Henry Ford Learning Institute

What Henry Ford Learning Institute does

Henry Ford Learning Institute (HFLI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education organization founded in 2003 and headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, at The Henry Ford Museum campus. The organization designs and delivers K-16 educational programs built on a proprietary methodology trademarked as "Deeper Learning by Doing®," which integrates design thinking, culturally responsive practices, and real-world problem solving. HFLI operates across multiple program lines including the ARC Fellowship, Social Innovation Studio®, Youth Leadership Design Jams, Ford Law Career Academy, Latina Leaders x Design®, and the Ford College Network, and is closely affiliated with the five Henry Ford Academies located in Detroit, Dearborn, and San Antonio.

HFLI's core product is a codified pedagogy and accompanying facilitator-training curriculum delivered through in-person fellowships, design-Jam convenings, school-district partnerships, and university collaborations. The methodology is content-and-facilitation driven rather than software-driven; there is no evidence of a digital platform, AI components, or scalable technology infrastructure underlying the offering. The Ford Motor Company Fund serves as the founding sponsor and ongoing institutional backer, providing both funding and brand association.

HFLI's revenue model is consistent with a mid-sized education nonprofit: operating budget is sustained through a mix of corporate sponsorships (notably Ford Motor Company Fund), foundation grants (e.g., a $1M Google.org grant in 2021), government and school-district contracts, and philanthropic donations. Go-to-market is partnership-led and direct, with customer segments including K-12 schools, school districts, colleges and universities, and community-based nonprofit organizations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is likely structured as sponsored cohort fees, professional-development contracts, or grant-funded deliverables rather than standardized per-seat pricing.

Name

Henry Ford Learning Institute

Legal name

The Henry Ford Learning Institute

Website

https://hfli.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Henry Ford Learning Institute is a Dearborn, Michigan-based nonprofit founded in 2003 that designs K-16 educational programs using its proprietary Deeper Learning by Doing® methodology, serving schools, districts, colleges, and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hybrid/Blended Classroom & HyFlex Instruction Systems (EDAFABAC)

Keywords

• Design thinking education
• K-12 professional development
• Nonprofit education services
• Culturally responsive teaching
• Deeper learning programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dearborn

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: HFLI operates as a nonprofit receiving funding from Ford Motor Company Fund as its founding sponsor, along with grants from organizations such as The Skillman Foundation and Google.org for specific programs like Latina Leaders x Design.
2. Custom Workshop and Program Fees: HFLI offers workshops, fellowships, and immersive learning experiences tailored to the needs of schools, districts, colleges, and nonprofit organizations, generating revenue through program fees.
3. Donations: The organization accepts charitable contributions to support its mission of advancing excellence in education for all.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Henry Ford Learning Institute (HFLI) is a nonprofit education organization that delivers workshops, fellowships, and immersive learning programs for K-12 schools, colleges, and nonprofit organizations. Its offerings are built around the proprietary Deeper Learning by Doing® framework, which combines design thinking methodology with culturally responsive and restorative practices to develop future-of-work readiness skills in students and educators. Signature programs include the Social Innovation Studio, ARC Fellowship, Ford Law Career Academy, Latina Leaders x Design, and Youth Leadership Design Jams.

Product overview

Henry Ford Learning Institute (HFLI) is a nonprofit education organization that offers a portfolio of signature programs and workshops centered on its Deeper Learning by Doing® engagement framework. The core offerings include the Allies for Radical Collaboration (ARC) Fellowship for educators, Social Innovation Studio for youth and professionals, Ford Law Career Academy for high school students, Latina Leaders x Design for young Latinas, and Youth Leadership Design Jams. These programs use human-centered design thinking methodologies combined with culturally responsive and restorative practices to develop future-of-work readiness skills across diverse learners from K-12 students through working professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Social Innovation Studio: Hands-on learning program helping young people and professionals build design thinking skills while developing social impact projects addressing pressing community needs.
• Allies for Radical Collaboration (ARC) Fellowship
• Latina Leaders x Design
• Ford Law Career Academy
• Youth Leadership Design Jams

Products and services

• Allies for Radical Collaboration (ARC) Fellowship A year-long professional learning fellowship for Metro Detroit educators focused on culturally responsive and restorative practices, personal identity exploration, and action research projects, funded by The Skillman Foundation.
• Social Innovation Studio Hands-on learning programs helping young people and professionals build design thinking skills while developing social impact projects that address pressing community needs.
• Design Thinking Workshops for Educators and Nonprofits Workshops teaching design thinking methodologies and mindsets to help educators and nonprofit professionals address challenges creatively and implement innovations.
• Adaptive Leadership for Educators and Nonprofits Professional development program focused on leadership skills and strategies for navigating complex challenges in educational and nonprofit settings.
• Ford Law Career Academy A four-year program preparing underrepresented high school students for careers in law through immersive experiences, mentorship from legal professionals, and real-world exposure to legal practice areas, piloted in two metro Detroit high schools.
• Latina Leaders x Design Initiative helping young U.S. Latinas ages 15-21 change their educational, professional, and economic trajectories through culturally relevant, challenge-based learning focused on leadership and community impact.
• Youth Leadership Design Jams (YLDJ) Team-based experience for Detroit area youth ages 12-21 using human-centered design tools to address community challenges while developing leadership behaviors and entrepreneurial skills.
• Ford College Network (FCN) Programs Extended project-based learning experiences for college students including the Tech for Social Impact Accelerator, Digital Design Challenge, and Women in Skilled Trades Fellowship, sponsored by Ford Philanthropy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 out of 6 students moved GPAs above 3.0 from below 2.0 within one quarter using Learning Pact goal-setting methods

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered program, core and historical.

• Brooks Kushman Law FirmprogramStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrooks Kushman, a nationally recognized intellectual property law firm, provides real-world legal experiences for Ford Law Career Academy students including mentorship, field experiences, and simulated negotiation sessions.
• Eva Longoria FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leads the Latina Leaders x Design coalition with HFLI and Momento Latino to create culturally relevant learning opportunities for young U.S. Latinas.
• Momento LatinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Latina Leaders x Design initiative, focused on connecting Latino community members with impactful programs for professional and personal growth.
• Walsh CollegeprogramStrategic or Co-development PartnerHFLI partnered with Walsh College to integrate Design Thinking into its management degree programs, including the MBA Management 601: Design Thinking course.
• Michigan Colleges AllianceprogramStrategic or Co-development PartnerHFLI provided specialized training on design thinking for student entrepreneurs participating in the Independent Innovators Network, supporting 14 private colleges and universities in Michigan.
• Henry Ford AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHFLI helped found and continues to support Henry Ford Academy, including piloting Ford Law Career Academy and implementing design thinking across the school's curriculum.
• University Preparatory Academy High SchoolprogramStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot school partner for Ford Law Career Academy program launching in fall 2021 to prepare underrepresented students for legal careers.
• Black Male Educators AllianceprogramStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with HFLI on the ARC Fellowship program to support educator development in culturally responsive teaching practices.
• WISE (World Innovation Summit for Education)programGTM or Marketing PartnerHFLI featured in WISE IDEO K-12 Design Thinking Report as a pioneer in design thinking for urban schools, contributing to global education innovation discourse.
• IDEOhistoricalStrategic or Co-development PartnerHFLI worked with IDEO and Stanford d.school beginning in 2006 to develop and adapt design thinking approaches for K-12 education settings.
• Colorado Academy's REDI LabprogramStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to develop and host the 2025 Long Now of Education convening at the Henry Ford Museum, bringing together education leaders to envision transformative change.
• Education Development Center (EDC)programGTM or Marketing PartnerEDC's K-8 STEM Career Competencies report featured HFLI's design thinking approach as a significant component of future-of-work skill development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PBLWorks (Buck Institute for Education): Leading provider of project-based learning professional development for K-12 educators. Highly comparable to HFLI's design-thinking-meets-PBL approach and educator workshop model.
• IDEO: Global design and innovation firm and pioneer of design thinking applied to K-12 education. HFLI worked with IDEO and Stanford d.school beginning in 2006 to develop its approach, and IDEO featured HFLI in its WISE K-12 Design Thinking Report. Both sell design-thinking training and PD to education institutions.
• New Tech Network: Nonprofit school network supporting project-based learning across member schools nationwide. Comparable to HFLI's work with the five Henry Ford Academies and its PBL/design thinking integration in schools.
• Citizen Schools: Nonprofit providing expanded learning and career-focused programs for middle school students through partner schools. Comparable nonprofit model serving similar student populations and school partners.
• Stanford d.school K-12 Lab: Stanford Hasso Plattner Institute of Design's K-12 Lab network develops design thinking curricula and educator resources for U.S. schools. Directly comparable to HFLI's Deeper Learning by Doing® methodology and K-12 PD offerings.
• The Possible Project: Nonprofit that teaches high school students design thinking, entrepreneurship, and innovation through immersive studio experiences. Closely aligned with HFLI's youth design-thinking programming.
• NuVu Studio: Innovation studio for middle and high school students using design thinking to solve real-world problems. Comparable to HFLI's Youth Leadership Design Jams and Social Innovation Studio offerings.

Broad incumbents

• KnowledgeWorks: Nonprofit focused on the future of learning, including competency-based and personalized education. Comparable in advancing deeper-learning pedagogies and supporting educators and districts.
• Ford Next Generation Learning: Ford Fund initiative supporting career academies and workforce development through Ford's network of academies. Highly comparable sister-program within the Ford ecosystem that informs HFLI's Henry Ford Academy work.
• Jobs for the Future: Large national nonprofit driving workforce and education transformation, including future-of-work skill development and equitable pathways for underrepresented learners. Comparable at the broader portfolio level to HFLI's Ford College Network and equity-focused work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCervj1I5pwExDem9gkIyn0A
• Facebookfacebook.com/Henry.Ford.Learning.Institute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/henry-ford-learning-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/henryfordlearninginstitute
• Xx.com/HFLI

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Henry Ford Learning Institute