The Chattery

What The Chattery does

The Chattery is a women-founded, Black-led nonprofit organization headquartered at 1800 Rossville Avenue, Suite 108 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that delivers fun, affordable, and accessible adult education classes across seven categories: Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Arts & Crafts, Personal Development, Home & Garden, Human Development, and Professional Development. Classes are taught by community members, local experts, and hobbyists and are consumed by adult lifelong learners in the Chattanooga metro area, with online Zoom options extending reach globally. Since its founding in 2013-2014 by Shawanda Mason and Jennifer Holder, the organization has hosted 3,000+ classes and served 30,000+ learners, including 4,000+ in 2024 alone.

The organization operates a multi-pronged model centered on class ticket sales (typically $15-$71 per class, sold through Eventbrite), supplemented by tax-deductible donations and corporate sponsorships, space rentals for private events, a branded merchandise and gift card store on Shopify, and two wholly-owned sub-brands: Creative ReSupply, an art supply thrift store, and The Fireplace, a coworking space launched in 2024 after a fire destroyed the original classroom. Its technology stack is conventional and non-proprietary — Eventbrite for ticketing, Zoom for virtual classes, Shopify for e-commerce, and a website redesigned by Grid Principles in 2024 — with no AI, API, or proprietary platform capabilities. Marketing is community-led, driven by an email newsletter, Facebook and Instagram, the annual Great Adult Egg Hunt and Hoppy Hour event, and word-of-mouth across a dense network of local venue partners (Nightcap Cocktails & Sweets, Key to Change Wellness Studio, Reflection Riding, OddStory Brewing, Easy Bistro, Common House) and institutional funders (Lyndhurst Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission, Sankofa Fund for Civic Engagement).

Name

The Chattery

Legal name

The Chattery

Website

https://thechattery.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Chattery is a women-founded, Black-led Chattanooga nonprofit that delivers affordable adult education classes across arts, wellness, food, and personal development, serving 30,000+ lifelong learners since 2013 through community-taught in-person and online sessions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Class Ticket Sales: Revenue from adult education classes across various topics. Class prices vary based on supplies needed and teacher compensation. Tickets sold through Eventbrite.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible donations help keep classes affordable and support operations. Corporate sponsors can sponsor specific classes or events. Friends of The Chattery donor community with benefits.
3. Space Rentals: Event space rental for book signings, birthday parties, bridal showers, graduation parties, and coworking (The Fireplace).
4. Art Supply Thrift Store: Creative ReSupply thrift store selling donated art supplies. Revenue supports The Chattery's programs and keeps class prices affordable.
5. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts and hats through Shopify storefront.
6. Event Tickets: Admission fees for special events like The Great Adult Egg Hunt and Hoppy Hour. VIP options available at premium pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Chattery is a nonprofit adult education organization offering affordable, community-taught classes across seven categories including Arts & Crafts, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Personal Development, Home & Garden, Human Development, and Professional Development. Classes are delivered in-person at the Chattanooga headquarters and partner venues, as well as online via Zoom, with tickets sold through Eventbrite. Supporting offerings include The Fireplace coworking space, the Creative ReSupply art supply thrift store, venue space rentals, and private classes for groups and corporate events.

Product overview

The Chattery is a women-founded, Black-led nonprofit offering fun, affordable, and accessible educational classes for adults. The core product is adult education classes taught by community members covering seven categories: Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Arts & Crafts, Personal Development, Home & Garden, Human Development, and Professional Development. Supporting offerings include The Fireplace coworking space, Creative ReSupply art supply thrift store, space rentals, private classes, scholarships, and seasonal shopping markets. The organization hosts annual signature events including The Great Adult Egg Hunt & Hoppy Hour.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Creative ReSupply: Art supply thrift store (creative reuse shop) selling gently used and unused art supplies. Donations accepted at The Chattery on Saturdays and Sundays. Revenue supports The Chattery's programs.
• The Fireplace

Products and services

• Adult Education Classes Fun, affordable, and accessible educational classes for adults across seven categories: Arts & Crafts, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Personal Development, Home & Garden, Human Development, and Professional Development. Classes are taught by community members, experts, and hobbyists in in-person, outdoor, and online (Zoom) formats.
• The Fireplace Coworking Space A cozy and flexible coworking space at The Chattery designed for lifelong learners, creatives, artists, and nonprofit leaders. Members access The Chattery's class and event calendar along with workspace.
• Creative ReSupply Art Supply Thrift Store An art supply thrift store (creative reuse shop) accepting gently used or unused art supplies. The goal is to make creative materials more accessible and keep usable supplies out of the landfill, with revenue supporting The Chattery's programs. Donations accepted at The Chattery on Saturdays and Sundays.
• The Great Adult Egg Hunt & Hoppy Hour Annual community event combining arts, community collaboration, and education. Local artists create one-of-a-kind works of art on wooden eggs, and adult participants search for the eggs at Sculpture Fields, followed by a restaurant 'hop' with VIP option including two drink tickets and a charcuterie picnic from Bleu Fox Cheese Shop.
• Space Rental The Chattery's event space is available for rentals including book signings, birthday parties, bridal showers, graduation parties, and other events. Currently operating from a temporary space until Fall 2025.
• Private Classes Private classes for groups such as baby showers and corporate events, available in The Chattery's space, off-site, or online.
• Shopping Markets Seasonal markets featuring local creatives and small business owners. Markets prioritize makers, artists, and creatives who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and/or LGBTQIA+.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000+ lifelong learners served since founding
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Marie King RealtyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for The Great Adult Egg Hunt and Hoppy Hour 2025.
• Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel P.C.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for The Great Adult Egg Hunt and Hoppy Hour 2025.
• Chatt TasteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for cocktail making and food-related classes. Master mixologists from Chatt Taste lead classes at Nightcap Cocktails & Sweets venue.
• Key to Change Wellness StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for wellness and fitness classes including yoga, mobility, and core & stretch classes. Located inside Norspring Distefano Med Spa & Wellness Center.
• OddStory BrewingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-event venue for The Great Adult Egg Hunt Hoppy Hour celebration starting at 3pm after the egg hunt.
• Bleu Fox Cheese ShopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides charcuterie picnic for VIP ticket holders at The Great Adult Egg Hunt and Hoppy Hour.
• Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor venue partner for cultural education classes like Introduction to Hula.
• Common HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner venue for events like Ladies Who Launch Happy Hour celebrating Women's History Month.
• FIT4MOMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Mother's Day workshop creating cocktails, mocktails, and bouquets.
• Neat PonyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMerchandise design partner for branded t-shirts and hats.
• Easy BistrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for The Chattery's intimate fundraising dinner during 10th anniversary month.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Maker's Row: Maker's Row is a platform connecting makers, artisans, and small creative businesses to supplies and resources. It is adjacent to The Chattery given the Creative ReSupply art-supply thrift store and the organization's focus on supporting local creatives and makers.

Direct peers

• ClassPass: ClassPass is a subscription marketplace aggregating fitness and wellness classes (yoga, mobility, HIIT) across local studios. It directly overlaps with The Chattery's Health & Wellness class category and ticketed class model, though it is a for-profit, multi-city platform rather than a community nonprofit.
• Meetup: Meetup is a community-driven platform for organizing local interest-based groups and events. Its grassroots, volunteer-led, locality-focused model is closely comparable to The Chattery's community-driven, teacher-by-the-community-for-the-community approach to adult enrichment.

Emerging players

• Skillshare: Skillshare is an online learning subscription platform with strong coverage of arts, crafts, and creative disciplines that directly overlap The Chattery's Arts & Crafts and Personal Development categories. It is a comparable offering in the same category, but delivered online rather than in-person/community-based.
• CreativeLive: CreativeLive is an online education platform focused on creative arts, crafts, and maker skills. It overlaps with The Chattery's Arts & Crafts and Food & Beverage class verticals, sharing a similar audience of adult hobbyist learners, though delivered as on-demand video rather than live community classes.
• The Assemblage: The Assemblage is a coworking and community space operator that combines workspace with curated events and learning experiences. It is comparable to The Chattery's combination of The Fireplace coworking space with classes and events under one community-driven roof.

Broad incumbents

• 92nd Street Y (92Y): 92Y is a storied New York community and cultural center offering adult education classes, talks, and events across arts, wellness, and personal development. It is the most structurally analogous nonprofit community-education incumbent to The Chattery's enrichment-plus-events model, just at vastly greater scale.
• General Assembly: General Assembly provides adult professional development and skills training (including AI and tech-adjacent courses that overlap The Chattery's AI Tools and Professional Development classes). It is a broader incumbent in adult continuing education with a comparable short-course, instructor-led format.
• YMCA: YMCA is a nationwide nonprofit offering community-based adult fitness, wellness, and enrichment programs. It is comparable to The Chattery as a mission-driven, locally-anchored adult programming organization with wellness, personal development, and community-event offerings.

Regional players

• Chattanooga State Continuing Education: Chattanooga State's Continuing Education division offers non-degree adult enrichment, personal interest, and professional development courses in the same Chattanooga market. It is the most direct local competitor for adult lifelong learners, though delivered through a public community college rather than a community nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/TheChattery
• Facebookfacebook.com/thechattery
• Instagraminstagram.com/thechattery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-chattery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 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 The Chattery