Tiny Wpa
Tiny WPA is a Philadelphia 501c3 nonprofit that trains youth and adults in design-build skills while delivering community-built public space improvements, schools, and play areas. It generates revenue from donations, grants, contract fabrication, and product sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Tiny Wpa does
Tiny WPA is a Philadelphia-based 501c3 nonprofit that trains community members, primarily youth and young adults ages 14 and up, in design-build skills while producing tangible improvements to public spaces, schools, and play areas. Founded in 2014 by Alex Gilliam and Renee Schacht after evolving from a 2012 program of Public Workshop, the organization runs a free 10-week Building Hero Training Program that develops fabrication, design, and leadership skills, with graduates eligible for paid positions on contract fabrication and community projects. Its core outputs include the Build-It Disks product (interlocking cardboard and reclaimed coroplast building disks sold at $40 per 20-disk batch and used by museums and schools), contract fabrication services for custom furniture, signage, and public-space amenities, and the free BYO Public Space Toolkit of DIY guides for benches, planters, seesaws, and other amenities. Notable projects include the COVID-19 Build Your Own Desk initiative that produced 858 desks and 841 stools for 453 Philadelphia public school families, mobile playgrounds for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation's PlayStreets program, playful neighborhood monuments with the Brewerytown Sharswood Neighborhood Coalition, and 3,000+ face shields fabricated during the pandemic.
The organization operates from two community workshops in Philadelphia (3145 W Jefferson St in Brewerytown and 4017 Lancaster Ave in West Philadelphia), with a team of approximately 11 staff members supplemented by 17 active Building Heroes. Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining tax-deductible donations and grants (including National Endowment for the Arts funding), contract fabrication services quoted per project, product sales of Build-It Disks, merchandise (t-shirts $25-$30, ornaments $6-$50, gift cards $25-$100), and a Buy One Give One desk/stool program at $50 per unit. Customer segments span Philadelphia public schools, city agencies (Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Fairmount Park Conservancy), neighborhood civic associations, cultural institutions (National Building Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art), and individual consumers purchasing Build-It Disks or commissioning custom work. Marketing relies primarily on Instagram (@tinywpa), email newsletters, blog/stories content, earned media (including a feature in American Craft Council's 'Legacy' issue), and community events such as the weekly Stop By + Build drop-in program.
Tiny Wpa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tiny Wpa
- Legal name
- Tiny WPA
- Website
- https://tinywpa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Tiny WPA is a Philadelphia 501c3 nonprofit that trains youth and adults in design-build skills while delivering community-built public space improvements, schools, and play areas. It generates revenue from donations, grants, contract fabrication, and product sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tiny Wpa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Design-Build Services
- NAICS
- Technical and Trade Schools (6115)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL)
Keywords
Where Tiny Wpa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Tiny Wpa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations via PayPal, Venmo, or check. Supports core programming, Building Hero Training, and community projects. Also supported by grants from organizations like National Endowment for the Arts.
- Contract Fabrication: Custom design and fabrication services for tables, benches, vinyl signage, and custom furniture. Revenue supports Building Heroes by providing paid opportunities to develop skills.
- Build-It! Disks Sales: Build-It Disks sold in batches of 20 for $40. Mini coroplast versions also available. Proceeds support Tiny WPA and The Building Hero Project.
- Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling t-shirts, ornaments, holiday items, gift cards, and program deposits. Products fabricated by Building Heroes.
- DIY Desk and Stool Program: Free desk and stool program for Philadelphia public school families. 'Buy One, Give One' model available ($50 covers materials for one desk and stool).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Build-It Disks - 20 disk set |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | T-shirts |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Ornaments and holiday items |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Training Program Deposit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Buy One Give One Desk/Stool |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Tiny Wpa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tiny WPA is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that trains youth and adults in design-build skills and delivers hands-on improvements to public spaces, schools, and play areas. Its offerings include the Building Hero Training Program (a free workforce development initiative), contract custom fabrication services for furniture and signage, the Build-It Disks product line, community public space design-build projects, and the BYO Public Space Toolkit of free DIY guides.
Product overview
Tiny WPA is a nonprofit community design-build organization offering a portfolio of workforce development and placemaking programs centered around the Building Hero Training Program. Core offerings include Build-It Disks (interlocking cardboard/coroplast building tools for educational and play applications), the Building Hero Training Program (free fabrication and design skills training for youth and adults), and contract fabrication services. Additional programs encompass BYO Public Space Toolkit (free DIY guides for community furniture building), public space improvements, play space construction, school partnerships, and Stop By + Build workshops. The shop sells handcrafted products made by Building Heroes including ornaments, decorations, and apparel. All offerings serve dual purposes of community improvement and youth skill development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Build-It Disks Interlocking 12-inch double-walled cardboard (and 4-inch mini coroplast) building disks designed for collaborative construction of large-scale structures. Sold in batches of 20 for $40 and used for design-thinking workshops, playground prototyping, and place-making events at schools, museums, and community spaces.
- Building Hero Training Program Free 8-16 session workforce development program for youth and adults (ages 14+) teaching design, fabrication, woodworking, digital tools, leadership, and entrepreneurship skills. Participants build products such as benches and coat trees while completing community projects; graduates gain workshop access and eligibility for paid fabrication positions.
- Contract Fabrication Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 858 desks and 841 stools built for 453 Philadelphia public school families in 20 weeks with 17 Building Heroes and 79 volunteers
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Tiny Wpa
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Tiny Wpa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Tiny Wpa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered key, supporting and core.
- CoveraidPHLkeyCity's effort to coalesce makers during COVID-19 pandemic. Tiny WPA coordinated face shield fabrication and plugged partners into the city's PPE production efforts.
- Maestro FilmworkssupportingCreated short video about Tiny WPA through their Conductor Project, donating video production services.
- Philadelphia Parks & RecreationcoreOngoing partnership for public space activation. Tiny WPA and Building Heroes designed and built mobile library and music carts, PlayStreets mobile playgrounds, and game carts for Love Park and the Oval.
- Fairmount Park ConservancycorePartnership on mobile carts for activating public spaces and annual holiday ornament collaborations. Building Heroes fabricate products at community workshop.
- Mural Arts' Trash AcademysupportingCollaboration on development of Coroplast Build-It Disks using reclaimed political campaign signs.
- CleanPHLsupportingCity program that provided reclaimed coroplast signs for DIY swing and other play/design projects.
- National Building MuseumkeyOriginal support for development of Build-It Disks. Featured use of Build-It Disks at Hive exhibition. Ongoing institutional relationship.
- Science Leadership Academy BeebercoreWednesday afternoon programming with high school students. Long-term partnership including makerspace design-build project that helped student Ryan Burke transform his educational path.
- Make The World BetterkeyPartnership on Vare Recreation Center redesign project. Community-driven facility improvements.
- Drexel University's Writers RoomkeyBuilding Heroes fabricated storage cubbies, communal tables, built-in desk, and custom tote bags for Drexel's Writers Room.
- Mantua Civic AssociationcoreLong-term neighborhood partnership including tulip planters, community builds, and beautification projects in Mantua neighborhood.
- Brewerytown Sharswood Neighborhood CoalitionkeyHired Tiny WPA to develop playful learning monuments celebrating North Philadelphia history at Vaux High School, Cecil B. Moore Library, and North Philly Peace Park.
- Carpenters Joint Apprentice Training Center of Philadelphia & VicinitysupportingUnion training center where former Building Hero Ryan Burke continued his carpentry apprenticeship after high school.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Tiny Wpa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Project H Design: Design nonprofit that applies design-build to education, public health, and community development challenges. Comparable philosophy of using hands-on design as a vehicle for youth empowerment and social impact.
- Groundwork USA: Network of environmental nonprofits building community-based projects (parks, gardens, greenways) with youth involvement. Comparable in neighborhood revitalization + youth workforce development focus.
Direct peers
- Center for Urban Pedagogy: Brooklyn nonprofit that engages young people and communities in design education to understand and shape the built environment. Comparable participatory design-build + youth education model.
- Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI): LA-based nonprofit architecture and community development firm that partners with underserved communities to design and build public spaces. Directly comparable participatory community design-build practice.
- Rocking the Boat: Bronx-based nonprofit offering youth workforce development through hands-on boatbuilding and environmental education. Comparable in combining free job-skills training, paid apprenticeships, and tangible community-built products.
- Hester Street Collaborative: NYC-based nonprofit that works with communities on participatory planning, design, and development of public spaces and civic assets. Highly comparable to Tiny WPA's community-led design-build mission and focus on underserved neighborhoods.
- City Blossoms: DC-based nonprofit that engages youth and communities in building urban gardens and green spaces. Comparable in combining community-led design-build, youth engagement, and under-resourced neighborhood beautification.
- Public Workshop: The original parent program from which Tiny WPA was spun off in 2014. Public Workshop focuses on youth-led community design and improvement projects, sharing methodology, founder lineage (Alex Gilliam), and target population.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tiny Wpa social profiles
Digital presenceTiny Wpa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tiny Wpa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Tiny Wpa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tiny Wpa 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 Tiny Wpa
What does Tiny Wpa do?
Tiny WPA is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that trains youth and adults in design-build skills and delivers hands-on improvements to public spaces, schools, and play areas. Its offerings include the Building Hero Training Program (a free workforce development initiative), contract custom fabrication services for furniture and signage, the Build-It Disks product line, community public space design-build projects, and the BYO Public Space Toolkit of free DIY guides.
Is Tiny Wpa a public or private company?
Tiny Wpa is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Tiny Wpa founded?
Tiny Wpa was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Tiny Wpa based?
Tiny Wpa is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tiny Wpa make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are contract Fabrication, build-It! Disks Sales, merchandise Sales and DIY Desk and Stool Program.
Who are Tiny Wpa's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Project H Design and Groundwork USA. Direct peers are Center for Urban Pedagogy, Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI), Rocking the Boat, Hester Street Collaborative, City Blossoms and Public Workshop.
Does Tiny Wpa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tiny Wpa.
What industry is Tiny Wpa in?
Tiny Wpa's product category is Community Design-Build Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAFAN, Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills), with a secondary code of BPAGADAL, Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 6115 and its SIC code is 8200.