TEACHING FIRMS OF AMERICA PROFESSIONAL PREPARATORY CHARTER S

What TEACHING FIRMS OF AMERICA PROFESSIONAL PREPARATORY CHARTER S does

Teaching Firms of America Professional Preparatory Charter Schools, operating as Ember Charter Schools, is a New York State non-profit public charter school founded in 2011 and headquartered in Brooklyn. The organization operates a K-12 program across three campuses in Central Brooklyn: an elementary school (K-5) and middle school (6-8) in Bedford-Stuyvesant, and a high school (9-12) housed in a DUMBO co-working space. Its student body is overwhelmingly Black and LatinX from low-income households, with nearly 90% qualifying for federal free and reduced-price lunch, and a high proportion of students with disabilities, English Language Learners, or trauma exposure.

Ember's core educational model is built on a proprietary Teaching Firm architecture in which teachers serve as Partners and primary decision-makers, combined with a curriculum integrating mindfulness, culturally-responsive pedagogy, and neuropedagogy. The organization offers differentiated programs including single-sex cohorts in upper middle and high school, 7th- and 8th-grade international study abroad, and a high school co-working model treating students as entrepreneurs. Reported student outcomes include 55%+ growth in ELA and 74%+ growth in Math for students enrolled before 3rd grade, with the organization claiming students outperform nearly all NYC public school peers by middle school completion.

The revenue model combines per-pupil public funding from the NYC Department of Education under the New York Charter Schools Act with private donations and grants (notably the Tsai Foundation anti-racism grant in December 2020) and ancillary revenue from Dreamland Brooklyn, a 10,000 sq ft event venue in DUMBO operated through the NuRenN mobile app platform. The Dreamland venue hosts Activation Saturdays and private rentals, with pricing tiers ranging from $200 for a half-day VIP Office to $3,500 for the full venue floor, and offers up to 20% nonprofit discounts. Distribution is via direct enrollment through the SchoolMint online application portal and three physical campuses. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees with Rafiq Kalam Id-Din II as Founder and Managing Partner.

Name

TEACHING FIRMS OF AMERICA PROFESSIONAL PREPARATORY CHARTER S

Legal name

Ember Charter Schools

Website

https://tfoaprofessionalprep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Teaching Firms of America Professional Preparatory Charter Schools (Ember Charter Schools) is a Brooklyn-based non-profit K-12 public charter school operating across three campuses, serving primarily low-income Black and LatinX students in Central Brooklyn through a teacher-led Teaching Firm model, mindfulness-based curriculum, and a supplementary event-venue business (Dreamland Brooklyn).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJACAC

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Charter K–12 Schools

Keywords

• K-12 charter school
• Mindfulness education
• Culturally responsive pedagogy
• Holistic student development
• Event venue rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: Government funding through charter school legislation (New York Charter Schools Act) providing per-pupil funding for K-12 education services.
2. Donations and Grants: Individual donations (monthly donor program '1000 Strong'), foundation grants (Tsai Foundation anti-racism grant), and philanthropic contributions supporting students directly.
3. Dreamland Brooklyn Event Venue Rentals: Private event rentals of 10,000 sq ft venue in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Revenue supports K-12 youth education programs. Includes half-day, full-day, and recurring rental options with catering and event services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Teaching Firms of America Professional Preparatory Charter School (operating as Ember Charter Schools) is a K-12 public charter school serving roughly 350 predominantly low-income Black and LatinX students across three campuses in Central Brooklyn. The school delivers mindfulness-based, culturally responsive, and neuropedagogy-driven education through a proprietary Teaching Firm Model, and also operates the Dreamland Brooklyn event space and marketplace for Black and Brown-owned brands.

Product overview

Ember Charter Schools operates as a K-12 public charter school network in Central Brooklyn with a unique Teaching Firm organizational model. The core educational offering encompasses their K-12 program built on mindfulness, culturally-responsive pedagogy, and holistic human development. The organization also operates Dreamland Brooklyn, a 10,000 sq ft event space and marketplace platform for Black and Brown entrepreneurs, which includes private event rentals and the NuRenN mobile app. Additional offerings include study abroad programs for middle school students and a high school model housed in a co-working space. The school serves primarily low-income Black and LatinX students from Central Brooklyn, with programs including single-sex cohorts and community-based boarding opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dreamland Brooklyn: A 10,000 sq ft event space and marketplace platform in DUMBO, Brooklyn for Black and Brown brands, artists, and entrepreneurs. Named after Tulsa's Dreamland Theatre on Black Wall Street. Features monthly Activation Saturdays with Front Stage Live programming, marketplace vendors, and Nu Renaissance Lounge nights.
• NuRenN

Products and services

• Ember Charter Schools K-12 Education Program Tuition-free K-12 public charter school education for approximately 350 predominantly low-income Black and LatinX students across three campuses in Central Brooklyn, delivered through the proprietary Teaching Firm Model with mindfulness, neuropedagogy, culturally responsive pedagogy, and single-sex cohorts.
• Dreamland Brooklyn Event Space Retail and event space at 460 Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn, designed as a cultural hub to showcase, sell, and promote products and brands from Black and Brown-owned businesses through a curated marketplace.
• Private Event Rentals at Dreamland Brooklyn Private event rental service at the Dreamland Brooklyn venue, offering weekday ($125/hr) and weekend ($165/hr) pricing plus nonprofit discounts for cultural events, brand activations, and community gatherings.
• NuRenN Mobile App Mobile application complementing Dreamland Brooklyn that enables Black and Brown-owned brands to access the curated marketplace, showcase products, and connect with customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55%+ growth in ELA performance and 74%+ growth in Math performance for students who joined before 3rd grade
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Red Rabbit School FoodsminorOthersEmber-Red Rabbit School Foods partnership for food service and nutrition, including home delivery services during COVID-19 pandemic.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Uncommon Schools: NYC-based charter network running K-12 campuses in Brooklyn and other boroughs; directly comparable in mission, multi-site structure, and college-prep orientation for underserved students.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: One of the largest NYC charter networks operating K-12 schools across multiple boroughs; directly comparable as a multi-site NYC charter operator competing for the same families and per-pupil funding Ember depends on.
• Achievement First: Brooklyn-rooted charter network operating K-12 schools in NYC and other states; directly comparable multi-site operator focused on college readiness for low-income Black and Brown students.
• Democracy Prep Public Schools: NYC charter network with K-12 campuses serving predominantly Black and LatinX students from low-income backgrounds; comparable multi-site operator with civic- and college-prep orientation.
• Public Preparatory Network (Public Prep): NYC charter network operating multiple elementary and middle school campuses serving primarily low-income Black and LatinX students; directly comparable in target population and Brooklyn focus.
• Brooklyn Prospect Charter School: Brooklyn-based K-12 charter school with a similar multi-site footprint and college-prep mission; competes for the same Central Brooklyn families as Ember.
• KIPP NYC Public Charter Schools: National charter network with multiple NYC K-12 campuses; comparable in serving low-income communities of color, multi-site structure, and pursuit of college-prep outcomes.
• Harlem Children's Zone / Promise Academy Charter Schools: Multi-site NYC charter operator combining wraparound social services with K-12 education for low-income families; comparable in operating model, target population, and community-anchored approach.

Broad incumbents

• New York City Department of Education (District Schools): The public school district Ember's students would otherwise attend; not a direct competitor in the same governance structure but competes for the same enrollment pool and per-pupil dollars from NYC DOE funding.

Emerging players

• Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy: Brooklyn-based cultural arts and youth development organization serving similar Black and Brown families in Flatbush/Bed-Stuy; comparable in cultural-pedagogy focus and as a feeder/adjacent ecosystem partner (one Ember team member previously worked here).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EmberCS_BedStuy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwIdOzi6niOz4UF0VWdORcw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/EmberCharterSchool
• Instagraminstagram.com/embercharter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teaching-firms-of-america-professional-preparatory-charter-s

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 TEACHING FIRMS OF AMERICA PROFESSIONAL PREPARATORY CHARTER S