Black Alliance of Colleges and Employers (BACE)

What Black Alliance of Colleges and Employers (BACE) does

BACE (Business Alliance of Colleges and Employers) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 and headquartered at 155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250, Chicago, IL. The organization operates as a multi-sector alliance and convening body that connects higher education institutions, corporations, professional associations, HBCUs, and veteran service organizations around talent pathways, organizational transformation, supplier and entrepreneurship development, and corporate social responsibility. Its core offerings include BACE V-SUITE (a career and entrepreneurship center serving military, veterans, and spouses, expanded in 2023-2024 via merger with the Veterans Advocacy Group), BACE Research (an interdisciplinary forum producing publications on caregiver retention and HBCU sustainability in partnership with AICPA & CIMA), BACE Campus and Careers (a consortium for industry-institutional alliances including the industry cohort pilot co-architected with Dr. Tatum Thomas), and BACE Career Center (an online job board connecting employers with candidates, enhanced by a Circa/Miratech alliance providing access to 169 million candidates).

Underlying technology is modest: the platform stack centers on a career center/job board website, Constant Contact email infrastructure, LinkedIn and YouTube channels, and event-based convenings rather than proprietary AI/ML systems. The organization runs on a small team (President/CEO Shannon Stone-Winding, a Research Fellow, Editorial Staff, and a National Executive Board of 14 members drawn from Boeing, GE Vernova, McDonald's, Gilead Sciences, JP Morgan, DePaul, and other institutions).

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: (1) tax-deductible donations accepted as one-time, monthly, or annual recurring gifts; (2) tiered programmatic sponsorships at Bronze ($5K+/month), Silver ($10K+/month), Gold ($25K+/year), and Platinum ($50K) levels, with negotiable options above Platinum, providing direct corporate association with specific programs; and (3) event revenue from sponsorships at convenings such as UNCF UNITE, AICPA ENGAGE, the BACE Summit, and the BACE V-Suite Women Veteran Business and Market Expo. BACE is currently hiring research assistants, indicating modest organizational buildout. The organization was awarded the Candid Bronze Seal of Transparency and holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

Name

Black Alliance of Colleges and Employers (BACE)

Legal name

Business Alliance of Colleges and Employers

Website

https://bacecareers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BACE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit alliance that connects higher education institutions, corporations, HBCUs, and veteran service organizations through career centers, research, and convenings focused on diverse talent pathways, with BACE V-SUITE serving military, veterans, and spouses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development and Talent Pipeline Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAKAA

Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/College & Career Enrichment (Mentorship, Internships, Portfolio)

Keywords

• Workforce development
• Talent pipeline programs
• Veteran employment services
• Higher education partnerships
• Career center platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: BACE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax-deductible donations are accepted as one-time gifts or monthly/annual recurring contributions.
2. Programmatic Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at Bronze ($5K+/month), Silver ($10K+/month), Gold ($25K+/annual), and Platinum ($50K) levels, with customizable negotiated options. Sponsors directly invest in specific programs such as pilot talent and mentorship programs, skill-building workshops, career fairs, networking events, and scholarship funds.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from event participation, sponsorships at conferences like UNCF UNITE, AICPA ENGAGE, and BACE's own summit and expo events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BACE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit alliance that convenes colleges, universities, corporations, and associations to develop talent pipelines, advance workforce transformation, and connect diverse talent with employers. Its core offerings include the BACE V-SUITE career and entrepreneurship center for military, veterans, and spouses; BACE Research on retention and workforce issues; and BACE Campus and Careers consortium for industry-institutional alliances.

Product overview

BACE is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) offering a portfolio of career development and entrepreneurship programs focused on military, veterans, spouses, and talent in higher education and workplace settings. The core offerings include BACE V-SUITE (a career and entrepreneurship center providing cohort-based programs, incubators, accelerators, and ERG roundtables), BACE Research (interdisciplinary research forum with publishing alliances and fellowships), and BACE Campus and Careers (consortium for industry-institutional alliances). Supporting initiatives include the BACE Career Center platform, Transformation Working Groups, Consortium Working Groups, and the In The Boardroom event series. Programs like BACE VetEntrepreneurs and BACE VetScholars support veteran-specific pathways. Revenue is supplemented through Programmatic Sponsorships at tiered levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 135% growth in Credit for Prior Learning Consortium participation in single year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• AICPA & CIMAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023AICPA & CIMA serves as a BACE Research Partner supporting collaborative research on retention strategy of caregiving employees in accounting firms. This partnership addresses talent retention challenges with 37+ million unpaid caregivers in the US, including nearly 5M college students who are hidden caregivers.
• Appraisal Institute Education and Relief FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBACE program sponsor supporting talent pipeline and pathway strategy for the appraisal industry. Foundation co-sponsors BACE panels at UNCF UNITE Summits and supports industry cohort pilot programs.
• YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Breedlove AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBACE V-Suite operates through fiscal sponsorship with YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Breedlove Accelerator, which supports later-stage women of color entrepreneurs majority-owned businesses with $100K+ revenues.
• Arthur Lockhart Resource InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Arthur Lockhart Resource Institute for Women Veterans Business Expo and veteran career services at Malcolm X College in Chicago.
• CabanasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBACE V-Suite is Chicago Champion for Cabana, a mental health app providing accessible, affordable, on-demand mental health support. Offers 10 free Non-Profit subscriptions for eligible nonprofits through Cabana for Good program.
• Circa & MiratechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew talent alliance with Circa/Miratech supporting career opportunities nationally. Access to 169 million candidates from over 8,500 inclusive social organizations, including 13+ million veterans.
• Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBACE collaborated with IVMF on September 2022 Military Entrepreneurship Summit, focusing on corporate Chicago panel with The Obama Foundation, Uber, World Business Chicago, and American Water.
• The Center for Accounting TransformationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBACE collaborates with The Center for Accounting Transformation supporting organizational talent recruitment and retention through groundbreaking research reports on diverse workforce empowerment.
• Onyx RisingsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Onyx Rising for BACE Campus and Careers, advancing leadership advocacy and development along with organizational transformation. Moderator Kelli Lester (McMiller) serves as Chief Strategy Officer.
• DePaul UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Tatum Thomas from DePaul University School of Continuing and Professional Studies co-architect of BACE's industry cohort pilot announced at UNCF UNITE. DePaul leads Chicagoland Credit for Prior Learning Consortium with 135% participation growth.
• City Colleges of ChicagosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Chicagoland Credit for Prior Learning Consortium along with College of DuPage, Harper College, and Oakton College, producing shared assessment protocols for working adults.
• Veterans Advocacy GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVAG has collaborated with higher ed institutions and veteran-service organizations for over 20 years. Merged with BACE to form BACE V-SUITE career and entrepreneurship center.
• UNCFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBACE partners with UNCF for annual UNITE Summit and Conference, convening campus and industry leaders for workforce strategy and development discussions around banking, insurance, real estate, appraisal, and construction.
• Association for Talent Development (ATD) ChicagosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate and civic partnership portfolio includes ATD Chicago, reflecting commitment to connecting institutional learning to economic life and civic infrastructure.
• Columbia UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-designed HBCU Fellowship Initiative with $100M institutional equity commitment, welcoming 21 fellows from Morehouse, Howard, Spelman, Hampton, Xavier, and other HBCUs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• The Executive Leadership Council (ELC): ELC is a membership organization of Black Fortune 500 executives advancing Black leadership in business. Comparable to BACE through its focus on Black talent, corporate board access, and ESG/DEI strategy, though concentrated at the C-suite level.
• Braven: Braven partners with universities and employers to prepare underrepresented college students for career success, running accelerator-style courses and corporate career coaching. Closely aligned with BACE's cohort-based talent pathway pilots at HBCUs and partner schools.

Broad incumbents

• Catalyst: Catalyst is a global nonprofit research and advisory organization focused on workplace inclusion and gender equity - comparable to BACE Research pillar's employer-focused research and corporate advisory on talent retention and DEI.
• Year Up: Year Up is a larger workforce development nonprofit providing training and corporate internships for young adults from underserved communities. Comparable to BACE's mission around talent pathways but operating at national scale with employer-funded programs.
• National Urban League: National Urban League is a much larger incumbent civil rights and workforce development organization with broader programs but overlapping focus on Black economic mobility, workforce training, and employer partnerships - a broader-scale version of BACE's alliance-and-talent model.

Direct peers

• Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF): IVMF is BACE's collaborator on the Military Entrepreneurship Summit and a national authority on veteran talent pathways. Directly comparable to BACE V-Suite's veteran career and entrepreneurship programs.
• Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO): SEO provides mentoring, internship placement, and career programming for underrepresented college students - a strong direct peer to BACE's BACE Campus and Careers and Consortium Working Group activities around talent mentorship and employer pipelines.
• UNCF (United Negro College Fund): UNCF is a core BACE partner and a natural peer - a 501(c)(3) advancing HBCU capacity, scholarships, and career pathways for Black students. Both organizations run annual convenings (UNCF UNITE), sponsor fellowships, and broker corporate-university partnerships for Black talent.
• INROADS: INROADS is a nonprofit that recruits, trains, and develops high-achieving minority youth for corporate careers - directly comparable to BACE's mission of connecting diverse talent to employers through paid internships and talent pipeline programs.
• National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE): NACE is the closest direct peer - a membership association connecting colleges and employers around talent development, with research, conferences, and a job board. BACE and NACE both serve the higher-education-to-employer pipeline, but BACE centers Black talent, HBCUs, and veteran pathways while NACE is broader and industry-agnostic.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BACECareers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bacecareers

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Black Alliance of Colleges and Employers (BACE)