Compress & Shock Foundation
Compress & Shock Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free, non-certification CPR and AED education and donates AEDs to underserved U.S. communities across 12 states, led by volunteer instructors and a physician executive team from Carilion Clinic.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersRoanoke, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Compress & Shock Foundation does
Compress & Shock Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 and headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, that provides free, non-certification CPR and AED education to the general public with a specific focus on communities most adversely affected by cardiac arrest due to race, ethnicity, primary language, or healthcare access. The foundation is physician-led, founded and directed by Dr. Jack Perkins (Emergency Medicine, Carilion Clinic), and delivers its curriculum through an entirely volunteer instructor base across more than 12 U.S. states. Core offerings include one-hour CPR/AED classes (offered in English, Spanish, American Sign Language, Dari, and Pashto), an AED Access Program that donates AEDs (retail value ~$900 each) to eligible underserved community organizations, an AED Recipients public registry, and a Volunteer Instructor Program. Two flagship annual events — CPR and AED Education Day on the first Saturday of June and World Restart a Heart Day on the third Sunday of October — anchor its community-engagement calendar.
The foundation operates without a proprietary technology platform; its competitive positioning rests on a network of 10 university partner chapters (Virginia Tech, East Carolina, UC San Diego, Wake Forest, and others), hospital system collaborations (HCA/LewisGale, Carilion Clinic), a Medical Reserve Corps channel across Virginia, and a January 2025 partnership with Rescue One Training for Life that provides AED lifecycle maintenance to all recipient organizations. It has documented 100+ AED recipient organizations and states it donates "hundreds of AEDs" annually, with credibility reinforced by the 2023 Montgomery Award at the Citizens CPR Foundation Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit.
Revenue is sourced from individual donations (one-time and recurring via the Heartbeat Monthly Giving Club at $10-$1,000 tiers) and AED sponsorships covering the retail cost of each donated device. The entity is privately funded, has no venture capital or private equity investment, and operates with 1-10 paid staff supplemented by an extensive volunteer and advisory board drawn from emergency medicine programs at Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, ECU, and others. Geographic expansion, multilingual delivery, and recurring-giving infrastructure point to ongoing organizational scaling within the constraints of a donation-dependent nonprofit model.
Compress & Shock Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Compress & Shock Foundation
- Legal name
- The Compress and Shock Foundation
- Website
- https://compressandshock.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Compress & Shock Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free, non-certification CPR and AED education and donates AEDs to underserved U.S. communities across 12 states, led by volunteer instructors and a physician executive team from Carilion Clinic.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Compress & Shock Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Health Education
- NAICS
- Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Emergency Response, First Aid/CPR/AED & Incident Management Training (BPAKAOAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Education (CPR/First Aid/Disaster Readiness) (EDAAAFAJ), Disaster Preparedness, Risk Reduction & Early Warning (DRR) (BPAGAAAB), Emergency Medical Response & On-Campus EMS/AED Programs (EDAEACAO), Community Resilience, Preparedness Training & Exercises (HLAJAGAL)
Keywords
Where Compress & Shock Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Roanoke
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Compress & Shock Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals. The Compress and Shock Foundation is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization with Tax ID number 81-4994130. Accepts online donations, monthly recurring donations through Heartbeat club, Venmo, mail-in checks, and in-person donations at events.
- Monthly Giving Club (Heartbeat): Recurring monthly donations at various levels ($10, $25, $50, $75, $100, $250, $500, $1000 per month). Members receive welcome letter, exclusive monthly video updates, newsletter recognition, and surprise joining gift.
- AED Sponsorships: Individual and corporate sponsors fund AED donations to community organizations. Sponsors cover the $900 retail cost of each donated AED.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One time | Free CPR/AED Education Classes |
| Freemium | One time | AED Donation Program |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Giving Club (Heartbeat) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Compress & Shock Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Compress and Shock Foundation delivers free, non-certification CPR and AED education to the public, with a specific focus on underserved communities most adversely affected by cardiac arrest. It donates Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to eligible community organizations and trains volunteer instructors to expand class delivery across multiple states and languages.
Product overview
Compress & Shock Foundation operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of life-saving education programs and AED access initiatives. The core offerings include free CPR/AED classes (offered in multiple languages including English, Spanish, and American Sign Language), the AED Access Program that donates AEDs to underserved communities, the Heartbeat Monthly Giving Club for recurring donors, and a Volunteer Instructor Program that trains community members to teach these life-saving skills. Classes are provided at partner locations including libraries, community centers, universities, and religious institutions, with major annual events on the 1st Saturday of June (CPR and AED Education Day) and 3rd Sunday of October (World Restart a Heart Day).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Heartbeat: Monthly Giving Club - Compress and Shock's monthly giving program where donors contribute regularly to support CPR/AED education and AED donations to underserved communities.
Products and services
- CPR/AED Classes
- AED Access Program
- Heartbeat Monthly Giving Club
- AED Recipients Site Registry
- Volunteer Instructor Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Less than 10% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims survive neurologically intact; AED use within 3 minutes can increase survival to 70%
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Compress & Shock Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Compress & Shock Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Compress & Shock Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Rescue One Training for LifecoreWoman-owned small business founded in 1997 in Gaithersburg, MD. One of the Mid-Atlantic's largest emergency and safety training organizations and independent AED distributors. Provides AED maintenance program for all C&S AED recipients including comprehensive maintenance checks, replacement of expired pads and batteries, and ongoing support. Every AED recipient receives complimentary one-year premium AED management program.
- Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)coreMRC units host CPR/AED classes at libraries and community centers across Virginia. Provides volunteer instructors and facilities for training sessions.
- HCA Healthcare (LewisGale)coreCollaborative CPR/AED training programs for underserved communities. HCA Healthcare supports training events through the LewisGale system, including bilingual classes for Latino communities.
- Carilion CliniccoreHost of CPR & AED Access Day events at Carilion Cardiac Rehabilitation Center. Dr. Jack Perkins serves as Emergency Medicine physician. Partnership for community training events.
- Averett UniversitycoreStudent engagement program with campus club. Karen Oaks serves as Co-Director of Cardiac Arrest Survivor Engagement and Associate Professor at Averett.
- East Carolina UniversitycoreStudent club program with Dr. Andrew Bouland serving as medical director for Wilson County EMS and Assistant Professor at ECU Brody School of Medicine.
- Virginia TechcoreVirginia Tech houses the largest and most active C&S student club chapter. Student club hosts multiple community trainings and research projects. Richard Lovegrove retired from Virginia Tech as editor/writer.
- Wake Forest UniversitycoreStudent club program. Maxx Steinmann, former VT club president, now medical student at Wake Forest serves on Advisory Board.
- University of VirginiacoreStudent engagement program with campus C&S chapter.
- University of California - San DiegocoreDr. Faith Quenzer completed research fellowship at UC San Diego Department of Emergency Medicine and earned MPH at San Diego State University.
- University of HoustoncoreStudent engagement program with campus chapter.
- University of MarylandcoreDr. Sammy Zakaria serves as Director of CICU at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Multiple advisory board members have ties to Maryland medical institutions.
- Texas Southern UniversitycoreStudent engagement program with campus chapter.
- Washington University in St. LouiscoreStudent engagement program with campus chapter.
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest FoundationcoreCo-presented Virginia AED tax credit bill. Endorsed the legislation alongside Virginia chapters of American College of Emergency Medicine Physicians and Virginia Heart Attack Coalition.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Compress & Shock Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- American Heart Association: The dominant US nonprofit for CPR/AED training and certification, healthcare provider BLS/ACLS courses, and cardiac arrest research advocacy. Overlaps with C&S on community CPR education but operates as a large, multi-program incumbent with paid certification infrastructure.
- American Red Cross: Major national provider of CPR/AED certification training and AED program support for workplaces and schools. Competes for the same learner pool and corporate training dollars as C&S, with deeper resources and a broader mission mandate.
Direct peers
- Parent Heart Watch: National nonprofit focused on preventing sudden cardiac arrest in youth, with member-driven AED placement in schools and youth sports venues. Comparable mission (community AED access + CPR education) and donor base.
- Project ADAM: Nationwide initiative helping schools implement AED programs and CPR/AED training for cardiac emergencies. Highly comparable to C&S on AED placement, school-based CPR education, and partnership model with healthcare systems.
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation: Nonprofit focused on raising awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, AED access, and bystander CPR. Already a policy partner of C&S on the Virginia AED tax credit bill, and the most directly comparable peer in mission and operating model.
- Citizen CPR Foundation: Nonprofit coalition promoting CPR/AED education; hosts the Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit where C&S's founder won the Montgomery Award. Overlaps on community CPR promotion, training, and AED advocacy.
- Rescue One Training for Life: Mid-Atlantic emergency and safety training organization and independent AED distributor that is now C&S's AED maintenance partner. Operates paid CPR/AED certification classes, partially overlapping with C&S on adult-learner CPR training.
Emerging players
- Heart Rhythm Society: Medical society focused on cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest. Touches the same patient and clinician audiences as C&S but operates primarily as a professional society rather than a community education provider.
- Take Heart America: Community-based initiative focused on improving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival through CPR/AED programs and EMS partnerships. Comparable mission to C&S but with a more clinical/EMS orientation.
Others
- AED Superstore (Defibtech): Leading online retailer of AEDs and CPR supplies. Indirect peer via the AED placement supply chain that underpins C&S's AED donation program.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Compress & Shock Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceCompress & Shock Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Compress & Shock Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
Compress & Shock Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Compress & Shock Foundation 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 Compress & Shock Foundation
What does Compress & Shock Foundation do?
The Compress and Shock Foundation delivers free, non-certification CPR and AED education to the public, with a specific focus on underserved communities most adversely affected by cardiac arrest. It donates Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to eligible community organizations and trains volunteer instructors to expand class delivery across multiple states and languages.
Is Compress & Shock Foundation a public or private company?
Compress & Shock Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Compress & Shock Foundation founded?
Compress & Shock Foundation was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Compress & Shock Foundation based?
Compress & Shock Foundation is headquartered in Roanoke, United States, in the North America region.
How does Compress & Shock Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are monthly Giving Club (Heartbeat) and AED Sponsorships.
Who are Compress & Shock Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are American Heart Association and American Red Cross. Direct peers are Parent Heart Watch, Project ADAM, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, Citizen CPR Foundation and Rescue One Training for Life. Emerging players are Heart Rhythm Society and Take Heart America. AED Superstore (Defibtech) is listed as an others.
Does Compress & Shock Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Compress & Shock Foundation.
What industry is Compress & Shock Foundation in?
Compress & Shock Foundation's product category is Community Health Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKAOAJ, Emergency Response, First Aid/CPR/AED & Incident Management Training, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAJ, Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Education (CPR/First Aid/Disaster Readiness). Its NAICS code is 624230.