Seneca Foundation
Seneca Foundation is a Chicago non-profit operating the Tech Scholar Program, a 14-month paid software development training and internship pathway for Black and Latinx recent high school graduates, anchored by partnerships with Vail Systems, iManage, and Dell.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Seneca Foundation does
Seneca Foundation is a Chicago, Illinois-based non-profit workforce development organization, founded in 2020, that operates the Tech Scholar Program, a 14-month paid training and internship pathway targeting recent Black and Latinx high school graduates from the Chicagoland area. The program is built on the proprietary T.E.C.H. framework (Training, Exposure, Coaching, Holistic Development), structured as nine months of classroom instruction in software development followed by a five-month corporate internship, and awards each scholar an annual scholarship of $3,000. The technical curriculum covers HTML, JavaScript, CSS, modern web frameworks, database design, DevOps, Agile principles, and secure coding fundamentals.
The Foundation is anchored by a core placement partnership with Vail Systems, with additional corporate partners iManage and Dell supporting the program. To date, five Tech Scholar graduates have been placed as entry-level software engineers at Vail Systems, and applications for the 2026-2027 academic year cohort are open. The organization is funded through donations and corporate sponsorships rather than tuition, operates with a small team of 1-10 employees, and is led by founder Jim Whiteley with program staff including Engineering Program Manager Wa-jiw Casey and Postsecondary Success Manager C. Nell Crittenden. Governance is provided by a board including Fidelis Umeh and Sanjuana Jaime. The Foundation explicitly positions itself against the documented underrepresentation of Black (5%) and Latino (6%) workers in the U.S. software developer population, drawing on a 25,000-graduate-per-year Chicagoland high school pipeline as its primary talent source.
Seneca Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Seneca Foundation
- Legal name
- Seneca Foundation
- Website
- https://senecafoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Seneca Foundation is a Chicago non-profit operating the Tech Scholar Program, a 14-month paid software development training and internship pathway for Black and Latinx recent high school graduates, anchored by partnerships with Vail Systems, iManage, and Dell.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Seneca Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tech Workforce Development Training
- NAICS
- Computer Training (61142), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO), Under-18 / High School-to-University Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAI)
Keywords
Where Seneca Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Seneca Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Individual and corporate donations fund the training program, scholar scholarships, and operational costs. Donations are described as directly impacting economic mobility and life trajectories of underrepresented young talent.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Tech company partners sponsor apprentices, providing financial support that enables quality education in technical training and professional development while providing necessary resources.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Seneca Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Seneca Foundation runs a 14-month paid Tech Scholar Program for Black and Latinx recent high school graduates in the Chicagoland area, comprising 9 months of intensive full-stack software development training followed by a 5-month paid internship at a partner technology company. The program is delivered through the proprietary T.E.C.H. framework (Training, Exposure, Coaching, Holistic Development) and includes a $3,000-per-year Seneca Scholarship, NSBE or SHPE paid memberships, personal tech tutors, mentors, and college/career coaching throughout.
Product overview
Seneca Foundation operates a unified Tech Scholar Program as its core offering, designed to create early career on-ramps into the tech industry for Black and Latinx high school graduates. The program integrates three key components: (1) a 9-month paid technical training curriculum covering software development skills, (2) a 5-month paid internship at partner companies, and (3) comprehensive support services including the Seneca Scholarship ($3,000/year), professional organization memberships (NSBE/SHPE), and mentorship/coaching. The program is augmented by volunteer-based Mentor and Technical Tutoring sub-programs that provide ongoing guidance throughout the training and internship phases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tech Scholar Program A 14-month paid software development training program for Black and Latinx recent high school graduates in the Chicagoland area, comprising 9 months of intensive technical training (HTML, JavaScript, CSS, full-stack development, DevOps, Agile, secure coding) followed by a 5-month paid internship at a partner tech company. Includes college/career coaching, mentorship, $3,000/year Seneca Scholarship, and paid NSBE/SHPE memberships. Scholars are paid above minimum wage throughout the program.
- Mentor Program Volunteer mentorship program connecting Tech Scholars with experienced professionals who provide guidance through regularly scheduled meetings during training and as scholars enter the professional world.
- Technical Tutoring Program Volunteer technical tutoring program in which professional experts in coding, UX/UI, DevOps, and software development tutor Tech Scholars during their training to become software developers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5 scholars now employed full-time as entry-level software engineers at Vail Systems
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Seneca Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Seneca Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Seneca Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Vail SystemscoreA member of the Chicago tech community for 30 years, Vail Systems develops innovative technology to enhance communication. They are proud partners of Seneca Foundation, providing technical tutors, mentors, workshop leaders, and curriculum creators. Last year, combined efforts produced 5 Seneca Foundation Scholars now employed full-time as entry-level software engineers. Currently working with Seneca on ongoing projects.
- iManageminorPartner company providing internship opportunities for Seneca Foundation Tech Scholars as part of workforce diversification efforts.
- DellminorPartner company providing internship opportunities for Seneca Foundation Tech Scholars as part of workforce diversification efforts.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Seneca Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Per Scholas: Large national nonprofit providing tuition-free tech training and career support to adults from underserved communities. Comparable workforce development model at significantly larger scale.
- Year Up: Major workforce development nonprofit combining technical training with corporate internships for young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds. Highly comparable apprenticeship-to-employment pathway at much greater scale.
- Generation: Global nonprofit operating tech training programs that place graduates into careers at employer partners. Comparable employer-driven training and placement model at much larger scale.
- NPower: National nonprofit providing free tech training and job placement to young adults from underserved communities. Comparable training-to-career services model with broader geographic reach.
Direct peers
- Ada Developers Academy: Nonprofit coding school training women and gender-expansive adults for software engineering careers with paid internships at partner companies. Closely mirrors Seneca's training-plus-paid-internship structure.
- Code2040: Nonprofit focused on unlocking opportunity, access, and equity in tech for Black and Latinx talent through career pathways and fellowships. Directly comparable mission to Seneca's diversity-focused tech training and placement model.
- https://www.senecafoundation.org/dev/color: Nonprofit community of Black software engineers focused on career advancement and representation in tech. Comparable mission around increasing Black representation in software engineering.
- Resilient Coders: Nonprofit coding bootcamp preparing young adults from underrepresented backgrounds for careers as software engineers. Highly comparable training-for-jobs model with similar target demographic.
- Hackbright Academy: Coding bootcamp focused on training women and non-binary individuals for software engineering careers with job placement support. Comparable technical training and career outcomes model.
Others
- Kapor Center: Nonprofit focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in the tech ecosystem through research, advocacy, and programs. Thematically aligned as an ecosystem participant addressing tech workforce diversity.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Seneca Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceSeneca Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Seneca Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Seneca Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Seneca Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Seneca Foundation
What does Seneca Foundation do?
Seneca Foundation runs a 14-month paid Tech Scholar Program for Black and Latinx recent high school graduates in the Chicagoland area, comprising 9 months of intensive full-stack software development training followed by a 5-month paid internship at a partner technology company. The program is delivered through the proprietary T.E.C.H. framework (Training, Exposure, Coaching, Holistic Development) and includes a $3,000-per-year Seneca Scholarship, NSBE or SHPE paid memberships, personal tech tutors, mentors, and college/career coaching throughout.
Is Seneca Foundation a public or private company?
Seneca Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Seneca Foundation founded?
Seneca Foundation was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Seneca Foundation based?
Seneca Foundation is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Seneca Foundation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships.
Who are Seneca Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Per Scholas, Year Up, Generation and NPower. Direct peers are Ada Developers Academy, Code2040, https://www.senecafoundation.org/dev/color, Resilient Coders and Hackbright Academy. Kapor Center is listed as an others.
Does Seneca Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Seneca Foundation.
What industry is Seneca Foundation in?
Seneca Foundation's product category is Tech Workforce Development Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKANAF, Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction), with a secondary code of EDAAAOAO, Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs. Its NAICS code is 61142 and its SIC code is 8200.