Equity Initiative
Equity Initiative, Inc. is a Wichita, Kansas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 that provides free after-school life-skills, K-12 tutoring, media-arts, and counseling programming for marginalized youth, funded by donations, grants, and annual 5K fundraisers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersWichita, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Equity Initiative does
Equity Initiative, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization headquartered at 1608 E. Waterman St., Wichita, Kansas, founded in 2021 by ShaQiyla F. Banks. The organization provides free after-school and in-school programming to marginalized youth in Wichita and surrounding Kansas communities, anchored by a dedicated community facility called The Activity Lounge that operates Monday-Thursday from 6:30pm to 9:00pm and contains a game room, media room, meditation room, culinary space, multipurpose area, and computer station. Its core programmatic portfolio comprises four initiatives: SkillBuilders (life-skills development), Academic Boost (K-12 academic tutoring), Creative Catalysts (media arts and entrepreneurship exposure via Media Monday), and Counseling Services delivered in partnership with Hunter's Journey Family Therapy, LLC; a K-5 elementary tutoring track extends the age range downward. According to organizational materials, the program has impacted more than 1,000 young people in Kansas between 2021 and 2025.
The organization does not operate proprietary technology; service delivery is in-person, and the public website is a Wix-hosted content site with no app, API, or SDK presence. Participant enrollment is handled via web form with a 48-hour staff response window, and outreach runs through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn (@EquityInitiativeKS) alongside word-of-mouth through school and community partners.
Its revenue model is donations-led and 100% program-free for participants. Funding comes from tax-deductible individual donations accepted via Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal; tiered donation prompts ($50 Seed, $100 Sprout, $250 Root, $500 Tree); a small number of grants (most notably a $100,000 award from United Way of the Plains in June 2023 to fund programs for underserved communities); and a recurring series of paid 5K fundraising events (Run Your Ice Off, Run Into Summer, Stride for Supplies) with registration fees of $20-$50. The organization employs 1-10 staff, is founder-led with a voluntary board (Vice-Chair Corrina Webber; Treasurer Charnea Bell, MAcc; Program Development Brittany Denay Smith, MBA; Fundraising & Development Jamarae Finnie; Policy Manager Brianna Brown; Board Members Jennifer Meridy and Kalila Peyton), and operates exclusively within Kansas, USA.
Equity Initiative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Equity Initiative
- Legal name
- Equity Initiative, Inc.
- Website
- https://equityinitiativeks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Equity Initiative, Inc. is a Wichita, Kansas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 that provides free after-school life-skills, K-12 tutoring, media-arts, and counseling programming for marginalized youth, funded by donations, grants, and annual 5K fundraisers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Equity Initiative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Development Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mental Health Counseling & Therapy Services (K–12) (EDAJALAG)
Keywords
Where Equity Initiative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wichita
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Equity Initiative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations via Venmo, Cash App, and PayPal platforms for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
- Event Fundraising: 5K fundraising events including Run Your Ice Off 5K and Run Into Summer 5K with registration fees ranging from $40-$50 for adults, $20 for youth, and free for children under 10.
- Grant Funding: Received $100,000 investment from United Way of the Plains to fund programs for underserved communities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 5K Registration - Early Bird Adult |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 5K Registration - General Adult |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 5K Registration - Day of |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 5K Registration - Youth |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation Tiers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Equity Initiative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Equity Initiative, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that provides free after-school programming for middle and high school youth in Wichita, Kansas. Its core offerings include life skills development (SkillBuilders Initiative), K-12 academic tutoring (Academic Boost Initiative), media arts and entrepreneurship exposure (Creative Catalysts Initiative), elementary tutoring (K-5 Tutoring), and referral-based counseling services via a partnership with Hunter's Journey Family Therapy, LLC, all delivered through its dedicated facility, The Activity Lounge.
Product overview
Equity Initiative, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) youth development organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of after-school programs centered around The Activity Lounge as its primary facility. The organization operates four core programmatic initiatives: SkillBuilders Initiative (life skills development), Academic Boost Initiative (K-12 tutoring), Creative Catalysts Initiative (media arts), and Counseling Services (in partnership with Hunter's Journey Family Therapy). Additional offerings include K-5 elementary tutoring, annual fundraising events (Run Into Summer 5K, Run Your Ice Off 5K, Stride for Supplies 5K), and community awareness campaigns. All community-based services operate Monday through Thursday from 6:30pm to 9:00pm at The Activity Lounge location at 1608 E. Waterman St., Wichita, KS 67211.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Activity Lounge: The exclusive community-based location at 1608 E. Waterman St. 67211 where Equity Initiative conducts its after-school programs, featuring a game room, media room, meditation room, culinary space, multipurpose area, and computer station.
- SkillBuilders Initiative
- Academic Boost Initiative
- Creative Catalysts Initiative
Products and services
- The Activity Lounge Free, dedicated after-school facility operated by Equity Initiative for youth in Wichita, KS, providing a supervised space with multiple activity rooms where children can learn and practice essential life skills.
- SkillBuilders Initiative Life skills program for youth that builds communication, collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability through interactive group activities and hands-on experiences.
- Academic Boost Initiative K-12 tutoring program providing comprehensive academic support in all subjects with a focus on marginalized youth, offering tailored assistance and mentorship to enhance academic skills, attendance, and graduation outcomes.
- Creative Catalysts Initiative Media arts program including the Media Monday series, providing youth with exposure to media usage, local entrepreneurs, and how media can be utilized effectively in entrepreneurship.
- K-5 Tutoring Free elementary-level tutoring program for students in grades K-5, delivered during after-school hours as an extension of Equity Initiative's academic programming.
- Counseling Services Counseling and mental health support services delivered in partnership with Hunter's Journey Family Therapy, LLC, designed to connect youth and families to mental health services within the community.
- Run Into Summer 5K Annual fundraising 5K race event held on the Riverwalk Bike Path, with registration fees benefiting Equity Initiative's free youth development programs.
- Run Your Ice Off 5K Annual winter fundraising 5K race event held at the Hyatt Regency Lawn, with proceeds supporting Equity Initiative's free after-school programming for Kansas youth.
- Stride for Supplies 5K Annual summer 5K event combining fundraising with a school-supplies drive, where participants bring supplies for middle and high school students and proceeds directly support local youth.
Quantifiable outcome
- Impacted 1K+ young people in Kansas from 2021-2025
Companies that use Equity Initiative
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Equity Initiative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Equity Initiative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Hunter's Journey Family Therapy, LLCcorePartnership with Raneisha T. Hunter, LMFT (Founder) to strengthen connections within the community and mental health services. Supports the organization's People & Wellness core value by directing individuals and families to available services within the community.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Equity Initiative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America (Wichita): National after-school youth development nonprofit operating a Wichita chapter. Directly competes for the same at-risk youth demographic in the same geography with comparable programming around life skills, tutoring, and safe supervised environments.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas: Mentorship-driven youth development nonprofit serving Kansas youth with at-risk factors. Comparable mission around supporting marginalized youth through one-on-one mentoring and community partnerships.
- Kansas 4-H Youth Development: Kansas State University Extension-affiliated youth development program providing life skills, mentoring, and project-based learning to Kansas youth ages 5-18. Comparable community-based youth development model.
- Junior Achievement of Kansas: National youth-serving nonprofit that provides entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work-readiness programming to K-12 students. Directly comparable to Equity Initiative's Creative Catalysts media-arts and entrepreneurial-exposure programming.
- Greater Wichita YMCA: Local YMCA operating after-school care, youth development, tutoring, and life skills programs in Wichita. Directly comparable in geography, target demographic (school-age youth), and free/subsidized service delivery.
- Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland: Regional Girl Scout council delivering life-skills, leadership, and community-engagement programming to girls in Kansas. Comparable after-school programming model and youth-development mission.
- Communities In Schools of Kansas: School-based youth services organization providing support for at-risk students during school hours. Closely mirrors Equity Initiative's school-based services channel and at-risk-youth focus.
Regional players
- The Salvation Army Wichita Area Command: Wichita branch of the national Salvation Army providing youth, family, and social services. Adjacent in mission around supporting underserved communities; complementary rather than directly competing after-school offerings.
- KVC Kansas: Kansas child welfare and behavioral health services provider (formerly Wichita Children's Home). Operates adjacent youth services in the same geography but focuses on residential care and child welfare rather than after-school programming.
Others
- United Way of the Plains: Major Kansas-based institutional grant maker and funder of Equity Initiative ($100K investment). Functions as an ecosystem/funder partner rather than direct service competitor; relevant as a comparable capital-aggregation channel in the youth-development nonprofit ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Equity Initiative social profiles
Digital presenceEquity Initiative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Equity Initiative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Equity Initiative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Equity Initiative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Equity Initiative
What does Equity Initiative do?
Equity Initiative, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that provides free after-school programming for middle and high school youth in Wichita, Kansas. Its core offerings include life skills development (SkillBuilders Initiative), K-12 academic tutoring (Academic Boost Initiative), media arts and entrepreneurship exposure (Creative Catalysts Initiative), elementary tutoring (K-5 Tutoring), and referral-based counseling services via a partnership with Hunter's Journey Family Therapy, LLC, all delivered through its dedicated facility, The Activity Lounge.
Is Equity Initiative a public or private company?
Equity Initiative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Equity Initiative founded?
Equity Initiative was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Equity Initiative based?
Equity Initiative is headquartered in Wichita, United States, in the North America region.
How does Equity Initiative make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are event Fundraising and grant Funding.
Who are Equity Initiative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boys & Girls Clubs of America (Wichita), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas, Kansas 4-H Youth Development, Junior Achievement of Kansas, Greater Wichita YMCA, Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland and Communities In Schools of Kansas. Regional players are The Salvation Army Wichita Area Command and KVC Kansas. United Way of the Plains is listed as an others.
Does Equity Initiative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Equity Initiative.
What industry is Equity Initiative in?
Equity Initiative's product category is Youth Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAC, After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAJALAG, Mental Health Counseling & Therapy Services (K–12). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8200.