He Is Me Institute

What He Is Me Institute does

He Is Me Institute is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 by Robert J. Hendricks III to address the underrepresentation of Black male teachers in the U.S. education workforce. Black males comprise approximately 2% of the teaching profession while 77% of teachers are white women, and research indicates Black students demonstrate measurably better outcomes when taught by Black teachers, including a 13% increase in college enrollment with one Black teacher and 32% with two. The organization has developed a three-stage career-long programmatic model: I AM KING (a 24-week social-emotional learning curriculum for K-8 Black males facilitated by Black male high school and college students), the Black Male Teacher Fellowship (a one-year cohort for Black male college students featuring asynchronous learning modules, monthly seminars, and paid school-based work), and the Black Male Teacher Network (a lifetime affinity space for current, aspiring, and former Black male teachers). Underpinning these programs is the proprietary 4Es Framework (Experience, Expand, Exposure, Explore) and a 22-module asynchronous curriculum exploring Black male-centered teaching.

He Is Me's business model is nonprofit and grant/donation-funded. The organization provides all programs free of charge to individual members and institutional partners. Identified foundation funding includes $300,000 from the Barr Foundation (October 2023) and $90,000 from the Cummings Foundation ($30,000 annually for three years, May 2023). Additional revenue sources include tiered individual donations and apparel sales through the Black Male Teacher Shop, with proceeds supporting the mission. Distribution relies on institutional partnerships rather than direct sales: school districts (Boston Public Schools, Quincy Public Schools, Middletown City School District), higher education institutions (Framingham State University, UMass Lowell, UMass Boston, Emmanuel College), and the Shady Hill Teacher Training Center (providing waived cost of attendance at the Future Teacher Institute for Fellows).

The organization's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven. It built a network of over 1,000 Black male teachers and reached 4+ partner institutions in the Greater Boston region, with expansion signals including a national partnership with Breakthrough Collaborative (March 2024) and an annual Impact Summit (inaugurated June 2024). Leadership includes a Founder & CEO, Chief Impact Officer, Chief Operations Officer, and Chief External Affairs Officer, supported by a Board of Directors and Advisory Council. He Is Me monetizes its impact through growing media visibility (CNN, Good Morning America, NPR On Point) and foundation grant capture.

Name

He Is Me Institute

Legal name

He Is Me Institute

Website

https://heisme.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

He Is Me Institute is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that recruits, develops, and supports Black male teachers across K-12, college, and career stages via fellowship programs, identity-affirming curriculum, and institutional partnerships in Greater Boston.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Equity / Teacher Diversity Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAFAM

Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Teacher Training Colleges (Education Schools)

SECONDARYEDAHAFAA

Undergraduate Teacher Education Colleges

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Teacher Training Colleges (Education Schools)

Keywords

• Teacher diversity programs
• Education equity services
• Teacher fellowship programs
• Social-emotional learning
• Educator pipeline development

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donors contribute to support Black male teacher programs. The organization accepts donations through its website with tiered giving options supporting Fellows, fellowship materials, pipeline support, and general mission work.
2. Grant Funding: Institutional foundation grants from philanthropies including Cummings Foundation ($90,000 over 3 years) and Barr Foundation ($300,000) to support program expansion and fellowship offerings.
3. Apparel Sales: The Black Male Teacher Shop sells apparel expressing culture, integrity, empathy, and reflection. All sales support the mission of He Is Me Institute.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

He Is Me Institute runs a coordinated set of programs that build a career-long pipeline for Black male teachers in the United States. Its offerings include a K-12 student-facing social-emotional learning program (I AM KING), a one-year college fellowship for aspiring Black male educators, an affinity and professional development network for current Black male teachers, and an institutional partnership framework (Black Male Teacher Initiative) for school districts and colleges. All programs are delivered free of charge to participants and partner institutions and are supported by foundation grants, individual donations, and apparel sales.

Product overview

He Is Me Institute operates a multi-component educational platform designed to build a pipeline of Black male teachers. The core offering consists of five interconnected programs: the Black Male Teacher Initiative (BMTI) as the umbrella framework enabling institutions to implement Black male teacher recruitment and retention; the Black Male Teacher Fellowship for aspiring educators in college; the I AM KING program for high school students exploring teaching; the Black Male Teacher Network providing affinity spaces and professional development for current teachers; and the annual Impact Summit for field-building and collaboration. The organization also partners with Shady Hill Teacher Training Center's Future Teacher Institute and offers an 8-module identity development course called Reclaiming Our Identity. A retail merchandise shop (Black Male Teacher Shop) generates revenue to support the mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Black Male Teacher Initiative (BMTI): A collective of individuals and institutions that directly and indirectly engage in practices, develop policies, and cultivate environments that lead to increasing the number of Black men who are recruited, retained, and retired from teaching.
• He is Me Fellowship
• Black Male Teacher Network
• I AM KING (IAK)

Products and services

• I AM KING (IAK) Program A summer opportunity for Black males in grades PK-12 where high school students are trained as instructors to facilitate a 24-week social-emotional learning curriculum for younger boys, running 4-10 weeks per summer. Delivered through partner summer programs.
• Black Male Teacher Fellowship A one-year cohort program for Black male college students featuring teaching practicums, affinity groups, the Introduction to Education, Equity, and Identity course, and ongoing professional development through the Black Male Teacher Network. Provides access to paid school-based work opportunities and the Shady Hill Future Teacher Institute.
• Black Male Teacher Network (BMT Network) An affinity space for current, aspiring, and former Black male teachers to build community, learn about national opportunities, and access career and professional development. In-person sessions held at Neighborhood House Charter School in Dorchester, MA with virtual engagement options.
• Black Male Teacher Initiative (BMTI)
• Impact Summit An annual convening featuring dynamic panels, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities focused on practical strategies to recruit, retain, and elevate Black male teachers. 2025 summit scheduled at Boston University Fenway Campus.
• Reclaiming Our Identity Course An 8-module course exploring identity development through intersections of socioeconomic, sociocultural, and sociopolitical factors for Black male teachers and teacher residents.
• Black Male Teacher Shop An apparel shop featuring merchandise expressing culture, integrity, empathy, and reflection, with proceeds supporting the He Is Me Institute mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13% increase in college enrollment for Black students who have one Black teacher
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Breakthrough CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2024Strategic partnership announced March 2024 to support professional growth of aspiring Black male teachers. He Is Me's mentorship and identity-affirming programming combined with Breakthrough's established pre-professional teacher preparation program. Partnership enables students to build community through affinity groups. Breakthrough trains 1,000+ Teaching Fellows annually supporting 10,000+ students in 25 cities.
• Shady Hill Teacher Training CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner94-year-old teacher training center offering Future Teacher Institute. He Is Me Fellows receive waived cost of attendance. Partnership provides affinity-based seminars facilitated by Black male instructors. Shady Hill developed over 1,900 educational leaders and is distinguished as the only independent school partnering with MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to endorse pre-service teachers for licensure.
• Boston Public SchoolscoreOthersCurrent partner district receiving Black male teacher pipeline support through the BMT Initiative.
• Framingham State UniversitycoreOthersCurrent partner college in the He Is Me network. CEO Robert Hendricks is a graduate of Framingham State University.
• University of Massachusetts LowellcoreOthersCurrent partner college in the He Is Me network providing pathways for Black male students into teaching.
• Quincy Public SchoolssecondaryOthersPartner district implementing BMT Initiative programs to recruit and retain Black male teachers.
• Middletown City School DistrictsecondaryOthersPartner district in the BMT Initiative working to build pathways for Black male teachers.
• Boston Plan for ExcellencesecondaryOthersEducation nonprofit partner organization collaborating on Black male teacher pipeline development.
• Morehouse CollegesecondaryOthersHistorically Black College and University partnered with Shady Hill Teacher Training Center for 20 years. 20% of teachers of color trained by TTC have come from Morehouse and Spelman combined.
• Spelman CollegesecondaryOthersHistorically Black College and University partnered with Shady Hill Teacher Training Center for 20 years. 20% of teachers of color trained by TTC have come from Morehouse and Spelman combined.
• BART Charter Public SchoolminorOthersPast partner school that has worked with He Is Me Institute programs.
• Black Men TeachminorOthersPast nonprofit partner organization in the education equity space.
• Profound GentlemenminorOthersPast nonprofit partner organization supporting Black male educators.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Profound Gentlemen: National nonprofit focused specifically on supporting and retaining Black male educators through affinity spaces, professional development, and pipeline programs — the closest direct peer to He Is Me's BMT Network and Fellowship.
• Black Men Teach: Nonprofit dedicated to increasing the number of Black male teachers in Twin Cities classrooms and beyond, focusing on recruitment, retention, and professional support — directly comparable mission and target demographic to He Is Me.
• Breakthrough Collaborative: National pre-professional teacher preparation program training 1,000+ Teaching Fellows annually; announced a strategic partnership with He Is Me in March 2024 to support aspiring Black male teachers.
• Shady Hill Teacher Training Center: 94-year-old teacher training center in Cambridge, MA offering Future Teacher Institute; provides waived-cost teacher residency and licensure pathway to He Is Me Fellows through a core partnership.
• Urban Teachers: Teacher residency program that recruits, prepares, and supports teachers (with explicit focus on teachers of color) for high-need urban schools — comparable mission of building a sustainable, diverse teacher pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Teach For America: Large-scale teacher pipeline program placing teachers in high-need schools nationwide; broader and less targeted to Black male teachers but operates in an overlapping talent and funding ecosystem.
• Relay Graduate School of Education: Graduate school of education offering teacher preparation and ongoing professional development with explicit emphasis on teachers of color; comparable in offering teacher training pathways but at much larger scale.
• New Teacher Center: National organization focused on teacher induction, mentoring, and retention — overlapping with He Is Me's BMT Network retention work but broader in target demographics and program design.
• National Center for Teacher Residencies: Network of teacher residency programs focused on equity-minded teacher preparation, including diversifying the educator workforce — comparable in teacher pipeline focus at a national network level.

Emerging players

• Blue Engine: Education nonprofit using a classroom-team teaching model and teacher development programs in high-need schools — adjacent in teacher development mission but different in delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/heismeinstitute
• Xx.com/HeisMeInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeisMeInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heismeinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 He Is Me Institute