Underground Scholars Inc.

What Underground Scholars Inc. does

Underground Scholars Inc. is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students in accessing and completing higher education. Founded in 2013 by formerly incarcerated UC Berkeley students and restructured in 2023 as an independent umbrella organization, the nonprofit operates five program areas: (1) UC Programs and Retention support via campus-based Underground Scholars chapters, (2) Wellness Services for students, (3) Career Services and professional development for alumni, (4) a Statewide Advocacy & Policy Institute engaging in individual and systemic advocacy, and (5) Recruitment Programs and UC Application Support delivered directly inside jails, prisons, youth facilities, and community colleges. As of 2023 the organization spans 9 University of California campuses (UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCR, UCSC, UCSB, UCSD, UC Merced, UCI, USI) and has announced plans to replicate the model nationwide.

The organization employs a community-led, lived-experience-driven model with no proprietary technology platform identified; service delivery is conducted in person at correctional facilities, community colleges, and UC campuses. Revenue mechanics are not disclosed but, consistent with a small 501(c)(3), are understood to be a mix of charitable donations, foundation grants, and potentially government funding supporting free services to students. The organization is governed by a 10-member Board of Directors spanning UC institutions, policy research, public administration, and re-entry advocacy, and is staffed by approximately 5 employees.

Customer segments are vertically differentiated: currently incarcerated youth and adults in jails, prisons, and youth facilities (primary), formerly incarcerated students enrolled at UC campuses (primary), and the nine UC campus-based Underground Scholars chapters as institutional buyers of retention support services. Marketing is community-led and referral-driven through UC partnerships, with limited digital marketing presence beyond the undergroundscholars.org website.

Name

Underground Scholars Inc.

Legal name

Underground Scholars Inc.

Website

https://undergroundscholars.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Underground Scholars Inc. is a California nonprofit that recruits, retains, and supports incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students pursuing higher education across nine University of California campuses, offering recruitment, retention, wellness, career, and statewide advocacy services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reentry Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Student & Alumni Communities (BPAMABAK)

Keywords

• Higher education access
• Reentry support services
• Criminal justice advocacy
• Student retention programs
• Incarcerated student support

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

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. Nonprofit Funding (Implied): As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Underground Scholars Inc. operates on a nonprofit funding model. The organization generates revenue through charitable donations, grants, and potentially government funding to support its programs for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students. Specific funding sources are not detailed in the source material.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Underground Scholars Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit umbrella organization that supports incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students through five core program areas: recruitment and UC application support delivered in jails, prisons, youth facilities, and community colleges; retention support through campus-based Underground Scholars Chapters at 9 UC campuses; wellness services for students; career services and professional development for alumni; and a statewide advocacy and policy institute. Founded in 2013 at UC Berkeley and restructured in 2023, the organization now operates as a statewide nonprofit serving hundreds of students annually and hundreds of alumni advancing to graduate programs and careers.

Product overview

Underground Scholars Inc. is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of educational support services for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students. The organization operates as a platform-plus-programs model, with the central umbrella organization (Underground Scholars Inc.) handling statewide Recruitment Programs & UC Application Support, Advocacy & Policy Institute, and Wellness Services, while supporting campus-based UC Underground Scholars Chapters that focus on student Retention Support and Career Services. The organization expanded from a single UC Berkeley program in 2013 to serving 9 UC campuses by 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recruitment Programs & UC Application Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving hundreds of students annually across 9 UC campuses
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UC System Underground Scholars Chapters (UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCR, UCSC, UCSB, UCSD, UC Merced, UCI, USI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Underground Scholars Inc. operates in partnership with 9 UC campus-based Underground Scholars chapters. The new organizational structure shifts recruitment, advocacy, wellness, and career services to the nonprofit while UC chapters focus on student retention support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Beyond 12: Nonprofit providing college coaching and persistence support to underrepresented students, including those impacted by the justice system. Board member Aaron Harvey served as a College Coach, evidencing direct operational overlap in student retention support.
• Rising Scholars Network: California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office initiative supporting currently and formerly incarcerated students across California's community college system. Board member Javier Rodriguez leads this network, making it a direct peer in mission and geography.
• Petey Greene Program: Nonprofit mobilizing volunteer tutors to provide higher education in prison facilities. Directly comparable in serving incarcerated students with educational access, though focused on tutoring rather than the broader lifecycle Underground Scholars covers.
• Berkeley Underground Scholars: The originating UC Berkeley chapter and direct organizational sibling of Underground Scholars Inc., serving formerly incarcerated UC Berkeley students. Multiple board members (Zohrabi, Murillo) lead this chapter, making it the closest operational peer.
• College & Community Fellowship: Nonprofit supporting women with criminal justice involvement to access and complete higher education. Direct peer in mission — college access for system-impacted populations — though focused on a specific demographic.
• Incarceration to College: National pipeline program helping incarcerated individuals access higher education. Board member Shani Shay serves as Student Director, indicating direct mission alignment with Underground Scholars' recruitment work.

Broad incumbents

• Vera Institute of Justice: Major national criminal justice research and policy nonprofit running initiatives like the Unlocking Potential program for incarcerated students. Broader scope than Underground Scholars but overlapping in higher-education access for system-impacted populations.
• Center for Community Alternatives: Nonprofit providing reentry services, advocacy, and educational support for justice-involved individuals in New York. Comparable in combining reentry, education, and policy advocacy, though regionally focused and operating at broader scale.
• Alliance for Safety and Justice: National criminal justice reform organization advocating for policy change and supporting system-impacted individuals. Board member Terrance Stewart works there, evidencing overlap in policy advocacy and reentry support, though operating more broadly than college access.

Emerging players

• Defy Ventures: Nonprofit providing entrepreneurship training and career opportunities for people with criminal records. Comparable in career-services focus for system-impacted individuals, though anchored in entrepreneurship rather than higher education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/underground-scholars-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Underground Scholars Inc.