Urban Assembly

What Urban Assembly does

Urban Assembly is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in New York City. It operates a network of 22 small, career-themed public schools in New York City as an Affinity partner of the NYC Department of Education, serving approximately 9,000 students — the majority Black and Latinx from low-income backgrounds — and supporting a 12,000+ alumni network. Beyond its own schools, UA licenses programs and professional development to school districts in California, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington D.C.

Its core programmatic offering is organized around five service areas — Algebra Success, Social-Emotional Learning (anchored by the Resilient Scholars Program), Postsecondary Readiness, Alumni Success, and School Leadership Development — delivered through a 'Coaching, Coherence, and Community' framework. Two AI-enabled products layer on top of this base: CounselorGPT (an LLM-powered college and career counseling tool integrating IPEDS, Peterson, College Scorecard, and Lightcast) and Project CAFE (a video-analysis instructional coaching tool). Additional infrastructure includes the Alumni Texting Program built on Signal Vine and a CEO-led podcast for thought leadership.

UA is funded through a mix of individual donations, foundation and corporate grants (Kellen, Booth Ferris, Petrie, Clark, Robinhood, Tiger, among others), government contracts (NYC DOE plus named districts in NJ, TN, MI), and fee-based professional development. Pricing for PD courses is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Revenue, financial statements, and detailed funding totals are not publicly disclosed in available materials. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors chaired by Anthony C.M. Kiser and led by CEO David Adams, who succeeded founder Richard Kahan in 2022.

Name

Urban Assembly

Legal name

The Urban Assembly

Website

https://urbanassembly.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Urban Assembly is a New York-based nonprofit that operates 22 career-themed public schools in NYC as a DOE Affinity partner and licenses its SEL, postsecondary, and instructional programs to districts in six additional states, supplemented by AI tools CounselorGPT and Project CAFE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAF

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAAAOAO

Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Workforce Development Initiatives

SECONDARYEDAJAEAF

Transition Programs (Reentry, Workforce Readiness & Life Skills for At-Risk Youth)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Alternative & At-Risk K–12 Education (Continuation, Recovery, Juvenile)

Keywords

• Social-emotional learning programs
• Postsecondary readiness services
• Career-themed school network
• Professional development courses
• Instructional coaching tools

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Urban Assembly relies on tax-deductible contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations to fund school support services and educational programs.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations and corporate partners including Anna Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, Booth Ferris Foundation, Petrie Foundation, The Clark Foundation, Robinhood Foundation, Tiger Foundation, and others to support specific programs and initiatives.
3. Government Contracts: Partnerships with federal, state, and local government agencies including NYC DOE, Dunellen, East Orange, Lansing Schools, providing contracted services for school support.
4. Professional Development Services: Revenue from providing professional development and training programs to school and district leaders, educators, and staff, though specific pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Urban Assembly advances economic and social mobility by supporting 22 NYC career-themed public schools and partnering with school districts nationwide through school support services, AI-enabled tools (CounselorGPT, Project CAFE), social-emotional learning programming, postsecondary readiness coaching, professional development, and alumni success services. Core offerings combine direct in-school program delivery, contracted district partnerships, and foundation-funded educational innovation.

Product overview

The Urban Assembly is a nonprofit education organization offering a portfolio of programs organized around three pillars: social-emotional learning, postsecondary readiness and success, and instructional quality. Its core technology-enabled products include CounselorGPT (an AI-powered postsecondary readiness tool using large language models and datasets including IPEDS, Peterson, College Scorecard, and Lightcast) and Project CAFE (an AI-powered instructional coaching tool using classroom video analysis). Key programs include the Resilient Scholars Program (SEL model), Summer Bridge (peer coaching for graduates), the Alumni Texting Program (powered by Signal Vine), Early College and Career Awareness (ECCA), Algebra Success (math coaching), and Professional Development Courses. These are delivered through a Coaching, Coherence, and Community framework, and supplemented by the Innovations in Education with David Adams Podcast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Resilient Scholars Program (RSP): An integrated social-emotional learning model specifically for middle and high school students using a whole-school, three-year embedded model.
• Summer Bridge
• CounselorGPT
• Project CAFE
• Algebra Success
• Alumni Success
• Postsecondary Readiness
• Social-Emotional Learning

Products and services

• CounselorGPT AI-powered postsecondary readiness tool built on large language models and trusted datasets (IPEDS, Peterson, College Scorecard, Lightcast) that helps students explore careers, select pathways, and compare ROI. Also functions as a co-pilot for counselors, providing advising guidance and actionable student insights.
• Project CAFE (Classroom Automated Feedback Environment) AI-powered instructional coaching tool that analyzes classroom video recordings in near real-time, delivering actionable feedback to teachers and enabling self-directed professional growth without scheduled observations.
• Resilient Scholars Program (RSP) Integrated social-emotional learning model for middle and high school students using a whole-school, three-year embedded approach focused on building student confidence, self-awareness, and social competence.
• Summer Bridge Peer-to-peer summer coaching program that guides new high school graduates through the complex landscape of higher education and career training to successfully matriculate to college and professional programs in the fall.
• Alumni Texting Program Low-touch, high-impact texting engagement program leveraging Signal Vine that keeps alumni connected with UA services, informed of deadlines and events, and engaged with other alumni and resources.
• Early College and Career Awareness (ECCA) 9th and 10th-grade program that introduces students to self-discovery exercises and various career opportunities and educational pathways, helping them design a personalized postsecondary plan from an early stage.
• Counselor Community Community of UA college counselors supported through monthly gatherings, weekly email updates, and a UACC hotline and listserv, enabling sharing of best practices and engagement with critical deadlines and content.
• Algebra Success Math coaching and curriculum development program for educators that transforms math classrooms into interactive learning environments, preparing students for success in higher-level math, college, and careers.
• School Leadership Development School leadership development services integrated within the five core program areas of School Support Services, focused on equipping school leaders with skills to build cohesive learning communities.
• Professional Development Courses Professional development and training programs for school and district leaders, educators, and staff, providing knowledge, skills, and resources to educate and nurture future leaders.
• Coaching, Coherence, and Community Framework UA's core programmatic approach: coaching equips school leaders with knowledge and skills; coherence helps schools create data-informed interconnected systems; community fosters camaraderie through professional learning communities and cohorts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% graduation rate vs 83.7% citywide average
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• NYC Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Founding partner and ongoing primary partnership with NYC DOE to operate the network of 22 career-themed public schools as an Affinity partner. Urban Assembly schools receive supervision, support, and resources through this partnership, with UA providing innovative programs and school support services.
• New Visions for Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded first Urban Assembly school in 1997 alongside NYC DOE. New Visions is a key education nonprofit partner that helps design and scale solutions for public schools.
• Signal VinesupportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for the Alumni Texting Program that keeps young people engaged with alumni services, connected to other alumni, and informed about college- and program-related tasks. UA text alumni through Signal Vine's platform.
• Facebook (Meta)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Facebook's NYC office to provide design workshops and the UAI Design Derby competition for young women at Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science for Young Women. Includes student visits to Facebook headquarters and Stanford design institute.
• CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO David Adams serves on the CASEL board. CASEL is the national organization advancing social-emotional learning research and implementation in K-12 education.
• Citizen SchoolssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing six-month extended school day program at Urban Assembly Unison School offering STEM apprenticeships and additional academic rigor to instill early college and career readiness.
• ExpandED SchoolssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through ExpandED's National SEL Demonstration Initiative, supported by New York Life Foundation, working to implement SEL practices throughout the school day across multiple cities.
• The Council of Administrators of Special Ed (CASE)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration focused on social-emotional learning targeting students with special needs, combining CASE's administrative expertise with UA's SEL programming.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Big Picture Learning: National network of career-themed schools built on work-based learning and personalized education plans, making it the closest structural analog to UA's career-themed school model and postsecondary readiness programming.
• Uncommon Schools: Northeast K-12 charter network serving predominantly low-income students of color with a college-prep focus and similar SEL emphasis; competes for the same philanthropic capital and NYC district partnerships as Urban Assembly.
• KIPP Foundation: National K-12 charter network with comparable college-prep mission for students from low-income communities and strong alumni college-persistence outcomes, making it a direct comparable for UA's career-themed school model and postsecondary readiness programming.
• Achievement First: Northeast K-12 charter network with comparable mission serving students of color from low-income backgrounds, with similar college-readiness and SEL programming and overlapping foundation funders.
• iMentor: National college-access nonprofit pairing low-income students with mentor relationships to drive postsecondary persistence, comparable to UA's Alumni Success and CounselorGPT programs on the college-enrollment outcome dimension.
• ExpandED Schools: Partners with UA on the National SEL Demonstration Initiative and shares the NYC school-support model focused on expanded learning time, SEL, and community-school partnerships with public schools serving similar demographics.
• New Visions for Public Schools: Co-founded the first Urban Assembly school in 1997 with NYC DOE and operates as a parallel NYC school-support organization providing curriculum, PD, and student services to networks of public schools serving similar low-income and student-of-color populations.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large NYC charter network serving predominantly low-income Black and Latine students with strong academic outcomes; operates in the same NYC public-school ecosystem and competes for the same families, talent, and policy attention.

Broad incumbents

• CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning): National SEL field-builder that sets the framework UA's Resilient Scholars Program aligns with; UA CEO David Adams sits on the CASEL board, and CASEL's district adoption guidance drives downstream demand for UA's SEL PD offerings.

Emerging players

• Panorama Education: K-12 SEL assessment, student-survey, and college/career readiness platform used by districts; competes with Project CAFE and CounselorGPT on the technology-enabled SEL and postsecondary advising layer of the school-support stack.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/urbanassembly
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCY_gFvbZjZCrm_AkDDREBxw
• Facebookfacebook.com/urbanassemblyny
• Instagraminstagram.com/urbanassembly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-assembly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Urban Assembly