What Starts With Us does

Starts With Us, operating under the brand "Builders Movement" and the legal entity Builders Network, Inc., is a U.S.-based cross-partisan nonprofit founded by Daniel Lubetzky that targets political polarization in America. Its stated mission is to equip people with the inspiration, tools, and networks to think flexibly and solve problems constructively without resorting to dehumanization and violence. The organization is co-led by more than 300 "Movement Partners" drawn from business, media, faith, sports, academia, national defense, and public service, with publicly named endorsers including psychologist Adam Grant, Lonnie Ali, chef José Andrés, actor Liev Schreiber, and journalist Amanda Ripley.

The product surface is a portfolio of free programs rather than a unified technology platform. Builders Media produces content intended to flood social feeds with constructive perspectives; Builders Toolkit provides educational resources such as the "Detox From the Political Polarization Trap" curriculum; Builders Crash Course is a pilot student training program for campus depolarization; Citizen Solutions convenes disagreeing Americans at the state level; the Builders BBQ Challenge distributes free Starter Kits to host cross-perspective meals; Commit to Be a Builder is a public pledge; and Builders Power Rankings scores Congressional members on political peacemaking and division. Distribution runs through buildersmovement.org and organic social channels across Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn, supplemented by earned media in outlets such as Time, NPR, MSNBC, The Hill, The Fulcrum, and Deseret News. Reported scale metrics include 800K+ online followers and 300+ Movement Partners.

The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial. Membership and all programs are free; the primary call-to-action on the website is a donation button, and an associated merchandise Shop is exploratory. No revenue, headcount, funding rounds, or institutional donor composition is disclosed. The organization is privately held as an independent nonprofit corporation with no parent company, and operations are domestic (United States) with an emerging state-level (Texas) program layer.

Name

Starts With Us

Legal name

Builders Network, Inc.

Website

https://startswith.us

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Starts With Us (Builders Movement / Builders Network, Inc.) is a U.S. nonprofit founded by Daniel Lubetzky that runs a free, cross-partisan civic engagement portfolio—Builders Media, Toolkit, Crash Course, Citizen Solutions, BBQ Challenge, and Power Rankings—to reduce political polarization for everyday American citizens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement and Political Depolarization Nonprofits

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

Keywords

• Political depolarization
• Civic engagement
• Community building
• Constructive dialogue
• Nonprofit movement

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a nonprofit organization (Builders Network, Inc.), the movement relies on donations from individuals and potentially institutional funders. The website features a donate button and membership is free, indicating the organization operates as a charitable organization funded by philanthropy rather than commercial revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Starts With Us is a cross-partisan nonprofit (operating as Builders Movement, legally Builders Network, Inc.) that equips Americans with free programs, educational resources, community convenings, content, and an accountability scorecard to reduce political polarization and engage constructively across differences. Core offerings include the Builders BBQ Challenge, Commit to Be a Builder pledge, Builders Crash Course student training, Builders Media content, the Builders Toolkit, Citizen Solutions convenings, and Builders Power Rankings rating Congressional members on peacemaking. All programs are offered free of charge and funded by donations.

Product overview

Starts With Us operates a movement-based platform centered around the Builders Movement, which is a cross-partisan nonprofit organization (Builders Network, Inc.) focused on reducing political polarization. The organization offers a collection of programs and initiatives that work together as an integrated civic engagement ecosystem: Builders Media creates content to flood social feeds with constructive perspectives; Builders Toolkit provides educational resources for citizens, schools, and workplaces; Citizen Solutions convenes disagreeing Americans to co-create solutions; and programs like Builders BBQ Challenge, Commit to Be a Builder, and Builders Crash Course provide community-based engagement activities. The Builders Power Rankings adds a data/analytics layer that ranks Congressional members on peacemaking. The platform is offered free of charge and functions as a nonprofit initiative rather than a commercial product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Builders BBQ Challenge A program inviting everyday Americans to host a meal with someone who holds a different perspective, providing a free Builders Starter Kit with recipes and conversation activities to spark meaningful cross-partisan dialogue.
• Commit to Be a Builder A public pledge program that asks individuals to commit to resisting dehumanization, denouncing political violence, and recognizing others as citizens and human beings rather than enemies.
• Builders Crash Course A pilot training program that equips students across the U.S. to defy campus polarization by becoming Builders, teaching flexible thinking and constructive conflict skills.
• Builders Media A content initiative that produces and distributes editorial and video material designed to flood social feeds with constructive, flexible-thinking perspectives in order to counter political polarization.
• Builders Toolkit A free online resource hub that equips citizens with educational materials, including the 'Detox From the Political Polarization Trap' program, to address divisive problems in homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.
• Citizen Solutions A convening program that brings together Americans who disagree on divisive state-level issues to uncover common ground and co-create solutions in person.
• Builders Power Rankings A public ranking system that scores U.S. Congressional members on political peacemaking versus division, providing accountability data and media coverage of lawmakers' polarization impact.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of Americans agree they're sick of being turned against each other

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Adam GrantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPsychologist and bestselling author providing endorsement and thought leadership to the movement. Quote: 'I'm excited about the potential for Builders to help people develop greater humility, curiosity, empathy, and mental flexibility.'
• Lonnie AlicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounder of Muhammad Ali Enterprises lending her platform and credibility. Quote: 'Extremists get up each morning with the intention to further their cause— only they are driven to divide and destroy; we are motivated to unite and build.'
• José AndréscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChef, owner of ThinkFoodGroup, and founder of World Central Kitchen providing endorsement and high-profile support. Quote supporting the movement's mission to build solutions.
• Liev SchreibercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActor and humanitarian providing celebrity endorsement and visibility to the movement. Quote: 'In a world where algorithms divide us for marketing, we have forgotten who we are.'
• Amanda RipleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestigative journalist and bestselling author contributing thought leadership. Quote: 'Curiosity is the antidote to contempt. And just like contempt, it can be cultivated, on purpose, in a million ways.'
• Movement Partners Network (300+ leaders)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 300 influential leaders from diverse sectors including business, media, faith, sports, academia, national defense, and public service who co-lead the movement and provide credibility, reach, and strategic guidance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• No Labels: Cross-partisan political organization seeking bipartisan governance solutions and unity-ticket alternatives. Comparable cross-partisan positioning and policy-oriented civic engagement.
• BridgeUSA: Student-led organization building bridges across political divides on college campuses. Closely matches the Builders Crash Course's student-depolarization focus and leadership-development approach.
• More in Common: International nonprofit with US presence focused on reducing polarization, building bridges across divisions, and supporting democratic resilience. Closely aligned mission and program mix including convening, storytelling, and research.
• Living Room Conversations: Hosts structured small-group conversations across political differences using guided conversation guides. Highly comparable methodology and grassroots community-engagement model.
• Listen First Project: Nonprofit promoting meaningful listening and understanding across differences via the Listen First America movement. Comparable grassroots listening-and-dialogue approach and community-building model.
• National Institute for Civil Discourse: University-affiliated institute promoting civil political dialogue and reducing incivility. Comparable research-and-program focus on depolarization, civic discourse, and cross-partisan convening.
• Convergence Center for Policy Resolution: Nonprofit that convenes stakeholders across ideological lines to resolve divisive policy issues. Comparable convening-and-dialogue model and depolarization mission.
• Braver Angels: Foundational US depolarization organization running red/blue workshops and structured dialogues to bridge partisan divides. Directly comparable mission and grassroots dialogue model targeting Americans seeking to reduce polarization.
• American Exchange Project: Exchanges students across geographic, political, and socioeconomic divides to build understanding. Comparable cross-partisan youth-engagement model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BuildersMvt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BuildersMvt
• Facebookfacebook.com/BuildersMvt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starts-with-us
• Instagraminstagram.com/builders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Starts With Us