What Code Girls United does

Code Girls United is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Kalispell, Montana, founded in Fall 2016 by women with technology-industry backgrounds, with the mission of teaching coding and problem-solving to girls in rural and tribal communities. The organization delivers free after-school coding, AI, and business education to girls in grades 4-12, running 38 in-person and hybrid programs across Montana (including Kalispell, Billings, Bozeman, Red Lodge, Havre, Polson, Joliet, Belgrade, Anaconda, and reservation communities) and reporting 2,333+ cumulative students served, 296 student-built apps, and 103 scholarships awarded. The primary customer segment is girls from low-income rural and Native American communities in Montana, where 0.07% of girls take high school CS courses and less than 1% of tech jobs nationally are held by Native American women.

The core product is the year-long After School Coding & Business Program, built on MIT's App Inventor platform and covering CS fundamentals, advanced programming, AI/machine learning, ethical reasoning, business plan development, and entrepreneurship. Complementary products include the AI Academy (a free YouTube learning channel launched in December 2025), the annual App Challenge competition with scholarship prizes, summer AI/Cyber and Girls on the Run camps, and the "Code Girls on Air" podcast. Distribution combines direct in-school delivery with a self-serve YouTube channel and a partnership with the National Girls Collaborative Project that has scaled the AI Academy to 35 states. The organization is led by Founder/CEO Marianne Smith, a NASA engineer with 35+ years of experience, supported by a small (1-10) staff of program coordinators, a data systems manager, and a board including alumni of Deloitte, Amgen, Applied Materials, and Micron.

Code Girls United operates a pure grant-and-donation funding model with no fee-based pricing; all programs are free to students. Disclosed grant inflows total approximately $342,000 across named awards (M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust $112,000 multi-year 2021; Montana state $50,000 tribal pilot 2022; OpenAI Foundation $80,000 Dec 2025; Gianforte Family Foundation $100,000 Jan 2026) plus a Young Futures grant in March 2026, a 2024 Charter Communications grant, and recurring corporate/foundation sponsorships (Applied Materials, Glacier Bank, Stockman Bank, Walmart Foundation, Montana Community Foundation, Steele Reese). The model is volunteer- and community-led, with school and tribal partnerships handling the bulk of delivery. Reported outcomes include 80% of participants showing increased problem-solving self-confidence and 58% going on to pursue further CS/technical education.

Name

Code Girls United

Legal name

Code Girls United

Website

https://codegirlsunited.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Code Girls United is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Kalispell, Montana that delivers free after-school coding, AI, and business education to girls in grades 4-12 across 38 rural and tribal Montana programs, funded entirely by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth STEM Education Services

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Coding & Programming Learning Platforms (EDAFANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Introductory Coding (Block-Based & Beginner) (EDAMACAA), AI Tutoring Systems (Conversational Tutors, Homework Helpers) (EDAFAFAC), Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE)

Keywords

• Youth STEM education
• Coding education programs
• AI literacy training
• After-school computer science
• App development curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalispell

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding & Philanthropic Donations: Code Girls United is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating entirely on grant funding and charitable donations. Revenue comes from foundation grants (e.g., Gianforte Family Foundation $100,000 in 2026, OpenAI Foundation $80,000 in 2025, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust $112,000 multi-year), government contracts (e.g., $50,000 Tribal Computer Coding Pilot Program), and corporate/foundation sponsorships. All programs are free for students.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Code Girls United runs free, year-long after-school coding, AI, and business programs for girls in grades 4-12 across rural and tribal Montana communities, using a project-based curriculum built on MIT App Inventor. The core delivery combines weekly in-person sessions at 38 program locations, a free YouTube-based AI Academy, an annual App Challenge competition with scholarship prizes, and summer camps, all funded by grants and donations.

Product overview

Code Girls United is a Montana-based nonprofit offering free after-school coding and technology education programs for girls in grades 4-12, with a focus on rural and Tribal communities. The core offering is the After School Coding & Business Program, which combines computer science fundamentals using MIT's App Inventor with practical business skills. The AI Academy serves as the free online learning channel for AI education, while the App Challenge provides competitive opportunities with scholarship prizes. The organization partners with the National Girls Collaborative Project through the WIN AI Challenge to scale AI education across 35 states. Programs include summer camps (AI/Cyber and Girls on the Run), and the Code Girls on Air podcast shares inspiration stories. All programs aim to build technology literacy, business skills, and confidence to unlock future career opportunities in STEM.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AI Academy: Free online learning platform teaching AI fundamentals and concepts through video content and activities, where Advanced Code Girls students and interns teach AI literacy.
• Code Girls On Air

Products and services

• After School Coding & Business Program Year-long free after-school program for 4th-12th grade girls teaching computer science fundamentals using MIT's App Inventor, business skills, public speaking, and teamwork, culminating in team-based app development for community service projects and competitions.
• Code Girls AI Academy A free online learning channel on YouTube where Advanced Code Girls students and interns teach AI fundamentals, ethics, and concepts with accompanying activities, making complex AI concepts approachable for learners of all ages.
• Code Girls United App Challenge
• Summer Camps
• WIN AI Challenge A collaboration between Code Girls United and the National Girls Collaborative Project that delivers scalable AI education to partners in 35 states through the AI Academy's project-based curriculum covering machine learning and ethics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of girls in Code Girls United programs show increased self-confidence in problem-solving
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration between Code Girls United and NGCP for the WIN AI Challenge. NGCP is a network of 42,500+ organizations serving over 20.2 million girls and 10 million boys. Through this partnership, the AI Academy is delivered at scale to partners across 35 states, empowering underserved girls with AI education. The WIN AI Challenge is led by Aspen Digital, a program of the Aspen Institute, and supported by Pivotal (Melinda French Gates).
• Aspen Digital (Aspen Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Aspen Digital, a program of the Aspen Institute, leads the Workplace Innovation Now (WIN) Challenge. Code Girls United participates as a collaborator in the WIN AI Challenge, which seeks bold, scalable AI solutions for the workplace, supported by Pivotal (founded by Melinda French Gates).
• Montana Office of Public InstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022$50,000 state contract for a Tribal Computer Coding Pilot Program resulting from HB 219 legislation introduced by Jonathan Windy Boy and signed by Governor Gianforte. Code Girls United works in coordination with the Office of Public Instruction to implement the program in reservation high schools, with a goal to replicate throughout Montana's reservation schools. Includes culturally relevant content based on Native Youth organization feedback.
• MIT App InventorcoreTechnology or IntegrationMIT's App Inventor platform is the primary coding tool used in Code Girls United curricula, enabling students to build real apps while learning computer science fundamentals. Dr. Natalie Lao, Executive Director of the App Inventor Foundation, serves as a speaker and judge at the Code Girls United App Challenge.
• Flathead Valley Community CollegeminorOthersFlathead Valley Community College professors have been facilitating faculty discussions on integrating AI into curriculum, complementing Code Girls United's work. Both institutions prioritize critical thinking and responsible AI use as part of preparing students for an AI-assisted workforce.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Girls Who Code: National nonprofit teaching coding to girls with similar mission of closing the gender gap in tech. Operates much larger programs (summer immersion, after-school clubs, college loops) but serves a broader urban/suburban demographic, whereas Code Girls United focuses on rural/tribal communities.
• Technovation: Global tech education nonprofit running the International Technovation Challenge where Code Girls United teams have placed as semi-finalists. Operates a similar app-building competition model targeting girls globally, focused on entrepreneurship and tech for social impact.
• Kode With Klossy: Nonprofit offering free coding camps for young women and non-binary students, focused on web development and mobile app development. Highly comparable in mission and free delivery model, though operates primarily as summer camp programs rather than year-round after-school.
• Black Girls CODE: Nonprofit teaching technology and computer programming to girls of color with similar mission and demographic focus. Operates multiple chapters nationally with both in-person and online programming, comparable business model of free programs funded by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Broad incumbents

• Code.org: Largest nonprofit promoting computer science education in K-12 schools. Operates Hour of Code, CS curriculum, and teacher training at national scale. Significantly larger and broader in scope, but shares the mission of expanding CS access — Code Girls United complements rather than competes with Code.org's school-focused model.
• Girls Inc. National nonprofit inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through after-school and summer programming, with STEM as one of several focus areas. Much larger established organization with comparable delivery model (free, in-person, after-school) but broader mission scope including health, fitness, and leadership.
• National Girls Collaborative Project: Network of 42,500+ organizations serving 20.2M+ girls in STEM. Active partner of Code Girls United through the WIN AI Challenge. Operates as a collaborative/convener rather than direct program provider, but is closely aligned in mission to expand girls' access to STEM.

Others

• Iridescent: Nonprofit operator of the Technovation program. Not a direct peer but an adjacent ecosystem player in the same girls-in-tech/STEM space that connects Code Girls United to the broader Technovation competition circuit.
• MIT App Inventor Foundation: Foundation supporting the MIT App Inventor platform which is Code Girls United's core curriculum technology. Not a peer in mission or operations, but a key enabling technology partner — its executive director serves as speaker/judge at Code Girls United App Challenge.

Emerging players

• AI4ALL: Nonprofit focused on AI education and inclusion, particularly for underrepresented groups. Directly comparable in the AI literacy mission through Code Girls United's AI Academy. Smaller organization with similar focus on responsible AI education for underserved populations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CodeGirlsOnAir-ol5pi
• Facebookfacebook.com/codegirlsunited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/codegirlsunited
• Instagraminstagram.com/codegirlsunited1

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Code Girls United