Kingmakers of Oakland

What Kingmakers of Oakland does

Kingmakers of Oakland is a private nonprofit organization founded in 2010 (originally as the African American Male Achievement initiative) and headquartered at the KOO Lab Design Center in West Oakland, California. The organization operates an integrated ecosystem of five core programs — the Crowns Curriculum (a CSU and UC-approved culturally responsive college-prep elective), TFI Oakland (a 3-year college access program in partnership with JPMorgan Chase), KOO Labs Academies (creative training in music, fashion, animation, and media), Kingmakers Club (mentorship), and Jegna Early Literacy (K-1 literacy mentorship) — plus the recently launched Sankofa Kings AI Fellowship, which uses generative AI tools to support youth-led community research for Black men ages 12-25. Programs reach 5,000+ students across 8 school systems in 6 cities (including Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle), with 500+ educators trained in culturally responsive facilitation.

The underlying technology combines a culturally grounded curriculum platform (lesson plans, facilitator guides, primary source documents, assessments) with integrated media production infrastructure (a recording studio, fashion lab, media services, and the Kingmakers Music record label distributed by Tuff Gong International). The Sankofa Kings AI2 Lab adds an applied generative AI layer that enables students to produce audio, video, and text activation toolkits from community interviews and research.

Revenue is generated primarily through philanthropic grants and corporate partnerships (including a $350,000 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award in 2026 and JPMorgan Chase funding for TFI Oakland), supplemented by merchandise sales through the KOO online store and community fundraising events such as the annual Student Showcase. Customer segments are split between Black boys and young men (Pre-K through Ph.D.) as the primary beneficiary, educators trained in culturally responsive pedagogy, and school district partners procuring curriculum and program delivery at no cost to families. All programs are offered free of charge to participants, with the KOO Lab Summer Program explicitly free and the Crowns Curriculum provided to partner schools on a grant-funded basis.

Name

Kingmakers of Oakland

Legal name

Kingmakers of Oakland

Website

https://kingmakersofoakland.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kingmakers of Oakland is a nonprofit that operates an integrated ecosystem of culturally responsive education and creative-industry programs — including a CSU/UC-approved curriculum, college access, AI fellowship, and creative labs — serving Black boys and young men from Pre-K through Ph.D. across 8 U.S. school systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Clubs & Organizations (General Interest, Cultural, Service) (EDAJAJAG), Family Engagement & Take-Home Learning Materials (Home Packs, Parent Guides) (EDACAJAL), Family Literacy (Parent/Child & Intergenerational) (EDAAAAAE)

Keywords

• Culturally responsive education
• Youth mentorship programs
• College access services
• Early literacy programs
• Creative arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic/Grant Funding: Primary revenue from foundation grants, corporate partnerships, and donations. Received $350,000 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award in 2026. Relies on community fundraising events like the Student Showcase where over $4,000 was raised.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnership with JPMorgan Chase's Fellowship Initiative funds TFI Oakland program. 49ers Foundation partnership for youth programs.
3. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling KOO branded merchandise including snapback hats, tees, hoodies, totes, and supporter kits. Proceeds directly support programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kingmakers of Oakland is a nonprofit organization that delivers a five-program educational ecosystem for Black boys and young men from Pre-K through Ph.D. Its offerings combine a CSU/UC-approved culturally responsive curriculum (Crowns Curriculum), a 3-year college access fellowship (TFI Oakland), K-1 literacy mentorship (Jegna Early Literacy), a safe-space mentorship club (Kingmakers Club), creative-industry training in music/fashion/animation/media (KOO Labs Academies), and a Generative AI fellowship (Sankofa Kings). Programs are delivered free of charge to participants, primarily funded by foundation grants, corporate partnerships, and donations.

Product overview

Kingmakers of Oakland is an educational nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem of programs designed to improve the educational and life outcomes of Black boys and young men from Pre-K through Ph.D. The organization operates across five core programs: Crowns Curriculum (a culturally responsive, CSU and UC-approved college-prep elective), TFI Oakland (a 3-year college access program in partnership with JPMorgan Chase), KOO Labs Academies (creative training in music, fashion, animation, and media), Jegna Early Literacy (K-1 literacy mentorship), and Sankofa Kings (an AI Fellowship program). Supporting services include a recording studio, fashion lab, and media services. The organization also operates Kingmakers Music as a youth-based record label. Together, these programs create a thriving ecosystem that activates strategies for Black male achievement through culturally grounded, identity-affirming learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kingmakers Music: A youth-based, full service record label powered by Kingmakers of Oakland, creating culturally relevant, profanity-free movement music from artists rooted in Oakland and the Bay Area.
• Sankofa Kings

Products and services

• Crowns Curriculum A CSU and UC-approved college-prep elective with a full suite of culturally responsive materials (lesson plans, facilitator guides, worksheets, unit summaries, icebreakers, Black history resources, literature, contemporary media, projects/assessments) for teachers and Black male students, implemented across 6 cities and 8 school systems.
• TFI Oakland A 3-year college access program in partnership with JPMorgan Chase's Fellowship Initiative, expanding opportunities and leadership pathways for Black male students; cohort results include 100% college acceptance.
• KOO Labs Academies School-year and summer sessions at the KOO Lab Design Center in West Oakland tailored for Black students to explore creativity through music, fashion, animation, and media production, with hands-on training producing industry-informed work.
• Kingmakers Club A safe and brave space for young Black males to grow, develop, and transform from boyhood to manhood through mentorship and community.
• Jegna Early Literacy A school-based program where young Black men support K-1 students with literacy and social-emotional growth through mentorship.
• Sankofa Kings A first-of-its-kind AI Fellowship and youth-led research lab for Black men in Oakland ages 12-25, merging Generative AI with Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) to train 'Social Architects' who create community solutions.
• Kingmakers Music A youth-based, full-service record label powered by Kingmakers of Oakland, creating culturally relevant, profanity-free music with artists rooted in Oakland and the Bay Area; distributed by Tuff Gong International.
• Recording Studio Professional recording studio services for music production and audio creation for students.
• Fashion Lab Creative fashion design training and production services for students exploring fashion and apparel.
• Media Services Media production services including photography, videography, and digital content creation.
• Jean Yonemura Wing Memorial Scholarship Scholarship program supporting students in their educational journey.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college acceptance rate for TFI Cohort 2 with over $650k in scholarships
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Oakland PromisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakland Promise is a key ally in the movement for educational equity. Partnership focuses on supporting young people and their families from cradle to college and beyond, providing financial resources, scholarships, mentorship, and support network.
• San Francisco Unified School District (AAALI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrican American Achievement and Leadership Initiative partnership celebrating 10 years of impact. Over 100 young Kings and Queens crowned through Mastering Our Cultural Identity classes. Dr. Maria Su and Leticia Irving's team lead the program.
• Seattle Public Schools (AAMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAMA (African American Male Achievement) program partnership with Dr. Mia Williams and team. Kingmakers of Seattle program implementing Crowns curriculum with educators like Bro Keenen Allen at Denny International Middle School.
• Repurposing School CollaborativestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade, Dr. Joaquin Noguera, and National Compadres Network using Youth Wellness Index as evaluative tool. Focus on healing-centered schools where healing is the pathway to holistic development and academic achievement.
• Pixar Animation StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird-time exclusive behind-the-scenes tour hosting Kingmakers students. Hosted by Andy Beal (Director of Visual Development), Albert Lozano (Lead Character Designer for Inside Out), and Paige Johnstone (Production Manager on Inside Out 2).
• 49ers FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia coverage partnership featuring CEO Chris Chatmon sharing the story of founding Kingmakers of Oakland after starting African American Male Achievement.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oakland Promise: Oakland-based cradle-to-career nonprofit working on educational equity and economic mobility from early childhood through college and career; Kingmakers' named partner and operates in the same geography with overlapping Black male achievement work.
• Ron Brown Scholar Program: National scholarship and leadership development program for high-achieving Black high school students; comparable on college access outcomes for Black male students, though more selective and scholarship-focused rather than curriculum-driven.
• Eagle Academy Foundation: Network of all-male, primarily Black and Latino college preparatory schools in urban communities; directly comparable in mission to develop young men of color through culturally relevant education and leadership development, though delivered via schools rather than curriculum licensing.
• Brothers on the Rise: Oakland-based nonprofit focused on the academic, social, and emotional development of Black boys and young men, operating mentoring and college access programs in the same Bay Area geography with a similar population focus as Kingmakers of Oakland.
• African American Male Achievement (AAMA): The original Oakland Unified School District program from which Kingmakers of Oakland originated; direct functional peer delivering culturally relevant programming for Black male students in OUSD schools.

Broad incumbents

• UNCF (United Negro College Fund): National organization supporting Black students' educational attainment from K-12 through college, including scholarships and institutional support; overlaps with Kingmakers on college access and Black student outcomes but operates at far larger national scale.
• Becoming a Man (BAM) - Youth Guidance: Evidence-based school-based mentoring and counseling program for young men, including a specific focus on boys and young men of color; comparable in delivering in-school social-emotional and identity-affirming programming, though operating in Chicago rather than California.
• National Black Child Development Institute: National organization supporting the healthy development of Black children and youth through programming, research, and advocacy; overlaps with Kingmakers' early literacy and identity-affirming education work at a broader national scale.
• My Brother's Keeper Alliance (Obama Foundation): National initiative addressing opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color, with similar mission to improve life outcomes for Black boys; broader in scope and better capitalized than Kingmakers, but the closest national peer in terms of demographic and outcomes focus.

Emerging players

• EMANCIPATE: Nonprofit providing tutoring, mentoring, and college access programming for underrepresented students, with overlap on culturally responsive education and college access outcomes similar to Kingmakers' Crowns and TFI programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kingmakersofoakland
• Xx.com/KingmakersO
• Facebookfacebook.com/kingmakersofoakland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kingmakersofoakland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kingmakers of Oakland