What The Sophia Project does

The Sophia Project Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 2011. The organization engages, educates, and empowers adolescent young women in middle and high school across the St. Louis region through four program pillars: Social Grace, Self-Efficacy, Scholarship, and Self-Care. Its program portfolio comprises In-School Empowerment Sessions (curriculum delivered directly into local middle and high schools), the Keep It Safe & Sacred (K.I.S.S.) Friday evening program, the Urban Girl Institute 8-week summer camp for middle school girls, and Sophia Project Connects community events focused on mental well-being, self-care, and self-esteem.

The organization does not operate proprietary technology products; its technical footprint is a Squarespace-hosted website (thesophiaproject.org) used for program information, donations, and newsletter signups. Revenue is generated exclusively through donations, corporate sponsorships, and signature fundraising events (Little Black Dress Bruncheon, Pearling Ceremony). The go-to-market motion is deliberately local and direct: services are delivered in-person through school partnerships and community-based programming, while fundraising is driven by events and a donor/sponsor base that includes Black Community Commitment, Chase, Ameren MO, BP4, YMCA, and Nike (per a 2023-02-15 recorded funding entry).

The operating scope is a single city/region (St. Louis, Missouri), with no disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional investors. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, and no financial figures, audited results, or program reach metrics are disclosed. Strategic partners span corporate sponsors, a community-services co-developer (YMCA), and a mission-aligned organization (Black Community Commitment), but no acquisitions, geographic expansions, or product launches outside the existing program pillars are documented.

Name

The Sophia Project

Legal name

The Sophia Project Inc.

Website

https://thesophiaproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Sophia Project is a St. Louis-based nonprofit that delivers empowerment education and youth development programs to adolescent young women through in-school sessions, Friday evening gatherings, an 8-week summer camp, and community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Sophia Project is a nonprofit organization that delivers youth empowerment and personal development programs for adolescent young women in the St. Louis region. Its core offering consists of four programs — In-School Empowerment Sessions, the Friday-evening Keep It Safe & Sacred (K.I.S.S.) program, the Urban Girl Institute 8-week summer camp, and Sophia Project Connects community events — built around four pillars: Social Grace, Self-Efficacy, Scholarship, and Self-Care. Programs are provided free of charge to participants and funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

The Sophia Project is a nonprofit organization offering a suite of youth empowerment programs for young women. The core programs include In-School Empowerment Sessions (bringing programming directly to schools), Keep It Safe & Sacred (K.I.S.S.) Friday evening gatherings, the Urban Girl Institute summer camp, and Sophia Project Connects community events. These programs are supported by the organization's four pillars: Social Grace, Self-Efficacy, Scholarship, and Self-Care. The organization also publishes newsletters to communicate with program participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Keep It Safe & Sacred (K.I.S.S.): Friday evening program where young women from various schools come together as a united force
• Urban Girl Institute
• In-School Empowerment Sessions
• Sophia Project Connects

Products and services

• In-School Empowerment Sessions Dynamic, in-school empowerment programming delivered directly to local middle and high schools, providing educational content, personal development support, and empowerment curriculum for adolescent young women in the St. Louis region.
• Keep It Safe & Sacred (K.I.S.S.) Friday-evening program held throughout the school year that brings together young women from various schools as a united force, providing ongoing empowerment, community, and personal development support.
• Urban Girl Institute An 8-week summer camp tailored for middle school girls that combines academic support, therapeutic services, mindfulness activities, and unique enrichment experiences to support adolescent girls' development.
• Sophia Project Connects Community events across the St. Louis region that promote mental well-being, self-care, and self-esteem for adolescent young women, extending the organization's empowerment programming outside of school settings.
• K.I.S.S. Newsletter Periodic newsletter publications distributed to program participants and supporters, providing updates and educational content related to The Sophia Project's programs, including the Keep It Safe & Sacred program.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Black Community CommitmentcoreGTM or Marketing Partner
• Ameren MOminorOthers
• BP4minorOthers
• YMCAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Girls Inc. National nonprofit operating in-school and after-school programs empowering girls to be confident, smart, and bold. Closely comparable in mission, demographic (adolescent girls), and program structure to The Sophia Project.
• YWCA St. Louis: Regional YWCA affiliate serving the St. Louis area with youth empowerment, leadership, and wellness programs for girls and women. Directly comparable geographic and demographic scope.
• Girls on the Run: National nonprofit combining physical activity and life-skill curriculum for elementary and middle school girls. Comparable mission of building confidence and healthy decision-making in adolescent girls.
• StepUp For Youth: Nonprofit providing empowerment, education, and mentoring programs for adolescent girls in underserved communities. Comparable target demographic and empowerment/education focus.
• Women's Foundation of Greater St. Louis: Local grantmaking and advocacy foundation supporting women and girls in the St. Louis region. Same geographic scope and gender-equity mission, though primarily a funder rather than direct-service provider.

Broad incumbents

• Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri: Established regional Girl Scouts council serving greater St. Louis with leadership and STEM programming for girls K-12. Comparable geographic footprint and demographic, with significantly larger scale and resources.
• Girls Who Code: National nonprofit focused on closing the gender gap in technology through coding clubs and summer immersion programs for middle and high school girls. Comparable demographic and summer program model (Urban Girl Institute).
• National Women's Law Center: National advocacy organization advancing gender equity through policy, research, and education. Comparable focus on women's empowerment and rights, though operating primarily at the federal policy level.

Emerging players

• Black Girls RUN! Foundation: National nonprofit promoting health and wellness among Black women and girls through running groups and community programming. Shares demographic focus and empowerment/wellness mission.
• Girls For A Change: Nonprofit empowering Black girls and other girls of color through social-justice programming and leadership training. Comparable target demographic and empowerment/self-efficacy program design.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Sophia Project