Brooklyn Institute for Social Research

What Brooklyn Institute for Social Research does

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research (BISR) is a Brooklyn-headquartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2012 by Ajay Singh Chaudhary, that delivers critical, community-based education in the humanities and social sciences to working adults outside formal degree programs. Its core offering is a catalog of seminar-style courses taught by active scholars and practitioners across literature, philosophy, political theory, psychoanalysis, urban studies, classics, and cultural studies, with standard course tuition priced at $315-$355. The organization serves a primarily individual lifelong-learner audience, with secondary segments including K-12 and community college educators (Educator Access), nonprofits, labor unions, and political organizations (Praxis), and learners seeking structured credentialing (BISR Certificate for Critical Study). Geography spans New York, Chicago, and London, with both in-person and online course formats and an Eastern Time scheduling convention.

The product surface is broad and human-facilitated rather than technology-mediated: courses and intensive Practicums (Literary Translation, Creative-Critical Writing), individualized Office Hours, the Language Learning and Critique program covering classical and modern languages over 12-week trimesters, the Podcast for Social Research (98+ episodes), the Tzeitung blog, and a recurring events calendar of Occasional Evenings, symposia, screenings, Days of Learning, and the annual Institute Social. Course catalog depth is substantial, with 943+ archived New York listings and 157+ archived events. There is no proprietary AI/ML technology, no mobile app, and no third-party distribution; Stripe is the only disclosed integration, used for payment processing. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the company website and physical locations.

The business model combines course enrollment fees (unit-priced at $315-$355 per course or per 4-week intensive), membership dues, donations (enabled by 501(c)(3) status), paid subscriptions to the Late Light journal and other publications, merchandise sales, and tiered event ticket revenue (Institute Social tickets range from $25 to $5,000). Language instructors are paid 50% of enrollment revenue for language courses and 70% for reading groups, indicating a contractor-based faculty model. Marketing is primarily organic and community-driven: city-segmented email newsletters, social media, the podcast and blog, faculty bylines in outlets such as Jacobin, Aeon, The Baffler, n+1, and NYRB, and free community events with suggested donations. Leadership transitioned in June 2025 when Suzanne Schneider succeeded Ajay Singh Chaudhary as Executive Director, having served as Deputy Director since 2015.

Name

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research

Legal name

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research

Website

https://thebrooklyninstitute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BISR is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that delivers critical humanities and social science education to working adults through seminars, certificate programs, podcasts, and events, serving lifelong learners, educators, and nonprofits across New York, Chicago, and London.

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. Course Enrollment Fees: Participants pay tuition fees to enroll in individual courses. Fees vary by course type, with standard courses ranging from $315 to $355 and specialized Practicum courses priced at $355 for a 4-week term.
2. Membership: BISR offers membership programs that provide ongoing access to community benefits, programming, and potentially discounted or priority course enrollment.
3. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, BISR solicits tax-deductible donations from supporters to fund operations, scholarships, and organizational sustainability.
4. Late Light Journal and Publications Subscriptions: Subscribers pay fees to access BISR's published journal 'Late Light' and other fee-based publications. Fees and subscription plans are posted on the site.
5. Merchandise and Event Revenue: The organization operates an online store selling merchandise. Certain events such as the Annual Institute Social carry ticket prices ranging from $25 to $5,000 (with tiered donation levels).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BISR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational institute offering seminar-style courses, certificate programs, language learning, and specialized training in the humanities and social sciences for adult learners outside the traditional university system. It delivers both consumer courses and organizational programs (Praxis, Educator Access), supplemented by events, a podcast, and a scholarly journal, anchored by a community-based pedagogical model.

Product overview

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research is an interdisciplinary teaching and research institute offering critical, community-based education in the humanities and social sciences. The organization operates a multi-format educational platform comprising: in-person and online Courses across humanities disciplines; specialized programs including Office Hours (individualized study), Praxis (workshops for public interest organizations), Educator Access, and the Language Learning and Critique program; the Practicum sub-program for practical training in Literary Translation and Creative-Critical Writing; the Podcast for Social Research audio series; the Tzeitung written blog; and Events programming including film screenings, concerts, lectures, and community gatherings. The organization also offers Membership and publishes the Late Light Journal. Working in partnership with local businesses and cultural organizations, the institute integrates rigorous but accessible scholarly study with the everyday lives of working adults.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Courses Seminar-style courses in humanities and social sciences offered in New York, Chicago, and London, plus online, covering literature, philosophy, political economy, history, classics, psychoanalysis, and cultural studies. Priced at $315-$355 per course.
• Office Hours Individualized study sessions guided by expert faculty members in various formats for personalized learning in critical humanities topics.
• Praxis Flexible program providing workshops, materials, classes, and hands-on training designed for non-profits, labor organizations, political groups, and other public interest organizations.
• Educator Access Program connecting public K-12 teachers and community college educators to BISR's liberal arts and sciences courses for continuing education and pedagogical enrichment.
• BISR Certificate for Critical Study Structured certificate program enabling students to pursue comprehensive study in critical theory and social research methodologies, culminating in a recognized credential.
• BISR Language Learning and Critique Integrative language learning program combining formal acquisition with critical exploration of literary, philosophical, and philological traditions of classical and modern languages (Ancient Greek, Latin, Arabic, Hebrew, Sanskrit, German) over 12-week trimesters.
• BISR Practicum Intensive 4-week practical programs in Literary Translation and Creative-Critical Writing combining workshop elements with critical engagement, led by faculty including Lauren K. Wolfe, Paige Sweet, and Miranda Trimmier. Priced at $355 per term.
• Membership Annual membership program providing supporters access to community benefits, programming, and engagement opportunities with BISR.
• Late Light Journal Scholarly publication available via paid annual subscription covering topics in critical theory and social research, with fee schedules posted on the site.
• Events (Occasional Evenings, Institute Social, Days of Learning) Public ticketed events including film screenings with discussions, concerts, lectures, conversations, symposia, Days of Learning, and annual community gatherings such as Institute Socials ($25-$5,000) and picnics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record 218 classes taught in a single year with more students than ever
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Local Businesses and Cultural Organizations (general)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBISR describes itself as 'working in partnership with local businesses and cultural organizations' as part of its mission to integrate scholarly study with community life. Specific partners are not named in available sources. These partnerships are referenced broadly in the organization's self-description rather than as named strategic alliances.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The New School: A New York City university historically anchored in critical social theory and adult/non-traditional learners, with continuing and professional education programs that overlap with BISR's audience and intellectual orientation at much larger scale.
• The Great Courses / Wondrium: A media company producing college-level video and audio courses for adult lifelong learners across the humanities, social sciences, and beyond; comparable as a competitor for the discretionary education dollar, though distributed rather than community-based.
• CUNY School of Professional Studies: The continuing and online education arm of CUNY serving adult learners in the NYC region with degree and certificate pathways, overlapping BISR's working-adult learner segment and Brooklyn footprint at significantly larger institutional scale.

Emerging players

• Open Culture: A free online aggregator of university-level humanities courses, lectures, and podcasts; it competes with BISR for the same adult humanities audience at a $0 price point, pressuring willingness-to-pay for in-person and credentialed alternatives.
• Jacobin Magazine / Jacobin Foundation: A socialist magazine and educational foundation whose publishing, conferences, and educational programming share BISR's leftist intellectual audience and frequently feature BISR-adjacent faculty, making it a thematic competitor for political-education attention and donor dollars.

Others

• Class Central: A MOOC aggregator and review platform helping adult learners discover online university courses; relevant as an ecosystem participant shaping how prospective lifelong learners discover and compare humanities education offerings including those adjacent to BISR.

Direct peers

• The School of Life: Founded by Alain de Botton, The School of Life offers adult education through classes, videos, and publications in philosophy, psychology, and the humanities, directly mirroring BISR's model of bringing rigorous humanities education to working adults outside formal degree programs.
• 92nd Street Y: A long-established New York adult-education and cultural institution offering courses, lectures, and events in the humanities, arts, and social sciences for general adult audiences, closely comparable to BISR's New York programming.
• Brooklyn Brainery: A Brooklyn-based community education platform offering affordable, short-form adult courses on diverse topics; it shares BISR's neighborhood, community-based ethos, and direct-to-consumer continuing-education model, though at a less academic orientation.

Regional players

• School of Visual Arts (SVA) Continuing Education: SVA's continuing-education division offers non-degree adult courses in NYC in humanities-adjacent creative disciplines, sharing BISR's adult-learner, evening/weekend format and New York location, though oriented to visual arts rather than critical theory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BklynInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBrooklynInstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/brooklyninstitute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Brooklyn Institute for Social Research