NOMA

What NOMA does

NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1971 at the AIA conference in Detroit and headquartered in Washington, DC. It is the only national organization specifically dedicated to representing minority architects in the United States, with nearly 35 professional chapters and 80+ student chapters (NOMAS) across the U.S. and Canada. Its mission is to increase representation of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, Middle Eastern, and South Asian architects and to advocate for equity in the built environment, anchored by the 2030 Diversity Challenge to grow the number of licensed Black architects from approximately 2,300 to 5,000.

NOMA's core offerings are programmatic rather than technology products. The annual conference (2026: "The Leading Edge" in South Florida, targeting nearly 2,000 attendees) is a flagship event with registration, expo, sponsorships, and an awards gala. Project Pipeline is a nationwide network of summer architecture camps for BIPOC youth (grades 6-12) that has reached over 20,000 students since 2006 across 31 cities in 2023. The NOMA Foundation Fellowship (NFF), launched in 2020, is a paid summer fellowship placing architecture students from HBCUs and other schools at leading firms. The Hip Hop Architecture Camp has expanded to 41 cities across the U.S., Canada, and Kenya. Other programs include the Phil Freelon Professional Design Awards, NOMA-NAACP SEED Awards, the directory of Diverse Architects & Designers (ddad.info), and the NOMA Connect member portal. Technology usage is limited to standard websites, social media, and digital program delivery.

NOMA generates revenue from five streams: annual membership dues (professional and student tiers), conference registration and sponsorship revenue, corporate sponsorships and donations (e.g., General Motors as a national Project Pipeline sponsor since 2017, and Gensler as the first Legacy Sponsor for the 2026 conference), program fees (e.g., $35 for the national virtual Project Pipeline camp), and pass-through fellowship stipends. The customer base spans individual members (long-tail), corporate partners (architecture firms and brands), HBCU architecture programs, and allied organizations including the NAACP, ACE Mentor Program, AIA, and NCARB. NOMA is governed by a Board of Directors and elected president; Kimberly Dowdell (2019-2020 NOMA President) was elected 2024 AIA President, and the current 2025-2026 President is Bryan C. Lee Jr.

Name

NOMA

Legal name

National Organization of Minority Architects

Website

https://noma.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

NOMA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1971, dedicated to increasing representation of minority architects in the U.S. Through nearly 35 professional chapters, 80+ student chapters, annual conferences, Project Pipeline youth camps, and fellowship programs, it serves minority architects, BIPOC students, and architecture firms pursuing diversity goals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NOMA generates revenue through annual membership dues from professional architects and designers, as well as student memberships through NOMAS chapters. The organization offers membership tiers including Join NOMA and NOMA Connect member portal.
2. Conference Revenue: Annual conferences including registration fees, sponsorships, expo booth sales, and gala dinner tickets. The 2026 conference 'The Leading Edge' in South Florida expects nearly 2,000 attendees with various registration tiers.
3. Corporate Sponsorships and Donations: Corporate partners including General Motors (Project Pipeline sponsor since 2017), Gensler (Legacy Sponsor for 2026 conference), and other architecture firms provide financial support, resources, and in-kind contributions. The organization also accepts donations through its membership portal.
4. Program Fees: Project Pipeline summer camps charge fees ($35 for national virtual camp mentioned in 2020). The NOMA Foundation Fellowship provides stipends to fellows ($2,560 for 2021, $7,040 for 2022 cohort) with additional travel and licensure bonuses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NOMA is a professional membership organization that advocates for minority architects and develops the talent pipeline through annual conferences, regional professional and student chapters, fellowship programs, and youth design education camps. Its deliverables include the NOMA annual conference, Project Pipeline summer camps for BIPOC youth, the NOMA Foundation Fellowship (NFF), Phil Freelon Professional Design Awards, the NOMA-NAACP SEED Awards, and the Directory of Diverse Architects & Designers (DDAD).

Product overview

NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) is a professional membership organization offering programs and services to support minority architects and design professionals. The core offerings include annual conferences, professional and student chapters, fellowship programs, design competitions, and educational camps. The organization's main programs include: the NOMA Conference (annual national gathering), Project Pipeline (youth summer camps), NOMA Foundation Fellowship (student internship program), Phil Freelon Professional Design Awards, professional and student chapter networks, the ACE Mentor partnership, Hip Hop Architecture Camp, SEED Awards, and NOMA Connect member portal. NOMA does not offer technology products but provides professional development, mentorship, and advocacy services to its membership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NOMA Annual Conference Annual five-day national conference bringing together nearly 2,000 architects, designers, students, educators, planners, and industry leaders for programming on design justice, leadership, resilience, and community. Includes workshops, keynotes, student programming, career development, networking events, awards gala, and expo.
• Project Pipeline Nationwide network of design education summer camps for BIPOC youth (grades 6-12) introducing students to architecture and design careers. Nearly 1,000 students participated across 31 camps in 2023, and the program has introduced over 20,000 students to architecture since 2006.
• NOMA Foundation Fellowship (NFF) Two-month summer fellowship connecting architecture students with leading design firms for mentorship and professional experience, supporting the 2030 Diversity Challenge to increase licensed Black architects. Over 60 students have been awarded fellowships since 2020.
• Phil Freelon Professional Design Awards Annual awards program recognizing projects demonstrating design excellence, innovation, leadership, and impact in the built environment. Categories include Built Work, Unbuilt Work, Vision, Historic Preservation, and Small Projects.
• Barbara J. Lurie Student Design Competition Student design competition held during the annual NOMA conference, recognizing exceptional student work in architecture and design.
• NOMA Professional Chapter Network Membership-based local chapters providing mentorship, networking, advocacy, and professional development for minority architects across the United States.
• NOMAS Student Chapter Network Student chapters at architecture schools across the U.S. and Canada, mentored by regional NOMA professional chapters, providing a pathway from student to professional membership.
• NOMA-NAACP SEED Awards Awards program in partnership with NAACP and Design Corps highlighting built and conceptual projects that exemplify justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in architecture and community development.
• Directory of Diverse Architects & Designers (DDAD) Searchable directory hosted at ddad.info that connects clients with diverse architects and designers.
• NOMA Connect Member Portal Online member portal where NOMA members can access resources, download conference photos, and connect with the professional community.
• Hip Hop Architecture Camp Youth camp founded by Michael Ford using hip hop culture to expose youth to architecture and design, held in 41 cities across the United States, Canada, and Kenya, reaching over 3,700 participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20,000 students introduced to architecture through Project Pipeline since 2006
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Broad incumbents

• American Society of Interior Designers (ASID): The national professional association for interior designers. ASID uses a similar chapter-and-conference membership model targeting licensed design professionals, paralleling NOMA's structural approach in an adjacent design discipline.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI): A global research and education organization focused on land use and real estate development. ULI overlaps with NOMA's built-environment focus and equity mission but serves a broader, cross-disciplinary membership rather than architects specifically.
• American Planning Association (APA): The national professional association for urban and city planners. APA uses a chapter-based, conference-anchored model intersecting with NOMA's built-environment and equity work but serving planners rather than architects.
• National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE): The broader professional association for U.S. licensed engineers. NSPE parallels NOMA's role as a national membership body for licensed professionals but does not focus on minority representation or pipeline development.
• American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA): The national professional association for design and graphic arts practitioners. AIGA shares the membership-driven, conference-anchored model with NOMA but operates in a broader design discipline rather than architecture specifically.

Direct peers

• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB): The national body governing architectural licensure in the U.S. NCARB is a close peer because NOMA explicitly supports its members through the licensure process, including NCARB President's Medal recognition of NOMA leaders.
• Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE): A national STEM-focused membership organization serving Hispanic students and professionals. SHPE mirrors NOMA's chapter-based, conference-driven, K-12-to-licensure pipeline model applied to Hispanic representation in engineering.
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE): A national student and professional membership organization serving Black engineers with chapters, conferences, and pipeline programs. NSBE is the closest analog to NOMA in operating model, target demographic, and pipeline approach, but for engineering rather than architecture.
• American Institute of Architects (AIA): The dominant national professional membership organization for licensed U.S. architects. AIA and NOMA share membership, advocacy, and conference models serving the same architecture professional base, with NOMA focused specifically on minority architects and equity outcomes.

Others

• Design Corps: A nonprofit partner organization co-administering the SEED Awards with NOMA and the NAACP. Design Corps shares NOMA's equity-in-design mission and program portfolio, though it is a smaller peer working in adjacent community design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NOMAnational
• Instagraminstagram.com/nomanational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NOMA