Black Girls Smile Inc.

What Black Girls Smile Inc. does

Black Girls Smile Inc. is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit founded in 2012 by Lauren Carson and headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with a second community space (BGS Commons) opened in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn in Fall 2025. The organization delivers culturally and gender-responsive mental health education, healing spaces, and pathways to therapy for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive youth ages 13-26, alongside programming for parents, caregivers, and educators. Its core offerings include school-based programming with an eight-week group coaching curriculum, community events (Kitchen Table Talk roundtables and Safe Space Saturday workshops), the Charlyne McFarland Therapy Assistance Program connecting participants to 300+ BIPOC mental health providers with 2-6 months of financial support, monthly support groups, the BGS Commons physical third space, and the She's Mentally Well virtual suicide prevention curriculum. A Junior Advisory Board provides youth leadership input, and documented outcomes include 92% of therapy participants reporting decreased suicidal thoughts and 87% reporting improved mental health distress.

The underlying technology is deliberately thin: no proprietary platform or AI/ML capability is disclosed, with services delivered through human-facilitated in-person and virtual programming, plus a Teachable-based virtual workshop offering. The go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven, relying on schools, youth-serving organizations, allied NGOs (BEAM, Open Path Collective, Sol Health), and word-of-mouth referrals rather than commercial sales channels.

Revenue is sourced from foundation grants, corporate partnerships, individual donations, planned giving, and immaterial earned income, with all programs offered free to participants. FY2025 revenue totaled approximately $1.59 million, of which foundation grants represented roughly 90% ($1,427,890), indicating a grant-concentrated funding mix despite a broad end-beneficiary base of 10,000+ Black women and girls supported since founding.

Name

Black Girls Smile Inc.

Legal name

Black Girls Smile, Inc.

Website

https://blackgirlssmile.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Girls Smile Inc. is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit delivering culturally responsive mental health education, therapy access, and community healing spaces for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive youth ages 13-26, serving 10,000+ participants since 2012 through schools, community events, and a network of 300+ BIPOC providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs & Supports (EDAJAIAC)

Keywords

• Mental health education
• Therapy assistance program
• Community wellness programming
• Peer support groups
• Suicide prevention curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individual supporters through online portal (Givebutter), monthly giving, workplace giving, and donor-advised funds. Also accepts stocks/securities and in-kind donations.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations represents the largest revenue stream at $1,427,890 (2025 annual report). Organizations like Kate Spade and Born This Way have supported programming.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships and workplace matching gift programs contributed $120,713 in 2025. Includes corporate volunteer opportunities and event sponsorships.
4. Planned Giving: Legacy giving through bequests, beneficiary designations, and charitable trusts for long-term sustainability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Black Girls Smile, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit that delivers culturally and gender-responsive mental health education, therapy assistance, support groups, and community healing spaces for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive youth ages 13-26. Programs include school-based group coaching, community events (Safe Space Saturday, Kitchen Table Talk), monthly therapist-led support groups, the Charlyne McFarland Therapy Assistance Program connecting participants to BIPOC providers with 2-6 months of therapy financial support, and the She's Mentally Well suicide prevention curriculum.

Product overview

Black Girls Smile Inc. is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit offering a portfolio of culturally responsive mental health programs for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive youth. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs: School-Based Programming (with an eight-week group coaching curriculum and educator trainings), Community Events & Activations (including Safe Space Saturday workshops and Kitchen Table Talk discussions), the Charlyne McFarland Therapy Assistance Program (connecting participants to culturally responsive therapy providers with 2-6 months of financial support), Support Groups (monthly therapist-led sessions in-person and virtual), BGS Commons (a physical third space in Brooklyn), and She's Mentally Well (a virtual suicide prevention curriculum). The organization also operates a Junior Advisory Board for youth leadership development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School-Based Programming Mental health education and an eight-week group coaching curriculum for Black girls and young women ages 13-26, delivered in partnership with schools and youth-serving organizations. Includes SEL small-group coaching, large-group mental health workshops, parent/caregiver support groups, and educator trainings grounded in trauma-informed and culturally responsive care.
• Community Events & Activations Community-based events creating accessible, affirming spaces for collective healing, reflection, and connection through workshops, wellness activations, and gatherings, centering joy, creativity, and shared experience.
• Charlyne McFarland Therapy Assistance Program Program connecting Black women and girls ages 13-26 to culturally responsive, racially affirming licensed mental health providers with financial support covering 2-6 months of therapy, leveraging the Open Path Collective and Sol Health partner networks and a 300+ BIPOC provider referral list.
• Support Groups Monthly therapist-led support groups offered in-person and virtually, focusing on intergenerational connection, lived experiences, queer-affirming spaces, and grief support, facilitated with cultural responsiveness.
• BGS Commons Physical community third space in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn (Restoration Plaza) offering a home base for workshops, support groups, yoga, meditation, community dinners, movie nights, and SEL workshops for Black girls and young women.
• She's Mentally Well Virtual suicide prevention program equipping Black girls with knowledge and tools to understand mental health, recognize signs of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, access resources, and build everyday practices that strengthen wellbeing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of therapy program participants report significant decrease in suicidal thoughts and behaviors
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2025Collaboration with BEAM for a day of spoken word, coloring, journaling, guided discussion, and sound bowl meditation at the BK Space in Brooklyn. Joint programming to provide holistic mental health and wellness experiences.
• Open Path CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner network used to connect Therapy Assistance Program participants with affordable, culturally responsive therapists. Part of the provider referral ecosystem.
• Sol healthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner network connecting Therapy Assistance Program participants to culturally responsive mental health providers. Expands access to care for Black girls and young women.
• BIPOC Mental Health Providers (300+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 300+ culturally responsive, racially affirming, gender-responsive licensed mental health providers who serve Therapy Assistance Program participants. Providers are vetted and added to BGS Preferred Provider list.
• Preferred Provider & Practice NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGS-maintained network of vetted providers and practices that serve Black women and girls. Therapists can apply to join via Typeform; BGS provides this list to program recipients and community members seeking culturally responsive care.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Open Path Collective: Nonprofit network that connects clients with affordable therapy sessions ($30-$80) from vetted mental health professionals. Included because it is a direct operational partner of BGS's Therapy Assistance Program and a comparable provider-referral infrastructure for underserved clients.
• Sol Health: Virtual mental health provider platform connecting clients to culturally responsive therapists. Listed because it is a named partner in BGS's Therapy Assistance Program and represents an adjacent, enabling tech-enabled mental health provider in the same ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Steve Fund: Organization focused on the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color, with programs in higher education and K-12 settings. Peer because both organizations target young people of color with culturally responsive mental health education and provider ecosystem work.
• The Loveland Foundation: Foundation committed to bringing opportunity and healing to communities of color, especially Black women and girls, through therapy scholarships and mental health support. Directly comparable to BGS's Therapy Assistance Program model and its racial-and-gender-specific focus.
• Therapy for Black Girls: Online platform and community dedicated to the mental health and wellness of Black women and girls, including a national therapist directory, podcast, and community resources. Closest direct peer to BGS because both target the same demographic with therapist-matching and culturally responsive content.
• BEAM — Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective: National nonprofit focused on the emotional and mental health of Black communities through education, training, and advocacy. Directly comparable to Black Girls Smile because both deliver culturally responsive mental health programming and provider referrals for Black populations; BEAM is also an active programming partner of BGS.
• Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation: Nonprofit that increases mental health support in Black communities through scholarships, provider training, and awareness campaigns. Peer because it funds therapy access and clinician training for Black clients — overlapping squarely with BGS's mission and Therapy Assistance Program.

Emerging players

• Sad Girls Club: Mental health-focused community for millennial and Gen Z women of color offering peer support, therapy access, and content. Emerging peer because it overlaps with BGS's age demographic (13-26), focus on women/girls of color, and community-based mental health education.
• Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness: Mental wellness organization supporting the mental health of Black women through community programming, therapy referrals, and provider resources. Comparable because both center Black women's mental health and operate referral-based therapy access models, though Sista Afya is smaller and more regional.

Broad incumbents

• JED Foundation: Large national nonprofit protecting teen and young adult emotional health through school and university partnerships, including suicide prevention and SEL programming. Broad incumbent peer: serves a broader demographic but offers overlapping school-based mental health and suicide prevention programming comparable to She's Mentally Well.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-girls-smile-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Black Girls Smile Inc.