Shanthi Project

What Shanthi Project does

Shanthi Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by Denise Veres, headquartered in Allentown and Easton, Pennsylvania, delivering evidence-based mindfulness education to children, adults, and educators across the Greater Lehigh Valley. Its core offerings are the Calm+Kind+Focused K-12 in-classroom mindfulness curriculum (delivered in approximately 109-230 public school classrooms across Bethlehem Area School District and Easton Area School District) and Shanthi @Work, a fee-for-service workplace wellness program for corporate, nonprofit, and healthcare employers (964 professionals served in 2024 across 21 sessions). Surrounding sub-products include Bridge to Middle School, Refresher Series, Healing Trauma through Mindfulness, Mindfulness for Special Needs, Mindfulness for Educators, Mindfulness for Families (a six-lesson digital curriculum), and Local Programming at the 213 Northampton St Easton venue.

The underlying "technology" is a trauma-informed, evidence-based curriculum stack grounded in Mindful Schools and Mind-UP frameworks, validated through a peer-reviewed evaluation published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies with Muhlenberg College. Distribution relies on in-person instruction by certified trauma-informed instructors, supplemented by free digital content libraries (YouTube, SoundCloud, online workbooks and emotion cards in English and Spanish) and an e-commerce merchandise storefront via Bonfire. No proprietary software platform, AI/ML systems, or APIs are part of the offering.

Revenue mechanics are characteristic of a mid-sized regional nonprofit: individual donations, tiered Veres Society memberships ($65 Friend to $5,850 Change-Maker), corporate and event sponsorships (including Now & Zen and Shanthi After Hours), $1,950 per-classroom sponsorship units funding 16-session programs, grants from foundations and government agencies (e.g., St. Luke's, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, B. Braun, City of Bethlehem, PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Magellan), and fee-for-service workplace wellness contracts. Customer segments are primarily K-12 students (primary), working adults (primary), justice-involved youth and adults at the Northampton County Juvenile Justice Center and Women's Prison, and families. The organization reached over 5,500 beneficiaries in 2024 and celebrated its fifteenth anniversary in 2024-2025.

Name

Shanthi Project

Legal name

Shanthi Project

Website

https://shanthiproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shanthi Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing evidence-based, trauma-informed mindfulness education to over 5,500 children, educators, and adults annually across the Greater Lehigh Valley through school (Calm+Kind+Focused), workplace (Shanthi @Work), and family/community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social-Emotional Learning and Mindfulness Education Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Support & Intervention Services (PBIS/Behavior Coaching) (EDAJALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Juvenile Justice Education Programs (Detention & Correctional Education) (EDAJAEAB)

Keywords

• School mindfulness programs
• Workplace wellness training
• Trauma-informed education
• Social-emotional learning
• Youth mindfulness curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Allentown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the nonprofit mission. Includes one-time and recurring gift options through the organization's website.
2. Membership Program (Veres Society): Tiered membership program named after founder Denise Veres. Membership levels include Change-Maker ($5,850), Champion ($1,950), Pioneer ($780), Partner ($250), and Friend ($65).
3. Event Fundraising: Revenue from Now & Zen annual fundraiser and Shanthi After Hours quarterly events. Ticket sales, silent auctions, and sponsorship packages generate funds.
4. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for programming and events. Now & Zen event sponsorships at Gold ($1,000), Silver ($500), and Bronze ($250) levels.
5. Workplace Wellness Programs (Shanthi @Work): Fee-for-service workplace mindfulness training for corporate and nonprofit organizations, schools, and educators.
6. Classroom Sponsorships: $1,950 sponsorship to fund one classroom's 16-session in-school mindfulness program through Calm+Kind+Focused.
7. Grants: Funding from foundations and government agencies including St. Luke's University Health Network, B. Braun, Bethlehem Area School District, City of Bethlehem, Crayola, Fidelity Bank, Kiwanis Club of Palmer Township, Lehigh County, Magellan Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania, Northampton County Mental Health, PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Penn Community Bank, Two Rivers Health & Wellness Foundation, and United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Shanthi Project delivers evidence-based mindfulness education to schools, workplaces, juvenile justice facilities, families, and community members across the Greater Lehigh Valley. Core programs include the Calm+Kind+Focused K-12 in-classroom curriculum, Shanthi @Work workplace wellness training, Mindfulness for Families digital curriculum, and trauma-informed programming at the Northampton County Juvenile Justice Center. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded through donations, sponsorships, memberships, grants, and fee-for-service workplace programs.

Product overview

Shanthi Project is a nonprofit organization offering mindfulness education programs for children and adults across the Greater Lehigh Valley. The core offerings include Calm+Kind+Focused (in-classroom K-12 mindfulness curriculum), Shanthi @Work (workplace wellness), and community programming. School-based programs include Bridge to Middle School, Refresher Series, Healing Trauma through Mindfulness, and Mindfulness for Special Needs. Family resources include the Mindfulness for Families online program. All programming is trauma-informed and evidence-based.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Calm+Kind+Focused: Shanthi Project's signature school-based mindfulness education program for K-12 students focusing on social-emotional learning competencies.
• Shanthi @Work
• The Veres Society
• Now & Zen

Products and services

• Calm+Kind+Focused Signature school-based mindfulness education program delivered in K-12 classrooms, with 16-session formats for grades K-4, 6-session format for grade 5, and 10-session formats for grades 6-8, teaching mindfulness strategies through trauma-informed instruction.
• Shanthi @Work Workplace wellness program providing evidence-based mindfulness strategies, workshops, leadership training, and retreat facilitation for corporate, nonprofit, healthcare, and government employers.
• Mindfulness for Families Online six-lesson digital curriculum with video lessons, workbooks, emotion cards, and gratitude journals teaching families about mindfulness, brain science, emotions, gratitude, self-care, and sustainable mindful routines, available in English and Spanish.
• Bridge to Middle School Program Six-session program for fifth-grade students designed to support the transition to middle school through mindfulness strategies and tools for navigating a larger school environment.
• Refresher Series Four-session review of foundational mindfulness principles for students who have completed the full Calm+Kind+Focused series, typically distributed across the school year.
• Healing Trauma through Mindfulness Eight-session evidence-based, small-group mindfulness skill-building program for referred high school students (grades 9-12) needing Tier 2 support in emotion regulation or identified as abuse victims.
• Mindfulness for Special Needs Eight-session mindfulness program with 30-minute sessions designed for autistic and emotional support classrooms.
• Mindfulness for Educators Mindfulness training sessions and workshops for teachers, administrators, and school counselors covering trauma-informed practices, classroom mindfulness, and self-care.
• Local Programming Community mindfulness workshops, classes, and gatherings hosted at the 213 Northampton St headquarters in Easton, including Mindful Mondays, Mindful Making for Kids, and Gratitude & Grace workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14% increase in positive behaviors (being considerate of others' feelings, sharing, helping others)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Muhlenberg CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeven-year research collaboration with Psychology Department led by Professor Mark Sciutto. Joint studies published in Journal of Child and Family Studies evaluating Calm+Kind+Focused program effectiveness. Student researchers participate in research projects examining mindfulness outcomes in schools.
• St. Luke's University Health NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided financial support for the original Marvine Elementary School research study on mindfulness programming effectiveness published in 2021.
• ASR MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProduced public service announcement video featuring Shanthi Project's mission and programming.
• Bethlehem Area School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing program partner providing in-school access for Calm+Kind+Focused programming. Funded expansion for all elementary schools and fifth grade classrooms for 2024-2025 school year.
• Easton Area School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing program partner for school-based mindfulness education. Expanded partnership for 2024-2025 to serve all kindergarten classrooms.
• Resilient Lehigh ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on Mindfulness for Families digital programming. Joint initiative providing free online mindfulness curriculum for families.
• Connexions GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue partner for Shanthi Project's new headquarters at 213 Northampton St, Easton. Space sharing arrangement with indoor gallery and outdoor courtyard.
• Northampton County Juvenile Justice CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSite of Shanthi Project's original programming since 2010. Location where founder Denise Veres first introduced yoga to incarcerated youth, leading to organization's founding.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pure Edge: Nonprofit providing mindfulness, movement, and breathing programs for K-12 schools and youth-serving organizations. Comparable audience (students and educators) and curriculum-driven school delivery model.
• Mindful Schools: National nonprofit providing K-12 mindfulness curriculum and educator training. Shanthi Project's Calm+Kind+Focused curriculum is derived in part from Mindful Schools methods, making it a direct methodological peer in school-based mindfulness instruction.
• Calm Classroom: Nonprofit offering brief, evidence-based mindfulness techniques for K-12 teachers and students. Comparable trauma-informed approach and classroom-based delivery model targeting SEL outcomes.
• Inner Explorer: Nonprofit offering daily audio-guided mindfulness practices for K-12 classrooms. Directly comparable on evidence-based in-class mindfulness delivery model and school-district partnership approach.
• Resilient Lehigh Valley: Regional collaborative partnering with Shanthi Project on the Mindfulness for Families digital program. Peer on trauma-informed community resilience programming and shared regional funder ecosystem.
• MindUP (Goldie Hawn Foundation): K-12 social-emotional learning program grounded in mindfulness and neuroscience; also one of the named curriculum sources for Shanthi Project. Comparable on grade-level SEL curriculum delivery and outcome research.
• Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute: Nonprofit offering mindfulness and emotional intelligence training for workplace leaders and teams. Directly comparable to Shanthi @Work on workplace mindfulness delivery and curriculum.

Emerging players

• Yoga in Schools: Nonprofit delivering yoga and mindfulness to schools, with focus on teacher training. Comparable niche audience and methodology, though smaller scale and broader geographic ambition.
• Youth Frontiers: Nonprofit providing character development and SEL retreats/workshops for K-12 students. Comparable buyer (schools) and mission-adjacent outcome focus, though delivered through retreat-style programs rather than weekly in-class sessions.

Broad incumbents

• Committee for Children: Established nonprofit focused on SEL and child safety curricula (Second Step). Broader, larger portfolio with overlapping K-12 SEL buyer relationships and comparable school-district sales motion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Shanthi_Project
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtzGLWtzWPxWQQXF4u1dDaA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShanthiProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shanthi-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/shanthiproject

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 Shanthi Project