Matterlab

What Matterlab does

Matterlab is a privately held, Austin-based strategic communications and social-impact consultancy founded in late 2017 by Searcy Morgan and Lane Lowe. The firm serves education organizations (public charter networks, school districts, after-school programs, education-focused nonprofits), foundations (philanthropies focused on education and family outcomes), and a growing set of social-impact nonprofits working on child welfare, poverty intervention, and community development. Matterlab delivers three integrated service pillars — Strategy Design (organizational identity, marketing and communication strategy, strategic plan rollout), Implementation (messaging, brand creation/revitalization, executive communications coaching, media and PR), and Learning Experiences (workshops, multi-day convenings, custom team learning programs) — all wrapped around its proprietary "Matterlab Method" identity-rooted methodology and its separate "Flip the Switch" four-phase rebranding playbook.

The business operates primarily on professional-services fees with annual partnerships and, since June 2024, a subscription membership providing monthly 1:1 strategist support, peer community access, and a resource library. Matterlab Ventures (launched 2021) is an internal venture studio supporting the creation of education-sector startups, with ALEE as its first portfolio company. The firm has worked with 70+ named partners since founding (including KIPP, Aldine ISD, Teach For America, Perot Museum, Child Poverty Action Lab, GKFF, Oakland Promise, and Barr Foundation) and is currently signaling that it is not accepting new inquiries.

Go-to-market is high-touch, referral-driven, and concentrated in the U.S. education sector, supplemented by thought leadership at events such as SXSW EDU. The firm is bootstrapped (no external funding disclosed), founder-owned, WBENC-certified as a women-owned business, and operates with a small team (11–50 employees per firmographics, with one source estimating ~20–30 staff). Matterlab has piloted a four-day workweek and has earned industry recognition including Inc. Best in Business (2022), Real Leaders Impact Award (2023), and a Top 50 Women Leaders of Austin designation for the CEO (2022).

Name

Matterlab

Legal name

The Matterlab Group

Website

https://matterlab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Matterlab is an Austin-based strategic communications consultancy founded in 2017 that helps education organizations, foundations, and social-impact nonprofits clarify their organizational identity, build brands, and communicate impact through its proprietary Matterlab Method.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

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. Strategic Communications Consulting: High-touch consulting engagements including organizational identity work, marketing strategy, strategic plan rollouts, and executive communications coaching.
2. Annual Partnership: Yearlong experience for organizations to better define, measure, and expand their impact through ongoing strategic support.
3. Matterlab Membership: Monthly membership providing 2 hours of 1:1 strategist support, community connection with peer executives, and access to online resource library of templates and frameworks.
4. Matterlab Ventures: Venture studio model supporting creation of new companies to solve market failures in education sector.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Matterlab is a strategic communications and consulting agency that helps education organizations, foundations, and social-impact nonprofits clarify their organizational identity and communicate their impact. It delivers Strategy Design (identity, marketing strategy, strategic plan rollout), Implementation (messaging, brand development, executive communications, media/PR), and Learning Experiences (workshops and team development), supplemented by an annual partnership program and a monthly subscription membership.

Product overview

Matterlab operates as a unified communications and strategic consulting agency focused on the education and social impact sector. The company offers three integrated service pillars: Strategy Design (organizational identity, marketing strategy, and strategic plan rollout), Implementation (messaging, brand development, executive communications, and media/PR), and Learning Experiences (workshops, convenings, and team development). Supplementary offerings include The Matterlab Membership (monthly subscription providing 1:1 support and resource access) and Matterlab Ventures (venture studio for education startups). All services are delivered by a team of educators, communications experts, and creative strategists using their proprietary Matterlab Method approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Matterlab Ventures: A venture studio model through which Matterlab supports the creation of new companies to solve market failures in the education sector.

Products and services

• Strategy Design Strategic planning service for education, foundation, and nonprofit clients covering organizational identity clarification, marketing and communication strategy development, and execution of strategic plan rollouts.
• Implementation Execution service covering messaging development, brand creation or revitalization, executive communications coaching, and media/public relations support for organizations that have completed or are running strategy work.
• Learning Experiences Team empowerment service that includes workshops, 1-3 day in-person or hybrid convenings, and custom team learning and development programs to build internal communications and leadership capacity.
• The Matterlab Membership Monthly subscription program providing 2 hours of 1:1 strategist support, peer community connection with executive peers, and access to an online resource library of templates and frameworks, designed for education leaders.
• Annual Partnership Yearlong strategic engagement for organizations to better define, measure, and expand their impact through ongoing advisory, communications, and implementation support from the Matterlab team.
• Matterlab Ventures Venture studio operating within The Matterlab Group that supports the creation and launch of new companies addressing market failures in the education sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $25 million in revenue generated for partner schools
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• George Kaiser Family FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2024Featured partner at SXSW 2024 session on early childhood education. GKFF dedicated to providing equal opportunity for young children in Tulsa through investments in early childhood education, community health, and social services.
• Child Poverty Action LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2024Featured partner at SXSW 2024 session on early childhood education. Dallas-based coalition working to cut child poverty rates in half in a single generation.
• EduDreamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2024Featured partner at SXSW 2024 session on organizational identity. Education research firm co-founded by Michelle Oliva, working with Matterlab on workshop about clarifying organizational identity.
• Rural Schools Innovation ZonecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2024Featured partner at SXSW 2024 session on reimagining funding and support. Matterlab serves as technical assistance provider, functioning as dedicated executives without an internal team for rural education innovator Mike Gonzalez.
• Oakland PromisecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Partner at SXSW 2024 focusing on citywide change starting with early childhood education. Offers every child in Oakland financial resources, educational programming, mentorship, and supportive community.
• Good Reason HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Partner at SXSW 2024 addressing teacher workforce solutions. Organization focused on attracting and retaining teachers in Texas.
• Teach For AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Long-standing partner providing teachers to under-resourced communities. Matterlab supports communications, brand strategy, and thought leadership for TFA regional offices including Dallas-Fort Worth.
• All Means AllcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Partner at SXSW 2024 session. Organization training school leaders to eliminate opportunity gaps for students with disabilities and other marginalized learners.
• ALEEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Venture through Matterlab Ventures. Tech-enabled but teacher-first instructional tool providing curated instructional engagements for high-quality literary works from education's finest experts: teachers.
• Catalyst:EdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatchmaking platform that pairs education nonprofits with vetted experts and funding to support specific projects. Matterlab is one of the vetted experts available through the platform, enabling education organizations to access Matterlab's strategic communications services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Burness: Communications and PR firm specializing in nonprofits, foundations, and education clients - 'where the world's changemakers do their best work.' Direct comparable for the education/foundation vertical with PR and strategic communications emphasis.
• Spitfire Strategies: Communications strategy firm exclusively serving nonprofits, foundations, and causes - matches Matterlab's bespoke strategic communications model and social impact specialism, with adjacent offerings in messaging and campaign execution.
• Plowshare Group: Creative and marketing agency purpose-built for the nonprofit and social impact sector, supporting education, advocacy, and policy organizations. Direct comparable in mission specialization and integrated strategy + creative services.
• Fenton Communications: PR and strategic communications agency for social causes, nonprofits, and foundations. Direct comparable: similar high-touch model serving mission-driven clients across sectors including education, with branding and thought leadership offerings parallel to Matterlab's.
• Mission Minded: Branding, marketing strategy, and creative agency exclusively serving nonprofits and foundations. Direct peer - identical education/social-impact vertical focus, similar boutique scale, and overlapping service lines (brand identity, positioning, strategic communications).
• Hattaway Communications: Strategic communications firm that helps mission-driven organizations, foundations, and nonprofits tell their stories and drive social change. Closely comparable in sector focus, boutique operating model, and strategic narrative positioning offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: Global PR and communications firm with a dedicated Education practice and Edelman.org philanthropic work. Large incumbent with capacity to take enterprise education clients Matterlab currently turns away, validating the same market thesis at greater scale.
• GMMB: One of the largest advertising and public engagement firms in the U.S. with a deep nonprofit, education, and cause-marketing practice. Larger incumbent offering broader full-service capabilities but overlapping on the education/social-impact strategic communications problem Matterlab solves.
• Blue State: Digital, communications, and creative agency with significant nonprofit, education, and progressive cause work. Broad incumbent with overlapping nonprofit and education communications capabilities though larger in scale and more digital-heavy.
• Ketchum: Major global communications firm with a dedicated social-impact/education practice and purpose-led brand strategy work. Broad incumbent parallel to Matterlab's identity-clarification methodology at enterprise scale across nonprofit and education clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/matterlabagency
• Facebookfacebook.com/matterlabagency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matterlabagency

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Matterlab