Sages & Seekers, Incorporated

What Sages & Seekers, Incorporated does

Sages & Seekers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 by Elly Katz that operates an evidence-based, intergenerational social-emotional learning program pairing teens and young adults (Seekers, ages 12-24) with older adults (Sages, age 60+) for structured weekly conversations. The flagship 8-Week Signature Program, complemented by shorter Pop-Up Workshops, ongoing Sage Salons, and a university-level Cross-Generational Problem Solving Course, is delivered both online via Zoom and in person at partner schools and senior facilities in the Los Angeles area. The program has been studied twice by USC professor Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang (funded by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2017 and the Templeton Foundation in 2019), producing documented outcomes on purpose-in-life, civic engagement, wellbeing, and self-transcendent purpose. The organization was integrated into ONEgeneration, a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3), in 2024 and operates with a small team of approximately six named staff.

The organization's technology layer is intentionally minimal: a manualized 8-week curriculum with structured weekly discussion topics, WordPress-hosted website, Constant Contact email, and Zoom for virtual facilitation. No proprietary software, mobile application, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. The defensible asset is the research-validated curriculum and the relationships with licensed replication partners rather than technology per se.

The business model is donation-dependent and free to end users. All participant services are offered at no charge. Revenue is generated through individual and organizational donations processed via ONEgeneration (Tax ID 95-4066979), one-time licensing fees for the 8-Week Program Manual & Training package, and tiered corporate sponsorships ($500 online program co-sponsor, $1,100 in-person co-sponsor, $5,000 annual school sponsor). The licensing channel enables geographic scaling without proportional direct delivery costs, while the sponsorship tiers formalize corporate philanthropy. No external venture, private equity, or institutional grant funding rounds are disclosed, and revenue figures are not publicly available.

Name

Sages & Seekers, Incorporated

Legal name

Sages & Seekers, Incorporated

Website

https://sagesandseekers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sages & Seekers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs an evidence-based, 8-week intergenerational social-emotional learning program pairing teens (ages 12-24) with older adults (60+) through structured conversations, delivered online and in-person across 35 states and 7 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social-Emotional Learning & Intergenerational Education Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

School-Based SEL Curriculum & Instructional Programs (EDAKAMAA), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Behavioral Intervention Materials (PBIS, Social Skills) (EDAGAMAE)

Keywords

• Intergenerational programs
• Social emotional learning
• Youth and senior engagement
• Evidence-based curriculum
• Intergenerational storytelling

Headquarters

HQ city

Van Nuys

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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 Philanthropic Support: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Sages & Seekers relies primarily on donations from individuals and organizations. All programs are offered free of charge to participants. Donations are processed through ONEgeneration, the parent organization (Tax ID: 95-4066979).
2. Program Manual Licensing: The organization sells one-time licensing of its 8-week Program Manual and Training package. This allows schools, universities, senior facilities, and libraries to implement the program independently with step-by-step instructions and consultation support.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partnership opportunities are available for businesses looking to support cross-generational workforce training. Sponsorship tiers range from $500 for online program co-sponsorship to $5,000 for sponsoring a school program for a year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sages & Seekers delivers an evidence-based, 8-week intergenerational social-emotional learning (SEL) program that pairs teens (Seekers ages 12-24) with older adults (Sages 60+) for weekly structured conversation and storytelling sessions, delivered online via Zoom or in-person at partner schools and senior facilities. The organization also licenses its turnkey 8-Week Program Manual & Training to schools, universities, libraries, and senior facilities for independent replication, and offers continuing Sage Salons and Pop-Up Workshops as program extensions.

Product overview

Sages & Seekers is an evidence-based, award-winning social emotional learning (SEL) program that connects teens (Seekers ages 12-24) with older adults (Sages 60+) through authentic intergenerational conversation. The flagship offering is the 8-Week Signature Program—a 75-minute weekly session combining group discussions and one-on-one pairing—complemented by condensed Pop-Up Workshops for schools and ongoing Sage Salons for continued community. The Cross-Generational Problem Solving Course extends the model to university settings. The organization also licenses its 8-Week Program Manual & Training for replication by schools, libraries, and senior facilities nationwide. All programs are delivered both online (via Zoom) and in-person at partner schools and senior facilities, with all participants receiving services free of charge. The program was studied twice by USC professor Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and Templeton Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 8-Week Signature Program Award-winning, 7 or 8-week intergenerational program pairing teens (Seekers ages 12-24) with older adults (Sages 60+) for weekly 75-minute authentic conversations, life storytelling, and personal reflection through group discussions and one-on-one pairing. Offered free of charge to participants online via Zoom and in-person at partner sites.
• Pop-Up Workshop A condensed 2-hour or 2-day workshop version of the 8-week program designed for middle or high schools, featuring ice breaker activities, one-on-one Sage-Seeker conversations, and group reflection.
• Sage Salons Ongoing gatherings for Sages who have completed the 8-week program, providing continued social connection and meaningful conversation opportunities, led by Sage volunteer leaders and meeting weekly, biweekly, or monthly.
• Cross-Generational Problem Solving Course A university-level course engaging students in cross-generational problem solving with older adults, offered at institutions like UCLA's Frontiers of Human Aging course, where students create videos, presentations, or research papers about the program's benefits.
• 8-Week Program Manual & Training A detailed turnkey manual and training package available for one-time licensing, providing step-by-step instructions from recruiting participants to facilitating the 8-week program, including consultations with Sages & Seekers staff. Sold to schools, universities, libraries, and senior facilities for independent implementation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased sense of purpose-in-life for adolescent participants, especially those with lowest initial levels
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ONEgenerationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Sages & Seekers was integrated into ONEgeneration in 2024. ONEgeneration is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting older adults, children, and families. Sages & Seekers operates as a program under ONEgeneration's umbrella, with donations processed through ONEgeneration (Tax ID: 95-4066979).
• University of Southern California (USC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSC professor Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang conducted two research studies of the Sages & Seekers program (2017 funded by National Endowment for the Arts; 2019 funded by Templeton Foundation). USC Impact produced a documentary about the program. The organization runs programs in the USC Gerontology Department.
• UCLAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSages & Seekers has partnered with UCLA for several years. In Winter 2024, 52 first-year students in the Frontiers of Human Aging course participated in the 8-week signature and cross-generational problem solving online programs.
• The Rivers SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rivers School in Weston, MA has been a partner since 2010. Since 2016, all 10th graders participate in Sages & Seekers as a required part of their English class, reaching approximately 180 students annually.
• CoGeneratemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoGenerate partners with Sages & Seekers to support intergenerational programming and initiatives.
• Sage-ing InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal community dedicated to inspiring conscious aging and meaningful wisdom-sharing. Partnership grounded in shared values: honoring life experience of older adults, fostering meaningful connections, and cultivating purpose and reflection.
• Villages NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVillage organizations connecting older adults to community and programming. Includes Pasadena Village, Ashby Village, San Francisco Village, and Good Neighbors of Park Slope, which support Sages & Seekers participants.
• Brandeis University OLLImajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOsher Lifelong Learning Institute at Brandeis was an early university partner, launching the program at university level in Fall 2013 by pairing students with Brandeis Lifelong Learning seniors.
• Vanderbilt University OLLIminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity partner offering Sages & Seekers programs through their Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for older adult learners.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Move This World: Move This World delivers video-based SEL programming to K-12 schools and districts — competing for the same SEL curriculum budget but with a scaled digital content library rather than intergenerational pairing.
• EVERFI: EVERFI provides K-12 SEL, mental health, and wellness digital curricula at scale; competes for the same K-12 SEL budget dollars but via a tech-enabled, district-wide platform model rather than manualized intergenerational pairing.
• OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes) - National Resource Center: The Osher network of 125+ university-based lifelong learning institutes partners with S&S for Sages recruitment; comparable target population (older adult learners) and university-channel distribution.
• Aperture Education: Aperture Education delivers SEL curriculum and assessment tools (DESSA) to K-12 schools; comparable K-12 SEL buyer but operates as a software + assessment platform rather than a human-facilitated intergenerational model.

Emerging players

• Bridge USA: Bridge USA runs dialogue and connection programs across age, political, and identity lines on college campuses — partial overlap with S&S's intergenerational conversation model but broader in topic and student-led.

Direct peers

• Cyber-Seniors: Cyber-Seniors connects youth mentors with older adults for technology training and intergenerational relationship building; comparable intergenerational pairing model and dual-generation value proposition.
• Big & Mini: Big & Mini runs intergenerational 1:1 connection programs pairing college students (Minis) with older adults (Bigs) — directly comparable mission and target segments to Sages & Seekers, with a similar conversation-based pairing model.
• The Legacy Project: The Legacy Project creates intergenerational arts, humanities, and storytelling programs connecting youth and elders — a comparable creative, conversation-based intergenerational programming model.

Others

• Generations United: Generations United is a national intergenerational advocacy organization that awarded S&S its Program of Distinction; comparable mission, operates as a network/advocacy body rather than direct programming.
• CoGenerate: CoGenerate is a national hub and funder for intergenerational initiatives and a current partner of Sages & Seekers — comparable in mission and an ecosystem convener rather than a program operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sagesseekers
• Instagraminstagram.com/sagesandseekers

Compliance4 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 Sages & Seekers, Incorporated