Catalyst Network Foundation

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.

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

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

• Youth development programs
• Education nonprofit services
• Fellowship scholarship programs
• Mentorship and career readiness
• College preparatory workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship corporate partner, core and minor.

• Googleflagship corporate partnerStrategic or Co-development 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 partnerStrategic or Co-development 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.
• InforcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaired 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 LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw 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 LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm welcomed high school students from the Catalyst Network Foundation's Summer Intensive Program in August 2016; hosts Fellows for corporate tours.
• Achievement FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced 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 SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNF 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 FundminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliated applicant organization; high school students affiliated with the Black Student Fund are eligible to apply to the CNF Fellowship.
• Latino Student FundminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliated applicant organization; high school students affiliated with the Latino Student Fund are eligible to apply to the CNF Fellowship.
• Long Island University-BrooklynminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted 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

Direct 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

• Xtwitter.com/iamcnf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=pc841qNmH9g
• Facebookfacebook.com/CatalystNetworkFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catalyst-network-foundation-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/iamcnf

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Catalyst Network Foundation