BUILD Boston
BUILD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers project-based entrepreneurship curricula and volunteer mentorship to middle- and high-school students in under-resourced communities across five US metros, funded by donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What BUILD Boston does
BUILD (legally "Businesses United in Investing, Lending, and Development") is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1999, that delivers entrepreneurship education to middle- and high-school students in under-resourced communities. The organization operates through five regional chapter presences — Boston, California, Metro DC, New York, and Pittsburgh (launched 2021) — and partners with schools such as Gateway Academy, Randolph High School, Excel High School, and McKeesport Area Senior High School to deliver in-classroom curriculum and mentor-led programming.
BUILD's product set centers on a project-based entrepreneurship curriculum stack: the 10-hour Design Challenge (human-centered design), the FamBiz CEO Simulation Game, the Youth Fellowship Playbook, a "Basics of Branding" module co-developed with Adobe, and an annual Youth Pitch Competition / BUILDFest showcase event where students pitch ventures. Delivery is split between partner-school classrooms, in-person mentor sessions, and a digital Learning Hub (learninghub.build.org) that distributes curriculum resources. The technology stack is content- and web-delivery-based; no proprietary AI/ML, APIs, or core platform IP is disclosed.
The organization is funded through a diversified mix of monthly individual donors (tiers of $15, $25, $50+), corporate sponsorships (SVB/First Citizens, State Street, PNC, Comcast, Hillman), and foundation grants (Richard King Mellon Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation). All programs are free to students and educators. Volunteer business mentors and named corporate sponsors (banks, regional foundations, workforce/economic-mobility organizations) form the operational backbone, and recurring BUILDFest events in Boston and Southwestern PA serve as the primary community engagement and fundraising moments. No revenue, headcount trend, or financial scale figures are publicly disclosed in the available data.
BUILD Boston firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BUILD Boston
- Legal name
- Businesses United in Investing, Lending, and Development
- Website
- https://build.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BUILD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers project-based entrepreneurship curricula and volunteer mentorship to middle- and high-school students in under-resourced communities across five US metros, funded by donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BUILD Boston industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Entrepreneurship Education
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Social Entrepreneurship & Impact Business (EDAMAHAK)
Keywords
Where BUILD Boston is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
BUILD Boston business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Monthly giving program where donors contribute recurring monthly amounts ($15, $25, $50+ per month) to support BUILD's programs for youth entrepreneurship education.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners provide financial support and volunteer resources to run BUILD programs in their communities. Partners receive recognition at BUILDFest events and engagement opportunities with students.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
BUILD Boston product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BUILD Boston, as the Boston chapter of BUILD (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit), delivers free entrepreneurship education curricula and programs to high school and middle school students in under-resourced communities. Programs pair students with volunteer business mentors and cover human-centered design, CEO-level business simulation, branding, and culminating pitch competitions. All programs are offered free of charge to students and educators, funded through donations and corporate sponsorships.
Product overview
BUILD is an educational nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of entrepreneurship programs for youth in under-resourced communities. The core offerings include the Design Challenge (a 10-hour human-centered design curriculum), FamBiz CEO Simulation Game, and Youth Fellowship Playbook. Programs are delivered through digital programming and in-person classroom experiences, culminating in regional Youth Pitch Competitions and BUILDFest events where students pitch their ventures. BUILD also provides educator training and curriculum resources including branding modules with Adobe software.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Design Challenge A 10-hour project-based learning program that teaches youth human-centered design principles, guiding students through empathy, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, and pitch presentation. Delivered to students through partner schools and digital programming.
- FamBiz CEO Simulation Game An interactive simulation where students step into the role of CEO, learning fundamental business concepts and entrepreneurial decision-making through gameplay.
- Basics of Branding with Adobe A curriculum module that teaches students branding fundamentals using Adobe software tools and design principles.
- Youth Fellowship Playbook A guide and framework for youth design fellowship programs, providing structured pathways for student engagement in design thinking and entrepreneurship.
- Youth Pitch Competition
- BUILDFest Events
Quantifiable outcome
- Students who previously skipped class and had poor grades achieved As and Bs and became CFO of their own business
Companies that use BUILD Boston
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
BUILD Boston technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
BUILD Boston partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core partner and minor.
- Allegheny Conference on Community Developmentcore partnerChief Equity Officer from the Allegheny Conference serves as a judge for the Southwestern PA Youth Pitch Competition, supporting regional economic development through BUILD programs.
- Remake Learning DaysminorPartner supporting BUILD Pittsburgh's regional learning initiatives and youth programming.
- Saturday Light Brigade RadiominorExecutive Director Larry Berger serves as MC for BUILDFest SWPA 2026. SLB does school workshops, youth journalism, oral history, and podcasting programs aimed at teens, aligned with BUILD's mission.
- Mass Mentoring Projectcore partnerPresident & CEO Cynthia Orellana serves as VIP Speaker at BUILDFest Boston 2026, representing the mentoring partnership ecosystem.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BUILD Boston competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Junior Achievement: The largest US youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy education nonprofit, serving K-12 students through in-class curricula, after-school programs, and competitions — directly comparable to BUILD's mission, delivery model, and target student segment.
- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): Nonprofit that brings entrepreneurship education to young people from under-resourced communities through classroom programs and pitch competitions — directly comparable to BUILD's mission, customer base, and Shark Tank-style finale events.
Broad incumbents
- Year Up: Large workforce-development nonprofit serving young adults from under-resourced communities with career training and corporate internships — overlaps with BUILD's career-readiness mission but targets an older post-secondary audience.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-development nonprofit offering after-school programming including entrepreneurship and career exploration — competes with BUILD for the same donor and corporate sponsor pool and serves a similar student demographic.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Mentoring-focused nonprofit pairing youth with adult volunteers — comparable to BUILD's mentor-driven model but without the entrepreneurship curriculum specialization.
- NAF (National Academy Foundation): National network of career-themed high school academies that integrate industry-focused curricula and corporate partnerships — comparable to BUILD's school-district-delivered career-readiness model.
- 4-H: Largest US youth development organization offering STEM, civic engagement, and entrepreneurship programming through school and community-based delivery — comparable scale and mission overlap with BUILD.
Emerging players
- iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with college-educated mentors for college and career success — shares BUILD's mentor-driven model and student demographic but focuses on college persistence rather than entrepreneurship.
- EVERFI: Education technology company delivering digital curricula (financial literacy, entrepreneurship, career readiness) to K-12 schools — comparable to BUILD's Learning Hub digital programming and educator-training offerings.
- Zoomi (formerly Venture For America fellowship pipeline): Nonprofit fellowship program connecting emerging talent with entrepreneurship opportunities in under-resourced cities — partially overlapping with BUILD's youth entrepreneurship and economic mobility mission.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BUILD Boston social profiles
Digital presenceBUILD Boston compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
BUILD Boston financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BUILD Boston leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
BUILD Boston funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BUILD Boston 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 BUILD Boston
What does BUILD Boston do?
BUILD Boston, as the Boston chapter of BUILD (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit), delivers free entrepreneurship education curricula and programs to high school and middle school students in under-resourced communities. Programs pair students with volunteer business mentors and cover human-centered design, CEO-level business simulation, branding, and culminating pitch competitions. All programs are offered free of charge to students and educators, funded through donations and corporate sponsorships.
Is BUILD Boston a public or private company?
BUILD Boston is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was BUILD Boston founded?
BUILD Boston was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BUILD Boston based?
BUILD Boston is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does BUILD Boston make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships.
Who are BUILD Boston's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Junior Achievement and Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). Broad incumbents are Year Up, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, NAF (National Academy Foundation) and 4-H. Emerging players are iMentor, EVERFI and Zoomi (formerly Venture For America fellowship pipeline).
Does BUILD Boston have an API?
No public API is recorded for BUILD Boston.
What industry is BUILD Boston in?
BUILD Boston's product category is Youth Entrepreneurship Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAA, Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics, with a secondary code of EDAMAHAC, Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.