MindUP

What MindUP does

MindUP, operated by The Goldie Hawn Foundation (Tax ID 20-0653982, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit), delivers an evidence-based social-emotional learning curriculum grounded in neuroscience for PreK through 8th grade students. Founded in 2003 by Academy Award-winning actress Goldie Hawn and headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the program is built on four pillars — neuroscience, mindful awareness, social-emotional learning, and positive psychology — and is delivered as 15 lessons with direct neurological correlates, anchored by its signature MindUP Brain Break practice and supported by 9 peer-reviewed studies and 4 randomized controlled trials. The organization has reached 7M+ children and 275,000+ educators across 14 countries and holds recognition from the CDC and CASEL (SELect Program designation).

MindUP monetizes through two primary commercial streams and one philanthropic stream. Individual educators pay $120/year for self-serve access to the digital membership platform, while enterprise sales target districts and schools with customized multi-year packages including Districtwide Training, Schoolwide Training, and Train the Trainer (TTT) certification. As a 501(c)(3), donations form a critical funding backbone with suggested tiers from $10 (sponsor a student) to $5,000 (sponsor a school) and major grants from partners including the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Distribution spans direct enterprise field sales for districts and a self-serve PLG motion for individual educators, augmented by PR-driven awareness through founder Goldie Hawn's celebrity media network (NBC Today, CBS Morning, MSNBC, Sky News, TIME Health).

The product surface has expanded meaningfully in 2024 with the launch of the MindUP Brain Buddies animated series (SNF-funded) and The After-School Kindness Crew children's book series published by Penguin Random House, extending the IP beyond the classroom. Other assets include The Teen Brain educational film (directed by Tiffany Shlain, executive produced by Goldie Hawn), co-branded retail with Sloomoo Institute, and a multi-channel marketing stack spanning social, earned media, conferences (TEDMED, Wisdom 2.0), and email.

Name

MindUP

Legal name

The Goldie Hawn Foundation

Website

https://mindup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MindUP, operated by The Goldie Hawn Foundation, delivers an evidence-based social-emotional learning curriculum grounded in neuroscience for PreK-8 students via individual educator memberships and district-wide training packages, supplemented by charitable donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

School-Based SEL Curriculum & Instructional Programs (EDAKAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classroom-Based SEL Curriculum & Lessons (Preschool/Pre-K) (EDACAOAA), Staff Training, Coaching & Professional Development (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAL), Teacher/Provider SEL Coaching & Implementation Training (ECE) (EDACAOAH), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Behavior Support Apps (EDACANAD)

Keywords

• Social emotional learning
• SEL curriculum
• Mindfulness education
• PreK-8 curriculum
• School mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Individual Memberships: Individual educators (teachers, specialists, district leaders) pay $120/year for digital access to MindUP curriculum, self-paced professional learning, and resource library. This is a self-serve subscription model.
2. Group/District Training Packages: Customized professional learning packages for districts and schools including in-person, virtual, or hybrid training options. Full digital access to PreK-8 curriculum and comprehensive resource library. Pricing is quote-based and customized to organization size and needs.
3. Donations and Charitable Support: As a non-profit organization (501(c)(3) - Tax ID 20-0653982), MindUP accepts donations. Suggested donation tiers include $10 to sponsor a student, $300 to sponsor a classroom, and $5,000 to sponsor a school for one year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MindUP provides an evidence-based social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum for PreK-8 students grounded in neuroscience, mindfulness, and positive psychology, delivered through a digital membership platform and complemented by tiered professional training programs for schools and districts. The 15-lesson program teaches children about brain anatomy (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus) and builds skills in self-regulation, mindful awareness, cognitive flexibility, and positive psychology through its signature MindUP Brain Break practice.

Product overview

MindUP is a preventative mental health education program operated by The Goldie Hawn Foundation, offering an evidence-based social-emotional learning curriculum delivered through a combination of physical curriculum materials and a digital membership platform. The core offering is the MindUP Core Curriculum for PreK-8th grade, which teaches neuroscience-based mindfulness and emotional regulation skills through 15 structured lessons. This curriculum is complemented by the MindUP Digital Membership Platform providing online access to curriculum resources, professional learning modules, and the Brain Break resource library. Training services include Districtwide Training, Schoolwide Training, and Train the Trainer (TTT) certification programs. Additional products include MindUP Brain Buddies animated videos, The After-School Kindness Crew book series by Goldie Hawn and Lin Oliver, and The Teen Brain educational film. The program is organized by grade bands: Early Years/Pre-K (Ages 3-4), Grades K-2 (Ages 5-7), Grades 3-6 (Ages 8-10), and Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-14).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MindUP Brain Buddies: Animated video series featuring Milly and her Brain Buddies teaching children about brain breaks, emotional regulation, and focus.
• The After-School Kindness Crew

Products and services

• MindUP Core Curriculum Evidence-based social-emotional learning curriculum for PreK through 8th grade, grounded in neuroscience, teaching students about the emotional center of the brain, self-regulation, mindful awareness, cognitive flexibility, and positive psychology through 15 lessons with direct neurological correlates. Targeted at schools, districts, and educators seeking evidence-based SEL programs.
• MindUP Digital Membership Platform Online platform providing digital access to the MindUP curriculum, self-paced professional learning modules, Brain Break resource library with guided exercises, videos from experts, and home enrichment resources for families. Individual educators access via $120/year subscription; districts receive full digital access through enterprise contracts.
• Districtwide Training

Quantifiable outcome

• Better stress regulation as assessed by cortisol levels
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sloomoo InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MindUP collaborated with Sloomoo Institute to create the Sloomoo x MindUP 'A Slimeful Reminder' product. 100% of profits benefit MindUP. They also created free collaborative resources including a slime-themed calm activity and guided breathing exercises.
• TEDMEDminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Goldie Hawn and Dan Siegel presented at TEDMED 2009 on the power of mindfulness to help children focus, battle stress, and control negative emotions.
• CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMindUP is recognized as a CASEL SELect program, indicating it meets CASEL's high standards for quality SEL programs. CASEL provides rigorous review and endorsement.
• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMindUP is identified by the CDC as effective in promoting student mental health. Included in the CDC's Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders.
• Goldie Hawn Foundation (The Goldie Hawn Foundation / TGHF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Goldie Hawn Foundation is the parent organization that founded and operates MindUP. Founded by Academy Award-winning actress Goldie Hawn in 2003.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Move This World: Move This World provides SEL video-based curriculum and educator tools for PreK-12. It competes with MindUP on digital-first SEL delivery, professional development, and school/district partnerships.
• Sanford Harmony: Sanford Harmony is a CASEL SELect SEL program for PreK-6 students focused on peer relationships, communication, and problem-solving. It overlaps with MindUP in target age band, school-based delivery, and district sales motion.
• PATHS Curriculum (Channing-Bete): PATHS is a long-established, evidence-based SEL curriculum for PreK-grade 6 with extensive research backing. It competes with MindUP for district-wide SEL adoptions, particularly in schools seeking older, well-validated programs.
• Open Circle: Open Circle is a PreK-5 SEL curriculum with classroom-based lessons, teacher training, and family resources, comparable in structure and audience to MindUP. It is a CASEL SELect program competing for the same school-level contracts.
• Inner Explorer: Inner Explorer delivers daily mindfulness and SEL practices for PreK-12 via a digital platform, directly competing with MindUP's Brain Break and digital membership model. Both target district-wide implementations with educator-led daily practice.
• Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (RULER): RULER is a CASEL SELect, school-based SEL framework developed at Yale, with strong research credentials similar to MindUP. It competes in the same evidence-based, district-wide SEL procurement category and serves a comparable PreK-12 audience.
• Committee for Children (Second Step): Second Step is one of the most widely adopted PreK-8 SEL curricula in the U.S. and is also a CASEL SELect program. It competes directly with MindUP in the same district and school procurement cycle, with comparable teacher-training and family-engagement components.

Broad incumbents

• Sesame Workshop: Sesame Workshop produces widely used SEL and emotional-learning content for young children, often free or low-cost. It competes for educator attention and family engagement in the same early-childhood SEL space as MindUP.
• EVERFI: EVERFI is a large-scale K-12 digital education platform covering SEL, financial literacy, and health. While broader than MindUP, it competes for the same district SEL budget with a fully digital, no-cost-to-schools distribution model.

Others

• CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning): CASEL is the field's leading SEL framework and endorsement body, recognizing MindUP as a SELect program. It shapes district SEL procurement standards and influences how MindUP and its peers position themselves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mindup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mindup6429
• Facebookfacebook.com/TGHFMindUP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thegoldiehawnfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/mindup
• TikToktiktok.com/@mindupforlife

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 MindUP