Ux Akron

What Ux Akron does

UX Akron is a 501(c)(3) non-profit user-experience community organization founded in 2012 and headquartered in Akron, Ohio, that operates a free, open-to-the-public calendar of UX-related programming for Northeast Ohio. Its audience comprises UX students and career changers, working UX practitioners (designers, researchers, developers, information architects), and the corporate employers who sponsor events to recruit talent and build regional brand awareness. The organization is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors (President Melanie Bozzelli, Vice President Carrianne Tuckley, Secretary Jennifer Stencel, Treasurer Jo Sugiura, plus members Christina Turner and Dan Minder) and operates with one to ten paid staff or contractors.

The organization has no traditional product line in the commercial sense. Its core deliverables are free monthly events (in-person and online), annual flagship events including World Usability Day and World Information Architecture Day, a monthly email newsletter, a WordPress/Neve-based blog featuring UX articles and 'Get To Know' profiles of local practitioners, and an archive of recorded online speaker sessions. Event registration runs through Meetup.com, and the public website is engineered to WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards following a 2021 refresh via Knowbility's Accessibility Internet Rally in partnership with UserZoom. Distribution is hybrid: in-person venues across Akron (including Akron-Summit County Main Library and Progressive Insurance) plus virtual attendance options streamed and recorded for later viewing.

UX Akron does not charge membership or attendance fees. Operating cash flow is sourced from corporate sponsorships (Tri-C School of Creative Arts, Hyland Software, Akron Rubber Ducks, Dexterity UX, Interpersonal Frequency) and individual donations via PayPal and Venmo, the latter being tax-deductible under its 501(c)(3) status. The go-to-market is community-led: awareness is generated through the website, email newsletter, Meetup.com presence, organic social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube), and reciprocal partnerships with PMI Northeast Ohio, Cleveland AI and Data, and other regional professional groups.

Name

Ux Akron

Legal name

UX Akron

Website

https://uxakron.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UX Akron is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that runs free monthly UX meetups, workshops, and major annual events for students, career changers, and practitioners across Northeast Ohio, funded by corporate sponsorships and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Community Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAGAKAF

Learning Experience Design (LXD) & UX for Learning

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Instructional Design & Content Development Services

SECONDARYEDAGAJAB

Open Courseware & Course Modules (OCW)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Textbooks

SECONDARYEDAFAAAB

Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) & Learning Portals

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Learning Management Systems (LMS) & Learning Experience Platforms (LXP)

SECONDARYEDAGALAH

Special Education & Accessibility-Optimized Media (UDL, AAC, Captioning)

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Educational Media & Multimedia (Video, Audio, Interactive)

Keywords

• User experience community
• Ux professional networking
• Design education workshops
• Nonprofit community events
• Ux career development

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships: The majority of UX Akron's funding comes from corporate and organizational sponsors including Tri-C School of Creative Arts, Hyland Software, Akron Rubber Ducks, Dexterity UX, and Interpersonal Frequency. Sponsors provide financial support that enables free community events.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute via PayPal and Venmo. UX Akron is a 501(c)(3) organization, making donations tax-deductible. Donations fund event costs, website hosting, online meeting software, and operational overhead.
3. Event Sponsorship Revenue: Sponsors can sponsor specific events such as World Information Architecture Day, World Usability Day, and other community gatherings. Sponsorship packages provide visibility for sponsors while supporting event logistics including venue, food, and materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UX Akron is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes and hosts free in-person and online user experience (UX) events — including presentations, workshops, portfolio reviews, and networking gatherings — for students, career changers, and UX practitioners in Northeast Ohio. Programming is supplemented by a monthly email newsletter, an educational blog, and archived recorded presentations, with all events offered at no charge and no membership fees.

Product overview

UX Akron is a non-profit 501(c)(3) user experience community organization offering a portfolio of free educational and networking services. The core offerings consist of in-person and online events (including World IA Day and World Usability Day celebrations), a monthly newsletter, blog content with UX articles and professional profiles, and archived recorded presentations. Events are free and open to the public without membership fees, funded through sponsorships and individual donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UX Akron Events

Quantifiable outcome

• Monthly events covering all aspects of UX including presentations, workshops, portfolio reviews, and project demonstrations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PMI Northeast OhiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2026UX Akron partnered with PMI Northeast Ohio and Cleveland AI and Data to co-host the 'AI Success Stories: Practical AI from Our Community' event on April 20, 2026. PMI Northeast Ohio is a professional association for project management professionals. The partnership brings together cross-disciplinary professionals for shared learning events.
• Cleveland AI and DatacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2026Co-organizing the 'AI Success Stories' event with Cleveland AI and Data (Cle AI and Data), combining UX Akron's design community with AI and data professionals for interdisciplinary knowledge sharing.
• KnowbilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2021UX Akron participated in the 2021 Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR), a design competition organized by Knowbility, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on digital accessibility. UX Akron was paired with a team from UserZoom to refresh and improve their website's accessibility.
• Cuyahoga Community College, School of Creative ArtscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) School of Creative Arts is a sponsor of UX Akron events including the AI Success Stories event. Their generous support helps make learning opportunities accessible to the regional tech community.
• Hyland SoftwareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHyland Software is a sponsor of UX Akron. Hyland is a content services provider headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, supporting the UX community in Northeast Ohio.
• Dexterity UXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDexterity UX is a UX consulting firm and sponsor of UX Akron events. The firm, led by experienced practitioners, supports community programs and networking.
• Interpersonal FrequencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInterpersonal Frequency is a sponsor of UX Akron. The firm provides UX and information architecture services and supports the local UX community through event sponsorship.
• Akron Rubber DucksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAkron Rubber Ducks (minor league baseball team) is a sponsor of UX Akron, supporting the organization's mission to build the Northeast Ohio UX community.
• UserZoomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUserZoom provided volunteer web developers and designers for UX Akron's website refresh as part of the 2021 Accessibility Internet Rally organized by Knowbility.
• World Information Architecture AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUX Akron hosts the local celebration of World Information Architecture Day, an annual global event organized by the World Information Architecture Association. This provides branding, programming frameworks, and global community reach for local events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• A11yNYC: Accessibility-focused community meetup based in New York City. Comparable to UX Akron as a regional, volunteer-driven UX/accessibility community hosting free events, but operates in a different (NYC) geography.
• Chicago UX Community: Regional UX community in Chicago hosting free meetups and events for UX practitioners. Comparable as a Midwest-adjacent community-led UX organization, though operating in a larger metropolitan area than Northeast Ohio.

Direct peers

• UXPA Cleveland: Local Cleveland chapter of UXPA serving UX professionals in the same Northeast Ohio geography as UX Akron. Most directly comparable as a local UX community chapter offering free educational events and networking, creating potential overlap in audience and sponsors.

Others

• Knowbility: Nonprofit focused on digital accessibility that organized the Accessibility Internet Rally in which UX Akron participated. Comparable as a nonprofit community partner advancing accessibility in the UX space, with overlapping mission around inclusive design.
• Rosenfeld Media: UX-focused publishing and training company that produces books, podcasts, and conferences for the UX community. Comparable as a UX knowledge disseminator in the same ecosystem, though commercial rather than nonprofit.

Broad incumbents

• Interaction Design Association (IxDA): Global UX community organization that hosts local chapter events worldwide. Directly comparable as a membership-based UX community hosting educational events, workshops, and networking for UX practitioners, but operates at significantly larger global scale.
• World Information Architecture Association: Global organization behind World Information Architecture Day, which UX Akron hosts locally. Comparable as a community organizer advancing information architecture and UX practice through events and education.
• User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA): International UX association with local chapters offering educational events, conferences, and networking. Comparable to UX Akron as a community organization advancing UX practice, but at a national/international scale rather than a single region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ux-akron

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Ux Akron