Beyond the Ball

What Beyond the Ball does

Beyond the Ball is a Dallas, Texas-based nonprofit organization founded in 2019 by Erica Molett that operates educational programs for student athletes and youth interested in sports, gaming, and fashion. Its core thesis is that less than 2% of student athletes become professional athletes, and the remaining 98% need exposure to STEM career pathways adjacent to the sports industries they love. The organization's programmatic portfolio includes the Sneaker Lab workshop (connecting sneaker culture to design, engineering, and business concepts), the Summer26 seasonal program, the Enter the Lab virtual learning portal, and a Post-Grad Prep Program focused on transition to higher education. Programs are delivered free of charge to participants.

The organization is led by a volunteer-style board structure (CEO Erica Molett; Board Chair Adam Morrisey; Governance Chair Summer McAfee; Fundraising Chair Trey Mathis; Programming Chair Dr. Sean Garff) with 1-10 employees total. Core technology is not publicly disclosed; distribution depends on direct community engagement supplemented by the Enter the Lab virtual portal. Strategic partnerships with Nike, NBA, Overtime, Microsoft, FaZe Clan, and Warner Bros provide industry mentorship and brand visibility. No products or services are sold; the funding model is donations (via a PayPal portal on the website) augmented by grants. Only one funding event is recorded in the data (a Jordan BCC Community Grants entry dated February 17, 2023, with a $0 contributed figure).

Name

Beyond the Ball

Legal name

Beyond the Ball

Website

https://beyondtheball.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Beyond the Ball is a Dallas-based nonprofit founded in 2019 by Erica Molett that delivers free STEM-focused programs — including the Sneaker Lab, Summer26, and Enter the Lab virtual platform — to student athletes and youth, supported by partnerships with Nike, NBA, Microsoft, and other major brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Youth STEM education
• Student athlete programs
• Sports career pathways
• Nonprofit youth services
• Project-based learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Beyond the Ball is a nonprofit organization that operates primarily through donations, with a PayPal donation portal visible on their website. The organization also has a Fundraising Chair (Trey Mathis) on their team.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Beyond the Ball is a nonprofit organization that designs and delivers educational programs for student athletes and youth, exposing them to STEM careers in sports, gaming, and fashion. Core offerings include the Sneaker Lab workshop on sneaker design and engineering, the Summer26 seasonal program, the Enter the Lab virtual learning platform, and a Post-Grad Prep Program supporting transitions to higher education and professional pathways. All programs are offered free of charge to youth participants and are supported by mentorship from professionals at partner brands.

Product overview

Beyond the Ball is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of educational programs focused on exposing student athletes to STEM careers through sports, gaming, and fashion. The core offerings include the Summer26 seasonal program, Sneaker Lab workshops, the Enter the Lab virtual learning platform, and a Post-Grad Prep Program. These programs work together to provide project-based learning, mentorship from industry leaders, and career pathway exposure to youth who may not pursue professional athletics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer26 A seasonal educational program that exposes student athletes to STEM careers in sports, gaming, and technology through project-based learning and mentorship. It is offered free of charge to youth participants.
• Sneaker Lab An educational workshop that teaches students about sneaker design, engineering, and the business of footwear while connecting these concepts to STEM principles. It is delivered to student athletes and youth enthusiasts free of charge.
• Enter the Lab Virtual learning platform providing access to Beyond the Ball's educational programs and resources for youth engagement in STEM through sports. It functions as the online delivery channel for the organization's program content.
• Post-Grad Prep Program Career preparation program designed to help student athletes transition to higher education and professional pathways beyond sports, supporting the move from secondary education into college and career opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Less than 2% of student athletes achieve professional sports careers, highlighting the need for alternative career pathways

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NikecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNike is a major corporate partner that Beyond the Ball has partnered with to introduce career pathways and mentorship opportunities in the sports and footwear industry.
• NBAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBA partnership provides access to professional sports industry career insights and mentorship from industry leaders for youth participants.
• OvertimecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOvertime is a digital sports media company partnered with Beyond the Ball to expose youth to careers in sports media, gaming, and content creation.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft partnership provides technology career pathways and potentially technological resources for STEM education programs.
• FaZe ClancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaZe Clan partnership connects youth to esports and gaming industry careers, aligning with Beyond the Ball's focus on sports, gaming, and fashion.
• Warner BroscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWarner Bros partnership provides entertainment and media industry career pathways for youth participants in the programs.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation: Sports-anchored youth development nonprofit founded in memory of Kobe and Gianna Bryant; similarly blends athletic engagement with educational/career outcomes for underserved youth, making it the closest functional analog to Beyond the Ball.
• The Hidden Genius Project: Nonprofit providing intensive STEM and entrepreneurship training to Black male youth; comparable to Beyond the Ball in its STEM-for-underserved-youth mission, mentorship model, and brand-driven curriculum.
• First Tee: Youth development organization using golf as the hook to deliver life skills, education, and character programming; mirrors Beyond the Ball's sports-as-onramp-for-broader-outcomes model and operates programs nationwide.
• Junior Achievement USA: Large youth-focused nonprofit delivering work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy programs; comparable in targeting student-age participants with career-pathway content and corporate volunteer engagement.
• 4-H: Long-running youth development organization offering supplemental programs in STEM, leadership, and career exploration; comparable as a national supplemental-enrichment platform with community-based delivery.

Regional players

• STEM NOLA: New Orleans-based nonprofit delivering STEM enrichment to underserved youth through camps and events; directly comparable mission and target population, and a relevant regional peer given BTB's Dallas focus.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth-serving nonprofit offering athletics, STEM, and career programming; overlaps with Beyond the Ball on supplemental enrichment and career exposure for youth, but operates at vastly greater scale and scope.
• National Urban League: Civil rights and urban-advocacy organization running youth workforce, education, and STEM initiatives; comparable in serving underserved Black youth with career-pathway programming, though as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Police Athletic League: Youth services organization offering athletics and enrichment programs; comparable in using sports as an engagement vehicle for youth development and serving similar demographic communities.
• JR. NBA: NBA's official youth basketball participation program covering skill development and life skills; a direct upstream partner-ecosystem peer given BTB's existing NBA partnership and youth basketball participant base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/lifebeyondtheball
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beyond-the-ball-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Beyond the Ball