Association of Black Cardiologists

What Association of Black Cardiologists does

The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1974 by Dr. Richard Allen Williams and headquartered in Washington, DC. Its mission is to promote the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease — including stroke — in Black and other minority populations, and to achieve health equity through the elimination of disparities. ABC serves an international membership of more than 2,000 health professionals (cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists), Community Health Advocates, corporate members, and institutional members, and operates four impact pillars: Research and Innovation, Education and Workforce Development, Advocacy and Public Policy, and Community Engagement.

ABC's product portfolio spans education, scholarships, clinical research, and community programming. Education products include ACCME-accredited continuing medical education, webinars, the ABC Clinical Research Network, the ABC Career Center, and the Medtronic-sponsored Hypertension Certification Program (launched 2024). Workforce development products include the Dr. Richard Allen Williams Scholarship (5 awards at $5,000 each, since 1984), the ABC/J&J MedTech Scholarship (10 awards at $10,000 each, since 2022), and Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Support Awards (4 grants at $50,000 each). Community-facing products include the Spirit of the Heart program, the Seven Steps to a Healthy Heart curriculum, Community Health Advocate Training (CHAT), the We Are The Faces of Black Maternal Health campaign, and the Family Heartbeats Unmasked FH awareness campaign. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by CEO Cassandra McCullough (since 2014) and President Kevin Kwaku (2026-2028 term).

ABC's revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit construct. The three documented revenue streams are: (1) recurring membership dues from professional, lay, corporate, and institutional tiers; (2) corporate partnerships and sponsorships with 14+ named pharma and medtech firms (including Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Medtronic, Pfizer, Novartis, Merck, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Regeneron, Vertex, Novo Nordisk, Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences, Cytokinetics, BridgeBio, and Mineralys) that fund scholarships, fellowships, and research; and (3) tax-deductible charitable donations processed through a Kindful donation portal. GTM is community-led and member-centric, distributed through the website (abcardio.org), social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube), email, webinars, major cardiovascular conferences (ACC, AHA, HRS), and signature community events. The organization is not a technology company and does not develop or sell technology products.

Name

Association of Black Cardiologists

Legal name

Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc.

Website

https://abcardio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association of Black Cardiologists is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1974 that serves over 2,000 cardiovascular health professionals, Community Health Advocates, and students in the U.S. and internationally, with programs in education, scholarships, clinical research, advocacy, and community engagement to eliminate cardiovascular health disparities in minority populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Membership Organization

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Equity, Access & Social Determinants Programs (BPAIAJAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patient Advocacy, Navigation & Access to Care (BPAGACAH), Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops) (EDAAAFAG)

Keywords

• Cardiovascular health equity
• Medical professional membership
• Continuing medical education
• Cardiology research network
• Community health advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from health professionals, lay members (Community Health Advocates), corporate members, and institutional members
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate partners provide financial support, fund scholarships and fellowships, and collaborate on research initiatives. Partners include pharmaceutical companies, medtech firms, and healthcare organizations.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: ABC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that accepts tax-deductible donations to support research, education, community programs, and policy work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership organization providing cardiovascular health equity programs across four impact areas: Research and Innovation, Education and Workforce Development, Advocacy and Public Policy, and Community Engagement. ABC delivers scholarships, ACCME-accredited continuing medical education, a clinical research network, community health advocacy campaigns, and policy initiatives targeting the elimination of cardiovascular disparities in Black and minority populations.

Product overview

The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) operates as a membership-based nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of educational programs, scholarships, clinical research infrastructure, and community health initiatives. The organization provides two main scholarship programs: the Dr. Richard Allen Williams Scholarship (5 awards at $5,000 for cardiology-focused students) and the ABC/J&J MedTech Scholarship (10 awards at $10,000 for underrepresented medical students), totaling $125,000 annually. Professional development offerings include the ABC Clinical Research Network (connecting investigators with clinical trials), the ABC Career Center, and the ABC Hypertension Certification Program (in partnership with Medtronic). Community engagement programs include the Spirit of the Heart Awards, We Are The Faces of Black Maternal Health campaign, Family Heartbeats Unmasked (Familial Hypercholesterolemia awareness), and the annual Policy Pulse Summit. ABC is accredited by ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Membership Program Annual membership for health professionals, lay community health advocates, corporate members, and institutional members, providing CME-accredited programs, networking, mentorship, scholarships, research funding access, committee involvement, and Annual Awards Gala access.
• Dr. Richard Allen Williams Scholarship Medical student scholarship awarding five $5,000 scholarships annually to students with interest in cardiology, established in 1984 in honor of ABC's founder.
• ABC/J&J MedTech Scholarship Medical student scholarship program awarding ten $10,000 scholarships annually to students from underrepresented communities, in partnership with Johnson & Johnson MedTech.
• Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Support Awards Fellowship grant program in partnership with Johnson & Johnson MedTech providing four $50,000 grants to promote diversity and equity in cardiac electrophysiology training.
• ABC Hypertension Certification Program (HCP) Certification program in partnership with Medtronic sponsoring 50 qualified clinicians for certification through the American Hypertension Specialist Certification Program (AHSCP), targeting culturally conscious care for underserved populations.
• ABC Clinical Research Network (ABC CRN) Network connecting investigators across multiple specialties with clinical trial opportunities, providing infrastructure support and collaboration with corporate partners for cardiovascular and health-equity clinical research.
• ABC Career Center Online career center providing job resources, employer listings, and recruiter services for cardiology professionals.
• Spirit of the Heart Program Flagship community engagement program featuring the Annual Awards Program & Fundraiser, community forums, and outreach events promoting cardiovascular health awareness in underserved populations.
• Seven Steps to a Healthy Heart Educational program with multimedia resources providing tools to understand heart conditions and take control of cardiovascular health.
• Community Health Advocate Training (CHAT) Training program for community health advocates focused on cardiovascular health promotion and prevention in underserved communities.
• We Are The Faces of Black Maternal Health National awareness campaign expanding awareness about Black maternal cardiovascular health with prevention strategies and tools for preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum periods for Black families.
• Family Heartbeats Unmasked Awareness campaign addressing Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH), an inherited cause of high cholesterol, with personal stories, educational resources, and physician-led PSAs targeting Black and minority communities.
• Dr. Jay Brown Best Abstract Competition Annual competition (U.S. since 1992; International established 2025) recognizing outstanding cardiovascular research from residents, fellows, and trainees worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 medical student scholarships awarded annually totaling $125,000
• +2 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

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Johnson & Johnson MedTechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2025Partnership to fund Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Support Awards providing four $50,000 grants to promote diversity and equity in cardiac electrophysiology training. Also partnered on medical student scholarships totaling 10 awards of $10,000 each.
• Care AccesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2025Partnership to expand heart health screenings and research opportunities to more communities, increasing access to cardiovascular prevention and early detection in underserved areas.
• American College of Cardiology (ACC) Illinois ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2025Collaborative partnership advocating for Illinois legislation requiring insurance coverage for peripheral artery disease (PAD) screening. ABC and ACC Illinois Chapter provided expert testimony and data to support the legislation addressing cardiovascular health disparities in Black communities.
• MedtroniccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for the ABC Hypertension Certification Program (HCP), launched in early 2024. Medtronic sponsors 50 qualified clinicians to receive certification from the American Hypertension Specialist Certification Program (AHSCP) to address hypertension disparities in underserved populations.
• Vertex PharmaceuticalsminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• Regeneron PharmaceuticalsminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• PfizerminorOthersCorporate partner and member of Pfizer Multicultural Advisory Council (PMAC).
• Novo NordiskminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• NovartisminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• MerckminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• MedtronicminorOthersCorporate partner and program partner for Hypertension Certification Program.
• Boston ScientificminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• AmgenminorOthersCorporate partner and supporter of International Dr. Jay Brown Best Abstract Competition.
• AstraZenecaminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• BridgeBio PharmaminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• Bristol-Myers SquibbminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• Edwards LifesciencesminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• CytokineticsminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.
• Mineralys TherapeuticsminorOthersCorporate partner supporting ABC's mission and programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/abcardio1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/theabcardio
• Facebookfacebook.com/abcardio
• Instagraminstagram.com/abcardio1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-black-cardiologists

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of Black Cardiologists