SMASH

What SMASH does

SMASH (legally Mk Level Playing Field Institute, DBA SMASH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in Oakland, California, that delivers free STEM education to underrepresented high school students across the United States. The organization operates two core programs: SMASH Residential, a year-long intensive STEM program delivered as a free residential summer experience at 10 partner university campuses including UC Berkeley, Northeastern University, Morehouse College, and the University of Michigan; and SMASH Virtual, an online e-learning platform built on the LearnWorlds LMS that provides nationwide access to computer science, AI/ML, cybersecurity, and Python programming courses alongside college and career readiness content. Sub-products include Career Catalyst (video-based STEM career exposure), College Catalyst (college application readiness launched September 2024 in partnership with SMASH Admit), and a 10-week Intro to Python course (launched March 2025).

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean: SMASH Virtual leverages LearnWorlds for course delivery and account management, with third-party OAuth authentication (Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, Apple) and no documented public/partner API. The organization also integrates third-party curricula into its residential program — notably the Endless Foundation's Endless Access Godot game design curriculum — and distributes content through channel partners such as Elite Gaming Live, which extends reach to 30+ schools. SMASH reports it has served 2,000+ scholars since 2001, with outcomes including 98% CS technical skill mastery, 100% college acceptance, 85% six-year college graduation (vs. 60% national), and alumni pursuing CS majors at 2x the national rate.

The business model is entirely donation- and grant-driven: SMASH charges students nothing (all programs free, including room and board for residential summer) and accepts contributions via check, ACH/wire, stocks/securities, donor-advised funds, and cryptocurrency. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Funding comes from a diversified corporate and foundation partner roster — including Goldman Sachs (One Million Black Women), NFL Inspire Change, General Motors, TE Connectivity, ICIMS, Endless Foundation, Inspiredu, and the Kapor ecosystem (Kapor Capital, Kapor Center, Kapor Foundation) — alongside individual donations and the organization's 25th anniversary campaign. SMASH operates within the broader Kapor ecosystem founded by Freada Kapor Klein, but as an independent 501(c)(3) governed by its own board, currently led by CEO Jonathan Durfield, with 11-50 employees and a C-suite spanning operations, partnerships, development, and programs.

Name

SMASH

Legal name

Mk Level Playing Field Institute, DBA SMASH

Website

https://smash.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SMASH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free intensive STEM education to underrepresented U.S. high school students through a year-long residential program at 10 partner universities and an online learning platform (SMASH Virtual), funded entirely by charitable donations and corporate grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 STEM Education Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advanced STEM & Competition Coaching (MathCounts/AMC/AIME/USAMO, Science Olympiad, Physics/Chem Olympiads) (EDANAKAF), STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics) (EDAAAFAL)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Nonprofit youth education
• College readiness services
• Computer science training
• Residential academic programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: SMASH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 91-2088635) that funds its programs entirely through charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants. Programs are free for all students. The organization accepts donations via mail (check), direct ACH/wire transfers, stocks/securities, donor advised funds, and cryptocurrency.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SMASH (Summer Math and Science Honors Academy), operated by the 501(c)(3) Level Playing Field Institute, delivers free, intensive year-long STEM education to underrepresented high school students. Its flagship SMASH Residential program places scholars on university campuses for summer instruction in computer science, AI/ML, design thinking, and engineering, complemented by the SMASH Virtual online platform offering self-paced CS, cybersecurity, and college/career readiness content, with ongoing support through the SMASH Alumni network.

Product overview

SMASH (Summer Math and Science Honors Academy) is a national nonprofit providing free STEM education programs for high school students from underrepresented backgrounds. The organization operates two core programs: SMASH Residential, an intensive year-long residential STEM program hosted at university campuses across the country (including UC Berkeley, Northeastern, Morehouse, and University of Michigan), and SMASH Virtual, an online platform offering AI/ML, cybersecurity, and programming courses alongside career exposure content. The SMASH Virtual platform is powered by the LearnWorlds e-learning system and includes sub-products called Career Catalyst (video-based STEM career content) and College Catalyst (college readiness resources). SMASH Alumni programming extends support through college and into STEM careers. The portfolio is unified by a mission to build a strong STEM workforce through academic learning, experiential engagement, mentorship, and community, serving students from high school through alumni career placement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMASH Residential: A free, year-long intensive STEM-focused program for high school students featuring residential summer experiences at university campuses.
• SMASH Virtual
• SMASH Alumni
• SMASH Academy
• SMASH Morehouse
• SMASH Spelman

Products and services

• SMASH Residential SMASH Residential is a free, year-long intensive STEM-focused residential program for high school students (10th/11th graders). Scholars live on university campuses during the summer and take CS/AI/ML courses, college success workshops, and electives while building relationships with STEM professionals.
• SMASH Virtual SMASH Virtual is an online e-learning platform that provides students with early exposure to computer science, emerging technology topics (AI/ML, cybersecurity, programming), college and career readiness resources, and connections to STEM professionals through courses, hackathons, and open innovation challenges.
• SMASH Alumni SMASH Alumni programming provides continuous resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities for SMASH graduates as they transition from high school through college and into STEM careers, fostering a lifelong community.
• College Catalyst College Catalyst is a free college readiness platform within SMASH Virtual that provides videos and resources to help students find their college fit and prepare strong college applications and college life readiness.
• Intro to Python Course Intro to Python is a 10-week introductory Python programming course offered live via Zoom or on-demand, designed for beginners with no prior coding experience, covering one of the world's most popular programming languages through hands-on projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of SMASH scholars mastered computer science technical skills assessed at the end of the program
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, flagship, core and minor.

• InspiredumajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026In 2026, SMASH and Inspiredu formalized a partnership to expand digital access for Atlanta scholars. Inspiredu x SMASH Digital Literacy Workshop Series provided laptops (with Windows OS, one year of Windows Defender, and one year of tech support) and digital literacy training to SMASH Atlanta scholars. Inspiredu brought technology access and workshop content; SMASH provided venue access at Morehouse College, student recruitment, and on-site branding. This partnership directly addresses the digital divide that prevents students from fully engaging in STEM learning.
• NFL / Inspire ChangeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2025SMASH partnered with the NFL Inspire Change initiative during Super Bowl LX week. Twenty SMASH scholars and alumni attended the NFL Inspire Change Super Bowl STEAM Celebration in San Francisco, participating in hands-on STEM activities alongside NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former NFL player Jeremiah Brown. Scholars received Microsoft devices. SMASH scholars also filmed a national PSA that aired during Super Bowl Sunday, positioning SMASH in front of millions of viewers. The partnership reflects SMASH's brand visibility and community engagement at the highest levels.
• Endless / Endless FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Endless Foundation partnered with SMASH to deliver the Endless Access Godot game design curriculum in SMASH's design thinking courses. The partnership includes staff training, curriculum access, and collaboration on game jams where students create content for Endless's community game 'Threadbare'. The Endless Foundation supported the incorporation of game design into SMASH programs.
• Lirvana LabsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Lirvana Labs, an AI-powered edtech company founded in 2022, has hired multiple SMASH scholars as interns and employees since 2022. CEO Christie Pang personally interviews SMASH scholars and describes them as 'the best people to work with.' Several scholars have worked at Lirvana Labs for 3+ years. Examples include Bryan Ayala (software developer), Leo Daniels (digital marketing manager), and others across engineering, content, and product roles. Lirvana Labs reaches 1.5 million students globally and was introduced to SMASH through Kapor Capital.
• UC BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Berkeley was the founding host of SMASH, launching the first SMASH Residential program on its campus in 2004. The partnership has continued for over two decades, providing residential STEM education infrastructure, faculty, and college immersion for Bay Area scholars.
• Northeastern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNortheastern University hosts a SMASH Residential program in the Boston area, providing campus facilities and academic support for SMASH scholars, including student Bryan who attended the Boston-area SMASH site.
• Morehouse CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorehouse College hosts SMASH Academy at its Atlanta campus, with gender-specific programming (SMASH Morehouse for male students, SMASH Spelman for female students). The partnership also includes the SMASH x Morehouse College Speaker Series and collaboration on the Inspiredu x SMASH Digital Literacy Workshop Series.
• University of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Michigan hosts a SMASH Residential program serving the Detroit/Ann Arbor area, providing STEM education infrastructure and college exposure for Michigan-based scholars.
• Kapor CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKapor Center is a key ecosystem partner of SMASH. SMASH is an initiative under the Kapor Center umbrella, sharing mission alignment around closing opportunity gaps in technology. SMASH's founder Freada Kapor Klein is also a founding partner at Kapor Capital.
• Goldman Sachs (One Million Black Women)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoldman Sachs, through its One Million Black Women initiative, is a corporate partner supporting SMASH's programs and mission to advance Black women and underrepresented students in STEM education and careers.
• ICIMSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICIMS is a corporate partner supporting SMASH programs, providing employer connections and potential internship/reruitment pipelines for SMASH alumni.
• General Motors (GM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGM is a corporate partner supporting SMASH, contributing to the organization's STEM education and workforce development mission.
• TE ConnectivityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTE Connectivity is a corporate partner supporting SMASH programs and STEM education pathways for underrepresented students.
• Elite Gaming LiveminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSMASH partnered with Elite Gaming Live to make SMASH Virtual content accessible through their platform, reaching 30+ schools around the country with programming. Over 1,000 students accessed STEM career exposure resources through this partnership.
• Kapor FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKapor Foundation is part of the broader Kapor ecosystem supporting SMASH. Allison Scott, PhD serves as CEO of Kapor Foundation and was previously Chief Research Officer at KCSI, leading research on diversity in the tech ecosystem.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Code.org: Largest nonprofit promoting CS education in K-12; competes for the same public-school/district partnerships SMASH recruits from and overlaps with SMASH Virtual's K-12 CS curriculum mission.
• Year Up: Large workforce-development nonprofit connecting low-income young adults to corporate tech careers; shares SMASH's underrepresented-talent, employer-partner pipeline and outcomes-reporting narrative at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Techbridge Girls: Nonprofit delivering out-of-school STEM programs to girls from low-income communities; directly comparable scholar demographic, supplemental STEM focus, and fundraising base (SMASH's Development Officer previously worked there).
• NAF (National Academy Foundation): Nonprofit running career-academy STEM curricula inside high schools; directly comparable to SMASH's college-and-career readiness model and overlapping leadership (a former SMASH Berkeley staffer launched NAF Future Ready Scholars Berkeley).
• Girls Who Code: Nonprofit running free coding programs aimed at closing the gender gap in tech; competes directly with SMASH for underrepresented scholar attention, female coder talent pipeline, and corporate diversity-funding dollars.
• National Math + Science Initiative: National nonprofit operating intensive STEM college-readiness and teacher-training programs for underrepresented students; shares the same STEM-equity, university-hosted residential model and overlapping executive alumni (SMASH CEO previously ran a $45M annual budget there).
• Black Girls CODE: Nonprofit delivering computer science education to Black girls and youth of color; a direct overlap on scholar demographic, CS curriculum focus, and corporate donor pool (Goldman Sachs, Salesforce-style tech employers).

Others

• AnitaB.org: Nonprofit advancing women in tech with programs and research; overlapping corporate donor base with SMASH and shared executive alumni (SMASH's CDO and Senior Fundraising Ops Manager both worked there).
• Kapor Foundation: Sister organization within the Kapor ecosystem funding diversity in STEM research and the tech ecosystem; shares leadership (Allison Scott, PhD), donors, and scholar pipeline with SMASH and is a strategic operating-adjacent peer.

Emerging players

• Phillips Academy Andover MS^2 Program: The original Math and Science for Minority Students (MS)2 program at Phillips Academy Andover that directly inspired SMASH; comparable residential summer STEM model for high-achieving underrepresented high school students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smashprogram
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@smashprogram
• Facebookfacebook.com/smashprogram
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smash-program
• Instagraminstagram.com/smash_program

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 SMASH