Connect to Greatness

What Connect to Greatness does

Connect to Greatness, Inc. is a privately held, Florida-domiciled nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered (mailing address) in Boynton Beach, Florida, operating exclusively in Palm Beach County. Its stated mission is to expose Black male students to promising programming through mentorship, leadership development, and academic enrichment, addressing systemic barriers that hinder their academic and post-secondary outcomes. The organization runs six interconnected core programs: the Boys to Men Leadership Academy (flagship weekly mentorship program), the Women of Boys Empowerment Program (a parallel 90-minute weekly caregiver cohort), the Greatness Academic Academy (supplemental tutoring in reading, writing, math, Spanish, and college readiness), Lunchbox Talks (informal social-emotional and academic discussions), the Connecting Future Leaders High School Program (a 30-week bridge program), and the Men of Greatness Network (a network of fathers, uncles, and male mentors). It also publishes the founder's book, Rising Sons, and hosts a Spotify podcast.

There is no proprietary technology platform — programs are delivered in person in schools and community settings in Palm Beach County. The documented first cohort achieved a 100% high school graduation rate, with more than $7,500 in scholarships awarded to graduating seniors attending institutions including Florida A&M University, Ringling College of Art & Design, Florida SouthWestern State College, and Palm Beach State College, and 30+ young men completing the annual program with 100+ family/community members at graduation events.

The business model is donation-driven: services are offered at no cost to participants, with funding processed through the Network for Good online donation platform and supplemented by community fundraising campaigns (including Giving Week, tea events, and graduation celebrations). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led since October 31, 2024 by Board Chairperson Dr. Anthony Hamlet, Ed.D., with founder Dr. Cassondra Corbin-Thaddies (Ph.D., Stanford Graduate School of Education affiliate) and Executive Director Andre Thaddies providing operational leadership. The organization holds the 2022 Candid/GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency and has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no institutional investors, and no disclosed venture or private equity backing.

Name

Connect to Greatness

Legal name

Connect to Greatness, Inc.

Website

https://connect2greatness.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Connect to Greatness is a Palm Beach County, Florida-based nonprofit founded in 2015 that delivers mentorship, leadership development, and academic enrichment programs to Black male students and their families at no cost, funded by community donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentorship and Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI), Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)

Keywords

• Youth mentorship programs
• Leadership development services
• Academic enrichment support
• Community nonprofit education
• College readiness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lantana

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 Fundraising: The organization relies on donations from the community to fund programs for Black male students. Uses Network for Good platform for online donations. Hosts annual Giving Week campaigns and other fundraising events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Connect to Greatness is a nonprofit organization that delivers free in-person mentorship, leadership development, and academic enrichment programs to Black male students and their families across Palm Beach County, Florida. Its service portfolio includes the Boys to Men Leadership Academy, Women of Boys Empowerment Program, Greatness Academic Academy, Lunchbox Talks, Connecting Future Leaders High School Program, and Men of Greatness Network, all funded by community donations.

Product overview

Connect to Greatness operates as a single unified nonprofit service provider offering a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offerings include the Boys to Men Leadership Academy (the flagship mentorship program), the Women of Boys Empowerment Program (supporting caregivers), and the Greatness Academic Academy (academic enrichment). Additional programs include Lunchbox Talks, the Connecting Future Leaders High School Program, and the Men of Greatness Network. The organization also publishes the Rising Sons book and hosts a podcast by its founder. All programs work together to provide comprehensive mentorship, leadership development, and academic support for Black male students in Palm Beach County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boys to Men Leadership Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% high school graduation rate achieved by first cohort
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core and minor.

• League of Women Voters of Palm Beach CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to host civic engagement events including voter registration drives. League helped community members register and pre-register to vote, provided civic education, and welcomed new members into the organization.
• Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for civic engagement events to answer voter questions, provide election dates and deadlines, and recruit community members interested in serving as poll workers.
• Palm Beach County Youth Services DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSite visits conducted at Atlantic High School to meet with program participants including Darren Robinson, Vanely Veillard, Samuel Mims, and Alex Cornish. Board members Dr. Anthony Hamlet and Ricky Petty participated in site visits.
• EJS ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for civic engagement events. EJS students served as youth volunteers, welcoming attendees and supporting events while also taking their own steps into civic participation.
• Prime TimecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristopher Clarke and Jermaine Mano selected as youth leaders for Prime Time Youth Advisory Council. Students interviewed artists and attendees at the Multicultural Arts Festival in Delray Beach.
• Network for GoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline donation platform used for accepting donations and processing contributions for Connect to Greatness programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• iMentor: Nonprofit that pairs college-educated mentors with high school students to support college readiness, with a comparable mentor-driven, education-outcome-focused model.
• 100 Black Men of America: National nonprofit focused on mentoring and educational development of Black youth, with local chapters that deliver mentorship, leadership, and academic support — closely paralleling Connect to Greatness's mission model.
• My Brother's Keeper Alliance: Obama Foundation initiative focused on improving outcomes for boys and young men of color through mentoring, education, and career pathways — directly aligned with Connect to Greatness's equity-focused mission.

Emerging players

• Year Up: Workforce development nonprofit serving young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds with training and career-pathway support — comparable career-readiness and equity-focused youth model.
• KIPP Foundation: National network of college-preparatory public charter schools serving predominantly underserved communities, with comparable academic-enrichment and college-readiness missions.

Broad incumbents

• UNCF (United Negro College Fund): Large nonprofit supporting Black student access to higher education through scholarships and college readiness programming — comparable scholarship-awarding and college-prep focus.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest US youth mentoring nonprofit operating a comparable one-on-one and group mentoring model for at-risk youth, with a national footprint and similar reliance on volunteer mentors and donations.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National youth development organization offering mentorship, leadership programs, and academic enrichment to young people in club settings — relevant incumbent that competes for similar donors and serves overlapping demographics.
• National Urban League: Major civil rights and urban advocacy organization that runs youth education, mentorship, and workforce development programs for Black communities at a national scale.

Regional players

• Brotherhood Crusade: Los Angeles-based nonprofit focused on youth development, education, and economic empowerment in Black communities — operates a similar community-based, equity-focused youth support model in a different region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/C2GPBC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCukb7o00-NYiT6sNzY87-Hw
• Facebookfacebook.com/connect2greatness
• Instagraminstagram.com/c2gpbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connect-to-greatness-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Connect to Greatness