Higher Education Protection Network (HEPNet)

What Higher Education Protection Network (HEPNet) does

The Higher Education Protection Network (HEPNet) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, membership-based professional association founded formally in 2017 (with grassroots origins dating to 2013) and headquartered in Canal Winchester, Ohio. It is the only national association specifically dedicated to advancing how colleges and universities interact with the children and youth they serve through camps, pre-college programs, athletics, summer programs, outreach, and youth-serving activities. The organization serves more than 328 individual members across 200+ institutions of higher education and youth-serving organizations, whose programs collectively reach over 6.5 million youth annually. Its membership spans individual higher-education professionals ($285/year), institutional multi-seat packages ($542–$2,280 for 2 to 10 individuals), discounted student/retiree access ($100), and a $400/year affiliate tier for adjacent organizations.

HEPNet's product portfolio is anchored by the Ann Franke Learning Institute, an umbrella that bundles a six-month Learning Series, a nine-week Youth Protection Bootcamp, a seven-week Youth Protection Seminar, interactive workshops, and tiered webinars (member-exclusive and public). A four-day Annual Conference (the 2026 edition scheduled for November 2–5 at Arizona State University, with member pricing $535–$585 and non-member pricing $735–$785) is the flagship acquisition and retention event. Supporting infrastructure includes the HEPNet Hub member portal (WordPress plus memberclicks.net), a Member Connections interactive map, a job board, mentor program, benchmarking surveys, a Professional Competencies framework (developed in 2022), and a publishing/blog surface. Distribution combines self-serve online registration with custom institutional delivery and is supported by an annual sponsorship stack headed by Cozen O'Connor, alongside Praesidium, Torchline, Ideal-Logic, CampDoc, and the American Camp Association.

Revenue is generated across nine named streams: individual membership, institutional membership, student/retiree membership, affiliate membership, conference registration, Learning Series, Seminar/Youth Protection programs, conference and program sponsorships, and tax-deductible donations (including Thrivent Choice). The product is fundamentally a community and content business—human-led learning, peer benchmarking, and convening—not a software product. Operations are run by a three-person staff (Executive Director Lindsay Meyer Bond, Director of Development Kirsten Bramley, and Membership Specialist Tammi Laycox) advised by strategic advisors Ann H. Franke and Gina Maisto Smith and governed by a 13-person board drawing from major universities (UT Austin, Rice, UGA, UVA, NC State, Michigan State, Kansas State, RIT, Utah), United Educators, Praesidium, and YMCA-USA.

Name

Higher Education Protection Network (HEPNet)

Legal name

Higher Education Protection Network

Website

https://higheredprotection.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HEPNet is the only national 501(c)(3) membership association focused on protecting minors in higher-education programming, serving 328+ professionals across 200+ institutions through member dues, a flagship annual conference, the Ann Franke Learning Institute, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Canal Winchester

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership: Individual memberships at $285/year for higher education professionals. Includes webinars, community chats, annual conference discount, member connections, leadership opportunities, job board, blog, discussion board, benchmarking surveys, mentor program, professional competencies, member directory, templates, and newsletters.
2. Institutional Membership: Multi-seat institutional memberships offering discounts up to 20%. Pricing tiers for 2-10 individuals at the same institution, ranging from $542 to $2,280.
3. Student/Retiree Membership: Limited access membership at discounted rate of $100/year for students and retirees.
4. Affiliate Membership: Membership at $400/year for those outside higher education that support the mission, with discounted conference pricing.
5. Conference Registration: Annual conference registration fees: Member $535-585, Non-Member $735-785 depending on timing. Pre-conference sessions at additional cost ($280-358).
6. Learning Series: 6-month professional development series with tiered access: Standard ($275-400 member/non-member), Enhanced ($325-490), Full ($375-560). Includes live sessions, on-demand content, and peer connection.
7. Youth Protection Seminar: Advanced 7-week program at $1,400 including 2 seats, plus optional memberships or job posting add-ons.
8. Sponsorships: Conference sponsorship, year-round sponsorship, HEPNet Hub sponsorship, Learning Series sponsorship, and Buyer's Guide sponsorship opportunities for vendors serving the youth protection field.
9. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations under 501(c)(3) status. Also accepts Thrivent Choice donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

HEPNet is a 501(c)(3) membership association that connects higher education professionals across departments to protect children and youth participating in college and university programming. It sells annual memberships (individual, institutional, student/retiree, and affiliate tiers) and delivers a portfolio of educational programs under the Ann Franke Learning Institute, including a 6-month Learning Series, 9-week Bootcamp, 7-week Seminar, Interactive Workshops, Webinars, and a 4-day Annual Conference, supported by the HEPNet Hub member portal, benchmarking surveys, templates, and a public resources library.

Product overview

HEPNet is a membership-based professional association, not a unified software product. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs and services centered around youth protection in higher education. The Ann Franke Learning Institute serves as the umbrella for educational offerings including the Learning Series (6-month professional development), Youth Protection Bootcamp (9-week foundational program), Youth Protection Seminar (7-week advanced program), Interactive Workshops, and Webinars. The HEPNet Annual Conference is a flagship 4-day event. Supporting member services include the HEPNet Hub member portal with forum and listserv, Public Resources, Job Board, Mentor Program, Benchmarking Surveys, Professional Competencies, and Member Directory. These offerings work together to serve youth protection professionals across higher education institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Annual membership offering for higher education professionals and institutions, available in individual ($285/year), institutional multi-seat ($542–$2,280/year for 2–10 individuals), student/retiree ($100/year), and affiliate ($400/year) tiers. Includes access to webinars, community chats, conference discount, member directory, job board, mentor program, benchmarking surveys, and templates.
• HEPNet Annual Conference A 4-day annual in-person gathering of 150+ youth protection professionals, sponsors, and partners featuring deep-dive learning, educational breakout sessions, pre-conference sessions, and purposeful networking. Registration $535–$585 for members and $735–$785 for non-members.
• Ann Franke Learning Institute Umbrella learning institute providing high-quality, flexible learning opportunities for youth protection professionals, housing the Learning Series, Bootcamp, Seminar, Interactive Workshops, and Webinars.
• Learning Series A 6-month professional development experience combining live sessions, on-demand content, practical resources, and peer connection. Available in Standard ($275–$420), Enhanced ($325–$490), and Full ($375–$560) tiers depending on member status and access level.
• Youth Protection Bootcamp A 9-week immersive virtual program to help institutions build, draft, or finalize foundational elements of a youth protection policy, featuring expert-led sessions, optional office hours, and individualized support.
• Youth Protection Seminar An advanced 7-week virtual program for institutions ready to strengthen, monitor, and operationalize youth protection efforts, covering complex emerging issues, implementation, monitoring, compliance, and continuous improvement. Priced at $1,400 including 2 seats.
• Interactive Workshops Focused, hands-on virtual sessions that help youth protection professionals explore key topics such as program assessment, policy effectiveness, and implementation priorities, and leave with actionable next steps.
• Webinars Public and member webinars offering timely conversations with experts on emerging trends, compliance issues, and practical strategies in higher education youth protection. Members receive 6 webinars yearly at no charge.
• HEPNet Hub (Member Portal) Member-only digital community platform providing connection, resource sharing, discussion forums, and ongoing learning, including the Member Connections interactive map, listserv, and discussion board.
• Public Resources Free educational resources and materials available to the general public including research documents, webinars, parent resources, and risk management tools for youth protection.

Quantifiable outcome

• 328+ individual members at 200+ institutions collectively serving 6.5 million youth annually
• +2 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

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cozen O'ConnorcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Title Sponsor for HEPNet 2026 Annual Conference. Cozen O'Connor's Institutional Response Group is nationally recognized for knowledge and experience related to child sexual and physical abuse, child protection, and child protective services laws. They advise clients in evaluating and responding to current or historical allegations of abuse.
• PraesidiumcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor and Buyer's Guide sponsor. Leading innovator of scientifically-based solutions for prevention of sexual abuse. For over 30 years, Praesidium has trained more than one million people online and hundreds of thousands in person.
• TorchlinecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor providing verified insights into past conduct and professional reputation of potential employees and volunteers through Conduct Verifications and Reference Checks.
• Ideal-LogiccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor with over 16 years of experience implementing youth registration and protection of minors compliance systems. Provides customizable web-based software for program and compliance policy needs.
• CampDoccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor and collaborator on Risk Management Tools for Success. Leading camp management software and electronic health record system providing secure web-based solution for managing health forms, medications/allergies, and health logging.
• American Camp Association (ACA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ACA is a national organization serving more than 20,000 camps annually serving 26 million campers. HEPNet works closely with ACA in aligning camp accreditation standards with higher education environment. ACA has an affinity group for Camps on Campus. Collaborative on Call to Action for Youth Protection in Athletic Programs.
• EngageU (NSLC)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor. Built on years of summer programming, EngageU understands intricacies of running successful educational programs and provides expert guidance for universities seeking to develop or expand internal summer offerings.
• aINSIGHTminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor specializing in employee onboarding and compliance management with comprehensive background screening, drug testing, and occupational health services for education sector.
• NCS Risk Services, LLCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor. Mission is to educate and empower everyone to ensure optimal safe environments for children and the vulnerable. Programs help prevent wrongdoing and promote 'rightdoing' within organizations.
• OutsetminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Conference sponsor. Education program running residential summer experiences for high school students exploring career pathways in medicine.
• QuestionProminorOthers · 1 January 2026Provides survey services for HEPNet events, donor feedback, and volunteer surveys at no cost.
• ACA Camps on CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Affinity group for camps operating within higher education environment, aligned with camp accreditation standards. Conference sponsor.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Clery Center: Nonprofit dedicated to campus safety and Clery Act compliance. Comparable to HEPNet as a higher-ed safety nonprofit providing training, resources, and a national community for compliance professionals, including overlaps on minors protection.
• Prevent Child Abuse America: National nonprofit working to prevent child abuse through education, advocacy, and a network of state chapters. Comparable to HEPNet in being a mission-aligned child protection nonprofit relying on memberships, donations, and sponsor partnerships.
• NACUA (National Association of College and University Attorneys): Higher education legal and compliance membership association with institutional membership tiers, an annual conference, and professional development. Comparable to HEPNet in serving higher-ed compliance/legal professionals with subscription and event revenue.
• National Children's Alliance: National nonprofit accrediting children's advocacy centers and supporting child abuse response. Comparable to HEPNet as a child protection nonprofit providing standards, accreditation, training, and a member network, with overlapping stakeholder community.
• International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA): International membership association for campus public safety and law enforcement leaders. Comparable to HEPNet in operating as a higher-ed safety-focused association with institutional memberships, conferences, and training.
• American Camp Association: National nonprofit membership association setting standards for camps and youth-serving programs. Directly comparable to HEPNet as a mission-aligned nonprofit serving youth safety, and an active HEPNet partner through the ACA Camps on Campus affinity group.
• National Center for Higher Education Risk Management (NCHERM Group): Consulting and training organization focused on higher education risk management, including minors on campus, Title IX, and campus safety. Comparable to HEPNet in serving the same higher-ed compliance buyer with overlapping content and training programs.
• ATIXA (Association of Title IX Administrators): Membership association serving Title IX and civil rights compliance professionals in higher education. Closely comparable to HEPNet's model: a higher-ed compliance professional association with tiered memberships, annual conferences, training, and certifications for institutional roles.

Others

• United Educators: Higher education-specific insurance and risk management provider whose Sr. Risk Management Counsel Melanie Bennett sits on HEPNet's board. Comparable as a partner/ecosystem organization serving the same higher-ed risk and youth-protection buyers.

Broad incumbents

• NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education): Large national association for student affairs professionals in higher education with tiered memberships, annual conference, and knowledge communities. Comparable to HEPNet's membership-association model but broader in scope and significantly larger.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/higher-education-protection-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Higher Education Protection Network (HEPNet)