IThrive Games
IThrive Games Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit design studio founded in 2014 that uses a teen co-design model and its iThrive Sim web platform to build games and tools that advance adolescent learning and mental health for government, nonprofit, education, and museum clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What IThrive Games does
IThrive Games Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit design studio founded in 2014 that builds games, tools, and experiences for adolescents that advance learning and promote mental health. The studio operates a teen co-design model in which young people participate directly in concepting, playtesting, and refining each product, drawing on a network of Ph.D.-level subject-matter experts from institutions such as Yale and Cornell to anchor work in learning science and social-emotional learning practice.
Its core technical asset is iThrive Sim, a web-based digital game engine used as the underlying platform for studio products, alongside mobile game releases such as Cadence Ford. Titles in the catalog include Disaster Mind (built with FEMA Region 8), Cadence Ford (with the One Love Foundation), Our Threads (with the Fugees Family), and the more recent narrative release The Porcelain Child, premiered at SXSW EDU in March 2025. Additional product extensions include a "Living U.S. History" curriculum course and career-readiness programming delivered with partners such as the XQ Institute.
Revenue mechanics combine professional design services commissioned by government agencies, museums, nonprofits, schools, and research institutions with foundation and government grants, including a $100K grant from the Learning Engineering Tools Competition. The studio reports 1–10 employees and is headquartered in Newton, MA, with a secondary presence in Nashville, TN. The business model is project-and-grant-driven rather than subscription-based, so revenue is episodic and tied to grant cycles and commissioned deliverables.
IThrive Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IThrive Games
- Legal name
- iThrive Games Foundation
- Website
- https://ithrivegames.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- IThrive Games Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit design studio founded in 2014 that uses a teen co-design model and its iThrive Sim web platform to build games and tools that advance adolescent learning and mental health for government, nonprofit, education, and museum clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IThrive Games industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Serious Games Design Services
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise) (MPAFAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios (MPAFAAAI), Simulation, Scenario & Serious Games Design (EDAGAKAH)
Keywords
Where IThrive Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
IThrive Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Professional Design Services: iThrive Games generates revenue by providing design and consulting services to institutional clients including game design, UX research, exhibition design, learning experience design, educational technology design, program planning, and game consulting.
- Foundation Grants and Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, iThrive Games receives funding through grants from foundations (e.g., DN Batten Foundation, Siegel Family Endowment, XQ Institute) and individual donations to support mission-driven work.
- Government Grants: Funded through government programs including Department of Homeland Security TVTP grants and National Endowment for the Humanities CARES grants for distance learning programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Resources - Creative Commons Licensed |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
IThrive Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
iThrive Games Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit design studio that creates games, learning experiences, edtech tools, teen programs, and exhibitions for adolescents. The studio applies social-emotional learning science and a teen co-design model to produce accessible, role-playing simulation games (built on the proprietary iThrive Sim platform) and custom learning products for institutional clients including government agencies, museums, nonprofits, and school communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cadence Ford A text-based strategy mobile game that teaches teens about healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors, co-created with the One Love Foundation for adolescents and youth-serving educators.
- Disaster Mind A single-player simulation game built on the iThrive Sim platform in partnership with FEMA Region 8 that teaches disaster preparedness and resilience by letting teens navigate severe weather events and make decisions affecting story outcomes.
- The Porcelain Child A teen-designed tabletop game exploring the impact of adult words and actions on young people, created through a Game Design Studio co-hosted with Big Thought and Fit and Faithful Living with support from Siegel Family Endowment.
- Our Threads A connection-building card game co-created with Fugees Family, Inc. featuring 100+ questions and eight connective ways to play, intended for groups seeking to learn more about each other.
- Living U.S. History A yearlong U.S. History course blending academic rigor with immersive civic learning, inviting students to explore the past, reflect on the present, and shape the future through real-world roles, play, collaborative projects, and civic action.
- Design and Consulting Services Custom design and consulting services covering game design, UX research, exhibition design, learning experience design, educational technology design, program planning, and game consulting for government agencies, museums, nonprofits, and school communities.
- iThrive Sim A web-based, device-agnostic digital game engine that builds and delivers role-playing simulation games for adolescent research, civic education, and social-emotional learning, with real-time data collection, video capture, and customizable research environments.
Quantifiable outcome
- Named one of 32 winners from over 1,000 edtech innovation proposals worldwide in Learning Engineering Tools Competition
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use IThrive Games
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
IThrive Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
IThrive Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Affordance StudiocoreSoftware development partner for iThrive Sim platform development. Collaborated on game engine and simulation game development.
- One Love FoundationcoreCo-created Cadence Ford, a mobile game teaching healthy relationship skills. Joint mission to empower young people with prevention education tools.
- Fugees Family, Inc.coreCo-created Our Threads card game featuring 100+ questions and eight connective ways to play for connection-building.
- Affordance StudiocoreDevelopment partner for iThrive Sim game engine and multiple simulation projects including Disaster Mind.
- Playmatics, LLCsecondaryCollaborated on Cadence Ford mobile game development.
- Cudzu CreativesecondaryCreative agency partner for game and learning experience projects.
- History Co:LabcoreInterdisciplinary team collaboration on game and experience design projects including Cold War learning experience and The Porcelain Child.
- XQ InstitutecoreFunding partner for Diplomacy in Action learning experience project for high school history classrooms.
- Middlebury Institute of International Studies (CTEC)corePartnership through Department of Homeland Security TVTP Grant to develop role-playing simulation game for teen radicalization prevention.
- Global Nomads GroupsecondaryCollaborated on Cold War learning experience co-design with youth from multiple countries.
- Big ThoughtcoreCo-hosted Game Design Studio with teens for The Porcelain Child project in Dallas, Texas.
- Educating for American Democracy (EAD)secondaryCollaboration on civic learning tools and interactive card game for museum educators.
- EdTech Recharge (Kripa Sundar)secondaryPartner on Learning Engineering Tools Competition Growth Phase award for iThrive Sim expansion.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
IThrive Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
IThrive Games social profiles
Digital presenceIThrive Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IThrive Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
IThrive Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
IThrive Games 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 IThrive Games
What does IThrive Games do?
iThrive Games Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit design studio that creates games, learning experiences, edtech tools, teen programs, and exhibitions for adolescents. The studio applies social-emotional learning science and a teen co-design model to produce accessible, role-playing simulation games (built on the proprietary iThrive Sim platform) and custom learning products for institutional clients including government agencies, museums, nonprofits, and school communities.
Is IThrive Games a public or private company?
IThrive Games is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was IThrive Games founded?
IThrive Games was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is IThrive Games based?
IThrive Games is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does IThrive Games make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Professional Design Services are the primary driver. The others are foundation Grants and Donations and government Grants.
Does IThrive Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for IThrive Games.
What industry is IThrive Games in?
IThrive Games's product category is Serious Games Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAH, Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise), with a secondary code of MPAFAAAI, Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios. Its SIC code is 7371.