The Black Equity Coalition
The Black Equity Coalition is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit network of physicians, researchers, public health practitioners, and government officials that addresses racial health inequities through community-led programs, data governance initiatives, mobile vaccination clinics, and policy advocacy for Black communities in Western Pennsylvania.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersPittsburgh, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Black Equity Coalition does
The Black Equity Coalition (BEC) is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based nonprofit organization founded in 2020, originally as the Black COVID-19 Equity Coalition in response to inequitable pandemic responses affecting the Black community. It was subsequently rebranded in 2021 to address broader structural racism through the Social Determinants of Health framework. BEC operates as a network organization — a coalition of physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, public health practitioners, community funders, and government officials — rather than a single-product company. It is a fiscally sponsored program of POISE Foundation. The organization is led by a core leadership team called "The Huddle," headed by Managing Director Shemariah Waggoner, and executes its work through seven working groups (Black Business, Community Engagement, Community Health, Data, Education, Policy, and Statewide Coalition) plus dedicated project teams.
BEC's core products and initiatives include: a real-time COVID-19 Data Dashboard (covid.createlab.org) showing per-capita COVID disparities by race and location in Allegheny County; the Data Justice Project and Community Data Justice Collaborative for community-led data governance with the City of Pittsburgh; the Neighborhood Power Building Project (NPP) for built-environment advocacy in Larimer; the REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) grant program delivering mobile vaccination clinics and health education in Black-congregating spaces; and a Long-COVID Working Group in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Department of Family Medicine. Technology infrastructure is provided through partnerships with Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center, Carnegie Mellon University, and UrbanKind Institute. Quantitative impact figures disclosed include 205 community organizations collaborated with, 510 community health trainings, 78 small-scale vaccination events administering 4,474 vaccinations, 315 CPR/First Aid/AED certifications, and 205 (or 315 in another figure) ambassadors across Pennsylvania.
BEC's revenue model is entirely grant-based, with no commercial pricing — all programs and services are provided free to community members. Funding streams include foundation grants (de Beaumont Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, CDC Foundation), government grants (CDC REACH, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke via University of Pittsburgh), and collaborative giving from corporate partners (UPMC). Notable grant awards include a $20,000 Open Data for Good Grand Challenge Award (2021), a CDC Foundation grant for equitable data use (2021), selection as one of four cities for the MADE for Health Justice initiative sponsored by de Beaumont Foundation (2023), and a five-year Long-COVID grant via University of Pittsburgh (2024). The organization is privately held as a nonprofit, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, with operating geographies focused on Allegheny County and the broader Pennsylvania region.
The Black Equity Coalition firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Black Equity Coalition
- Legal name
- The Black Equity Coalition
- Website
- https://blackequitycoalition.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Black Equity Coalition is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit network of physicians, researchers, public health practitioners, and government officials that addresses racial health inequities through community-led programs, data governance initiatives, mobile vaccination clinics, and policy advocacy for Black communities in Western Pennsylvania.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Black Equity Coalition industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Health Equity Services
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Social Assistance (624)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC), Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC), Health Equity, Community Health & Social Determinants Policy (HLAJAMAG)
Keywords
Where The Black Equity Coalition is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pittsburgh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Black Equity Coalition business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation Grants: The BEC is a fiscally sponsored program of POISE Foundation, receiving grant funding from foundations including de Beaumont Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and CDC Foundation for specific programs and initiatives
- Government Grants: Funding from CDC through REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) grant for COVID-19 response and health equity programs; CDC Foundation grants for data equity initiatives
- Collaborative Giving: Funding from corporate partners including UPMC and other healthcare organizations for specific health equity initiatives and community programs
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Black Equity Coalition product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Black Equity Coalition runs community health equity programs for Black and Brown residents in Western Pennsylvania, anchored by the COVID-19 Data Dashboard tracking per-capita disparities in Allegheny County, the REACH-funded mobile vaccination and public-health education initiative, the Long-COVID Working Group with UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, and the Community Data Justice Collaborative partnering with the City of Pittsburgh on equitable data governance. Services are delivered free of charge through community events, mobile clinics, workshops, and partner networks, with fiscal sponsorship by the POISE Foundation.
Product overview
The Black Equity Coalition is a network organization comprising physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, public health practitioners, community funders, and government officials. The organization operates as a coalition-of-programs rather than a single unified technology product. Its core offerings include the COVID-19 Data Dashboard for real-time pandemic tracking, the Data Justice Project and Community Data Justice Collaborative for community-led data governance, the REACH Grant Program for mobile health services, and the Long-COVID Working Group for post-acute care. These are supplemented by seven subject-matter working groups (Black Business, Community Engagement, Community Health, Data, Education, Policy, and Statewide Coalition) that drive specific equity initiatives. The organization also runs the Neighborhood Power Building Project workshop series focused on built environment and health equity in the Larimer neighborhood.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- COVID-19 Data Dashboard A real-time COVID-19 data tracking tool providing daily updated per-capita COVID-19 disparities by race and location over time in Allegheny County, accessible at covid.createlab.org; used by public-health researchers, government agencies, and community advocates.
- Data Justice Project A community-led initiative building decision-making power for Black residents through data governance, partnering with the City of Pittsburgh under the MADE for Health Justice initiative to create equitable data ecosystems.
- REACH Grant Program A CDC-funded public-health initiative providing mobile vaccination clinics and health education in places where Black people gather (hair salons, barbershops, congregate housing, food banks, street fairs) across targeted neighborhoods including Northside, Hazelwood, Larimer, East Hills, Homewood, Hill District, Garfield, Wilkinsburg, and the Mon Valley.
- Long-COVID Working Group A collaborative initiative with the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Department of Family Medicine to develop educational and clinical infrastructure for improving awareness, understanding, and equitable access to Long-COVID care using culturally relevant, evidence-based models.
- Neighborhood Power Building Project (NPP) A community workshop series in partnership with the Larimer Consensus Group focused on the built environment and Social Determinants of Health, addressing traffic calming, urban forestry, street lighting, vacant properties, and sidewalk accessibility.
- Community Data Justice Collaborative (CDJC) A cohort of Pittsburgh residents working to ensure data systems serve people through community-led data governance, developing principles for equitable data visualization and privacy for the City of Pittsburgh.
Quantifiable outcome
- 205 community organizations collaborated with to drive impactful change
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Black Equity Coalition
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Black Equity Coalition technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Black Equity Coalition partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- POISE FoundationcorePOISE Foundation serves as the fiscal sponsor of the Black Equity Coalition. BEC is a fiscally sponsored program of POISE, whose mission is to support equitable systems that advance justice and affirm the dignity of every human-being by building and strengthening strategic collaborations and networks through advocacy.
- UPMCcoreUPMC partners with BEC on Long-COVID care programs, community health initiatives, and health equity research. The partnership involves the UPMC Department of Family Medicine and focuses on culturally relevant and equitable care.
- University of PittsburghcoreAcademic partner providing research support, epidemiological expertise, and faculty leadership. Includes partnerships with the Center for Health Equity, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, and Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center.
- City of PittsburghcorePrimary government partner for the Data Justice Project, working to build decision-making power for Black residents in data governance. Partnership includes Community Data Justice Collaborative and Neighborhood Power Building Project.
- Allegheny County Health DepartmentcorePartnered with BEC on public health education and mobile vaccination clinics during COVID-19 pandemic. Collaboration continues on Long-COVID programs and health equity initiatives.
- Carnegie Mellon UniversitysecondaryAcademic partner contributing expertise to the Data Working Group alongside public health, medicine, nursing, philanthropy, and business development experts.
- UrbanKind InstitutesecondaryPartner organization involved in data access and visualization work, contributing to health equity and broader equity challenges.
- The Forbes FundscorePhilanthropic organization focused on strengthening nonprofit management capacity. Key leaders Fred Brown and Olivia Benson serve both organizations, facilitating collaboration on community capacity building.
- Larimer Consensus GroupcoreCommunity partner in Larimer neighborhood working with BEC on the Neighborhood Power Building Project and community advocacy initiatives.
- Western Pennsylvania Regional Data CentersecondaryNNIP partner organization for Pittsburgh providing data infrastructure support. Received G. Thomas Kingsley Impact Award for support of BEC's data work.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights6 records
The Black Equity Coalition competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Praxis Project: National nonprofit supporting community-driven health equity organizing across multiple U.S. cities. Comparable as a backbone organization that convenes local coalitions around racial justice and health, with a similar network-of-coalitions operating model.
- UrbanKind Institute: Pittsburgh-based equity organization partnering with BEC on data access and visualization work. Directly comparable as a community-centered equity nonprofit working at the intersection of data, built environment, and racial equity in the same geographic market.
- Forward Cities: National intermediary supporting inclusive local economic ecosystems in cities including Pittsburgh. Comparable as a coalition-building entity that leverages data, working groups, and cross-sector partnerships to advance equity outcomes.
- POISE Foundation: Fiscal sponsor of BEC and Pittsburgh's leading African American-focused community foundation. Directly comparable as a Black-led, Pittsburgh-based equity nonprofit operating with overlapping networks (Forbes Funds, UrbanKind) and shared leadership.
- Community Health Councils: LA-based nonprofit advancing health equity and racial justice through community organizing, policy advocacy, and data-driven programming. Comparable as a place-based, coalition-driven equity organization with parallel data, policy, and health programming.
- New Voices for Racial Justice: National racial justice nonprofit operating in a comparable community-organizing model focused on health, economic, and civic equity for communities of color. Comparable as a community-led advocacy organization addressing structural racism through data-driven campaigns.
Others
- CDC Foundation: Congressionally-chartered nonprofit mobilizing philanthropic and private resources for CDC's health protection work. Comparable as an enabling ecosystem partner that channels federal and foundation funding toward community health equity initiatives similar to BEC's portfolio.
- The Forbes Funds: Pittsburgh-based nonprofit strengthening nonprofit management capacity with overlapping leadership (Fred Brown, Olivia Benson). Comparable as a Pittsburgh ecosystem partner and capacity builder for community-based organizations.
- de Beaumont Foundation: Health-focused foundation supporting state and local public health capacity, including the MADE for Health Justice initiative. Comparable as a key ecosystem funder driving the same health equity and data governance agenda BEC operationalizes.
Broad incumbents
- NAACP: National civil rights organization with health equity programming addressing racial health disparities. Comparable as a broad incumbent addressing racial equity across health, economic, and civic dimensions with a national rather than city-level operating model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Black Equity Coalition social profiles
Digital presenceThe Black Equity Coalition financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Black Equity Coalition leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Black Equity Coalition funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Black Equity Coalition 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 The Black Equity Coalition
What does The Black Equity Coalition do?
The Black Equity Coalition runs community health equity programs for Black and Brown residents in Western Pennsylvania, anchored by the COVID-19 Data Dashboard tracking per-capita disparities in Allegheny County, the REACH-funded mobile vaccination and public-health education initiative, the Long-COVID Working Group with UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh, and the Community Data Justice Collaborative partnering with the City of Pittsburgh on equitable data governance. Services are delivered free of charge through community events, mobile clinics, workshops, and partner networks, with fiscal sponsorship by the POISE Foundation.
Is The Black Equity Coalition a public or private company?
The Black Equity Coalition is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Black Equity Coalition founded?
The Black Equity Coalition was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Black Equity Coalition based?
The Black Equity Coalition is headquartered in Pittsburgh, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Black Equity Coalition make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Foundation Grants are the primary driver. The others are government Grants and collaborative Giving.
Who are The Black Equity Coalition's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Praxis Project, UrbanKind Institute, Forward Cities, POISE Foundation, Community Health Councils and New Voices for Racial Justice. Others are CDC Foundation, The Forbes Funds and de Beaumont Foundation. NAACP is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Black Equity Coalition have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Black Equity Coalition.
What industry is The Black Equity Coalition in?
The Black Equity Coalition's product category is Community Health Equity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAL, Public Health & Health Equity Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGACAC, Community Health, Prevention & Health Education. Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8300.