Racial Equity Institute

What Racial Equity Institute does

Racial Equity Institute (REI) is a Black-owned, privately held anti-racism training and consulting organization headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, founded in 2012 by Deena Hayes-Greene and Suzanne Plihcik, former lead trainers from Dismantling Racism Works and the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond. REI's core technology consists of two proprietary analytical frameworks — the Groundwater Approach and the Fish-Lake-Groundwater metaphor — that reframe racial inequity as a structural/systemic phenomenon rather than an individual-behavior problem. Its product portfolio is built around a phased training curriculum: the 3-hour Groundwater Approach Presentation, the two-day Phase 1 foundational workshop, the Phase 2 advanced workshop, Pre-Brief and Debrief sessions, three vertical-specific Education Modules, a Youth Workshop, and the Measuring Racial Equity: Asian Americans presentation. Layered on top are Phase 3 / Racial Equity Organizational Development consulting and an annual three-day Equity Paradox Conference.

REI generates revenue through professional services fees — paid by host organizations that book workshops, plus travel reimbursement — and through conference registration ($600-$750 per attendee) and tiered sponsorships ($2,500-$25,000). Go-to-market is community-led and partner-driven: REI "goes nowhere uninvited," relying on a national channel-partner network (Third Space Action Lab, ROAR, OAR Durham, CARA, Keep It Moving Coalition, Holy Cow! Advisors, and others) to host workshops in cities across the U.S., supplemented by direct enterprise sales for organizational training and Phase 3 consulting. Public individual-facing training registrations are processed via Stripe, Zoom, Eventbrite, Luma, and an Appointment Plus booking system. Customer segments span healthcare, education, housing/community development, criminal justice, government, nonprofits/advocacy, and youth — with no single customer appearing to dominate revenue.

Name

Racial Equity Institute

Legal name

Racial Equity Institute

Website

https://racialequityinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Racial Equity Institute is a Black-owned Greensboro, NC-based anti-racism training and consulting firm that delivers a phased curriculum built on its proprietary Groundwater Approach framework to healthcare, education, government, nonprofit, and community clients nationwide through a partner-hosted workshop and conference model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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. Workshop and Training Fees: REI charges fees for service plus travel expenses for workshops. Workshops are typically conducted in partnership with hosting organizations. Pricing is outlined in their Hosting Guide document. Both in-person and virtual options are available.
2. Conference Registration: Annual Equity Paradox Conference with registration fees. Early bird registration at $600, general registration at $750. Additional revenue from sponsorship tiers ranging from $2,500 to $25,000.
3. Consulting Services: Consulting services for organizations that have completed REI training programs, helping them implement racial equity transformation.
4. Speaking Engagements: REI team members are available as speakers for conferences or events, with honorarium applied. Note: Due to pandemic constraints, REI is currently not accepting speaking engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Racial Equity Institute (REI) delivers anti-racism training and consulting through a phased curriculum built on the proprietary Groundwater Approach and Fish-Lake-Groundwater frameworks. Core offerings include the 3-hour Groundwater Approach Presentation, the 2-day Phase 1 Workshop, the advanced Phase 2 Workshop, sector-specific Education Modules, a Youth Workshop, an Asian Americans-focused presentation, organizational consulting (Phase 3), and the annual Equity Paradox Conference. Services are delivered in-person and virtually to organizations and individuals nationwide.

Product overview

Racial Equity Institute (REI) is a Black-owned training and consulting organization offering a phased approach to anti-racism education. The core offerings include the Groundwater Approach Presentation (a 3-hour introductory session), the Phase 1 Workshop (foundational 2-day training), and the Phase 2 Workshop (advanced deepening). Supporting offerings include Pre-Brief and Debrief sessions, three Education Modules focused on systemic inequity in schools, a Youth Workshop for high school students, and a Measuring Racial Equity presentation focused on Asian Americans. REI also provides organizational consulting services (Phase 3) and hosts an annual Equity Paradox Conference. All offerings can be delivered in-person or virtually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Groundwater Approach Presentation An interactive 3-hour presentation examining the systemic nature of structural racism across institutions using the Groundwater metaphor, teaching participants how to use data to measure racial inequity's systemic impact. For organizations and individuals seeking a focused introduction to the Groundwater framework.
• Phase 1 Workshop A foundational two-day workshop presenting a historical, cultural, structural, and institutional analysis of racism, building participants' capacity to identify root causes of disparity and develop shared language to address it. Targeted at organizations and cohorts seeking the entry-level REI curriculum.
• Phase 2 Workshop An advanced workshop that deepens Phase 1 concepts, teaching participants to apply lessons learned and shift their analysis from individuals to institutions to interconnected systems. For groups that have completed Phase 1 and want to extend their analytical depth.
• REI Pre-Brief A 60-minute introductory session designed to prepare participants for the Phase 1 workshop, introducing the Fish-Lake-Groundwater framework and establishing shared language and expectations. Used by hosts to onboard cohorts before the main workshop.
• REI Debrief Debriefing sessions offered to groups who have completed Groundwater, Phase 1, or Phase 1 and 2 workshops, reviewing concepts and exploring their relevance to organizational work.
• Education Module 1: Mindsets, Maps & Margins A session for educators exploring how cognitive shortcuts influence expectations, how concentrated poverty impacts classrooms, and how school zoning policies affect student outcomes. Targeted at school staff, administrators, and education-focused organizations.
• Education Module 2: How Systems Shape Thinking A workshop examining how discipline disparities, special education referrals, school closures, and underfunding result from embedded systems of race and class. For education-sector audiences.
• Education Module 3: Seeing the Unseen in Our Schools An interactive session helping educators connect perception, policy, and place, examining how mental models about race shape who teaches and who thrives. For school staff and education-sector leaders.
• Youth Workshop (Racial Equity Leadership Institute for Youth) A two-day workshop for high school students paralleling the Phase 1 workshop with more videos and interactive exercises designed to educate about racialized history and bias. For schools, youth programs, and student cohorts.
• Measuring Racial Equity: Asian Americans A three-hour presentation for Asian American communities using disaggregated data, controlling for similar profiles, and examining major events to reveal racism's impacts. Booked through partner REI Ey Lin.
• Racial Equity Organizational Development (Phase 3 Consulting) Consulting services for groups that have demonstrated ongoing commitment to examining racial equity, bringing tools and coaching to support organizational change work. For organizations that have completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 training.
• Equity Paradox Conference An annual three-day conference exploring the paradoxes in equity work, examining how structural racism and compounded advantage create inequities that equity efforts alone cannot close. Includes workshops, panels, networking, and add-on events such as the Black Wall Street Tour.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of people trained through Phase 1 workshops via partner organizations like Race Matters for Juvenile Justice
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Proximity HotelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecommended partner for conference lodging. An employee-trust-owned hotel in Greensboro with LEED Platinum sustainability and Four Diamond comfort. Has publicly stated commitment to racial justice and fairness. Offers group block rates for REI conference attendees.
• The Partnership ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHas been a driving force in Greensboro and Guilford County since 2012, working to deepen community understanding of racial disparities. Offers REI trainings locally and has documented measurable changes in housing, healthcare, child welfare, and economic development.
• Race Matters for Juvenile JusticecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaborative leadership group in Charlotte-Mecklenburg working to reduce disproportionately negative outcomes for children and families of color. Has had thousands in their network go through REI Phase 1 training and developed cross-system collaboration approaches.
• Third Space Action LabcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts virtual REI workshops and Phase 1 trainings for their network. Regular co-host of Groundwater and Phase 1 presentations.
• ROAR (Raleigh Organizing Against Racism)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegularly hosts in-person Phase 1 workshops in the Raleigh/Cary, NC area. Has hosted multiple workshops including free workshop offerings with sliding scale scholarships.
• Organizing Against Racism (OAR) DurhamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosts in-person Phase 1 workshops in Durham, NC. Regular partner with multiple workshop dates per year.
• CARA (Campaign for Racial and Economic Justice)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-sponsoring and hosting Phase 1 workshops, including the Los Angeles, CA workshop in July 2026.
• California Anti-Racism AllianceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Rare Disease Diversity Coalition hosting virtual Phase 1 workshops. Expanding reach to California-based organizations.
• Keep It Moving Coalition (KIMC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWestern North Carolina coalition hosting Phase 1 workshops. Partnership with WNC Racial Equity Collective.
• Holy Cow! AdvisorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-sponsor of joint-hosted workshops in Florida area alongside multiple community organizations including NAACP and faith-based groups.
• Cambio Integral ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContact point for information on Latinx Challenges Workshop and booking. Handles specialized Latinx-focused offerings.
• REI Ey LinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContact point for the 'Measuring Racial Equity: Asian Americans' presentation. Handles bookings for this specialized presentation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• People's Institute for Survival and Beyond: A national anti-racism training and organizing organization whose methodology REI's founders were trained in and led workshops for. Highly comparable in framework, training pedagogy, and movement-oriented approach to racial equity.
• Crossroads Antiracism Organizing & Training: Anti-racism organizing and training organization offering multi-day workshops and consulting, built from the legacy of Dismantling Racism Works. Directly comparable in service model, target audience, and phased training delivery.
• Interaction Institute for Social Change: Social-change-focused training and consulting organization delivering workshops on race, equity, and inclusive leadership for nonprofits, government, and community groups. Closely comparable in audience and workshop-based delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Dismantling Racism Works: Predecessor organization where REI's founders served as lead trainers; provides anti-racism analysis and training. Comparable methodology and lineage, though activity has shifted to Crossroads and successor entities.
• Race Forward: National racial justice organization that combines policy, narrative, and training/consulting work addressing structural racism. Comparable in mission and target institutional audience, with a broader programmatic footprint than REI.
• Cook Ross: Established DEI consulting firm offering leadership coaching, cultural competency training, and organizational equity work to corporations and government. Comparable in audience (workplaces, institutions) but broader and more commercially scaled than REI.
• The Winters Group: DEI consulting firm serving corporations, governments, and nonprofits with training, coaching, and strategic equity advisory. Comparable buyer profile and workshop-and-consulting business model, with deeper corporate reach.
• Aperian Global: Global inclusion and diversity consulting firm offering training, assessments, and advisory services to multinational enterprises. Comparable DEI training content area but at substantially greater scale and global footprint than REI.
• National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ): Intergroup relations organization delivering workshops, dialogue programs, and training on bias, inclusion, and equity to workplaces and communities. Comparable in workshop-based training delivery and cross-sector audience.

Emerging players

• The Equity Project: Racial equity training and consulting organization serving schools, nonprofits, and government agencies with workshops and leadership development. Comparable in mission, methodology focus, and target audience segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RacialEquityREI
• Facebookfacebook.com/racialequityinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-racial-equity-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Racial Equity Institute