Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health

What Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health does

The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health (AAIUH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 450 Clarkson Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11203, founded on December 3, 1992 by tennis champion Arthur Ashe two months before his death from AIDS. The Institute's stated mandate is to address health disparities in urban communities — disproportionately affecting multi-ethnic populations — through community-based outreach and education that facilitates behavior change and expands access to care among vulnerable populations in Brooklyn neighborhoods including Bedford Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, Brownsville, East New York, and East Flatbush.

The organization operates a portfolio of three signature community health education programs — Health Science Academy (a STEM-accredited youth pipeline program delivered through 12+ Brooklyn public and parochial schools), Heart of A Woman (women's health education delivered through Brooklyn salon partnerships), and Barbershop Talk with Brothers (Black men's health education with a mental health focus delivered through Brooklyn barbershops) — supported by a DSRIP Medicaid reform program and an annual SportsBall Black Tie & Sneakers Gala fundraiser. Programs are delivered in-person through a community-embedded network of 170+ barbershops, salons, schools, and faith-based venues. Underlying operational technology is intentionally low-tech: trusted venue relationships, culturally competent community health workers, and academic research infrastructure supplied by SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University through the Brooklyn Health Disparities Center (established 2004).

AAIUH employs approximately 18 staff led by CEO Dr. Marilyn Fraser. The business model is donor- and grant-funded: revenue streams are individual donations (via PayPal and direct mail), corporate sponsorships tiered around the annual SportsBall gala (Wimbledon through Australian Open levels, with named sponsors including Fidelis Care and Colgate-Palmolive), and government and foundation grants. Programs are free to community participants; there is no fee-for-service or product revenue. The Institute reports no parent company, no external investment ownership, and operates under a Board of Directors chaired by Brett Wright. No AI/ML technology stack is disclosed, and the technology moat rests on community trust, venue relationships, and 30+ years of brand equity derived from the Arthur Ashe namesake.

Name

Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health

Legal name

Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health

Website

https://arthurasheinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 that delivers community-based health education and disease prevention programs through 170+ Brooklyn barbershops, salons, 12+ schools, and faith-based venues to address health disparities among vulnerable urban populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health and Public Health Outreach

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGACAC

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGACAL

Public Health & Health Equity Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAIAJAO

Health Equity, Access & Social Determinants Programs

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Public Health Administration & Regulation

SECONDARYEDAAAFAG

Health Promotion & Public Health Education (Community Workshops)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

Keywords

• Community health education
• Health disparities outreach
• Urban public health programs
• Minority health workforce development
• Barbershop salon health initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations through PayPal and direct mail giving programs; the Institute maintains a prominent donate button on its website and solicits contributions from supporters
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual SportsBall gala generates sponsorship revenue from corporate partners including healthcare organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and financial institutions at various sponsorship tiers (Wimbledon, US Open, French Open, Australian Open levels)
3. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from government health agencies and private foundations to support community health programs, research initiatives, and educational programming

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health addresses health disparities among vulnerable urban populations in Brooklyn through community-embedded health education and outreach. Its core offerings are four free programs — Health Science Academy (minority youth STEM/healthcare pipeline), Heart of A Woman (women's health via salons), Barbershop Talk with Brothers (Black men's health via barbershops), and DSRIP (Medicaid delivery system reform) — delivered through a network of 170+ Brooklyn barbershops, salons, and schools, supported by donations, sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

The Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health operates as a community health empowerment organization offering a portfolio of educational programs and outreach initiatives rather than a technology product or platform. The core offerings include the Health Science Academy (which achieved STEM accreditation and MSA accreditation), Heart of a Woman, and Barbershop Talk with Brothers programs, which deliver health education directly in community settings such as barbershops, salons, and schools. The Institute also runs the DSRIP healthcare reform program and organizes the annual SportsBall Gala fundraiser. These programs are designed to address health disparities in Brooklyn's most vulnerable neighborhoods including Bedford Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, Brownsville, East New York, and East Flatbush.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Health Science Academy: Program addressing the chronic shortage of minorities in healthcare and STEM fields by providing training for the next generation of diverse health care professionals in partnership with Brooklyn Public & Parochial High School and Middle School partners.
• Heart of a Woman
• Barbershop Talk with Brothers
• Brooklyn Health Disparities Center

Products and services

• Health Science Academy A program that addresses the chronic shortage of minorities in healthcare and STEM fields by providing accredited training for the next generation of diverse health care professionals, delivered in partnership with Brooklyn public and parochial high schools and middle schools. Aimed at minority youth in Brooklyn pursuing or considering healthcare careers.
• Heart of A Woman A community health education program delivered through beauty salons to connect women — primarily women of color in urban communities — to health information, tools, and resources for making informed health decisions. Addresses maternal health disparities and culturally inappropriate health information gaps.
• Barbershop Talk with Brothers A community health education program delivered through barbershops to connect Black men to health information, tools, and resources, with a focus on mental health awareness, chronic disease prevention, and access to care. Operates through a network of 170+ Brooklyn salons and barbershops.
• DSRIP (Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment) A Medicaid-focused program transforming the healthcare delivery system to reduce costs and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations in Brooklyn. Delivered in partnership with the Brooklyn Health Disparities Center and SUNY Downstate.
• Summer Internship Programs Educational and career development programs that provide young people with exposure to health professions through summer internships at AAIUH.

Quantifiable outcome

• STEM PUSH MSA accreditation achieved for Health Science Academy
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and primary.

• SUNY Downstate Health Sciences UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey academic partner since Institute founding. Co-Director of Brooklyn Health Disparities Center. Provides research infrastructure, faculty support, and institutional credibility. Hosts Health Science Academy activities and student rotations.
• Brooklyn Health Disparities CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2004 through collaboration with SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Office of Brooklyn Borough President to address health disparities in Brooklyn through community-based research, education, training, and outreach
• Brooklyn Barbershops and SalonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 170+ Brooklyn salons and barbershops serving as community health education venues for Barbershop Talk with Brothers and Heart of A Woman programs
• Brooklyn Public and Parochial SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with over a dozen Brooklyn high schools and middle schools for Health Science Academy STEM programming to address shortage of minorities in healthcare and STEM fields
• University of the West IndiessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership supporting international collaboration on health disparities research and education
• Office of the Brooklyn Borough PresidentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner in Brooklyn Health Disparities Center; supports policy advocacy and community outreach initiatives
• Fidelis CareprimaryGTM or Marketing PartnerUS Open level sponsor of SportsBall 2024; health plan subsidiary of Centene Corporation serving 2.4+ million members across New York State
• Colgate Palmolive CompanyprimaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of SportsBall 2021 virtual event

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• National Association of Community Health Workers: Membership and advocacy organization supporting the community health worker workforce. AAIUH employs senior community health workers and operates a CHW-style model in barbershops and salons, making NACHW an ecosystem peer.

Emerging players

• Morehouse School of Medicine: Atlanta-based HBCU medical school focused on training minority physicians and addressing health equity. Comparable Health Science Academy-style mission to develop diverse healthcare workforce pipelines.

Broad incumbents

• Partners In Health: Large, well-established global health equity organization providing care to the poor in resource-limited settings. AAIUH operates a similar health-justice philosophy but at a city-level scale rather than multi-country footprint.
• National Urban League: National civil rights and urban advocacy organization with health equity programs targeting African American communities. Operates a broader portfolio than AAIUH but shares the health-disparities and minority-empowerment mission.

Direct peers

• Health Leads: National nonprofit that addresses social determinants of health by connecting low-income patients to community resources. Like AAIUH, it leverages community-based, non-clinical touchpoints to improve health outcomes for underserved populations.
• Project Renewal: NYC nonprofit addressing health and homelessness through community outreach programs serving vulnerable populations. Shares AAIUH's community-based health education and access-to-care mission in the same NYC geography.
• National Medical Fellowships: National nonprofit that builds the pipeline of underrepresented minority healthcare professionals through scholarships and mentorship. Directly comparable to AAIUH's Health Science Academy STEM-to-healthcare pathway for minority youth.
• Charles B. Wang Community Health Center: NYC community health center providing culturally competent care and outreach to underserved Asian American communities. Mirrors AAIUH's model of delivering health services through trusted community channels tailored to a specific ethnic population.
• William F. Ryan Community Health Center: NYC-based federally qualified health center delivering primary care and community health programs to underserved populations. Comparable in mission to address urban health disparities and similar geographic focus in New York City.

Regional players

• Sinai Health System: NYC health system serving diverse urban communities with strong community health programming. Comparable in its health-disparities focus in Brooklyn, though operates as a clinical provider rather than community-education nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AAIUH2
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArthurAsheInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arthur-ashe-institute-urban
• Instagraminstagram.com/aaiuh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health