The GenderCool Project
The GenderCool Project is a Chicago-based nonprofit founded in 2017 that amplifies transgender and nonbinary youth voices through a Champions ambassador program, an 8-week virtual Trans Youth Leadership Lab, corporate workshops, and community gatherings, funded primarily by donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The GenderCool Project does
The GenderCool Project is a Chicago-based nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2017 that works to foster hope, visibility, inclusion, and joy for transgender and nonbinary youth by amplifying their voices and the voices of their families. The organization's core product is the Champions Program, a curated network of 20 transgender and nonbinary youth ambassadors depicted as future leaders across diverse professional fields including filmmaking, medicine, athletics, authorship, and advocacy. Each Champion has a public profile on the GenderCool website that functions as a content library for awareness-building and representation.
The organization operates a platform-plus-programs model. Beyond the Champions storytelling platform, it runs the Trans Youth Leadership Lab — a small-cohort, 8-week virtual program designed to help trans and nonbinary youth build skills, confidence, and community on their own terms. Its third offering consists of in-person engagement through corporate workshops and community gatherings, which serve as live touchpoints for connecting with families and organizational partners.
The GenderCool Project is funded through donations accepted via its website and through its corporate workshop engagements. All programmatic offerings (the Leadership Lab, community events) are provided free of charge to participants. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on champion storytelling, word-of-mouth, and direct corporate outreach rather than paid marketing channels. The organization does not develop or sell technology products and has no app, API, or software platform.
The GenderCool Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The GenderCool Project
- Legal name
- The GenderCool Project
- Website
- https://gendercool.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The GenderCool Project is a Chicago-based nonprofit founded in 2017 that amplifies transgender and nonbinary youth voices through a Champions ambassador program, an 8-week virtual Trans Youth Leadership Lab, corporate workshops, and community gatherings, funded primarily by donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The GenderCool Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Youth Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)
Keywords
Where The GenderCool Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The GenderCool Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: The organization accepts donations through its website to support programs for transgender and nonbinary youth, including the Trans Youth Leadership Lab and champion storytelling initiatives.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
The GenderCool Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The GenderCool Project is a nonprofit advocacy organization that amplifies the voices of transgender and nonbinary youth through its Champions Program (20+ youth ambassadors profiled across diverse professions), the Trans Youth Leadership Lab (an 8-week virtual cohort program), corporate inclusion workshops, and in-person community gatherings. All programs are offered free of charge to youth and families, with operations funded by donations.
Product overview
The GenderCool Project is a nonprofit advocacy organization that operates as a platform-plus-programs model. Its core offerings center on the Champions Program—a network of 20 transgender and nonbinary youth ambassadors featured across various professional paths—and the Trans Youth Leadership Lab, an 8-week virtual skill-building program. These are complemented by in-person engagement through corporate workshops and community gatherings. The organization focuses on fostering hope, visibility, inclusion, and joy for transgender and nonbinary youth rather than offering a traditional software product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Champions Program
Companies that use The GenderCool Project
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The GenderCool Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The GenderCool Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The GenderCool Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is a leading U.S. nonprofit providing crisis intervention, counseling, and advocacy for LGBTQ young people. It serves a similar transgender and nonbinary youth audience and runs youth-centered programs, but focuses on mental health crisis support rather than storytelling-led visibility.
- GLSEN: GLSEN is a U.S. nonprofit focused on LGBTQ-inclusive K–12 education, advocacy, and student programs. It directly parallels The GenderCool Project's youth-centered LGBTQ advocacy and educational programming, though its primary lens is school-based rather than youth storytelling.
- PFLAG: PFLAG is a U.S. nonprofit family- and ally-based organization supporting LGBTQ people, including youth, and their families. It overlaps directly with The GenderCool Project's family-of-trans-youth segment and community gathering model.
- Trans Lifeline: Trans Lifeline is a U.S. nonprofit providing peer-support hotlines and community resources run by and for transgender people. It serves the same transgender audience with direct support programming, differing from GenderCool's storytelling and leadership-development focus.
- It Gets Better Project: It Gets Better Project is a nonprofit media platform amplifying LGBTQ youth stories through video and editorial content. It is highly comparable in storytelling-first, youth-voice-amplification model, though it is broader across LGBTQ identities rather than focused on transgender and nonbinary youth specifically.
- Gender Spectrum: Gender Spectrum is a U.S. nonprofit supporting gender-diverse children, teens, and their families through education, resources, and programs. It overlaps directly with GenderCool's transgender youth and family segments but focuses on parent and educator training rather than youth storytelling.
Emerging players
- Athlete Ally: Athlete Ally is a nonprofit focused on LGBTQ inclusion in sports, including transgender athlete participation. It is comparable to The GenderCool Project's athletic Champion narratives and corporate inclusion work, but operates specifically in the sports vertical.
Broad incumbents
- Human Rights Campaign (HRC): HRC is the largest U.S. LGBTQ civil rights advocacy organization, working on policy, corporate equality, and public education. It overlaps with The GenderCool Project's advocacy and corporate partnership work but operates at a national lobbying scale rather than grassroots youth storytelling.
- National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE): NCTE is a U.S. policy advocacy nonprofit advancing transgender equality through research, lobbying, and the U.S. Transgender Survey. It shares GenderCool's transgender rights mission but operates at the federal policy level rather than youth storytelling.
Regional players
- Outright International: Outright International is a global LGBTQ human rights nonprofit supporting LGBTQ organizations worldwide. It overlaps with GenderCool's advocacy and youth programming lens but operates internationally on human rights issues rather than focusing on U.S. youth storytelling.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
The GenderCool Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe GenderCool Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The GenderCool Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The GenderCool Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The GenderCool Project 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 The GenderCool Project
What does The GenderCool Project do?
The GenderCool Project is a nonprofit advocacy organization that amplifies the voices of transgender and nonbinary youth through its Champions Program (20+ youth ambassadors profiled across diverse professions), the Trans Youth Leadership Lab (an 8-week virtual cohort program), corporate inclusion workshops, and in-person community gatherings. All programs are offered free of charge to youth and families, with operations funded by donations.
When was The GenderCool Project founded?
The GenderCool Project was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The GenderCool Project based?
The GenderCool Project is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does The GenderCool Project make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations.
Who are The GenderCool Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Trevor Project, GLSEN, PFLAG, Trans Lifeline, It Gets Better Project and Gender Spectrum. Athlete Ally is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). Outright International is listed as a regional player.
Does The GenderCool Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The GenderCool Project.
What industry is The GenderCool Project in?
The GenderCool Project's product category is Nonprofit Youth Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAJ, Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGADAK, Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8300.