Equity Design Inc

What Equity Design Inc does

Equity Design Inc is a New York-based, Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) founded in 2019 that operates as a social enterprise focused on advancing health equity through physical-activity program design. The company delivers a portfolio of services including Movement-First Design, Program Design, Professional Development, and Health Equity Assessments, packaged into flagship programs such as Right to Run, Active Design in Schools, the USA Cycling partnership, Creating Healthy Schools and Communities, and Walkable Communities. Its technical surface is light: program delivery is human-led, with Garmin wearables used to capture activity data and surface outcome metrics for school and community stakeholders.

The company serves primarily NYC public-sector and community-based customers, with the NYC Department of Education and NYC Department of Health as anchor partners, and named school customers including PS 18, PS 32, and Bronx Career and College Prep HS. Co-branded partnerships with On, Garmin, USA Cycling, Street Lab, Major Taylor, and Bronx Health REACH extend its distribution into both private-sector athletic brands and grassroots community organizations. The business model is professional services: contracts, grants, and sponsored programming delivered through a small five-person team, with founder/CEO Maurelhena Walles — a former World Masters Athletics champion — as the primary subject-matter authority. The company pursues funding and visibility through IFundWomen, suggesting a hybrid grant/equity and contract revenue mix rather than a pure fee-for-service model.

Name

Equity Design Inc

Legal name

Equity Design Inc

Website

https://equitydesigninc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Equity Design Inc is a New York-based MWBE social enterprise that designs physical-activity and health-equity programs for NYC schools, public agencies, and community organizations, anchored by founder Maurelhena Walles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Equity Consulting

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

DEI, Equity & Inclusion Advisory (BPACAJAJ), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Health equity consulting
• Physical activity programming
• Community wellness services
• School wellness programs
• Movement design services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Design Services: Customized program design, re-imagining and redesigning spaces to promote physical activity engagement. Programs are customized to reflect the culture of each community served.
2. Professional Development Services: Customized professional development, trainings and workshops on how to implement, engage and facilitate physical activity programming, including sports, fitness and movement-based programming for both youth and adults.
3. Health Equity Assessments: Assessment of internal processes and outcomes by organizations to help drive decision making on the physical activity programming that best meets the needs of the community being served. Includes data-driven analysis and strategic recommendations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Equity Design Inc is a holistic capacity-building organization that designs, implements, and evaluates physical activity programs and environments for schools, community organizations, and government agencies. The company applies its Movement-First Design methodology to embed equity, activity, and inclusion into public spaces and programs, delivering program design, professional development, health equity assessments, and ongoing technical assistance to underserved communities.

Product overview

Equity Design Inc is a holistic capacity-building organization offering a unified portfolio of physical activity and health equity services. The core offering centers on Movement-First Design—a co-design methodology that embeds equity and physical activity into public spaces from pre-design through post-build activation. Three foundational services support this work: Program Design (customized physical activity programming), Professional Development (facilitator training and workshops), and Health Equity Assessment (data-driven evaluation of community needs). These services are delivered through five program initiatives: Right to Run (school-based walking and fitness programs using Garmin wearable tracking), Active Design in Schools (outdoor learning space enhancement), USA Cycling (integrated cycling education and access), Creating Healthy Schools & Communities (whole-school wellness integration), and Walkable Communities (pedestrian safety and infrastructure advocacy). Technical Assistance and Coaching provides ongoing support to help partners sustain programming. The company operates as a Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) focused on underserved communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Movement-First Design

Quantifiable outcome

• 35+ schools supported with all-inclusive physical activity programming
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• I Challenge MyselfminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on physical activity programming for youth and communities. Collaborative initiative supporting community engagement through movement.
• IFundWomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's funding platform partnership supporting women-owned business development and access to capital for women entrepreneurs in the health and fitness space.
• On (Right to Run)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthletic footwear and apparel brand sponsoring the Right to Run program. On provides Track Field Day sponsorship where PS 32 elementary school students and teachers can show off running and physical activity skills. Principal sponsor of culminating events.
• Major Taylor Development Team & Iron RiderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCycling organization providing cycling education, mentorship, and community cycling events. Partners on PS 18X Initiative and BikeFest events to provide students with access to cycling through Physical Education and community clinics.
• USA CyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational cycling federation partnership for promoting cycling as transportation and recreation. Provides educational programming, maintenance teams, and resources for cycling initiatives in under-resourced communities.
• Street LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen space and public realm organization that creates inclusive public spaces. Partnership for Play Together NYC program and street activation events that close streets to traffic for community cycling and physical activity.
• Communitas AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization focused on ventures and programs that strengthen communities through social enterprise and collaborative initiatives.
• Bronx Health REACHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth initiative partnership addressing health disparities in the Bronx. Collaboration through Creating Healthy Schools and Communities initiative with NYC DOHMH East Harlem and Brownsville Neighborhood Action Center.
• ACTIIVSTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivist organization partnership focused on community engagement and advocacy for health equity and social justice in under-resourced communities.
• Metropolitan BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanking partnership creating a Triple R Lounge (Rest, Recharge, Reset) for middle school teachers in the South Bronx to encourage access to physical activity while improving teacher retention and morale.
• NYC Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUsing community engagement to create access to physical activity. Core partnership through Active Design in Schools program with NYC DOHMH. Equity Design is an ongoing partner of DOHMH whose mission is to use physical activity to help change lives and shape behaviors.
• NYC Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Office of School Wellness and Office of Energy and Sustainability to create safe and active environments for physical activity, physical education and play. Partnership with K-12 public schools in all 5 boroughs.
• Free Bikes For Kids (fb4kmaryland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing free bicycles to children in need. Partnership for PS 18 cycling initiative to increase access to cycling for students in under-resourced communities.
• Up2UsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports-based youth development organization partnership supporting cycling and physical activity programs for youth in under-resourced communities.
• Bike NYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBike education and safety programming partnership providing instructional content and maintenance training for cycling initiatives.
• United Community School/United Federation of TeachersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnion partnership supporting school wellness initiatives and teacher engagement in physical activity programming at PS 18.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Health Leads: Health Leads is a national health-equity social enterprise working with health systems and communities to address social determinants of health. It is comparable to Equity Design as a similarly sized mission-driven consulting and program design firm applying equity frameworks to community health challenges, though focused more on social needs navigation than physical-activity programming.
• KaBOOM!: KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit focused on ensuring all kids have access to play, particularly in communities that have historically been denied it. It co-designs playgrounds and play spaces with communities—a near-exact functional analog of Equity Design's schoolyard and public-space co-design work for underserved populations.
• Active Living By Design: Founded at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Active Living By Design is a national program that partners with communities to design built environments and policies that promote physical activity and health equity. It is the closest direct peer to Equity Design's Movement-First Design methodology, operating at a larger scale but with the same mission of integrating activity into community design.
• City Parks Foundation: City Parks Foundation operates active programs in NYC parks, including youth sports, fitness, and community wellness, often in partnership with NYC Parks and NYC DOE. It directly overlaps with Equity Design's geographic and programmatic focus on underserved NYC neighborhoods, active design, and community physical-activity engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Trust for Public Land: Trust for Public Land is a large national nonprofit that works to create and protect parks and green space, with explicit equity goals for underserved communities. It is a broader incumbent in the urban green space and park equity space where Equity Design operates as a small specialized subconsultant.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is a major national community development financial institution that funds and supports health, housing, and equity initiatives in underserved communities. It frequently partners with NYC-based community organizations on school wellness, active design, and community health work, overlapping with Equity Design's funding and program partner landscape.

Emerging players

• America Walks: America Walks is a national advocacy organization promoting walkable communities through policy, funding, and technical assistance to local advocates. It is highly comparable to Equity Design's Walkable Communities initiative, though it operates at a national advocacy level rather than direct neighborhood implementation.
• Safe Routes to School National Partnership: Safe Routes to School National Partnership advances safe walking and bicycling to school through policy, funding, and programming. It overlaps with Equity Design's Active Design in Schools and Walkable Communities work, though it operates as a national coalition rather than a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/equitydesigninc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/equity-design-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/equitydesigninc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Equity Design Inc