Skate Like A Girl

What Skate Like A Girl does

Skate Like a Girl is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 26-2500555) founded in 2000 at Evergreen State College in Washington by Holly Sheehan and Fleur Larsen, focused on using skateboarding as a vehicle to build confidence, leadership, and community among youth, women, trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive individuals. The organization operates six core programs across three U.S. chapters in Seattle, Portland, and the San Francisco Bay Area: Women &/or Trans Sessions (WTSesh), Youth Employment Skateboarding (Y.E.S.), Youth Summer Camps, Youth Outreach, the annual Wheels of Fortune showcase, and a free downloadable Program Toolkit for facilitators. Headcount is small (1-10 paid staff), with operations heavily dependent on volunteers, chapter directors, and community partners; tens of thousands of skaters are served annually per Seattle Times coverage.

The business model is donation- and grant-driven rather than commercial. Revenue streams include individual donations (including a $10/month "Community Skateholder" recurring subscription), foundation grants (e.g., Women's Sports Foundation), program and summer camp fees processed through the Active Network registration platform, and merchandise sales via a BigCartel storefront. Financial aid is available for program fees to ensure accessibility. Marketing and outreach are community-led, relying on earned media coverage (Seattle Times, CBS News, SF Chronicle, VICE News, Thrasher Magazine), partnerships with schools, community centers, evo, and the King County Play Equity Coalition, plus a volunteer network that includes a professional skills group called the Totally Rad Cohort (T.R.C.). The go-to-market motion is direct program delivery in-person at skate parks and facilities in three metropolitan markets, with no digital product, mobile app, or API surface in evidence.

Name

Skate Like A Girl

Legal name

Skate Like a Girl

Website

https://skatelikeagirl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Skate Like a Girl is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2000 that uses skateboarding to build confidence, leadership, and community among youth, women, trans, and gender-expansive individuals across three U.S. chapters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Skateboarding Programs and Youth Development Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB)

Keywords

• Skateboarding programs
• Youth leadership development
• Community outreach
• Gender inclusive sports
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the organization relies heavily on charitable donations from individuals and grants from foundations. The Community Skateholder program offers recurring monthly donations starting at $10.
2. Program Fees: Revenue from summer camp registrations and potentially other program fees. Financial aid is available to ensure accessibility.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise through the organization's BigCartel store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Skate Like A Girl is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that runs in-person, inclusive skateboarding programs for youth, women, trans, non-binary, and gender expansive participants. Its core offerings include weekly Women &/or Trans Sessions, a teen Youth Employment Skateboarding (Y.E.S.) leadership program, youth summer camps for ages 6-17, community-based Youth Outreach programs, an annual Wheels of Fortune showcase event, and a free downloadable Program Toolkit for facilitators.

Product overview

Skate Like a Girl operates as a nonprofit offering in-person skateboarding programs and community events rather than a software product. The core portfolio consists of six named programs: Women &/or Trans Sessions (WTSesh) providing inclusive skate nights; Youth Employment Skateboarding (Y.E.S.) as a teen leadership program; Youth Summer Camp for youth ages 6-17; Youth Outreach bringing programs to underserved communities; Wheels of Fortune as an annual showcase event; and a free Program Toolkit resource for facilitators. The organization serves tens of thousands of skaters annually across three chapters in Seattle, Portland, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women &/or Trans Sessions (WTSesh) Weekly inclusive skate sessions designed for women, trans, non-binary, and gender expansive skaters to practice and build community in a safe, welcoming environment across Seattle, Portland, and SF Bay Area chapters.
• Youth Employment Skateboarding (Y.E.S.) Teen leadership program that employs youth in skateboarding-related work, providing job skills, mentorship, and leadership development aligned with the organization's inclusive mission.
• Youth Summer Camp Summer skateboarding camps for youth ages 6-17 that teach pushing and cruising basics and incorporate life lessons around Self Confidence, Humility, Equity, and Determination (SHRED). Registration is handled through Active Network with financial aid available.
• Youth Outreach Community-based skateboarding programs that bring inclusive skate opportunities to underserved neighborhoods through partnerships with local schools, community centers, and nonprofits, with boards provided for beginners.
• Wheels of Fortune (WOF) Annual skateboarding showcase event celebrating and featuring youth, women, trans, and gender expansive skaters across skill levels, including vendors, raffles, and skate activities.
• Program Toolkit A free downloadable PDF curriculum guide for skateboarding program facilitators, developed with long-time staff and coaches, covering safe skateboarding instruction, games and class curriculum ideas, behavior management tips, and guidance for working with individuals of different learning styles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of skaters served yearly across three cities

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Seattle Sports CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Seattle Sports Commission recognized Skate Like a Girl with a Honoree Award at the 90th Annual Sports Star of the Year event, presented by Microsoft. This partnership reinforces Skate Like a Girl's commitment to building an inclusive skateboarding community.
• King County Play Equity CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Seattle Sports Commission to recognize Skate Like a Girl's work advancing equity in skateboarding and supporting young women, trans, and gender expansive skaters.
• evocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner Spotlight featured on evo's platform. Skate Like a Girl's impact extends beyond the skatepark through collaborations with local schools, community centers, and non-profits, bringing skateboarding to underserved neighborhoods with free or low-cost programs.
• Sport Oregon / Pdx Red Gala FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSport Oregon partnered with Pdx Red Gala Foundation to donate proceeds to SHE FLIES initiative. Skate Like a Girl members performed a live skate exhibition at the 2023 PDX Red Gala event.
• GoPro For a CauseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSkate Like a Girl was featured as a GoPro For a Cause charity partner, receiving visibility and support through GoPro's charitable giving program.
• Local Schools and Community CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkate Like a Girl collaborates with local schools, community centers, and non-profits to bring skateboarding to underserved neighborhoods with free or low-cost programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Skateistan: Global nonprofit using skateboarding as a tool for youth education and empowerment, particularly for marginalized children. Operates Education programs and skate schools internationally on a donation-based model analogous to Skate Like a Girl's community-driven approach.
• Stoked Mentoring: Nonprofit pairing underserved youth with action-sports mentors (skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing). Shares Skate Like a Girl's youth development-through-action-sports mission and donation/revenue model.
• The Boarding School (NYC): NYC-based nonprofit that explicitly names Skate Like a Girl as an inspiration; uses skateboarding to empower women, trans, and gender-nonconforming youth. Closest direct mission peer with similar program structure.
• Exposure Skate: Nonprofit organizing inclusive skateboarding events and competitions for women, trans, and non-binary skaters. Comparable inclusive-skate mission with an event-led model that overlaps with Skate Like a Girl's Wheels of Fortune.

Broad incumbents

• The Skatepark Project (Tony Hawk Foundation): Larger established skateboarding nonprofit focused on funding public skateparks and youth programming nationwide. Operates in adjacent space (skatepark access and youth programs) but with broader scope and significantly larger resources than Skate Like a Girl.

Emerging players

• Meow Skate: Skateboard brand and community platform focused on women and non-binary skaters, with events and content. Sits at the intersection of inclusive skateboarding brand-building and community organizing, partially overlapping with Skate Like a Girl's audience.
• B4BC (Boarding for Breast Cancer): Nonprofit leveraging board sports (skate, snow, surf) for awareness and youth programming around health and equity. Shares the cause-marketing model and action-sports platform.
• Stoked on Style: Women-led nonprofit teaching skateboarding to girls and gender-nonconforming youth in Los Angeles. Same inclusive-skate mission and youth-program delivery model in a different regional market.

Others

• Women's Sports Foundation: National nonprofit advancing women's sports participation and leadership. Listed as a 2025 funding source for Skate Like a Girl and an umbrella organization addressing overlapping equity and participation goals.

Regional players

• People's Skatepark (NYC): Volunteer-built, community-led skateboarding space in New York City offering inclusive programs. Comparable community-led operating model but focused on a single East Coast location, not multi-city chapters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/skatelikeagirl
• Facebookfacebook.com/skatelikeagirl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skate-like-a-girl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Skate Like A Girl