Patti Grace Smith Fellowship
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 that places Black undergraduate students into paid summer internships at 54+ aerospace companies, while providing dual mentorship, $2,500+ cash grants, and an annual leadership Summit.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Patti Grace Smith Fellowship does
The Patti Grace Smith Fellowship (PGSF), legally the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in July 2020 by Will Pomerantz, Khristian Jones, Tiffany Russell Lockett, and astronaut Col. B. Alvin Drew, Jr. to address the underrepresentation of Black professionals in the U.S. aerospace industry (where only ~6% of workers and 3% of executives are Black). The program targets extraordinary Black undergraduates in their first or second year of a bachelor's degree (or any year of an associate's degree) and places them in paid, ~12-week summer internships at leading aerospace companies, while providing dual mentorship (one executive mentor and one near-peer mentor), a cash grant of $2,500 or more, and an annual four-day leadership Summit. As of the Class of 2026 announcement, 199 students from 77 colleges and universities have been named Fellows, receiving more than $540,000 in grants and landing first aerospace roles at 54 host organizations.
The Fellowship's core technology stack is minimal and non-proprietary: a Squarespace-hosted website (pgsfellowship.org) supporting the application portal, Donorbox for donation processing, and a Substack newsletter for blog and mailing-list distribution. There is no software product, API, or platform; the service is fundamentally high-touch and human-capital in nature, with every application reviewed manually by two aerospace professionals and a multi-stage interview/selection funnel (approximately 125 interview invitations yielding 30–35 final selections per year). The organization operates as a virtual/remote entity, originally incubated under the Brooke Owens Fellowship's 501(c)(3) until it established its own Alabama nonprofit corporation in 2024, with a full-time headcount of approximately one (the inaugural Operations Director, Ginny Randall, shared with Brooke Owens) supplemented by a volunteer base equivalent to roughly 0.25 of a full-time employee as of recent reporting.
PGSF's business model is entirely philanthropic: zero revenue from student fees, and the program is funded exclusively through charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, with no government funding to date. The largest disclosed gift is a $1 million joint grant from Blue Origin's Club for the Future in July 2021 (shared with Brooke Owens Fellowship), followed by Dylan Taylor's 'buy one, give one' donation in December 2021 that endowed the first full-time position. The go-to-market motion is community-led — recruitment flows through college campus outreach, NSBE and industry events, alumni referrals, and the website application portal, while placement flows through a channel-partner model with 54+ aerospace host companies who compete to host Fellows. Two distinct customer segments are served: (1) Black undergraduate students seeking first aerospace work experience, and (2) aerospace companies seeking diverse talent pipelines.
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Patti Grace Smith Fellowship
- Legal name
- Patti Grace Smith Fellowship Foundation
- Website
- https://pgsfellowship.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 that places Black undergraduate students into paid summer internships at 54+ aerospace companies, while providing dual mentorship, $2,500+ cash grants, and an annual leadership Summit.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerospace Diversity Fellowship Program
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)
Keywords
Where Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Donations: The Fellowship is funded entirely through charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. It has received no government funding. Major donations include a $1 million joint grant from Blue Origin's Club for the Future (shared with Brooke Owens Fellowship) and a 'buy one, give one' donation from Dylan Taylor to endow the first full-time position.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Fellowship Award - Cash Grant |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fellowship program that recruits and selects extraordinary Black undergraduate students and places them into paid ~12-week summer internships at leading aerospace companies. Each Fellow receives a cash grant of $2,500 or more, dual mentorship (one executive-level mentor and one near-peer mentor), access to an annual four-day leadership Summit, and ongoing membership in a tight-knit alumni community. The program is provided at no cost to students and is funded entirely through charitable donations, corporate grants, and foundation support.
Product overview
The Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is a single, unified nonprofit program (a 501(c)(3) organization) that provides a comprehensive pathway into aerospace careers for talented Black undergraduates. The program's core offering combines paid summer internships at leading aerospace companies with dual mentorship (executive and near-peer mentors), cash grants ($2,500 or more), an annual leadership summit, and ongoing alumni community support. These components work together to provide first work experience, professional development, financial support, and long-term career networking for Fellows entering the aerospace industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Patti Grace Smith Fellowship Program An award-winning nonprofit fellowship program that selects extraordinary Black undergraduates and provides them with paid summer internships at leading aerospace companies, dual mentorship, cash grants, and an alumni community.
- Paid Summer Internships
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% of alumni are rising through the ranks of the aerospace industry
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Patti Grace Smith Fellowship
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF)coreExpanded partnership to bring three students to Washington, D.C. to participate in the 24th Commercial Space Transportation Conference. In memory of Patti Grace Smith's commitment to encouraging young women of color to pursue aerospace and STEM careers, applicants for the CSF/CST scholarship were limited to PGSF fellows and applicants. Three outstanding women were chosen for this scholarship program.
- Brooke Owens FellowshipflagshipThe Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is an official spin-off of the award-winning Brooke Owens Fellowship, based closely on that successful model. From creation until 2024, PGSF operated under Brooke Owens Fellowship's 501c3 non-profit entity. Both programs share resources, including hiring their first Operations Director jointly, and both received the $1 million Club for the Future grant together.
- SpaceInterns.orgminorReferral partner for students who are not eligible for the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship. Recommended as an alternative pathway into the aerospace industry.
- Space Workforce for Tomorrow (SWFT)minorReferral partner for students who are not eligible for the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship. SWFT's National Space Interns program is recommended as an alternative pathway.
- 54 Aerospace Host Companiescore54 leading aerospace companies and institutions host Patti Grace Smith Fellows for paid summer internships. These include SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Virgin Galactic, and many others. Each company considers PGS candidates alongside other applicants and must request the Fellow in recognition of the student's skills and performance.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE): One of the largest student-governed organizations supporting Black engineers and STEM students. PGSF actively recruits at NSBE events; comparable mission around Black representation in engineering, with a broader membership model rather than the small-fellowship structure.
- Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS): National STEM diversity organization supporting Chicano/Hispanic and Native American scientists from college through career. Comparable model combining scholarships, mentorship, conferences, and a community for underrepresented STEM students.
Broad incumbents
- UNCF (United Negro College Fund): Largest minority education organization in the US, providing scholarships and programming for Black students across all majors. Broader scope than PGSF but shares the Black-student college-success focus and the donor/employer engagement model.
Direct peers
- Astronaut Scholarship Foundation: Provides major scholarships (up to $15K) to outstanding STEM college students who show initiative, creativity, and excellence. Comparable merit-and-impact-based STEM scholarship model with similar aerospace-adjacent audience.
- National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME): Provides scholarships, research fellowships, and university partnerships to grow the representation of underrepresented minorities in US engineering. Directly comparable: STEM scholarships + industry pipeline + diversity mission.
- Brooke Owens Fellowship: Direct sister program providing paid summer internships, mentorship, and community to women and non-binary undergraduates in aerospace. PGSF was created as an official spin-off of Brooke Owens and shares operational infrastructure, donors (joint $1M Club for the Future grant), and the inaugural Operations Director.
- Jackie Robinson Foundation: Provides multi-year scholarships, mentorship, and career development to outstanding minority college students. Directly comparable model: scholarship + mentorship + leadership development + lifetime alumni network.
- Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program: Provides paid summer internships, mentorship, and a Summit for exceptional college students pursuing careers in commercial spaceflight. Comparable model (paid internship + grant + mentorship + Summit) targeting the same aerospace talent pipeline.
- Space Workforce for Tomorrow (SWFT): Industry coalition that runs the National Space Interns program to grow the space workforce, particularly underrepresented students. Listed as an official referral partner for PGSF and overlaps on target audience and host-company network.
Peers
- Voyager Scholarship (Obama-Chesky):
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship social profiles
Digital presencePatti Grace Smith Fellowship compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Patti Grace Smith Fellowship 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 Patti Grace Smith Fellowship
What does Patti Grace Smith Fellowship do?
The Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fellowship program that recruits and selects extraordinary Black undergraduate students and places them into paid ~12-week summer internships at leading aerospace companies. Each Fellow receives a cash grant of $2,500 or more, dual mentorship (one executive-level mentor and one near-peer mentor), access to an annual four-day leadership Summit, and ongoing membership in a tight-knit alumni community. The program is provided at no cost to students and is funded entirely through charitable donations, corporate grants, and foundation support.
Is Patti Grace Smith Fellowship a public or private company?
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Patti Grace Smith Fellowship founded?
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Patti Grace Smith Fellowship based?
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Patti Grace Smith Fellowship make money?
One revenue line is on record: philanthropic Donations.
Who are Patti Grace Smith Fellowship's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), Brooke Owens Fellowship, Jackie Robinson Foundation, Matthew Isakowitz Fellowship Program and Space Workforce for Tomorrow (SWFT). Voyager Scholarship (Obama-Chesky) is listed as a peer.
Does Patti Grace Smith Fellowship have an API?
No public API is recorded for Patti Grace Smith Fellowship.
What industry is Patti Grace Smith Fellowship in?
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship's product category is Aerospace Diversity Fellowship Program. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAE, College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8200.