TEAK Fellowship

What TEAK Fellowship does

TEAK Fellowship is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 (legally 'The TEAK Fellowship') that operates a free, comprehensive ten-year educational program for talented students from low-income families, beginning with admission in 6th grade and extending through college graduation. The organization recruits Fellows via middle school guidance counselor referrals and nominations, then delivers intensive after-school and summer academic enrichment, high school placement support for selective independent and boarding schools, college guidance, internships with corporate partners, college success programming, mentorship, and post-college career coaching. Program delivery is anchored at TEAK's Manhattan headquarters (16 West 22nd Street) and three partner-school academic centers in the Bronx (Fordham Prep), Queens (Kew Forest School), and Brooklyn (Saint Ann's School).

The core program portfolio comprises six interconnected services — Middle School Programs, High School Placement, High School Programs, College Guidance, a College Success Program, and Internships — augmented by a Mentor Program, a Professional Coach Program, and a Parent Engagement Program. Operationally, TEAK relies on the third-party SchoolMessenger (Intrado Corporation) communications platform to coordinate messaging across its student, parent, advisor, and mentor networks; the organization does not maintain proprietary technology products or AI systems. Staff leadership includes a Director of High School Placement, Director of Career Programs, and Assistant Director of College Success, supported by an active Board of Directors drawn from firms including Apollo, Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, LionTree, Akin Gump, Sidley Austin, and CLEAR.

The revenue model is donation-based, with three principal streams: individual donations (one-time, monthly, and peer-to-peer), corporate partnerships providing funding, in-kind support, and internships, and major annual benefit galas. The 2023 25th Anniversary Gala at the American Museum of Natural History raised over $2.5 million, and the 2024 Gala at Ziegfeld Ballroom drew 700+ attendees. TEAK's customer base is the low-income NYC student population, while its payer base is a concentrated network of high-net-worth individuals, board-affiliated donors, and corporate partners. The organization is led by CEO Corey Blay (appointed December 2025, succeeding Dr. Denise Brown-Allen) and Board Co-Chairs Robert Kalsow-Ramos and Matthew Stopnik.

Name

TEAK Fellowship

Legal name

The TEAK Fellowship

Website

https://teakfellowship.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TEAK Fellowship is a New York City-based nonprofit that operates a free, comprehensive ten-year educational program — from middle school through college graduation — for talented students from low-income families, funded through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and annual benefit galas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization relies primarily on individual donations from supporters, with options for one-time gifts, monthly giving, and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns.
2. Annual Benefit Galas: TEAK hosts major annual gala events including the Change Maker Gala and A Midsummer Night benefit, with the 2023 25th Anniversary Gala raising over $2.5 million.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations provide both funding and in-kind support, including internship programs and technology donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TEAK Fellowship provides a free, comprehensive 10-year educational program for talented students from low-income New York City families. The program supports Fellows from 6th grade admission through college graduation via intensive after-school and summer academic classes, high school placement assistance, college guidance, internship opportunities, mentoring, and alumni services. All programming is offered at no cost to students or their families.

Product overview

The TEAK Fellowship is a free, comprehensive NYC-based educational nonprofit offering a ten-year program of progressive support — from middle school through college graduation — for talented students from low-income families. The core program portfolio spans six interconnected services: Middle School Programs (intensive academic enrichment and test preparation in 6th–8th grade), High School Placement (guided application support for selective independent, boarding, and public high schools), High School Programs (ongoing summer enrichment, tutoring, and academic counseling during high school), College Guidance (personalized advising for college applications and financial aid), a College Success Program (career preparedness and alumni engagement during and after college), and Internships (structured professional experiences with partner organizations). These programs are augmented by a Mentor Program, a Professional Coach Program, and a Parent Engagement Program, all connected via SchoolMessenger — a third-party K-12 communications platform from Intrado Corporation that TEAK uses to coordinate communications across its student, parent, advisor, and mentor network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle School Programs Intensive after-school and summer academic programming for 6th through 8th graders that prepares students for the highly selective high school admission process, including pre-algebra, writing exploration, and foundational academic enrichment.
• High School Placement Comprehensive support and guidance through the competitive high school application process, including interview preparation, test prep, application essays, and school selection strategy for independent, boarding, and selective public schools.
• High School Programs Academic support, transformational summer experiences, service opportunities, and supplemental resources for Fellows attending independent and boarding schools to ensure their success throughout high school.
• Internships Summer internship opportunities and career exploration programs for TEAK Fellows, including partnerships with organizations such as Apollo Global Management, Patterson Belknap law firm, and others, providing professional development and real-world work experience.
• College Guidance Personalized college advising and application support for high school seniors, including essay review, interview preparation, and financial aid guidance to help Fellows gain admission to selective colleges and universities.
• College Success Program Dynamic programming for Fellows during their college years focused on career preparedness, professional development, and alumni engagement to ensure college completion and successful post-graduation outcomes.
• Mentor Program One-on-one mentoring matching TEAK Fellows with dedicated adult mentors who provide guidance, support, and encouragement throughout the Fellows' high school and college years.
• Professional Coach Program Professional coaching services for TEAK alumni, providing career guidance, networking support, and professional development assistance for Fellows navigating their post-college careers.
• Parent Engagement Program Resources, workshops, and support services designed to equip TEAK parents and families with the knowledge and tools to support their children's educational journeys through high school and college.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of Fellows will be first in their family to graduate college
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Spencer StuartcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Executive search and leadership advisory firm engaged by TEAK's Board of Directors to support the search for TEAK's next Executive Director, with David Wick and Aaron Mieszczanski from their Education & Social Impact practice.
• Patterson BelknapcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Three-week intensive internship program for 5 TEAK college students from Classes 13-17. The internship introduced the inner workings of a law firm with mentorship, professional development, and curriculum centered around 'life of a case.'
• Breakthrough NYCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Joint nonprofit partner in comedy showcase event to raise funds for educational access in NYC.
• America Needs YouminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Joint nonprofit partner in comedy showcase event to raise funds for educational access in NYC.
• Fordham Preparatory SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner school location in the Bronx providing classroom space for TEAK's twice-weekly instruction for Classes 23 and 24 Fellows.
• Kew Forest SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner school location in Queens providing classroom space for TEAK's twice-weekly instruction for Classes 23 and 24 Fellows.
• Saint Ann's SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021New partner school location in Brooklyn providing classroom space for TEAK's twice-weekly instruction for Classes 23 and 24 Fellows.
• Broadway PlusminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Hosted special one-hour event for TEAK Fellows interested in the arts with Morgan Wood (Eliza/Angelica) and Jevon McFerrin (Hamilton/Burr) from Hamilton: An American Musical.
• Apollo Global ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Apollo hosted a 5-week entrepreneurship project for Class 17 Fellows (rising college first-years). Students were paired with Apollo volunteer coaches to develop pivot ideas for Apollo portfolio businesses in response to COVID-19, creating light business plans focused on business value and social impact.
• Apollo Global ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Apollo Rising Entrepreneurs program - Twenty students in Class 17 participated in a 5-week entrepreneurship project. CEO Scott Kleinman personally praised the students' knowledge and announced looking forward to next year.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Prep for Prep: NYC-based nonprofit preparing high-achieving students of color for placement at and success within the nation's most selective independent schools. Closest direct peer: same target population, same NYC geography, same elite-school placement mission, similar long-term college-success support model.
• QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving low-income students with admissions and full scholarships to top colleges. Direct peer: same low-income high-achiever target demographic, similar selective-college outcome orientation; differs as a primarily college-focused vs cradle-to-career model.
• America Needs You: NYC-based nonprofit providing mentoring, career development, and intensive programming for low-income first-generation college students. Direct peer: TEAK has partnered with this organization on joint fundraising events; same NYC geography, overlapping first-generation-college target demographic and career-development programming.
• Breakthrough Collaborative: National network of pre-college programs preparing underrepresented students for college success through rigorous summer and after-school academics. Direct peer: similar supplemental academic enrichment model, similar college-readiness outcome metrics, overlapping six-through-twelve grade student population.
• A Better Chance: National nonprofit identifying and placing high-achieving students of color into leading independent and boarding schools with ongoing support through college. Direct peer: same school-placement mission, similar long-horizon student support model; differs in national geographic scope vs TEAK's NYC focus.
• Inner-City Scholarship Fund: NYC-based Catholic nonprofit providing tuition assistance and support services to low-income elementary and secondary students to access private/parochial schools. Direct peer: same NYC-only operations, similar low-income-to-elite-school placement mission, parallel student-support services model.
• Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO): NYC-headquartered nonprofit providing educational and career programs for low-income underrepresented students, including internship pipelines at top firms. Direct peer: overlapping NYC geography, similar low-income high-achiever target population, parallel internship and career-readiness programming.

Others

• Posse Foundation:

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: National nonprofit network of public charter schools serving underserved communities with a college-preparatory focus through high school and alumni support to and through college. Comparable in educational equity mission and K-12-college pipeline focus; differs as a much larger school-network operator vs TEAK's supplemental out-of-school-time model.
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: National foundation providing scholarships and educational support to high-achieving low-income students from middle school through graduate school. Comparable in mission and outcome orientation; significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach than TEAK, with direct overlap on the College Scholarship Program for low-income high-achievers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-teak-fellowship

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 TEAK Fellowship