernized libraries, and provides literacy programs district-wide.
• Alameda County Community Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey community partner in food access programs. The Eat. Learn. Play. Bus partners with the food bank to provide healthy snacks and food resources to Oakland youth and families.
• WorkdaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkday is the presenting sponsor of the Memorial Tournament and has partnered with Eat. Learn. Play. to support children and families through the foundation's work. Also sponsors Workday Charity Classic golf tournament benefiting the foundation.
• Under Armour / Curry BrandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnder Armour and Curry Brand unite with Eat. Learn. Play. to revitalize youth sports in Oakland, creating a seamless pathway for participation from elementary school play spaces to middle and high school athletics.
• No Kid HungryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational childhood hunger organization collaborating with foundation on summer meal programs and food access initiatives.
• Golden State WarriorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStephen Curry's NBA team partners with the foundation for community events including NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service.
• Williams SonomaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWilliams Sonoma partners with No Kid Hungry and celebrities including Ayesha Curry for the annual Tools for Change campaign to end childhood hunger.
• MasterClassminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEat. Learn. Play. partners with MasterClass by gifting 18,000 memberships to Bay Area educators, administrators, and community partners.
• OUSD / Kaboom!coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with OUSD and Kaboom! for schoolyard transformation initiative, converting underutilized schoolyards into vibrant, student-centered spaces.
• Trust for Public LandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner working on food access and play space initiatives.
• UC BerkeleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on community programs and initiatives.
• Oakland Marathon / Run LocalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEat. Learn. Play. is the charitable beneficiary of the Oakland Marathon, with the foundation's Kids Fun Run and marathon fundraising supporting Oakland students.
• Memorial Tournament / Jack NicklauscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Memorial Tournament presented by Workday has named Eat. Learn. Play. as a charitable beneficiary alongside Nationwide Children's Hospital. The foundation has been recognized as a beneficiary for four consecutive years.
• Sotheby'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSotheby's hosted Stephen Curry's sneaker collection auction, with 100% of proceeds benefiting Eat. Learn. Play. The auction raised $1.7 million for Oakland's kids.
• eBaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnereBay hosts the 'A Seat at the Table' charity auction benefiting GLIDE and Eat. Learn. Play. The auction raised $9 million winning bid for lunch with Warren Buffett and the Currys.
• Martin Luther King III / Realize the DreamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEat. Learn. Play. joined Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King's Realize the Dream initiative in Oakland. The Currys were named Chief Dream Ambassadors with a pledge of 100,000 volunteer hours.
• ESPN / Take Back SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStephen Curry serves as an ambassador for ESPN's Take Back Sports initiative designed to get and keep kids playing youth sports.
• SalesforceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to tackle hunger and farm waste with Bay Area program, providing restaurant support and meal distribution during COVID-19.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GLIDE Foundation: San Francisco-based nonprofit fighting poverty, hunger, and homelessness. Co-beneficiary with Eat. Learn. Play. of the Warren Buffett 'A Seat at the Table' auction, making it the most directly linked comparable on the fundraising and community-services side.
• First Book: Nonprofit distributing books and educational resources to children in need. Highly comparable to the Christmas with the Currys book-fair program and Little Town Libraries literacy pillar of Eat. Learn. Play.
• LeBron James Family Foundation: Celebrity-athlete-founded foundation supporting Akron (and now L.A.) youth through education, housing, and wraparound services. Closest structural analog to Eat. Learn. Play.: high-profile founder, place-based single-city focus, cradle-to-career pipeline, and school-system partnership.
• College Track: National college-completion nonprofit supporting first-generation students from high school through graduation. Active Eat. Learn. Play. partner on the Curry Scholars Program and the most direct peer for the foundation's higher-education access work.
• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): National nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood hunger in the U.S. Direct peer on Eat. Learn. Play.'s EAT pillar; both fund school and community meal programs and partner with corporate sponsors, and No Kid Hungry is a current Eat. Learn. Play. collaborator on summer meal programs.
• KaBOOM!: National nonprofit focused on building playspaces and ending playspace inequity. Co-implementer with Eat. Learn. Play. and OUSD on the schoolyard transformation initiative, making it a direct operational peer on the PLAY pillar.

Emerging players

• DonorsChoose: Nonprofit crowdfunding platform for classroom and school needs. Comparable funding model for the LEARN/Play-equipment side of Eat. Learn. Play., with similar K-12 teacher-and-school focus and corporate-sponsor base.
• Malala Fund: Celebrity-founder-led nonprofit advocating for girls' education globally, including scholarship funding. Strong peer on the LEARN and Curry Scholars scholarship side, with a comparable high-profile founder-fundraising flywheel, though focused internationally rather than place-based.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Largest U.S. hunger-relief nonprofit, including a national network of food banks (one of which — Alameda County Community Food Bank — partners with Eat. Learn. Play.). Broad incumbent on the EAT pillar, with substantially greater geographic and operational scale.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national youth-development nonprofit providing after-school programming, meals, and play. Comparable as a broader incumbent covering the same Eat/Learn/Play use cases Eat. Learn. Play. addresses, but at far greater scale and with a clubhouse delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eatlearnplay
• Facebookfacebook.com/EatLearnPlay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eat-learn-play-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/eatlearnplay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Eat. Learn. Play.