What Material Change Institute does

Material Change Institute (MCI) is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 by Eve Blossom and headquartered in San Francisco, California. Its sole flagship offering is the Material Change Fellowship, a 12-month executive program that prepares business professionals from underrepresented backgrounds for leadership roles in early-stage investing, specifically angel and venture capital at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages. The Fellowship combines online learning modules, cohort-based learning, mentorship from 60+ industry practitioners, hands-on internships at partner funds, in-person Summits (held annually in Toronto from 2023 onward), one-to-one business coaching, and alumni services; the program is delivered approximately 90% virtually and admits ~23–27 Fellows per cohort, with six cohorts (Classes I–VI) completed or in progress by 2026.

The organization operates a web-based platform for program delivery, applications, and alumni engagement, with Stripe handling donation processing as its only named integration. There is no proprietary technology, algorithm, or AI capability disclosed as a core product offering. Revenue mechanics are entirely donation-driven: individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors fund operations via one-time and recurring contributions processed through the website, with no tuition or program fees charged to Fellows. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on earned media coverage (Fast Company, Forbes, Investment News, Venture Capital Journal, Business Wire), partner referrals, and annual Summits to drive applicant inflow.

The customer base is a single horizontal persona — experienced business professionals (minimum five years of work experience) from historically underrepresented backgrounds seeking to transition into or advance within investment roles. The organization does not disclose revenue, donor composition, headcount beyond a 1–10 employee range, or formal ownership structure beyond its independent Board of Directors, which as of 2024 includes Yolanda Daniel and Victor Reinoso.

Name

Material Change Institute

Legal name

Material Change Institute

Website

https://materialchange.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Material Change Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the Material Change Fellowship, a 12-month program that trains underrepresented business professionals for leadership roles in early-stage investing. It is donation-funded and serves individual Fellows across multiple cohorts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Fellowship Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Investment fellowship program
• Executive education nonprofit
• Venture capital diversity
• Angel investor training
• Private equity pipeline

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a tax-exempt 501(C)(3) nonprofit, Material Change Institute is primarily funded through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The website facilitates one-time and recurring donations via Stripe, with suggested amounts ranging from $50 to $2,500 or custom amounts. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Material Change Institute operates the Material Change Fellowship, a 12-month executive education program that combines online learning modules, small-group mentorship, and internship placements to prepare underrepresented professionals for careers in venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, and other investment sectors. The Fellowship is offered at no tuition or program fee to Fellows, with program costs underwritten by donations and corporate sponsors. The institute has launched six cohort classes since 2021 (Class I through Class VI), enrolling over 100 alumni to date, and convenes more than 60 instructors from top VC, PE, and law firms.

Product overview

Material Change Institute is a nonprofit organization operating a single flagship product: the Material Change Fellowship. The Fellowship is a 12-month executive education and professional development program that combines online learning modules, cohort-based learning, mentorship, investment internships, in-person summits, and alumni services into an integrated experience. The program focuses exclusively on preparing diverse business professionals for leadership roles in early-stage investing (angel, VC, pre-seed, seed, and Series A). All program components work together within the Fellowship offering to provide a full-spectrum approach to helping underrepresented investors gain influence in asset management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Material Change Fellowship Tuition-free 12-month executive program that combines online learning modules, small-group mentorship, and internship placements to prepare underrepresented professionals with 5+ years of business experience for careers in venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, and other investment sectors. Delivered under a donor- and sponsor-funded nonprofit model with no cost to Fellows.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60 angel investors, venture capitalists, and subject matter experts engaged as program instructors
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Material Change Institute has maintained a multi-year collaboration with Creative Destruction Lab, participating in CDL Super Sessions. The partnership provides MCI Fellows with access to CDL's venture acceleration programming, founder networks, and science-backed startup ecosystem. MCI has been a visible partner at CDL events since 2023, showcasing its community and investment ecosystem.
• Wilson SonsiniminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Wilson Sonsini serves as an event sponsor for Material Change Institute. As a prominent technology and life sciences law firm, their sponsorship supports MCI's event programming and Summit activities. The partnership provides brand visibility at MCI events and connects MCI with Wilson Sonsini's broader network in the venture and startup ecosystem.
• Partner Funds (Unnamed)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Material Change Institute partners with a network of investment funds that host MCI Fellows for internship experiences. These partner funds provide hands-on investment experience for Fellows as part of the Fellowship program. The partner fund ecosystem spans multiple investment focus areas including technology, climate, health, and AI. Over 60 angel investors, venture capitalists, and subject matter experts from partner organizations serve as MCI instructors and lecturers.

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kauffman Fellows: Kauffman Fellows operates a flagship Fellowship program that places emerging talent into leading VC firms globally. It is the most direct peer to MCI's Material Change Fellowship in mission, structure, and target outcome of developing investment professionals.
• All Raise: All Raise is a nonprofit focused on increasing the representation and influence of women and non-binary investors in VC. Its mission and donor-funded nonprofit structure closely parallel MCI's focus on diversifying investment leadership.
• BLCK VC: BLCK VC is a nonprofit community of Black venture investors focused on increasing representation in VC. Its mission and community-led nonprofit model align directly with MCI's diversity-in-investing thesis.
• Diversity VC: Diversity VC is a global nonprofit driving greater ethnic and gender diversity in the VC industry. It operates a similar community- and mission-led model, training and connecting under-represented investors.
• Village Capital: Village Capital runs venture development programs with a focus on under-resourced geographies and entrepreneurs. Its nonprofit, cohort-based, and impact-driven program design is structurally similar to MCI's Fellowship.

Emerging players

• Echoing Green: Echoing Green runs a social-impact fellowship for emerging leaders building public-sphere careers. It is structurally similar to MCI as a nonprofit fellowship, but its focus is broader social impact rather than investment specifically.
• Acumen Academy: Acumen Academy delivers online leadership and investment training for social entrepreneurs. Its combination of virtual cohort-based learning and impact-investing curriculum parallels MCI's design.
• Camelback Ventures: Camelback Ventures is a nonprofit accelerating BIPOC entrepreneurs through fellowship-style programs. While focused on founders rather than investors, its underrepresented-leader mission and fellowship structure are comparable to MCI.
• Fast Forward: Fast Forward accelerates nonprofits building tech for social good via a cohort-based accelerator. Its cohort-led, nonprofit model and accelerator structure overlap with MCI's fellowship approach.

Broad incumbents

• New America: New America is a large nonprofit think tank running multiple fellowship programs for emerging leaders in public-interest fields. Its scale and portfolio of fellowships place it as a broad incumbent in the leadership-fellowship space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MaterialChange_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyP7e_yZRuzdpZm6AiWsw7g
• Facebookfacebook.com/MaterialChangeInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/material-change-institute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Material Change Institute