Gameheads

Name

Gameheads

Legal name

Gameheads Oakland

Website

https://gameheadsoakland.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Technology and Career Training Services

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios (MPAFAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Game Engine & Creation Platforms (UGC/Modding) (BPAMAKAE)

Keywords

• Youth technology training
• Video game education
• Game development programs
• STEAM career training
• Nonprofit tech education

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Gameheads is a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations and grants. The organization is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, which handles charitable contributions.
2. Space Rental: The Video Game Center offers space rental for events including lounge area and meeting rooms for external bookings as a revenue-generating activity.
3. Merchandise Sales: Gameheads Store sells merchandise including the Women's Appreciation Collection and other apparel through print-on-demand fulfillment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gameheads is a nonprofit tech training organization that delivers free, year-long video game design and development programs to opportunity youth ages 15-25, covering game design, coding, art/animation, UX/UI, project management, motion capture, VR, and VFX. Programs are taught by industry professionals using industry-standard tools, and include wraparound services such as college and career counseling, hardware and software provision, mentorship, and industry exposure through events such as GDC.

Product overview

Gameheads is a nonprofit tech training organization offering a portfolio of programs for youth ages 8–25 focused on video game design, development, multimedia, and STEAM skills. The core offering is Gameheads: Classic — a year-long training program where students learn game design, coding, art, animation, and project management, attending classes weekly and a Summer Accelerator Program (SAP). Additional programs include Gameheads: Live (free classes by industry professionals), the Fellowship Program (for indie market-bound students), the Blended Media Program (filmmaking, VR, VFX in the XR Lab), Gameheads: Kids (ages 8–11), Gameheads: Camps (seasonal week-long workshops), and Gameheads: Hawaii (partner program for Native Hawaiian youth). The organization also operates a Video Game Center in Oakland as its physical facility, and has recently launched a Gameheads Store for merchandise. Programs are supported by industry mentors, educational counseling, college/career guidance, and an annual showcase.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gameheads: Kids: Program for children ages 8-11 that blends play, creativity, art, and technology to teach 21st-century skills including video games, coding, digital art, and hands-on making.
• Gameheads: Hawaii
• Gameheads: Classic
• Gameheads: Live
• Gameheads Fellowship
• Summer Accelerator Program (SAP)
• Blended Media Program
• Gameheads: Camps
• Gameheads Video Game Center

Products and services

• Gameheads: Classic A year-long (10-month) training program for opportunity youth ages 15-25 covering game design, coding, art/animation, UX/UI, project management, and industry exposure, including access to the Summer Accelerator Program.
• Gameheads: Live Free classes in game design and development taught by industry professionals from leading video game companies, covering project management, programming, animation, game design, and narrative design.
• Gameheads: Fellowship A program for Summer Accelerator Program graduates to take their projects to the indie video game market, receiving financial, marketing, and distribution support along with mentorship and an industry professional council.
• Summer Accelerator Program (SAP) An intensive summer program where students build a 5-10 minute gameplay demo with guidance from 1-2 video game industry professionals, culminating in a pitch and demo at the Annual Gameheads Showcase.
• Blended Media Program A program combining traditional filmmaking with motion capture, VR, and VFX training in the XR Lab, preparing students for careers in Hollywood and leading-edge industries.
• Gameheads: Kids A program for children ages 8-11 that blends play, creativity, art, and technology to teach video games, coding, and digital art through hands-on activities in a safe, supervised environment.
• Gameheads: Camps Week-long camps using video game excitement to engage young people in STEAM careers, with customizable tech and game development workshops for middle school through college ages.
• Gameheads: Hawaii A program in partnership with Lili'uokalani Trust teaching video game design, development, and multimedia to low-income and Native Hawaiian youth ages 15-25, focusing on workforce development, STEAM education, and college preparation.
• Gameheads Store An online merchandise store powered by Printful offering limited edition Gameheads apparel and merchandise, including collections highlighting student artwork.
• Video Game Center (Space Rental) A state-of-the-art video game design, development, DevOps, and mixed media facility in Oakland, CA, featuring a lounge, gaming room, technical lab, XR Lab, library, and chill nook, with lounge and meeting rooms available for event rental.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 young people trained and engaged since founding
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Lili'uokalani TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Gameheads: Hawaii program serving low-income and Native Hawaiian youth ages 15-25. Focuses on workforce development, STEAM education, and college preparation.
• Double FinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner for student visits and industry exposure. Home to Gameheads alumni including veteran Rebecca Taylor as Associate Gameplay Programmer.
• SonymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner providing student exposure to tech companies and gaming studios.
• AutodeskmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partner providing exposure to design and development tools used in tech and gaming industries.
• Xbox Game Studios PublishingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory committee member Marcus Montgomery serves as Design Director, providing industry guidance and connections.
• ZyngamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship Council member Truman Simpson serves as Lead Technical Artist, providing mentorship and industry expertise.
• ScopelymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship Council member Dennis Adams serves as Director of Production, offering mentorship and guidance for student projects.
• Bend StudiomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship Council member Kojo Kumah serves as Senior Game Play Programmer, providing mentorship.
• Infinite RealityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory committee member Paul Rybicki serves as Director of Product Design.
• Cornerstone Interactive StudiosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-Founder Lisette Titre-Montgomery serves as Advisory Committee Chair, providing strategic guidance.
• The Beauty CultminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship Council member Don Bellenger serves as CEO & Lead Developer.
• Recurver LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship Council member Joe Quadara serves as Design Consultant.
• Great Place To Work USminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory committee member Julian Lute serves as Insights + Innovation Strategist on Business/Development Committee.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: Large national workforce development nonprofit serving opportunity youth ages 18-24 with training and corporate placements. Operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope, but addresses the same demographic with similar career-pipeline mission.
• Girls Who Code: National nonprofit working to close the gender gap in technology by teaching computer science to girls. Shares the focus on bringing underrepresented groups into tech careers, with a complementary demographic focus on women and girls.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free IT training to individuals from underrepresented communities. Comparable tuition-free tech training model with employer partnership placement, though focused on IT rather than game development.
• NPower: National nonprofit providing free tech training and job placement to underserved young adults and military veterans. Similar free-program model and career-outcome focus, though broader in tech rather than gaming-specific.

Direct peers

• Hidden Genius Project: Oakland-based nonprofit that trains Black male youth in technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Shares the Oakland geography, underrepresented youth focus, and intensive multi-year program structure.
• Code2040: Nonprofit creating pathways to leadership in tech for Black and Latinx talent. Shares the racial equity focus, tech industry placement mission, and fellowship/career program structure targeting the same underrepresented communities.
• Hack the Hood: Oakland-based nonprofit providing tech training to underrepresented youth. Directly comparable mission and Bay Area roots; notably, founder Damon Packwood previously worked at Hack the Hood, making it a particularly close comparator in approach and demographic focus.
• LatinxInGaming: Organization dedicated to increasing Latinx representation in the video game industry. Directly comparable gaming-industry diversity mission; Gameheads' Broadcasting Technician Zoram Mercado also works for LatinxInGaming, indicating close ecosystem ties.
• Juma Ventures: National nonprofit providing employment, post-secondary education, and financial capability services to opportunity youth. Direct comparator on youth development mission; founder Damon Packwood previously worked at Juma Ventures.

Emerging players

• https://gameheadsoakland.org/dev/color: Nonprofit community for Black software engineers and technologists. Similar demographic focus on Black professionals in tech, though more focused on career-stage professionals rather than youth training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WeAreGameheads
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCTX7KAOyjMy1eaD_dI0SGpg
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearegameheads
• Instagraminstagram.com/gameheadsoakland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Gameheads