Hmong American Peace Academy

What Hmong American Peace Academy does

Hmong American Peace Academy (HAPA) is a nonprofit K4-12 public charter school operating under the authority of Milwaukee Public Schools in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 2004 by Dr. Chris Her-Xiong, a Hmong refugee who arrived in the United States in 1976, the institution serves approximately 2,100 scholars through a triangular learning framework that integrates Hmong cultural heritage, standards-based academics, and the Peacebuilders character-development program. HAPA is the only Hmong charter school in Wisconsin and reports Class of 2025 outcomes of 100% college acceptance, 100% high school graduation, and $22.5 million in scholarships and grants earned.

The school operates two campuses: the Main Campus at 4601 North 84th Street (housing primary, middle, and high school divisions) and the Denver Campus at 8200 West Denver Avenue for grades 3-5. Academic programming includes 9 AP courses, 14 dual-enrollment courses, paid cooperative internships in Financial Services, Pharmacy Technician, Certified Nursing Aide, and Dietary Aide roles, plus more than 60 clubs and activities spanning WIAA sports, esports (WIHSEA state champions in Division II Valorant), robotics (state qualifier), and forensics. The Hmong-language and culture curriculum is delivered through classroom instruction rather than a software platform; no proprietary technology, mobile app, or API was identified in the source data.

HAPA is funded primarily through MPS per-pupil allocations—government recurring payments that substitute for tuition under the public charter model. Secondary funding flows through the HAPA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) Type II Charitable Supporting Organization (EIN 85-3668798) that accepts annual giving, capital gifts, matching gifts, stock donations, IRA distributions, and donor-advised funds. Notable philanthropic support includes a $3 million donation from MacKenzie Scott in 2022 and a $50,000 Paul Purcell 'Kids Win!' Baird education grant in 2026. HAPA operates without external ownership, a parent company, or public capital markets exposure, with governance provided by a board that includes senior executives from Northwestern Mutual, Baird, American Family Insurance, Froedtert Health, and J.F. Brennan Company.

Name

Hmong American Peace Academy

Legal name

Hmong American Peace Academy

Website

https://myhapa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hmong American Peace Academy (HAPA) is a nonprofit K4-12 public charter school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving approximately 2,100 scholars through a triangular learning framework combining Hmong cultural heritage, standards-based academics, and the Peacebuilders character program, funded by MPS per-pupil allocations and charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• K-12 academic programs
• Cultural heritage education
• College preparation services
• Extracurricular activities

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: As a public charter school under Milwaukee Public Schools authority, HAPA receives government per-pupil funding. Classified as a 501(c)(3) Type II Charitable Supporting Organization.
2. Donations and Grants: Accepts charitable donations through the HAPA Foundation including annual giving, capital gifts, matching gifts, stock donations, IRA distributions, and donor-advised funds. Received $3 million from MacKenzie Scott.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HAPA provides a comprehensive K4-12 standards-based academic program built on a triangular learning framework that integrates Hmong cultural heritage (language, history, culture), rigorous college-preparatory academics, and the Peacebuilders character-development program. Operating as a tuition-free public charter school under Milwaukee Public Schools authority, it serves approximately 2,100 scholars across two Milwaukee campuses and extends its offering through AP courses, dual enrollment, paid internships, and 60+ extracurricular activities.

Product overview

Hmong American Peace Academy (HAPA) is a K4 through 12th-grade public charter school operating as a single unified educational institution. The core offering is a comprehensive standards-based academic program built on a triangular learning framework that combines Hmong heritage (language, culture, history), rigorous academics, and the Peacebuilders character development program. The school extends its offerings through AP and dual enrollment courses for college preparation, a high school internship program, and over 60 clubs and extracurricular activities including WIAA sports, esports, robotics, and forensics. HAPA operates multiple campuses: the Main Campus (Primary, Middle, High School) at 4601 North 84th Street, and the Denver Campus for grades 3-5 at 8200 West Denver Avenue, both in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K4-12 Academic Program Comprehensive standards-based academic program for grades K4 through 12th, built on the triangular learning framework that combines Hmong heritage (language, culture, history), rigorous college-preparatory academics, and the Peacebuilders character-development program. Designed for Hmong families and children in the Milwaukee community seeking culturally-affirming education with measurable academic outcomes including college preparation.
• High School Internship Program Structured cooperative education program providing paid, part-time career-related employment opportunities to high school seniors in areas including Financial Services, Pharmacy Technician, Certified Nursing Assistant, and Dietary Aides. Designed for HAPA high school students seeking career exploration and soft skills development.
• Peacebuilders Program Community peace program integrated into the triangular learning framework alongside Hmong heritage and standards-based curriculum, fostering character development and peaceful leadership among students across grade levels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college acceptance rate for Class of 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and foundational.

• University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025UWM and HAPA announced a program to bolster the teacher workforce, specifically aimed at improving diversity among teachers. The partnership includes programs to encourage high school students to explore teaching careers.
• Milwaukee Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022MPS granted HAPA its charter as an MPS charter school. MPS School Board has approved multiple five-year contract renewals, most recently in 2023 for school years 2023-2024 through 2027-2028. HAPA is the only Hmong charter school in Wisconsin operating under MPS authority.
• Marquette University - Institute of the Transformation of LearningfoundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Dr. Chris Her-Xiong worked with The Institute of the Transformation of Learning at Marquette University to establish the charter school beginning in 2001.
• Grace Hmong Alliance Church (GHAC)foundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Governance Authority Board and Senior Pastor Rev. of GHAC (Grace Hmong Alliance Church) provided approval in 2000 to start the charter school. The church's board established the School Planning Committee with Chris Her-Xiong as Chairperson.
• Alverno CollegefoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder Chris Her-Xiong attended Alverno College to obtain her principal license after returning from Thailand in 2000, and completed her master's degree there.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): National nonprofit network of 200+ college-preparatory public charter schools. Comparable as a scaled college-prep charter operator, though without HAPA's cultural-preservation focus.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large national public charter network serving 80,000+ students in K-12 with a college-prep mission. Useful for benchmarking scaling and outcomes, though geographically and demographically distinct from HAPA.
• National Heritage Academies: Large national charter management organization operating K-8 schools across multiple states. Comparable in operating model and scale, though focused on general college-prep rather than cultural-specific mission.
• Uncommon Schools: Nonprofit charter management organization operating college-prep public charter schools across multiple states. Comparable in college-prep charter operating model, though without cultural-affirming curriculum.

Direct peers

• Milwaukee College Prep: Network of four K4-8 charter schools in Milwaukee focused on college preparation for low-income urban families. Direct competitor for the same Milwaukee charter enrollment pool and similar mission profile.
• Carmen Schools of Science and Technology: Milwaukee charter network serving K4-12 with STEM emphasis and college-prep focus. Comparable as a multi-campus Milwaukee charter serving similar urban demographics.
• Milwaukee Excellence Charter School: Milwaukee-based K4-12 charter school with explicit college-prep mission and 100% college acceptance rates historically. Direct competitor for Milwaukee charter families.
• Bruce-Guadalupe Community School: Milwaukee-based dual-language (Spanish/English) charter school serving K4-8 with a bicultural mission. Comparable in being a Milwaukee cultural-affirming charter, though focused on the Latino community rather than Hmong.
• Hmong College Prep Academy: St. Paul, MN-based public charter school serving Hmong students K-12 with a parallel mission of cultural preservation and college preparation. The closest direct peer to HAPA in mission, structure, and target community, and a potential geographic sibling for replication analysis.

Regional players

• Notre Dame School of Milwaukee: Milwaukee private Catholic school serving low-income urban families with a college-prep mission. Comparable in demographic and outcome focus though operates as private/faith-based rather than charter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hapahmong

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Hmong American Peace Academy