Champs Male Mentoring

Name

Champs Male Mentoring

Legal name

CHAMPS Male Mentoring

Website

https://champsmentoring.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Mentoring & Student Leadership (SEL) (EDAKAMAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL), Staff Training, Coaching & Professional Development (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAL)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• Social-emotional learning
• Community youth development
• Male mentorship programs
• SEL curriculum services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: CHAMPS relies on everyday donors to fund Saturday programming, exposure trips, youth stipends, and general operating expenses. Donations are collected through an online donation portal.
2. Corporate and Foundation Partnerships: Corporate and foundation partners contribute to the financial stability and sustainability of CHAMPS' mission. Notable funding includes the $2.3 million Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand Black Community Commitment grant in 2023.
3. Grant Funding: CHAMPS receives grant funding from foundations and corporate giving programs focused on economic justice, education, narrative change, and social justice. The $2.3M Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand BCC grant is the largest identified grant.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CHAMPS Male Mentoring delivers free, culturally relevant social-emotional learning (SEL) and manhood development programming for boys and young men of color ages 12 and up, built on a proprietary 3E framework (Education, Empowerment, Exposure). Services are delivered through three channels: weekly Saturday programming at the Gary Comer Youth Center on Chicago's Southside, in-school SEL curriculum integrated into 17 partner schools across Chicago, Calumet City, and Tulsa, and community-based service-learning initiatives, complemented by the Born 2 Win Podcast and an annual Born 2 Win Conference.

Product overview

CHAMPS Male Mentoring Program is a single unified mentoring program offering multiple delivery channels: Saturday programming at Gary Comer Youth Center, in-school SEL curriculum integrated into partner schools across multiple cities (Chicago, Calumet City, Tulsa), community service initiatives, the Born 2 Win Podcast, and annual Born 2 Win Conference. The core framework is built around the 3E's: Education, Empowerment, and Exposure. The program operates regional expansions in Calumet City and Tulsa through school partnerships, with a Gold-Star Award Winning Program designation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Born 2 Win Podcast: Podcast hosted by Vondale Singleton highlighting individuals winning at high levels in various fields, featuring the 3E's Education, Empowerment, and Exposure.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of students across 17 surveyed schools reported high favorability for 'If I have a problem, I know my mentors will help me' and 'If I have a challenge, my mentors work with me to find a solution'
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Gary Comer Youth CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHAMPS Saturday programming is hosted at the Gary Comer Youth Center, 7200 S Ingleside Ave, Chicago, IL 60619. The center provides the physical space and infrastructure for weekly programming, community events, and alumni activities.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan ChicagosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHAMPS partners with Big Brothers to provide 1:1 mentoring matches for students whose schedules do not align with Saturday programming. This offers a more personalized mentoring experience and extends CHAMPS' reach.
• Nike ChicagosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNike Chicago is listed among CHAMPS' partner logos, suggesting support for the program's mission through product donations, sponsorship, or promotional collaboration.
• FilasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerFila is listed among CHAMPS' partner logos, indicating support for the program through product donations or sponsorship.
• Obama FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Obama Foundation is listed among CHAMPS' partner logos. CHAMPS Founder Vondale Singleton is noted as an MBK Action Team member under the Obama Foundation.
• Chicago BullssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Chicago Bulls have partnered with CHAMPS, including NBA All-Star Zach LaVine visiting CHAMPS via Zoom and providing Adidas gear. Featured in video content and community events.
• DoorDashsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDoorDash is listed among CHAMPS' partners and was a sponsor for the 10th Annual Soul Food Saturday event.
• Calumet CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHAMPS has partnered with Calumet City to bring its Gold-Star Award Winning Program to the South Suburbs. Listening sessions were held with school districts 149, 155, 156, 157, 205, and 215 to customize programming.
• Tulsa Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHAMPS partnered with Tulsa Public Schools to bring its SEL curriculum and extra-curricular programming to multiple schools including East Central Middle School, East Central High School, McLain High School, Memorial Middle School, Memorial High School, and Webster High School.
• Gary Comer Education CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGary Comer Youth Center is the primary host for CHAMPS programming. The Gary Comer Education Campus includes the youth center and Gary Comer College Prep, where many CHAMPS alumni attended.
• Cisco / Cisco Networking AcademysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed among CHAMPS partner logos. May provide technology education, networking resources, or career pathway opportunities for CHAMPS students.
• Dr. Eric Thomas (School Days Foundation / Eric Thomas and Associates)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner#1 Motivation Speaker Dr. Eric Thomas has partnered with CHAMPS for multiple events including the Born 2 Win Conference and Basketball Tournament. He provided a Superbowl LV experience for CHAMPS youth and is a keynote speaker at the 2026 Born 2 Win Conference.
• CanonsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCanon is listed among CHAMPS partner logos, suggesting support for the program.
• Beautiful Thing Media / WGN TVsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerWGN TV and Beautiful Thing Media have covered CHAMPS programming extensively, with WGN featuring the CHAMPS Story as a documentary-style piece highlighting founder Vondale Singleton's journey.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Becoming a Man (BAM): Chicago-based SEL and mentoring program for young men, founded inside Youth Guidance. Most direct functional peer - operates in-school SEL groups with similar demographics (boys of color), similar age range, and overlapping school district customers. Frequently cited alongside CHAMPS as a comparable Chicago SEL provider.
• Umoja Student Development Corporation: Chicago-based nonprofit providing SEL, mentoring, and college/career programming for African American students across CPS high schools. Direct peer in mission, geography, curriculum emphasis on racial identity, and school district partnerships.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago: Largest 1:1 youth mentoring organization in the Chicago area and an existing CHAMPS partner for overflow mentees. Operates a similar demographic focus with a different delivery model (matched 1:1 vs. cohort-based Saturday and in-school), making it both a direct competitor and a channel partner.
• Chicago Freedom School: Chicago-based youth organization focused on social justice identity development for high school students of color. Comparable in mission, demographic focus, and Chicago geography; differs in delivery model (intensive cohort programs vs. weekly Saturday sessions).

Emerging players

• My Brother's Keeper Alliance (Obama Foundation): National Obama Foundation initiative supporting boys and young men of color; CHAMPS founder Vondale Singleton sits on an MBK Action Team. Functions as both a funder/advisor and a programmatic umbrella for similar mentoring efforts across the country.
• OneGoal: National college persistence program serving low-income students, including significant populations of young men of color in Chicago high schools. Comparable demographic, school district GTM, and outcome-driven positioning; partial overlap with CHAMPS' college-scholarship pathway.
• Bottom Line: College access and persistence nonprofit serving first-generation students including young men of color in Chicago. Comparable demographic and college-outcome focus; partial overlap as a downstream complement to CHAMPS' mentoring pipeline.
• BRAVE Society / GROWE Foundation youth violence prevention programs: Youth violence-prevention and SEL programming serving similar demographics in urban communities. Partial overlap in mission (violence prevention is a CHAMPS use case in Calumet City schools) and school-district GTM.

Broad incumbents

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago: Established Chicago youth-development organization offering after-school and summer programming, including mentoring, for similar age groups and demographics. Larger footprint and budget but broader in scope rather than SEL/male-mentoring specialized.

Regional players

• Year Up: National workforce development program serving young adults from similar demographics, with a Chicago presence. Comparable target population but serves an older age cohort (18-24) focused on tech career pathways rather than K-12 SEL.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/champsmentoring
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/champsmentoring

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Champs Male Mentoring