mikeroweWORKS

What mikeroweWORKS does

mikeroweWORKS is a charitable foundation operated through MRW Holdings, LLC, a privately held California LLC founded in 2008. The foundation's primary function is awarding work ethic scholarships to individuals pursuing skilled trades education, including plumbing, electrical work, HVAC, welding, and other trade school programs, with awards ranging from $500 to $34,000 and averaging $9,100. Recipients are distributed across 45 U.S. states and pursue 23 different trades; the foundation specifically targets individuals who demonstrate work ethic but lack financial resources, including those advised to pursue traditional four-year college degrees rather than trades. The foundation has a stated $10 million annual scholarship disbursement goal and disbursed $3 million to 322 recipients in the first round of 2026.

The foundation operates without a proprietary technology platform, running on standard web infrastructure (mikeroweworks.org, mikerowe.com) and email communication ([email protected]). Core outputs include the Work Ethic Scholarship Program, a Work Ethic Curriculum deployed in high schools in partnership with the Engelstad Foundation, and a portfolio of media properties under the mikerowe.com content platform. These media properties include The Way I Heard It podcast, the Dirty Jobs television franchise (rebooted on Discovery), the Something to Stand For film streaming on Angel Studios, the Returning the Favor Facebook Watch series (concluded 2021), and the Six Degrees series on Discovery+. Mike Rowe's social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, and YouTube reaches millions of followers and serves as the primary distribution channel for foundation messaging and scholarship recruitment.

Revenue is generated through two primary streams: corporate sponsorship and individual donations funding the scholarship program, and advertising revenue from podcast sponsorships (including Groundworks). Named corporate sponsors include Wells Fargo, Lockheed Martin, BlackRock, Google, Ford Philanthropy, Engelstad Foundation, Folds of Honor, Paul Mitchell Schools, Fisher Global Foundation, Ferguson Cares, and Berens Foundation, among more than 20 others. The foundation has only two full-time employees, with other support provided on a volunteer basis across the broader MRW Holdings organization, resulting in minimal overhead relative to the scale of scholarship disbursement. In July 2026 the foundation received a $10 million donation at the Pentagon from the BuildFreedom.US Department of Defense initiative, marking its entry into federal workforce-development alignment.

Name

mikeroweWORKS

Legal name

MRW Holdings, LLC

Website

https://mikerowe.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

mikeroweWORKS is a charitable foundation, operated by MRW Holdings, LLC, that awards work ethic scholarships to individuals pursuing skilled trades education across the United States, funded by corporate sponsors and individual donors and promoted through Mike Rowe's media platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Skilled Trades Education Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Skilled trades scholarships
• Work ethic advocacy
• Trades education funding
• Foundation grants
• Podcast media

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco Bay Area

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Scholarship Program Funding: The foundation raises funds from corporate sponsors and individual benefactors to award work ethic scholarships to people pursuing skilled trades education. Scholarship awards vary from $500 to $34,000, with an average award of $9,100.
2. Podcast Sponsorships: The podcast 'The Way I Heard It' features sponsors such as Groundworks. Revenue from podcast sponsorships supports foundation operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

mikeroweWORKS is a charitable foundation that awards work ethic scholarships to individuals pursuing skilled trades education, with awards ranging from $500 to $34,000 (average $9,100) and a $10 million annual scholarship goal. It is the philanthropic arm of Mike Rowe's personal media brand, which spans the "The Way I Heard It" podcast, the Dirty Jobs television franchise, the "Something to Stand For" film, and supporting content properties. The foundation has only two full-time employees and is funded by corporate sponsors and individual donors.

Product overview

mikeroweWORKS is a personal media brand centered on Mike Rowe, encompassing a content platform (mikerowe.com), the mikeroweWORKS Foundation with its work ethic scholarship program and curriculum, and various media properties including The Way I Heard It podcast, the Dirty Jobs television franchise, and the film Something to Stand For. The foundation operates as a charitable initiative focused on promoting skilled trades and work ethic through scholarship distribution. The core offering is content-based entertainment and advocacy rather than a technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Work Ethic Scholarship Program: Scholarship initiative supporting skilled trades education with awards ranging from $500 to $34,000
• The Way I Heard It
• Dirty Jobs
• Something to Stand For

Products and services

• Work Ethic Scholarship Program Charitable scholarship program that awards funding (ranging from $500 to $34,000, average $9,100) to individuals pursuing skilled trades education across 45 states and 23 trades. Recipients are selected based on work ethic criteria rather than purely financial need, with an annual disbursement goal of $10 million.
• The Way I Heard It Podcast Weekly podcast hosted by Mike Rowe featuring interviews with celebrities, authors, public figures, and experts; episodes include storytelling segments. Episodes discuss foundation work and promote scholarships. Sponsored by companies such as Groundworks.
• mikerowe.com Content Platform Personal website hosting all content, podcast episodes, videos, books, photos, blogs, and foundation information for the mikeroweWORKS brand.
• Something to Stand For (Film) Patriotic film featuring nine unapologetically patriotic stories, distributed via Angel Studios streaming platform.
• Work Ethic Curriculum Educational curriculum on work ethic principles designed for high school implementation, developed with the Engelstad Foundation. Top students receive full scholarships to trade schools.
• Books (The Way I Heard It; Mom's Books) Books authored or compiled by Mike Rowe, including "The Way I Heard It" and titles from the "Texts From Mother" blog series featuring Peggy Rowe.

Quantifiable outcome

• 322 work ethic scholarships awarded in first round of 2026 totaling $3 million
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Build FreedomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment initiative under the Department of War (Department of Defense) to reinvigorate the skilled trades. Build Freedom is both an online resource for job seekers and a public awareness campaign for AI-proof jobs in the defense industrial base. Mike Rowe accepted a $10 million donation at the Pentagon in support of this initiative. The partnership involves promoting BuildFreedom.US as a resource and distributing work ethic scholarships.
• GroundworksmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast sponsor of The Way I Heard It. Matt Malone, CEO of Groundworks, appeared on the podcast to discuss his company's employee ownership model. Groundworks is a billion-dollar home services company focused on foundation repair and waterproofing.
• Andre AgassiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacilitated introduction between Mike Rowe and Kris Engelstad of the Engelstad Foundation, which became a major supporter of mikeroweWORKS.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Helmets to Hardhats: Nonprofit connecting U.S. military veterans with career opportunities in the skilled trades, including apprenticeships. Closely comparable to mikeroweWORKS in skilled-trades workforce development focus and in serving a federal-adjacent mission aligned with Department of Defense priorities similar to Build Freedom.
• Tradeswomen Inc. Nonprofit advocating for women in the building trades, providing training, networking, and apprenticeship support. Comparable as a skilled-trades nonprofit focused on workforce pipeline gaps, though with a narrower demographic focus than mikeroweWORKS.
• SkillsUSA: National nonprofit serving middle-school, high-school, and college students in skilled trades, with chapters in schools across 45+ states. Most directly comparable to mikeroweWORKS as a nationwide skilled-trades advocacy and workforce development organization, though focused on student chapter programming rather than direct scholarships.
• Home Builders Institute (HBI): Nonprofit affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders that provides trade training in residential construction, with programs aimed at high-school students and at-risk populations. Comparable to mikeroweWORKS in its skilled-trades workforce development focus and in working with corporate and federal partners.
• National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER): Nonprofit that develops standardized craft training curricula and credentials for the construction industry. Highly comparable to mikeroweWORKS in mission (building the skilled trades pipeline), with direct overlap on industry-recognized training and credentialing for trades like electrical, plumbing, welding, and HVAC.

Others

• Habitat for Humanity International: Large nonprofit that builds affordable housing and trains volunteers in construction trades. Adjacent comparator rather than direct competitor: similar brand-led, donor-funded operating model, large corporate partner base, and a stated mission of promoting construction trades, but focused on housing outcomes rather than scholarships.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: Large national workforce development nonprofit serving young adults from low-income communities with training, stipends, and corporate placements. Comparable as a youth-focused workforce development nonprofit with strong corporate sponsor relationships, though focused on tech and business roles rather than skilled trades.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology training and career placement to adults from under-resourced communities. Comparable to mikeroweWORKS in operating as a workforce training nonprofit funded by major corporate partners (including Google), though in IT rather than skilled trades.

Emerging players

• Generation: Global nonprofit that trains and places adults into career-track jobs across multiple sectors, including skilled trades, technology, and healthcare. Comparable as a mission-driven workforce training organization with employer partnerships, though operating internationally rather than U.S.-only.
• Build.org: Nonprofit focused on youth workforce development and career-readiness programs for high-school students, including skilled trades pathways. Comparable in its skilled-trades and youth-development focus, but operates at smaller scale than mikeroweWORKS' national foundation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mikeroweworks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/realmikerowe
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheRealMikeRowe
• Instagraminstagram.com/mikerowe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mikeroweworks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about mikeroweWORKS