Greenwood Project
Greenwood Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 that prepares Black and Latino college students for high-trajectory financial services careers through a free 10-month program featuring three specialized academies (Investment, Sales, Fintech), mentorship, and paid internship placements across Chicago, New York, Denver, and Texas.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Greenwood Project does
Greenwood Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2016 and headquartered at 20 N Wacker Drive in Chicago, Illinois. The organization prepares Black and Latino college students for high-trajectory careers in financial services through a 10-month structured program that combines virtual training, mentorship, and guaranteed paid internship placements at corporate partner firms across Chicago, New York City, Denver, and Texas. Students are required to have a minimum 3.2 GPA (or 3.0-3.19 with essay), and the program is offered free of charge with all costs — including housing, travel, and professional wardrobe — covered by the organization. The organization also operates an Associate Board for young professionals ages 25+ and a volunteer program that engages finance industry members for mentorship, mock interviews, and career panels.
The core product surface consists of three specialized academies — the Investment Academy (preparing scholars for investment banking and private equity roles), the Sales Academy (preparing scholars for private wealth management, institutional sales, and corporate banking), and the Fintech Academy (preparing scholars for product, risk, operations, and trading technology roles). The selection process uses Braintrust AI for video interviews and Airtable for volunteer coordination; the organization does not develop proprietary technology. Documented outcomes include 70%+ alumni working in financial services, 90%+ of scholars landing full-time roles within a year of graduation, 70% receiving full-time offers directly from their internships, and starting salaries of $60K–$100K+, which the organization frames as up to 3x the national average for Black and Latino graduates.
The business model is donation-based: as a registered 501(c)(3) (EIN: 81-1990763), Greenwood Project is funded entirely through contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations with no program fees charged to students. Core revenue and program funding are anchored by corporate partners such as IG (North America), which committed $600,000 in April 2024, alongside William Blair, CME Group, and others. The go-to-market is community-led augmented by high-visibility events (NYSE Opening Bell, Chicago Bulls/Plus500 panels, Fintech Fest, Women of Wall Street panel), and the organization is led by CEO Kwesi Smith, CFA with a board drawn from firms across financial services.
Greenwood Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Greenwood Project
- Legal name
- Greenwood Project
- Website
- https://greenwoodproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Greenwood Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2016 that prepares Black and Latino college students for high-trajectory financial services careers through a free 10-month program featuring three specialized academies (Investment, Sales, Fintech), mentorship, and paid internship placements across Chicago, New York, Denver, and Texas.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Greenwood Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development and Career Training Services
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)
Keywords
Where Greenwood Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Greenwood Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Greenwood Project is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 81-1990763) that relies entirely on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund operations. The organization covers all program costs for scholars including housing, travel, and professional wardrobe, making the program free for participants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free program for eligible students |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Greenwood Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Greenwood Project runs a free, 10-month immersive college program (July 2026 – May 2027) that prepares Black and Latino college students for high-trajectory financial services careers. The program combines three specialized academies—Sales, Investment, and Fintech—with mentorship, coaching, interview preparation, and paid internship placements at corporate partner firms across Chicago, New York City, Denver, and Texas. All program costs—including housing, travel, and professional wardrobe—are covered through donations, making participation free for accepted scholars.
Product overview
Greenwood Project is a nonprofit organization offering a unified college program with multiple specialized academies. The core offering is a 10-month training program that prepares Black and Latino college students for financial services careers through three academies (Sales Academy, Investment Academy, and Fintech Academy), supplemented by an Associate Board membership for young professionals and volunteer opportunities. The program provides virtual sessions, mentorship, coaching, and internship placement support, with corporate partners across Chicago, New York City, Denver, and Texas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sales Academy: An intensive academy for entrepreneurial communicators preparing scholars for analyst roles in private wealth management, institutional sales, and corporate banking.
- Investment Academy
- Fintech Academy
Products and services
- College Program A free 10-month immersive virtual program (July 2026 – May 2027) that prepares Black and Latino college students for financial services careers through virtual sessions, courses, projects, tailored mentorship and coaching, and paid internship placements at corporate partner firms. Targets high-achieving students with a 3.2+ GPA who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- Sales Academy An intensive academy for entrepreneurial communicators within the College Program that teaches a disciplined sales process while sharpening emotional intelligence and relationship-management skills. Prepares graduates for analyst roles in private wealth management, institutional sales, and corporate banking.
- Investment Academy An intensive academy within the College Program that builds analyst-level mastery in valuation, deal analysis, and financial modeling through real-world case work and expert-led simulations. Opens doors in Investment Banking, Private Equity, Research, and Sales & Trading.
- Fintech Academy An intensive academy within the College Program for systems-minded problem solvers covering systems that power banks and payment networks, data platforms in asset management, digital assets and blockchain, and process-driven decision making. Prepares graduates for analyst roles in product, risk, operations, and trading technology.
- Associate Board A young professional board membership opportunity for individuals aged 25+ making an annual contribution of $250+ (or $100+ for those under 25), supporting the organization's mission through fundraising and volunteer activities and helping develop the next generation of emerging leaders.
- Volunteer Program A volunteer engagement program offering Virtual Spring Sessions, Lunch & Learns, Jam Sessions, Mock Interviews, and Special Events such as College Final Ceremony, Fintech Fest, Women of Wall Street (WOW) Panel, and Ascend networking events. Industry professionals from compliance, investment banking, fintech, trading, and venture capital participate as mentors and coaches.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70%+ alumni transition rate to full-time financial services roles
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Greenwood Project
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Greenwood Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Greenwood Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- STREAM FoundationcoreSTREAM Foundation, a North Texas-based nonprofit focused on preparing students for finance careers, will combine with Greenwood Project with integration taking effect in October. The combined entity will operate STREAM's legacy programming under Greenwood Project's nationally recognized model. This merger expands Greenwood Project's reach into North Texas and strengthens career pathways for students in that region.
- Chicago BullsminorChicago Bulls partnered with Plus500 and Greenwood Project to host a financial literacy and career mentorship event at the United Center for Black and Latino college students. The event featured panel discussions with professionals from Plus500 and the Bulls moderated by former NBA player Eddy Curry.
- Plus500minorFintech firm Plus500 partnered with Chicago Bulls and Greenwood Project to empower Black and Latino students through financial literacy and career mentorship. Plus500 professionals participated in panel discussions at the United Center event.
- CME GroupminorCME Group partnered with Greenwood Project for the College Final Ceremony, demonstrating support for the organization's mission to train students for financial services careers.
- William BlaircoreWilliam Blair hosts Greenwood Scholars for summer internships where students strengthen financial and business skills. This is a direct talent pipeline partnership providing real-world experience at a leading investment firm.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Greenwood Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Year Up: Year Up is a large workforce-development nonprofit providing training and corporate internships to young adults from low-income backgrounds. It is a broader incumbent in the career-pathway space that competes for similar donor and corporate-partner dollars.
- NPower: NPower delivers tech-focused workforce training and corporate placement for underserved young adults and veterans. It is adjacent in nonprofit career training, overlapping with Greenwood's Fintech Academy on technology-skills pathways.
Direct peers
- Braven: Braven works with universities to prepare underrepresented college students for career-launching roles through skill training, coaching, and employer connections. It shares Greenwood's cohort-based, partner-funded model and target student demographic.
- Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO): SEO runs rigorous training, mentorship, and internship programs that place underrepresented college students into competitive finance and consulting careers. It is the closest direct peer to Greenwood in mission, structure, and target outcomes.
- Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT): MLT prepares high-achieving underrepresented students for careers through coaching, skill-building, and employer partnerships, with a strong MBA and corporate pipeline. It mirrors Greenwood's talent-pipeline model and corporate-partner monetization approach.
- INROADS: INROADS places high-achieving underrepresented college students into paid internships and full-time roles at major corporations, with strong finance-industry placements. It is directly comparable as a nonprofit internship-to-conversion pipeline.
- Wall Street Prep: Wall Street Prep provides financial modeling, valuation, and banking training to students and professionals. It is comparable in the financial-services technical-training category, though its commercial model and audience are broader than Greenwood's.
- The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management: The Consortium is a nonprofit consortium of leading business schools and corporations that recruits underrepresented students into MBA programs and corporate careers. It is comparable in mission, member-firm structure, and finance-career focus.
Emerging players
- Wall Street Bound: Wall Street Bound provides training and mentorship to underrepresented students pursuing Wall Street careers. It is an emerging, niche peer operating in the same finance-diversity pipeline as Greenwood, though at smaller scale.
- iCould College (iCould Foundation): iCould Foundation supports underrepresented students pursuing finance and STEM careers through scholarships and programs. It is an emerging peer in the same niche with partial overlap on student demographic and finance-career mission.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Greenwood Project social profiles
Digital presenceGreenwood Project compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Greenwood Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Greenwood Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Greenwood Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Greenwood Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Greenwood Project
What does Greenwood Project do?
Greenwood Project runs a free, 10-month immersive college program (July 2026 – May 2027) that prepares Black and Latino college students for high-trajectory financial services careers. The program combines three specialized academies—Sales, Investment, and Fintech—with mentorship, coaching, interview preparation, and paid internship placements at corporate partner firms across Chicago, New York City, Denver, and Texas. All program costs—including housing, travel, and professional wardrobe—are covered through donations, making participation free for accepted scholars.
Is Greenwood Project a public or private company?
Greenwood Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Greenwood Project founded?
Greenwood Project was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Greenwood Project based?
Greenwood Project is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Greenwood Project make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Greenwood Project's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Year Up and NPower. Direct peers are Braven, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), INROADS, Wall Street Prep and The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Emerging players are Wall Street Bound and iCould College (iCould Foundation).
Does Greenwood Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Greenwood Project.
What industry is Greenwood Project in?
Greenwood Project's product category is Workforce Development and Career Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAC, After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 61169 and its SIC code is 8200.