Kong Academy
Kong Academy is a Seattle-based enrichment services company, founded in 2016, delivering movement-based social-emotional learning programs for children ages 4-12 in after-school, summer camp, birthday party, and community-club formats across the Seattle metro.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kong Academy does
Kong Academy is a Seattle-based, privately-held enrichment services company founded in 2016 by Curt Jordan and Elke Robshaw. It delivers movement-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programs for children ages 4-12, built around the five-pillar CASEL framework (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making). Core offerings include after-school programs operating in 35+ Seattle metro schools and at the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association (PNA, serving 90+ kids annually), and week-long summer camps at Carkeek Park and Seward Park featuring adventure-themed curricula (e.g., Pirate Adventure, Fantasy Tribe quests). Adjacent products include LARPing after-school programs, Sunday birthday parties, half-day and full-day school-break camps, special events, extended care add-ons, and a free Kids Club community on Patreon.
Curriculum and program design rely on parkour, fort building, team challenges, and immersive storytelling as delivery mechanisms for SEL outcomes, with trained coaches facilitating structured play. The technology stack is operationally oriented rather than productized: programs are listed, scheduled, and paid for through the 6crickets marketplace platform, with birthday-party bookings handled via a Google Form and parent communications via email and WhatsApp groups. No mobile app, AI/ML capability, proprietary software platform, or patents are disclosed.
The business model is service-driven with three primary revenue streams: (1) seasonal after-school subscriptions sold through school partnerships and direct enrollment at PNA, (2) one-time per-week summer camp fees priced $545 (early bird) to $625 (regular) plus a $75/week extended-care add-on, and (3) transactional revenue from birthday parties and Sunday special events. Customer acquisition is event-driven and direct-to-consumer, combining school partnerships, community partnerships, content marketing through an 80+ article blog and YouTube channel, free Friday parenting sessions, and Kids Club community engagement. The company operates with 1-10 employees, is bootstrapped with no external funding disclosed, and serves exclusively the Seattle metropolitan market.
Kong Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kong Academy
- Legal name
- Kong Academy
- Website
- https://kongacademy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Kong Academy is a Seattle-based enrichment services company, founded in 2016, delivering movement-based social-emotional learning programs for children ages 4-12 in after-school, summer camp, birthday party, and community-club formats across the Seattle metro.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kong Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Enrichment Programs
- NAICS
- Educational Services (61), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- After-School & Extended-Day Programs (School-Run) (EDAJAJAK), Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA), Adventure Multi-Sport Camps & Skills Academies (THAAAKAM), Outdoor Education & Adventure Programs (School-Run) (EDAJAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Kong Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kong Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Summer Camp Programs: Week-long summer camp programs at Carkeek Park and Seward Park. Camps run Monday-Friday 9am-3pm with optional extended care until 4:30pm. Pricing varies by enrollment timing (early bird vs regular) and includes age-based groupings (ages 4-5 and 6-12).
- After School Programs: Seasonal after-school programs running 10-13 weeks per session across 35+ schools in the Seattle metro area and at Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association. Also includes Larping program, weekday classes, and special events.
- Birthday Parties: Sunday birthday party bookings at Kong Academy location featuring movement-based games and activities. Booked through Google Forms reservation system.
- Special Events: Special event programs offered on select Sundays, including half-day and full-day camps during school breaks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Summer Camp Early Bird - Ages 4-12 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Summer Camp Regular - Ages 4-12 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Extended Care Add-on |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | After School Program Seasonal Sessions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kong Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kong Academy runs movement-based after-school programs, summer camps, school-break camps, birthday parties, and special events for children ages 4-12 across the Seattle metro area. The programs use parkour, fort building, team challenges, and fantasy adventure quests to teach social-emotional skills aligned with the CASEL 5-pillar framework (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making). After-school programming operates in 35+ schools and at the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association, while summer camps run at Carkeek Park and Seward Park.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- After School Programs
Quantifiable outcome
- Harvard studies found that children who develop social-emotional skills by age 8 experience greater health, academic, and career success.
Companies that use Kong Academy
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Kong Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Kong Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association (PNA)coreKong Academy partners with Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association (PNA) near Green Lake to run after-school programs serving 90+ kids each year. The partnership provides access to PNA facilities and connects Kong Academy with the local community.
- 6cricketscore6crickets serves as Kong Academy's registration and payment platform for classes, camps, and special events. Parents register and pay through the 6crickets marketplace, which also handles session scheduling and availability tracking.
- Seattle Metro Area SchoolscoreKong Academy operates after-school programs directly in 35+ schools throughout the Seattle metro area. Schools provide facilities and access to students; Kong Academy provides curriculum, trained staff, and program management.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kong Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Playworks: Playworks partners with elementary schools to provide structured recess, coaching, and play-based SEL programs during the school day and after-school hours. It is a strong functional comparable given its school-district GTM, play-based curriculum, and SEL outcomes focus, though at a larger scale than Kong Academy.
- Steve & Kate's Camp: Steve & Kate's Camp runs multi-activity day camps for kids ages 4-12 with self-directed activity choices, similar in philosophy to Kong Academy's play-based, choice-rich programs. It competes for the same summer-camp parent segment with comparable weekly pricing and Seattle-area presence.
- Camp Galileo: Camp Galileo is a multi-activity summer enrichment camp for kids entering K-8, blending arts, science, and outdoor play in week-long sessions. It competes with Kong Academy's summer camps for the same Seattle-area parent cohort seeking activity-rich, week-long experiences.
- Goldfish Swim School: Goldfish Swim School is a franchise of year-round swim instruction for kids ages 4 months to 12 years, with comparable pricing, parent-driven enrollment, and confidence/character development messaging. It is comparable as a recurring, skill-based kids' enrichment program targeting the same family demographic.
- Parkour Generation / ParkourEDU: ParkourEDU and similar parkour-focused youth programs teach movement, balance, and risk assessment to kids through structured classes and camps. They are direct category peers to Kong Academy's parkour-based curriculum, sharing the same core physical discipline.
- The Little Gym: The Little Gym is a franchise of movement-based enrichment programs for children ages 4 months to 12 years, combining gymnastics, motor-skill development, and social-emotional growth. It is the closest comparable to Kong Academy given shared focus on structured physical classes for kids that integrate fun with developmental outcomes.
- i9 Sports: i9 Sports is a nationwide youth sports franchise offering after-school programs, camps, and leagues for kids ages 3-14. It shares Kong Academy's school-channel distribution model and after-school positioning, though its curriculum is sport-specific rather than SEL-focused.
Broad incumbents
- Sky Zone: Sky Zone operates indoor trampoline parks that offer kids' classes, camps, and birthday parties focused on active play. It serves a similar Seattle-family demographic with active-play programming and birthday-party bookings, though at a much larger venue-based scale than Kong Academy.
- Sylvan Learning: Sylvan Learning is a national enrichment franchise offering after-school tutoring, camps, and enrichment programs in subjects including STEM and reading. It competes for the same parent dollar on supplemental enrichment and shares a school-channel GTM, though its focus is academic rather than movement-based.
Others
- 6crickets: 6crickets is a marketplace and registration platform for kids' classes, camps, and after-school programs; it is Kong Academy's registration partner but also hosts competing providers. It is comparable as an ecosystem participant that defines how Seattle parents discover enrichment options.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kong Academy social profiles
Digital presenceKong Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kong Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Kong Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kong Academy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kong Academy
What does Kong Academy do?
Kong Academy runs movement-based after-school programs, summer camps, school-break camps, birthday parties, and special events for children ages 4-12 across the Seattle metro area. The programs use parkour, fort building, team challenges, and fantasy adventure quests to teach social-emotional skills aligned with the CASEL 5-pillar framework (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making). After-school programming operates in 35+ schools and at the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association, while summer camps run at Carkeek Park and Seward Park.
Is Kong Academy a public or private company?
Kong Academy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kong Academy founded?
Kong Academy was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Kong Academy based?
Kong Academy is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kong Academy make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Summer Camp Programs are the primary driver. The others are after School Programs, birthday Parties and special Events.
Who are Kong Academy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Playworks, Steve & Kate's Camp, Camp Galileo, Goldfish Swim School, Parkour Generation / ParkourEDU, The Little Gym and i9 Sports. Broad incumbents are Sky Zone and Sylvan Learning. 6crickets is listed as an others.
Does Kong Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kong Academy.
What industry is Kong Academy in?
Kong Academy's product category is Children's Enrichment Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMALAO, Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills), with a secondary code of EDAJAJAK, After-School & Extended-Day Programs (School-Run). Its NAICS code is 61 and its SIC code is 8200.