Catalyst Network Foundation
Catalyst Network Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2011 that runs a free, competitive fellowship program for underserved youth ages 14-25 in NYC and Washington, D.C., bundling summer intensives, mentorship, corporate tours, internship placement, and college prep, funded through charitable donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Catalyst Network Foundation does
Catalyst Network Foundation Inc. (CNF, EIN 45-4513348) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit education initiative founded in 2011 in New York City by two founding members who identified a gap in skill-building resources and career-preparation opportunities for young people. The organization is fundamentally grassroots, steered by a volunteer leadership team in NYC and Washington, D.C., with an employed team in the 11-50 range. CNF's core offering is the CNF Fellowship Scholars Program, a free, application-based fellowship serving high-potential underserved youth ages 14-25 across NYC and DC Metro, bundled with the Summer Intensive Program (two-to-three weeks in July/August), CNF Mentorship Program (pairing each scholar with a trailblazer mentor in their aspired field), and CNF Internship Program (placement at startups, corporations, and medical institutions). Complementary programming includes the recurring quarterly Meeting of the Minds (MOTM) professional networking and policy discussion series, annual CNF Youth Tech @ Google symposiums, year-round college preparatory workshops, corporate tours, and a separate CNF Veterans Resource Program serving American veterans ages 21-30. The organization reports 200+ cumulative fellowship scholars, 2,000+ students instructed annually, a 99% high school graduation rate among fellows, and a 98% higher education or trade school enrollment rate.
The organization's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven. Recruitment runs through embedded CNF liaison faculty at partner high schools (including Achievement First and City Poly Tech High School) plus affiliate applicant organizations (Black Student Fund, Latino Student Fund). Applicants submit free PDF application forms by email; admittance is earned through a competitive, multi-round process (telephone interviews, screening notifications). Corporate hosts — including Google, The Peebles Corporation, Infor, Covington & Burling LLP, Kaye Scholer LLP, Goldman Sachs, NIKE, LinkedIn, Microsoft, HBO, Morgan Stanley, GAP, BET, Bloomberg, Deloitte, NBC Studios, Hughes Hubbard Reed LLP, NPR, Essence Magazine, and FOX News — serve as tour sites, pitch presentation venues, and internship placement partners. The 2026 Fellowship application cycle is currently open with an April 17, 2026 deadline. Technology infrastructure is intentionally minimal: standard web pages, PDF application forms, email submissions, PayPal donate button (hosted_button_id=BUNMHRFQSASQS), and an AmazonSmile charity link (smile.amazon.com/ch/45-4513348); there is no proprietary technology platform, no public API, no SDK, and no mobile app.
Revenue mechanics are 501(c)(3) charitable donations processed through PayPal and AmazonSmile; no revenue figures, donor roster, grant pipeline, or audited financials are disclosed in the source material. CNF holds no patents or trademarks of note, is not investment-funded, and has no parent company. Marketing channels are owned organic social (Facebook, Twitter @iamcnf, Instagram @iamcnf, YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Google+, Tumblr), earned media (FOX News interview, NPR, BET coverage), and event-driven community engagement. CNF received a Congressional Proclamation from Ranking Congressman Ed Towns in July 2012 and is GuideStar-listed.
Catalyst Network Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Catalyst Network Foundation
- Legal name
- Catalyst Network Foundation Inc.
- Website
- https://catalyst-network.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Catalyst Network Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2011 that runs a free, competitive fellowship program for underserved youth ages 14-25 in NYC and Washington, D.C., bundling summer intensives, mentorship, corporate tours, internship placement, and college prep, funded through charitable donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Catalyst Network Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Education and Development (Nonprofit)
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Under-18 / High School-to-University Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Study Habits & Homework Systems Workshops (EDAMAIAL), Research & Science Fair Competitions (Science Fairs, Research Symposiums) (EDAMAGAL)
Keywords
Where Catalyst Network Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Catalyst Network Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable donations (PayPal and AmazonSmile): 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 45-4513348) accepts charitable contributions via PayPal donate button and AmazonSmile charity program (smile.amazon.com/ch/45-4513348), where a portion of eligible Amazon purchases is directed to CNF. This is the primary funding mechanism for the foundation's programming.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| — | — | Free fellowship program for accepted scholars |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Catalyst Network Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Catalyst Network Foundation provides free life enrichment and professional development programming to underserved high-potential youth (ages 14–25) and American veterans (ages 21–30) in New York City and Washington, D.C. Core programming includes the CNF Fellowship Scholars Program anchored by a Summer Intensive Program, a trailblazer-mentor pairing program, internship placement at startups/corporations/medical institutions, SAT prep and college application support, and corporate tours at firms such as Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and NIKE. Complementary offerings include the quarterly Meeting of the Minds (MOTM) professional networking and policy series and the annual CNF Youth Tech @ Google symposium, collectively instructing more than 2,000 high school students annually.
Product overview
Catalyst Network Foundation (CNF) operates as a single unified non-profit education initiative 501(c)(3) organization whose core offering is the CNF Fellowship Scholars Program, supported by a set of integrated sub-programs and event series. The Fellowship Scholars Program serves as the platform through which high-potential youth (ages 14–25) are recruited from NYC and D.C. partner high schools, while the Summer Intensive Program, CNF Mentorship Program, and CNF Internship Program function as its seasonal and year-round modules for skills training, mentor pairing, and internship placement respectively. Alongside the Fellowship, CNF operates two complementary offerings: the recurring Meeting of the Minds (MOTM) professional networking and policy discussion series, and the CNF Youth Tech Symposiums and Workshops (including the annual Youth STEM @ Google event), which together instruct more than 2,000 high school students annually. A separate CNF Veterans Resource Program extends the foundation's resource-connection mission to American veterans ages 21–30.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Meeting of the Minds (MOTM): Quarterly CNF-hosted professional mixer and panel discussion combining networking with thoughtful policy discussion on topics affecting underserved communities.
- CNF Fellowship Program
- CNF Mentorship Program
- CNF Internship Program
Products and services
- CNF Fellowship Scholars Program The flagship non-profit education program serving high-potential underserved youth (ages 14-25). Selected scholars gain access to workshops, corporate tours, internships, mentors, and SAT/college prep support. 99% of fellows graduate high school and 98% enroll in higher education or trade school. Application is free but admittance is earned through a competitive process.
- Meeting of the Minds (MOTM) Quarterly professional networking mixer and panel discussion combining career networking with policy dialogue on topics affecting underserved communities. Open to young professionals across industries and sectors.
- CNF Youth Tech Symposiums and Workshops Year-round programming including annual tech symposiums at Google (Youth STEM @ Google), career workshops, college preparatory workshops, and diversity career recruiting sessions, instructing more than 2,000 high school students annually in NYC and D.C.
- CNF Veterans Resource Program Initiative working with American veterans (ages 21-30), connecting them with resources and information to assist with career and academic ambitions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% of CNF Fellows have graduated high school
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Catalyst Network Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Catalyst Network Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Catalyst Network Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship corporate partner, core and minor.
- Googleflagship corporate partnerHosts the annual CNF Youth Tech @ Google symposium (3rd Annual and ongoing). Corporate sponsor of MOTM events (April 28, 2016 - 'Leveraging Resources for Common Good'). Fellows tour Google's offices and pitch presentations about inner-city school challenges to Google executives.
- The Peebles Corporationflagship corporate partnerCorporate sponsor of MOTM events. Featured in 'A Meeting of the Minds' panel with billionaire Donahue Peebles. The Peebles Corporation hosts Fellows for corporate tours and pitch presentations.
- InforcorePaired with City Poly Tech High School for student work-based learning experiences. CNF facilitates seamless partnership arrangements between high schools and Infor (City Poly Tech High School < > Infor). Infor hosts Fellows for corporate tours and pitch presentations.
- Covington & Burling LLPcoreLaw firm associates lead CNF discussions and tours. Featured on Covington's diversity page regarding CNF's 'Minorities in the Sports Industry' panel and 'Catalyst Network Foundation Discussion and Tour' in September 2016.
- Kaye Scholer LLPcoreLaw firm welcomed high school students from the Catalyst Network Foundation's Summer Intensive Program in August 2016; hosts Fellows for corporate tours.
- Achievement FirstcoreReferenced as a CNF partnership high school network. Successful applicants are enrolled at a CNF partnership high school and are recruited from this network.
- City Poly Tech High SchoolcoreCNF partner high school paired with Infor for student work-based learning. CNF performs screening and facilitates seamless partnership arrangements between this high school and corporate partners.
- Black Student FundminorAffiliated applicant organization; high school students affiliated with the Black Student Fund are eligible to apply to the CNF Fellowship.
- Latino Student FundminorAffiliated applicant organization; high school students affiliated with the Latino Student Fund are eligible to apply to the CNF Fellowship.
- Long Island University-BrooklynminorHosted the first CNF pre-summer intensive workshop on June 9, 2012 on its Brooklyn campus, where accepted fellows were introduced to leadership development and took the Clifton Strengths Assessment.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Catalyst Network Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- iMentor: Nonprofit pairing underserved high school students with college and career mentors using a structured, year-long curriculum — closely analogous to CNF's year-round mentorship and college-prep model for high-potential urban youth.
- Year Up: Large youth-development nonprofit that provides skills training, mentorship, and corporate internships to urban young adults — directly comparable to CNF's combination of mentorship, internship placement, and corporate-tour programming for underserved youth.
- Posse Foundation: Nonprofit that identifies, recruits, and trains diverse cohorts of student leaders for college success — comparable in its cohort-based, leadership-development programming for high-potential underrepresented youth.
- A Better Chance: Nonprofit placing high-achieving students of color into top independent and boarding schools and supporting them through college — overlapping with CNF's college-prep mission for high-potential underrepresented youth.
- Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing college access and success coaching to high school students from low-income backgrounds, with strong outcome metrics on college enrollment and graduation — directly comparable to CNF's college-prep and higher-ed enrollment focus.
- Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO): Nonprofit preparing high school and college students from underserved communities for careers, with corporate partner pipelines (e.g., law, finance) — directly comparable to CNF's professional-development and corporate-tour model.
- NPower: Nonprofit providing tech skills training, mentorship, and corporate internship placement to underserved young adults — closely aligned with CNF's tech-symposium and corporate-internship programming.
Emerging players
- Per Scholas: Nonprofit providing free technology training and career placement to adults from underserved communities — adjacent to CNF's tech-focused programming (e.g., CNF Youth STEM @ Google) but serves an older, more job-placement-oriented population.
Broad incumbents
- KIPP Foundation: One of the largest U.S. charter-school networks serving low-income communities, with deep college-prep and alumni programming — operates at much greater scale than CNF in the same underserved-youth education space.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Established national youth-mentoring nonprofit pairing adult volunteers with youth — comparable in mission and mentor-pairing model, but with a much larger institutional footprint and donor base than CNF.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Catalyst Network Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceCatalyst Network Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Catalyst Network Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Catalyst Network Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Catalyst Network Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Catalyst Network 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 Catalyst Network Foundation
What does Catalyst Network Foundation do?
Catalyst Network Foundation provides free life enrichment and professional development programming to underserved high-potential youth (ages 14–25) and American veterans (ages 21–30) in New York City and Washington, D.C. Core programming includes the CNF Fellowship Scholars Program anchored by a Summer Intensive Program, a trailblazer-mentor pairing program, internship placement at startups/corporations/medical institutions, SAT prep and college application support, and corporate tours at firms such as Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and NIKE. Complementary offerings include the quarterly Meeting of the Minds (MOTM) professional networking and policy series and the annual CNF Youth Tech @ Google symposium, collectively instructing more than 2,000 high school students annually.
Is Catalyst Network Foundation a public or private company?
Catalyst Network Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Catalyst Network Foundation founded?
Catalyst Network Foundation was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Catalyst Network Foundation based?
Catalyst Network Foundation is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Catalyst Network Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable donations (PayPal and AmazonSmile).
Who are Catalyst Network Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are iMentor, Year Up, Posse Foundation, A Better Chance, Bottom Line, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) and NPower. Per Scholas is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are KIPP Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Does Catalyst Network Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Catalyst Network Foundation.
What industry is Catalyst Network Foundation in?
Catalyst Network Foundation's product category is Youth Education and Development (Nonprofit). Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAJAI, Under-18 / High School-to-University Foundation Pathways, with a secondary code of EDAMAIAL, Study Habits & Homework Systems Workshops. Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8200.