National Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

What National Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation does

The National Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (NCEI) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded in 2012 with the mission of celebrating and supporting entrepreneurship and innovation as core American civic practices. Its work is delivered through three principal programs: Makers on the Mall (a partnership with Maker Faire that brings maker-movement exhibitions to the National Mall), Entrepreneurship as Citizenship (an educational and public-discourse program launched in 2015 that reframes entrepreneurship as a civic and constitutional practice), and 2026.US, a multi-year campaign tied to the U.S. semiquincentennial in 2026. The organization is chaired by founding board chair Philip Auerswald, with Christopher Doorley serving in an operational capacity, and benefits from an advisory board that includes Vint Cerf, Carly Fiorina, Dean Kamen, and Carl Schramm.

NCEI's "products" are programs and convenings rather than commercial goods: public exhibitions, educational curricula, and a planned permanent facility on or near the National Mall — a site visited by an estimated 25–30 million people annually. Distribution is achieved through co-branded events with partner organizations (Maker City Project, Maker Faire, Hult Prize Foundation, 1776), which extend reach into the maker, student-entrepreneur, and startup/accelerator communities without requiring NCEI to own any of those audiences directly.

The business model is that of a grant- and contribution-funded nonprofit. No pricing, membership fees, sponsorship tiers, or revenue figures are disclosed in the source material, and there is no indication of commercial product sales. The strategic anchor is a planned permanent Mall facility, which — if realized — would convert the organization's current event-based delivery into a year-round physical presence and likely require a substantial capital campaign.

Name

National Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Legal name

National Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Website

https://ncei.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded in 2012 that celebrates and supports entrepreneurship through programs such as Makers on the Mall, Entrepreneurship as Citizenship, and the 2026.US initiative, serving the general public, students, makers, and entrepreneurs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Advocacy & Education

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps (EDAMALAL), Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship advocacy
• Innovation education
• Maker community events
• Nonprofit entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurial programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Not Disclosed: The organization appears to be a non-profit initiative. No specific revenue model or funding sources are disclosed on their website.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (NCEI) is a non-profit organization that delivers advocacy, educational, and event-based programs celebrating American entrepreneurship and innovation. Its primary offerings are the Makers on the Mall maker festival, the Entrepreneurship as Citizenship K-12 educational program (delivered via school district partnerships), and the 2026.US ten-year national initiative leading up to America's 250th anniversary. The organization is working to establish a permanent physical presence on or near the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Product overview

The National Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is a non-profit advocacy organization (not a software product company) that operates programs focused on celebrating and supporting entrepreneurship and innovation. Its offerings include physical events (Makers on the Mall/Maker Faire DC), educational programs (Entrepreneurship as Citizenship class trips), and a long-term national initiative (2026.US). The organization is planning to establish a permanent physical space on or near the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Makers on the Mall: A family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness where people show what they are making and share what they learn. Part Do-It-Yourself and part Popular Mechanics, this festival's mission is to entertain, inform and inspire makers of all types.
• Entrepreneurship as Citizenship
• 2026.US

Products and services

• Makers on the Mall A family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness where makers demonstrate what they are making and share what they learn. The event features Maker Faire in Washington, D.C. and is designed to entertain, inform, and inspire makers of all types.
• Entrepreneurship as Citizenship An educational program designed as a 21st-century redesign of the K-12 class trip, working with school districts to inspire students during their annual educational pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. and engaging them about their possible role in America's future.
• 2026.US A 10-year national initiative developed in partnership with the Maker City Project to celebrate and support American entrepreneurship and innovation, leading up to America's 250th anniversary celebration in 2026.

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Maker City ProjectflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCEI and Maker City Project partnered on the 2026.US initiative, a 10-year effort leading up to America's 250th anniversary celebration.
• Maker FairecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakers on the Mall is a family-friendly showcase of invention and creativity, featuring Maker Faire in Washington, D.C. in 2014.
• Hult Prize FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilip Auerswald serves as chief academic officer of the Hult Prize Foundation, linking NCEI to this global entrepreneurship organization.
• Velocity StrategiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Christopher Doorley (NCEI team member) in 2009, a digital media agency based in Northern Virginia that supports the DC entrepreneurship community.
• DesignDonorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Christopher Doorley, a non-profit organization aligned with NCEI's mission of fostering innovation.
• 1776coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonna Harris, NCEI board member, co-founded 1776, a startup accelerator and incubator in Washington, D.C., connecting NCEI to the startup ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: A major entrepreneurship-focused foundation with deep research, policy, and grantmaking programs. Comparable to NCEI as a non-profit actor promoting American entrepreneurship, though Kauffman operates at far greater financial scale and without a public-facing museum/monument.
• Smithsonian Institution: The dominant operator of public-facing national museums and monuments on or near the National Mall. Comparable as a D.C.-based public institution delivering educational exhibits to millions of annual visitors, and a potential site-partner or competitor for the same physical footprint NCEI is targeting.
• Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation (Smithsonian): A Smithsonian program dedicated to invention and innovation history at the National Museum of American History. Comparable to NCEI as a D.C.-based institution celebrating American inventors, though housed within a larger museum rather than as a standalone monument.

Direct peers

• Endeavor: A global non-profit supporting high-impact entrepreneurs through mentorship and ecosystem support. Comparable to NCEI's entrepreneurship-celebration mission, though Endeavor focuses on scaling existing founders internationally rather than public advocacy.
• Startup America Partnership: A non-profit coalition promoting entrepreneurship in the U.S., historically supported by the White House and Kauffman Foundation. Comparable mission and constituency, though Startup America focuses on policy advocacy and ecosystem connections rather than physical exhibits.
• Maker Faire (Make Community): The operator of the global Maker Faire festival network, an existing NCEI programming partner. Direct peer on the maker/STEM community-building side, sharing audiences, event IP, and the mission of inspiring hands-on innovation.
• Hult Prize Foundation: A global social entrepreneurship competition and platform where NCEI's president serves as chief academic officer. Direct peer in promoting student-led entrepreneurship, with overlapping programs targeting university and youth entrepreneurs.
• 1776: A Washington, D.C.-based startup accelerator and incubator, co-founded by NCEI board member Donna Harris. Direct peer given shared DC ecosystem focus and overlapping audience of entrepreneurs, though 1776 operates a private incubation platform rather than a public advocacy mission.

Emerging players

• INNOVATE America: A non-profit initiative focused on innovation policy and competitiveness. Comparable to NCEI in celebrating American innovation and entrepreneurship, though INNOVATE America emphasizes policy advocacy over public exhibits and education.
• MassChallenge: A global non-profit startup accelerator with programs supporting early-stage entrepreneurs. Comparable to NCEI in the entrepreneurship-support mission, though MassChallenge runs competitive cohort-based programs rather than public-facing exhibits or monuments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCEI_US
• YouTubeyoutube.com/nceius
• Facebookfacebook.com/nceius
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-center-for-entrepreneurship-and-innovation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 National Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation