UrbEd Inc.

What UrbEd Inc. does

UrbEd Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2016 in Philadelphia by high school students to advocate for fully funded, safe, and healthy public schools. The organization is youth-led, combining community organizing with policy advocacy to uplift students, educate communities, and build coalitions in support of education equity. It is headquartered at the Youth Space in Center City Philadelphia (1521 Locust St., Suite 1001) and serves Philadelphia public school students, parents, and community members as its primary constituents.

UrbEd operates a portfolio of programs rather than commercial products. The Fellowship Program is a year-long paid advocacy fellowship for Philadelphia high school students (2024-2025 cohort runs September 28, 2024 to May 10, 2025, with biweekly Saturday sessions). The Youth Space is a reservable collaborative workspace, podcast studio, and organizing hub offered free to individuals and on a tiered donation/session basis to organizations ($25-$100 per session). The Student Hub and Advocacy Guides provide online educational resources, and the Reimagine Scholarship program awards $500 to graduates of the School District of Philadelphia pursuing post-secondary education (four scholarships awarded in December 2022). The organization has no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on standard tools including APLOS for donation processing, Google Workspace, Monday.com for reservations, and social media.

UrbEd is funded entirely through donations (individual donations via APLOS/PayPal/phone/wire, donor-advised contributions, and a monthly donor program), with no equity investment. Partnerships include PA Youth Vote (which co-developed the Student Voter Registration policy that passed unanimously at the Philadelphia School Board), The Civics Center, and the Philly Black Students Alliance (Empowering Student Representatives campaign). The organization is governed by an eight-person leadership team of Co-Executive Directors, a Co-Founder/Advocacy Advisor, and Directors of Communications & Partnerships, Policy & Research, and Program Development, with a total headcount of six employees.

Name

UrbEd Inc.

Legal name

UrbEd Inc.

Website

https://urbedadvocates.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UrbEd Inc. is a youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 that advocates for equitable, fully funded Philadelphia public schools through community organizing, policy campaigns, and a paid high school fellowship program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Advocacy Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Youth organizing programs
• Education policy advocacy
• Community coalition building
• Student fellowship training
• Nonprofit advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals through APLOS donation portal, PayPal, phone, and wire transfer. Monthly donor program available. Donations support programs, advocacy campaigns, policies, and young organizers.
2. Donor-Advised Contributions: Donations can be directed to specific purposes or general operations. Custom donation pages available for third-party fundraisers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

UrbEd operates a portfolio of programs centered on youth-led advocacy and education equity in Philadelphia. Its core offerings include the Fellowship Program (a year-long paid advocacy training program for high school students), the Youth Space (a reservable collaborative workspace and podcast studio in Center City), the Student Hub and Advocacy Guides (online resources and policy guides), and the Reimagine Scholarship ($500 awards for former School District of Philadelphia students pursuing post-secondary education). The organization combines community organizing, policy advocacy, and coalition building to advance its mission.

Product overview

UrbEd Inc. is a youth-led advocacy nonprofit focused on Philadelphia public schools. The organization operates a portfolio of programs centered around youth organizing and education equity: the Fellowship Program provides year-long paid advocacy training for high school students; the Youth Space offers a reservable collaborative workspace and podcast studio in Center City; the Student Hub and Advocacy Guides provide educational resources; and the Reimagine Scholarship supports post-secondary education. These offerings work together to empower student voice, develop youth leaders, and advocate for equitable public schools through community organizing and policy engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fellowship Program A year-long paid advocacy fellowship for Philadelphia high school students, providing organizing training, workshops, mentorship, and an advocacy capstone project. The 2024-2025 cohort ran September 28, 2024 to May 10, 2025.
• Youth Space A collaborative workspace, podcast studio, and organizing hub in Center City Philadelphia, available for reservation by individuals (free), small organizations ($25/session), mid-sized organizations ($75/session), and large organizations ($100/session).
• Reimagine Scholarship Scholarship program awarding $500 to former School District of Philadelphia students to support post-secondary education at community colleges, universities, or trade schools.
• Student Hub Online portal providing resources, guides, and tools to help Philadelphia students navigate education issues, including advocacy guides and event information.
• Advocacy Guides Comprehensive guides on Philadelphia education issues and advocacy strategies covering school funding, student voting rights, school safety, and educational equity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 scholarship recipients supported in 2022 through Reimagine Scholarship program
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PA Youth VotecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting Student Voter Registration proposal that passed unanimously at Philadelphia School Board. PA Youth Vote is a statewide organization working on youth civic engagement through voter registration. UrbEd collaborated on the policy advocacy resulting in voter registration opportunities for students.
• The Civics CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization focused on civic education. Director Laura Brill called the Student Voter Registration policy 'potentially transformative' and an example for other districts. Collaboration through policy advocacy on student voting rights.
• Philly Black Students AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent organization partnership calling for student voting rights on the Board of Education. Collaborative campaign for Empowering Student Representatives including voting rights, advisory committee establishment, and restructuring onboarding process.

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Center for Black Educator Development: Philadelphia-based nonprofit developing and supporting Black educators and education equity. Comparable in Philadelphia geography and education equity mission, though focused on educator pipeline rather than student advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Defense Fund: National nonprofit advocating for child and youth policy on education, health, and welfare. Comparable in education advocacy mission and youth-focused nonprofit structure, but operates at significantly greater scale and scope.

Emerging players

• March For Our Lives: Youth-led gun violence prevention advocacy organization founded by Parkland students. Comparable in youth-led organizing model and gun violence advocacy, though focused on gun policy rather than K-12 education.
• New Leaders Council: National progressive leadership development organization training young leaders through fellowship programs. Comparable in youth fellowship/training model, though focused on broader progressive leadership rather than education-specific advocacy.

Direct peers

• Philadelphia Education Fund: Philadelphia-focused education equity nonprofit that supports School District of Philadelphia students through college access and advising programs. Comparable in city focus, K-12/post-secondary mission, and nonprofit funding structure.
• Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY): Philadelphia-based child and family advocacy nonprofit that advances policy on education, child welfare, and youth issues. Directly comparable to UrbEd in city focus, advocacy mission, and nonprofit funding model.
• Education Law Center of Pennsylvania: PA-based legal advocacy nonprofit fighting for equitable public education funding and resources. Comparable in education equity advocacy mission and Pennsylvania geographic focus.
• Students for Education Reform (SFER): National student-led advocacy organization promoting education equity through student organizing. Comparable in youth-led advocacy model and education policy focus, though operating at greater geographic scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/urbedadvocates
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGKYaZSvrN4G83U0cyJTrTg
• Facebookfacebook.com/urbedadvocates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urbedadvocates
• Instagraminstagram.com/urbedadvocates/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 UrbEd Inc.