Bridge Foundry
Bridge Foundry is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2009 that runs free, volunteer-led coding workshops in 80+ cities worldwide, targeting women and underrepresented groups in tech through open-source curricula spanning eight programming languages and a student-to-mentor leadership pipeline.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersWalnut, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bridge Foundry does
Bridge Foundry, Inc. is a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization (EIN 82-2172655) incorporated on July 30, 2017, in California, evolving from the original RailsBridge initiative founded in June 2009. The organization operates as a virtual nonprofit with a mailing address at 340 S Lemon Ave #3994N, Walnut, CA, and no physical headquarters. Its core function is delivering free, volunteer-led coding workshops to increase diversity in technology, with 70% of outreach targeted at women and 30% at other underrepresented groups in tech. Workshops run in over 80 cities worldwide and are hosted at tech-company venues using staff volunteers; participants typically join waitlists, signaling demand exceeds supply and replication is encouraged.
Bridge Foundry's product surface consists of eight language-specific sub-brand "Bridge" programs — RailsBridge, ClojureBridge, GoBridge, ElixirBridge, ElmBridge, ScalaBridge, RustBridge, and MobileBridge — each with its own open-source curriculum available on GitHub. Supporting infrastructure includes BridgeTroll (an online registration platform that enforces code-of-conduct acknowledgment before sign-up), the WorkshopCookbook (organizing guidelines), Rails Mentors (mentoring program), Test First (TDD learning resources), and the Teaching Kids Project. The BridgeTroll platform, WorkshopCookbook, and curricula are open source and freely forkable, enabling any volunteer to organize a new event without central permission.
The business model is donation-and-grant funded: revenue streams comprise individual donations (via PayPal and Benevity, including corporate employee matching programs from Google, Microsoft, Apple, and others), corporate sponsorships (Balsamiq, Linode, Autodesk, Lightbend, Stitch Fix, Thoughtbot, Travis CI, Twilio, Google, DNSimple, Heroku, Stride NYC Consulting), and episodic unrestricted grants. A notable example is a $200,000 anonymous donation in December 2019 earmarked for GoBridge with quarterly impact reporting. The organization maintains a small paid team of 11-50 (CEO Sarah Allen serves in a volunteer capacity), outsources finance to Eclat Enterprises, LLC at a capped $1,800/month, and relies on volunteers for workshop delivery. Governance is by an active volunteer Board of Directors (Laura Kirby as Chair, Melissa Xie as Treasurer, Margaret Parsa as Secretary) that publishes board minutes and financial policies publicly.
Bridge Foundry firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bridge Foundry
- Legal name
- Bridge Foundry, Inc.
- Website
- https://bridgefoundry.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bridge Foundry is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2009 that runs free, volunteer-led coding workshops in 80+ cities worldwide, targeting women and underrepresented groups in tech through open-source curricula spanning eight programming languages and a student-to-mentor leadership pipeline.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bridge Foundry industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tech Education Non-profit
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects) (EDANAKAI)
Keywords
Where Bridge Foundry is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Walnut
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bridge Foundry business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Bridge Foundry operates as a 501c3 tax-exempt non-profit organization in the US. Revenue comes primarily from donations and grants. Donations are tax-deductible. All donations are provided as unrestricted funds. The organization provides grants for workshop organizers in remote locations and supports initiatives to create diverse and inclusive tech culture.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Tech companies sponsor workshops by providing space and volunteer staff. Sponsors include Balsamiq, Linode, Autodesk, Lightbend, Stitch Fix, Stride NYC Consulting, Thoughtbot, Travis CI, Twilio, Google, DNSimple, and Heroku.
- Individual Donations: Individual donors can contribute through the organization's donation page. Donations are fully tax-deductible.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free workshops for all students |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bridge Foundry product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bridge Foundry is a 501c3 nonprofit that develops and distributes open-source coding workshop curricula and runs free, volunteer-organized programming workshops through multiple Bridge sub-brands (RailsBridge, ClojureBridge, GoBridge, ElixirBridge, ElmBridge, ScalaBridge, RustBridge, MobileBridge). The organization focuses on training participants to become teachers and mentors, building a sustainable pipeline of leaders from underrepresented groups in technology communities. All workshops are offered at no cost to students, and the organization supports volunteer organizers with grants, organizing tools (BridgeTroll, WorkshopCookbook), and corporate partnerships.
Product overview
Bridge Foundry is a non-profit organization that operates as a platform of open-source workshop programs teaching various programming technologies. The core offering consists of multiple Bridge sub-brands (RailsBridge, ClojureBridge, GoBridge, ElixirBridge, ElmBridge, ScalaBridge, RustBridge, MobileBridge) that each focus on teaching a specific programming language or technology. These Bridges share open-source curricula and teaching techniques developed by the community. Supporting products include WorkshopCookbook (organizing guidelines), BridgeTroll (registration platform), Rails Mentors (mentoring), and Test First (TDD learning). The Teaching Kids Project extends the mission to children. All offerings are free to students and run by volunteers, with Bridge Foundry providing operational infrastructure, grants, and governance support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- RailsBridge A volunteer-led workshop program teaching Ruby on Rails web development. The original Bridge initiative launched in 2009 with the first workshop attended by sixty-two women, transforming the San Francisco Ruby meetup from 2% to 18% women within six months.
- ClojureBridge A workshop program teaching the Clojure programming language, part of the Bridge ecosystem focused on expanding diversity in the Clojure community.
- GoBridge A workshop program teaching the Go programming language, part of Bridge Foundry's network of volunteer-led coding workshops and a focus area for a $200,000 unrestricted donation.
- ElixirBridge A workshop program teaching the Elixir programming language, part of the Bridge ecosystem.
- RustBridge A workshop program teaching the Rust programming language, part of the Bridge ecosystem.
- ScalaBridge A workshop program teaching the Scala programming language, part of the Bridge network.
- MobileBridge A workshop program teaching mobile development technologies, part of the Bridge ecosystem.
- BridgeTroll An online registration platform that ensures all workshop participants review the code of conduct before signing up. Used by all Bridge workshops for global registration management.
- WorkshopCookbook An open-source wiki and cookbook providing guidelines and best practices for organizing Bridge workshops, enabling volunteer organizers worldwide to replicate events.
- Rails Mentors A mentoring program connecting learners with experienced Rails developers for ongoing guidance and skill development beyond workshops.
- Test First A learning approach and resources focused on test-driven development as a teaching methodology for Bridge workshops.
- Teaching Kids Project An initiative encouraging children to create computer software and hardware by providing support, curricula, and inspiring adults to help; active in early years and currently seeking a new leader.
Quantifiable outcome
- Transformed San Francisco Ruby meetup from 2% to 18% women in less than six months after first RailsBridge workshop
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Bridge Foundry
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Bridge Foundry technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Bridge Foundry partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- BalsamiqminorSponsor of Bridge Foundry. Provides support for workshops and diversity initiatives in technology communities.
- LinodeminorCorporate sponsor providing support for Bridge Foundry workshops and programs.
- AutodeskminorCorporate sponsor supporting diversity initiatives in technology through Bridge Foundry.
- LightbendminorSponsor supporting Bridge Foundry's mission to increase diversity in tech.
- Stitch FixminorCorporate sponsor of Bridge Foundry workshops and programs.
- ThoughtbotminorSponsor of Bridge Foundry diversity initiatives in technology.
- Travis CIminorCorporate sponsor supporting Bridge Foundry's programs.
- TwiliominorSponsor supporting technology education and diversity initiatives.
- GoogleminorCorporate sponsor of Bridge Foundry workshops and diversity programs.
- DNSimpleminorSponsor providing support for Bridge Foundry initiatives.
- HerokuminorCorporate sponsor of Bridge Foundry's technology education programs.
- Stride NYC ConsultingminorSponsor of Bridge Foundry workshops and diversity initiatives.
- Tech Companies (Hosting Partners)coreTech companies host workshops by providing space and volunteer staff. These partnerships are central to the workshop model, creating a strong professional network that helps companies recruit diverse talent while developers connect with companies that foster positive, collaborative environments.
- Éclat Enterprises, LLCcoreFinance management services provider. Contract renewed at $75/hour for up to 25 hours/month (max $1800/month). Provides finance manager Jéneen Perkins for Bridge Foundry operations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Bridge Foundry competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Code.org: Large, well-funded nonprofit promoting computer science education broadly; significantly broader scope (K-12 nationwide) and substantially larger budget than Bridge Foundry, but serves the same underlying mission of democratizing tech education.
- AnitaB.org: Nonprofit focused on women in technology through events (Grace Hopper Celebration), research, and community programs; addresses the same diversity-in-tech outcome as Bridge Foundry but with a much larger institutional footprint.
Direct peers
- Hackbright Academy: Coding bootcamp historically focused on women and underrepresented genders in software engineering; comparable free or low-cost program model and target audience as Bridge Foundry's RailsBridge origins.
- Girls Who Code: Nonprofit dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech through free coding education programs for girls and college-age women; shares Bridge Foundry's mission of increasing women's representation in technology.
- Women Who Code: Global nonprofit community supporting women in technology through networking, learning, and career resources; overlaps with Bridge Foundry's women-in-tech audience and free education orientation.
- Girl Develop It: Volunteer-led nonprofit offering free beginner coding workshops targeted at women and non-binary adults — nearly identical operating model, mission, and audience to Bridge Foundry's workshop bridges.
- Ada Developers Academy: Nonprofit tuition-free coding school for women and gender-nonconforming adults; comparable audience and free-of-charge model focused on launching careers in software development.
- Black Girls CODE: Nonprofit running free coding workshops and tech programs for Black girls and young women of color; comparable focus on underrepresented groups in tech and free, volunteer-supported workshop delivery.
Emerging players
- Outreachy: Nonprofit providing paid internships in open source and tech for people from underrepresented groups; adjacent to Bridge Foundry's mission in advancing diversity in open-source software communities.
- Major League Hacking (MLH): Official hackathon league supporting student developer communities; overlaps with Bridge Foundry in cultivating emerging developers and grassroots tech communities, though its focus is hackathons rather than teaching workshops.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bridge Foundry social profiles
Digital presenceBridge Foundry compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Bridge Foundry financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bridge Foundry leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Bridge Foundry subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Bridge Foundry funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bridge Foundry 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 Bridge Foundry
What does Bridge Foundry do?
Bridge Foundry is a 501c3 nonprofit that develops and distributes open-source coding workshop curricula and runs free, volunteer-organized programming workshops through multiple Bridge sub-brands (RailsBridge, ClojureBridge, GoBridge, ElixirBridge, ElmBridge, ScalaBridge, RustBridge, MobileBridge). The organization focuses on training participants to become teachers and mentors, building a sustainable pipeline of leaders from underrepresented groups in technology communities. All workshops are offered at no cost to students, and the organization supports volunteer organizers with grants, organizing tools (BridgeTroll, WorkshopCookbook), and corporate partnerships.
Is Bridge Foundry a public or private company?
Bridge Foundry is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Bridge Foundry founded?
Bridge Foundry was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bridge Foundry based?
Bridge Foundry is headquartered in Walnut, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bridge Foundry make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships and individual Donations.
Who are Bridge Foundry's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Code.org and AnitaB.org. Direct peers are Hackbright Academy, Girls Who Code, Women Who Code, Girl Develop It, Ada Developers Academy and Black Girls CODE. Emerging players are Outreachy and Major League Hacking (MLH).
Does Bridge Foundry have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bridge Foundry.
What industry is Bridge Foundry in?
Bridge Foundry's product category is Tech Education Non-profit. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMABAA, Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs), with a secondary code of EDANAKAI, Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects).