Impact(Ed)
Impact(Ed) International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 that uses award-winning educational media and direct school programs to improve learning outcomes for marginalized children, particularly girls, across sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersSilver Spring, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Impact(Ed) does
Impact(Ed) International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 by Discovery Communications (now Warner Bros. Discovery) and headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. Originally launched as Discovery Learning Alliance and rebranded to Impact(Ed) International in 2022, the organization operates at the intersection of educational programming and award-winning mass media production. Its core work spans two interconnected areas: direct educational interventions in marginalized communities (teacher professional development, youth and girls clubs, accelerated learning, and community action planning) delivered across 16 countries with established education programs in sub-Saharan Africa and select markets in Latin America and MENA; and research-driven edutainment media productions designed to drive behavioral and attitudinal change on education, health, and gender equity issues.
The organization's media portfolio includes the Emmy Award-winning animated TV series My Better World, the Peabody-nominated feature film Shaina (set in Zimbabwe), Inside Story (an HIV feature film using state-of-the-art animation that achieved 432 million broadcast reach across 29 countries), The Lucky Specials (a tuberculosis feature film with 294 million reach across 22 countries), and Discovery+ weekly talk shows on girls' education. Content is distributed through Netflix in 190+ countries and through 37+ African broadcasters with cumulative reach exceeding 800 million viewers. The underlying methodology combines human-centered design, mind-brain education science, and technical advisors to map specific behavioral impact goals into each production, with outcomes validated through independent studies including a 2020 World Bank evaluation showing a 51% increase in girls' school enrollment and a 2014-2016 Social Impact evaluation showing 5X more effective teaching.
Revenue is sourced from institutional grants (UK DFID/FCDO, USAID, Global Innovation Fund), corporate philanthropy (Chevron, Shell, Coca-Cola, Standard Chartered), and individual donations. The organization was founded with backing from Discovery Communications and has forged strategic partnerships with Ministries of Education in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana for national-scale program implementation. Per the input data, the organization reports reaching 2.6 million students, 2,427 schools, and 40,000+ teachers trained, with 51-100 employees globally and a Co-CEO leadership structure under Aric Noboa and Tamela Noboa.
Impact(Ed) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Impact(Ed)
- Legal name
- Impact(Ed) International
- Website
- https://impacted.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Impact(Ed) International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 that uses award-winning educational media and direct school programs to improve learning outcomes for marginalized children, particularly girls, across sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Impact(Ed) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ), Impact Investment & Social Finance Programs (BPADAOAJ)
Keywords
Where Impact(Ed) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Silver Spring
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Impact(Ed) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Impact(Ed) relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization accepts cryptocurrency donations processed through third-party vendors.
- Institutional Funding and Grants: Funding from development agencies and foundations including UK DFID, USAID, and the Global Innovation Fund to support specific program initiatives in education and media.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Impact(Ed) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Impact(Ed) International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers educational programs and media productions in marginalized communities worldwide. Its core offerings span award-winning educational films and television series (e.g., Shaina, Inside Story, The Lucky Specials, My Better World), teacher professional development training, youth clubs, accelerated learning remediation programs, and community action planning initiatives that address education access, gender equity, and health outcomes across 16+ countries.
Product overview
Impact(Ed) is an international nonprofit organization that uses the power of media to transform education and help young people thrive. The organization offers a portfolio of educational programs and media productions including feature films (Shaina, The Lucky Specials, Inside Story), an animated TV series (My Better World), talk shows (Discovery+), educational video libraries, teacher professional development training, youth clubs, accelerated learning programs, and community action planning initiatives. The core offerings span both direct educational interventions (teacher training, youth clubs, accelerated learning) and mass media productions designed to drive behavioral and attitudinal change around education, health, and gender equity issues.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shaina Feature film set in Zimbabwe about a teenage girl named Shine who aspires to be an engineer, designed to decrease gender-based violence by encouraging peer support among girls and demonstrating positive masculinity. Achieved 21 million broadcast reach across 5 countries.
- My Better World International Emmy Award-winning animated series combining animation with real-life documentary shorts, exploring challenges of school, family, and friendship for young people. Aired across 5 countries, 9 broadcasters, reaching 140 million in 3 languages.
- The Lucky Specials Feature film about a cover band whose lead guitarist contracts tuberculosis, using a soundtrack and animation to take viewers inside the hero's body. Achieved 294 million broadcast reach across 22 countries and 23 broadcasters.
- Inside Story Feature film using state-of-the-art animation to explore the dynamic inner world of the human body revealing HIV, following a Kenyan footballer who moves to Johannesburg and discovers he is HIV+. Most watched film ever in Africa with 432 million broadcast reach across 29 countries.
- Discovery+ Talk Shows Weekly talk show episodes featuring local celebrities, inspirational stories, and live music that changed public dialogue around girls' education and women's empowerment in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria. Achieved 110 million reach across 8 countries and 6 broadcasters.
- Educational Media Library Library of educational video segments including literacy and early maths series, produced in collaboration with local educators and mapped to local curricula to improve quality of teaching and learning.
- Teacher Professional Development Research-driven training materials grounded in neuro-education science, covering student-centered learning, gender equity, social inclusion, and 21st Century Skills like critical thinking and creativity.
- Youth Clubs Boys and girls clubs providing life skills, self-efficacy, and growth mindset development. Provides entry point to school environment for out-of-school youth, with focus on girls' agency and academic performance.
- Accelerated Learning Program Remedial education program using differentiated learning through smaller classrooms and individual attention to help students catch up on essential literacy and numeracy skills.
- Community Action Planning Collaborative process working with community stakeholders to develop community action plans addressing local needs such as barriers to girls' education and access to community health.
- Media for Social Impact Award-winning media portfolio including TV chat shows, animated series, and feature films bringing measurable change related to education, development, health, and social issues through research-driven storytelling.
Companies that use Impact(Ed)
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Impact(Ed) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Impact(Ed) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NetflixcoreGlobal streaming platform distributing Impact(Ed) films including Shaina and Inside Story to audiences in 190+ countries, significantly expanding reach of educational content.
- African Broadcasters (AIT, Arewa24, Citizen TV, others)corePartnership with 37+ broadcasters across 29 countries for television distribution of educational media content, reaching hundreds of millions of viewers.
- Ministries of Education (Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana)coreNational government partnerships for implementing teacher training, curriculum integration, and education reform programs at scale.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Impact(Ed) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BBC Media Action: BBC Media Action is the BBC's international development charity, producing media and communication programs to reduce poverty and support rights across the developing world. Highly comparable to Impact(Ed) in combining mass-media content with behavior-change programs for education and health outcomes.
- Sesame Workshop: Sesame Workshop produces Sesame Street and localized international co-productions to drive literacy, health, and social-emotional learning outcomes for children globally. It is the most direct edutainment model competitor to Impact(Ed), with comparable methodology, distribution partnerships, and donor base.
- Pratham: Pratham is one of the largest NGOs in India focused on education access and quality, including remedial learning programs for marginalized children. Directly comparable to Impact(Ed)'s Accelerated Learning Program and education-quality focus.
- Room to Read: Room to Read operates literacy and girls' education programs across the developing world, including sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable to Impact(Ed) in its focus on marginalized children's education, donor-funded program model, and country-level ministry partnerships.
- Girl Rising: Girl Rising uses storytelling and film to advocate for girls' education globally. Comparable to Impact(Ed) in its use of feature film and media to drive education and gender-equity outcomes, with similar donor-supported distribution model.
- Varkey Foundation: Varkey Foundation is a global education foundation focused on improving education standards and outcomes for underprivileged children, with notable work on girls' education. Comparable to Impact(Ed) in girls' education focus and use of public-private partnerships.
- Girl Effect: Girl Effect uses media, branding, and technology to empower adolescent girls across the developing world. Closely mirrors Impact(Ed)'s combination of mass-media content with on-the-ground programs targeting girls' agency and gender equity.
- Camfed: Campaign for Female Education (Camfed) supports girls' education in sub-Saharan Africa through school-based programming, mentorship, and economic empowerment. Directly comparable to Impact(Ed)'s girls' education and youth club focus in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Broad incumbents
- FHI 360: FHI 360 is a large international development organization working across education, health, and economic development. Comparable to Impact(Ed) in its mix of donor-funded education programming, research-driven approach, and global operations including Africa.
- UNICEF: UNICEF is the UN agency responsible for children's welfare, including global education access, girls' education, and humanitarian education programs. Comparable in mission and target populations, but operates at vastly greater scale as a multilateral rather than a focused media-driven nonprofit.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Impact(Ed) social profiles
Digital presenceImpact(Ed) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Impact(Ed) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Impact(Ed) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Impact(Ed) 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 Impact(Ed)
What does Impact(Ed) do?
Impact(Ed) International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers educational programs and media productions in marginalized communities worldwide. Its core offerings span award-winning educational films and television series (e.g., Shaina, Inside Story, The Lucky Specials, My Better World), teacher professional development training, youth clubs, accelerated learning remediation programs, and community action planning initiatives that address education access, gender equity, and health outcomes across 16+ countries.
Is Impact(Ed) a public or private company?
Impact(Ed) is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Impact(Ed) founded?
Impact(Ed) was founded in 1997. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Impact(Ed) based?
Impact(Ed) is headquartered in Silver Spring, United States, in the North America region.
How does Impact(Ed) make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are institutional Funding and Grants.
Who are Impact(Ed)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BBC Media Action, Sesame Workshop, Pratham, Room to Read, Girl Rising, Varkey Foundation, Girl Effect and Camfed. Broad incumbents are FHI 360 and UNICEF.
Does Impact(Ed) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Impact(Ed).
What industry is Impact(Ed) in?
Impact(Ed)'s product category is Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAE, Education Access & Quality (International Development), with a secondary code of BPAGALAH, Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8300.