Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley

What Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley does

The Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley is a multidisciplinary research center housed within the University of California, Berkeley. Founded in 2017 as the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society and rebranded in 2019, it develops and disseminates frameworks for understanding and addressing structural marginalization — including its foundational concepts of Othering, Bridging, Belonging, Breaking, and Targeted Universalism. It is directed by john a. powell, an internationally recognized expert in civil rights, structural racism, housing, poverty, and democracy.

The institute's portfolio spans educational products (OBI University's free online courses, the Bridging & Breaking Curriculum, Bridging to Belonging Case Series), research tools and data assets (the Racial Disparities Dashboard, Structural Racism Remedies Repository, the Inclusiveness Index covering 152 countries, and segregation research using 2020 Census data and the Divergence Index methodology), publications (including "The Power of Bridging" book), media (the "Who Belongs?" podcast launched Fall 2018), and programmatic initiatives such as the Democracy & Belonging Forum, Global South Lab, Network for Transformative Change, Faculty Cluster Initiative, Summer Fellowship, and Places of Belonging. The institute also convenes the annual Othering & Belonging Conference, drawing over 1,000 changemakers.

As a non-profit academic research institute, OBI does not operate on a commercial revenue model. Distribution occurs through free channels: the belonging.berkeley.edu website, free OBI University courses, an active multi-platform social presence, and earned media coverage in NYT, Washington Post, Newsweek, El Pais, Berkeley News, KQED, and NPR affiliates. Revenue appears limited to conference registration fees (O&B 2026 in Louisville, KY), book royalties via Macmillan, merchandise, and donor support. Customer segments served are predominantly community organizers, policymakers, researchers and scholars, summer fellowship participants, movement organizations, and artists/communicators engaged in narrative and cultural strategy.

Name

Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley

Legal name

Othering and Belonging Institute

Website

https://belonging.berkeley.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley is a multidisciplinary research center developing frameworks on structural marginalization, belonging, and bridging, serving community organizers, policymakers, and researchers through free educational resources, research tools, and convening events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Justice Research and Policy

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Equity, Access & Inclusion Policy Research (EDADADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

Keywords

• Social justice research
• Racial equity policy
• Structural inclusion frameworks
• Community bridging research
• Democratic governance studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Othering & Belonging Institute is a multidisciplinary research center at UC Berkeley that develops frameworks, research, and educational programs to identify and eliminate barriers to an inclusive society. It produces the Racial Disparities Dashboard, Structural Racism Remedies Repository, OBI University online courses, Bridging & Breaking Curriculum, the Who Belongs? podcast, and the annual Othering & Belonging Conference, and convenes the Network for Transformative Change coalition.

Product overview

The Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley is a multidisciplinary research center offering a portfolio of educational products and research resources focused on advancing belonging and addressing structural marginalization. The core offerings include the OBI University online learning platform providing free courses on bridging concepts; the Bridging to Belonging Case Series and Bridging & Breaking Curriculum as educational training materials; the Racial Disparities Dashboard and Structural Racism Remedies Repository as research data tools; the Who Belongs? podcast and Blueprint for Belonging initiative for broader public engagement; and the annual Othering & Belonging Conference for convening practitioners. The institute also publishes books (The Power of Bridging), operates the Democracy & Belonging Forum for policy research, and maintains the Global South Lab for international perspectives. The Faculty Cluster Initiative coordinates academic research across multiple thematic areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OBI University: Free online courses and educational platform offering courses on bridging, belonging, and related topics
• Democracy & Belonging Forum
• Network for Transformative Change
• Othering & Belonging Conference
• Blueprint for Belonging

Products and services

• OBI University Free online educational platform offering courses including Fundamentals of Bridging, Power of Bridging Book Club, Community Stories of Bridging, Levels of Bridging, and How to Bridge. Open to individual learners and practitioners globally.
• Othering & Belonging Conference Annual in-person conference with registration fees, bringing together over 1,000 changemakers for relationship-building, strategy-strengthening, and interactive sessions on building belonging. Held in different locations (2026 in Louisville, KY).
• Who Belongs? Podcast The institute's official podcast featuring conversations on belonging, bridging, and democracy, demonstrating commitment to public dialogue on belonging and othering themes. Launched in Fall 2018.
• Racial Disparities Dashboard Interactive data platform providing metrics on critical life outcomes for American society, highlighting areas of progress and regress in closing racial disparities.
• Structural Racism Remedies Repository Repository of policy-based recommendations for addressing structural and systemic racism or advancing racial equity, accessible to practitioners and policymakers.
• Bridging to Belonging Case Series Written case studies and podcast interviews capturing real-world examples of bridging and belonging across schools, movements, governments, and communities, at different scales and contexts.
• Bridging & Breaking Curriculum Training module-based curriculum covering othering, breaking, bridging, and belonging topics, with case studies designed for movement-based organizations.
• The Power of Bridging (Book) Book by john a. powell providing a research-backed guide for building bridges across difference in any area of life, with framework for building cohesion and solidarity. Published through Macmillan.
• Blueprint for Belonging Collaborative initiative of over 50 organizations working on strategic narrative centered on inclusion and belonging for marginalized groups, including commissioned papers, surveys, videos, and curricula.
• Democracy & Belonging Forum Program examining authoritarianism, populism, and democratic backsliding, with research on authoritarian populism as analytical framework for understanding and combating threats to democracy.
• Global South Lab Initiative bringing together perspectives from Global South's social movements, civic institutions, and public intellectuals to engage on contemporary challenges of belonging and inclusion.
• Faculty Cluster Initiative Interdisciplinary faculty clusters connecting Berkeley academics across seven thematic areas: Disability Studies, Diversity & Democracy, Diversity & Health Disparities, Economic Disparities, LGBTQ Citizenship, Race Diversity and Educational Policy, and Religious Diversity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of people want to reduce divisiveness, and 86% believe it's possible to disagree in a healthy way
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC): Nonprofit research and convening organization tracking civic participation, inclusion, and democratic health in the US — directly comparable as a research-and-convening institute advancing belonging and civic engagement.
• More in Common: International research and narrative-change organization studying polarization, identity, and belonging — directly comparable as a peer institute developing bridging frameworks and cross-difference convening models.
• PolicyLink: National research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity through policy research and community partnerships — directly comparable in mission, equity-research focus, and multi-stakeholder convening model.
• Roosevelt Institute: Think tank producing economic-inequality research and policy ideas from a values-driven lens — comparable as a peer institute focused on structural inequality and transformative economic-policy proposals.
• Race Forward: National racial equity organization producing research, policy analysis, and narrative change tools — directly comparable as a research-and-advocacy institute focused on structural racism and racial justice outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Institute: Large social-policy research organization producing data and evidence on inequality, housing, and economic mobility — comparable as a broader incumbent delivering equity-focused policy research and dashboards.
• Center for American Progress: Major progressive policy institute producing research on equity, democracy, and inclusion — comparable as a broader incumbent producing policy reports and equity frameworks with multi-stakeholder reach.
• Aspen Institute: Major US think tank operating dialogue-and-leadership programs across society topics including equity and civic discourse — comparable as a broader incumbent convener focused on pluralism, leadership, and public-policy dialogue.

Emerging players

• Princeton School of Public and International Affairs - Research Centers: University-affiliated research centers on identity, inclusion, and democratic governance — comparable as university-housed multidisciplinary research hubs producing inclusion-focused scholarship and convenings.

Regional players

• Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality: University-based research center studying poverty, inequality, and social policy — comparable as a California-based university-affiliated research center producing equity data and policy analysis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oandbinstitute
• YouTubeyoutube.com/otheringandbelonging
• Facebookfacebook.com/otheringandbelonging
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/otheringandbelonging
• Instagraminstagram.com/otheringandbelonging
• Pinterestpinterest.com/otheringandbelonging

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley