Building Our Future
Building Our Future is a Kenosha County, Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) collective impact nonprofit that serves as the local StriveTogether education partnership, convening schools, businesses, nonprofits, and families to improve cradle-to-career student outcomes through action networks, data dashboards, and programs like Smart Beginnings and Youth Voice Project.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersKenosha, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Building Our Future does
Building Our Future (BOF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit collective impact organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin, operating as the local education partnership for Kenosha County and a member of the StriveTogether national network. Its core function is to serve as a backbone organization that convenes schools, businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and families into Collaborative Action Networks aimed at improving cradle-to-career educational outcomes. KABA Foundation acts as its fiscal sponsor, making donations to the organization tax-deductible under IRS guidelines.
The organization delivers its mission through a portfolio of programs (Smart Beginnings for kindergarten readiness, Early Grade Reading, Youth Voice Project for high school civic engagement, and Continuous Improvement Cohorts grounded in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Results Count framework) and a set of public data dashboards (Cradle-to-Career Dashboard, County Overview, FAFSA Completions, Teachers, Kindergarten Readiness) built using embedded visualization tools and fed by WI Department of Public Instruction, U.S. Census Bureau, and Federal Student Aid data. It does not operate a unified software platform or commercial product; rather, the dashboards are community-intelligence assets that support school-level decision-making and partner accountability.
Building Our Future's revenue model is donation- and grant-driven rather than commercial. Funding sources documented include a $50,000 Kenosha County budget allocation in 2016, approximately $350,000 from the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Community Challenge in 2018 (via the Wisconsin Partnership), and a $350,000 Lumina Talent Hub designation awarded to Kenosha and Racine counties. The organization has six identified staff (Executive Director Tatjana Bicanin, Data Manager Kevin Meagher, Research and Evaluation Manager Eric Lequesne, Manager of Birth to 8 Lynn Debilzen, Partnership Development Manager Brandon Morris, and original Executive Director Jean Moran), operates within Kenosha County with no global footprint, and serves all 12 school districts in the county along with postsecondary partners Gateway Technical College and University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Building Our Future firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Building Our Future
- Legal name
- Building Our Future
- Website
- https://buildingourfuturekc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Building Our Future is a Kenosha County, Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) collective impact nonprofit that serves as the local StriveTogether education partnership, convening schools, businesses, nonprofits, and families to improve cradle-to-career student outcomes through action networks, data dashboards, and programs like Smart Beginnings and Youth Voice Project.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Building Our Future industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Education Partnership Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Career Services & Career Readiness (EDALABAB), Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO)
Keywords
Where Building Our Future is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kenosha
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Building Our Future business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Building Our Future is a 501(c)(3) organization that accepts tax-deductible donations. The fiscal sponsor is Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA) Foundation. Donations can be made through the United Way platform or directly to the organization.
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Building Our Future product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Building Our Future is Kenosha County's local cradle-to-career education partnership and a member of the StriveTogether Network. It convenes community stakeholders through Collaborative Action Networks across five outcome areas - Kindergarten Readiness, Early Grade Reading, Postsecondary Access, Youth Voice, and Continuous Improvement - and provides shared data dashboards, coaching, and training grounded in the Results Count framework from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to improve educational outcomes for children from birth through career readiness.
Product overview
Building Our Future is a nonprofit community partnership organization (not a technology product company) that serves as Kenosha County's local education partnership and member of the StriveTogether Network. The organization does not offer a unified software product or platform architecture. Instead, it provides a collection of data dashboards (County Overview, Cradle-to-Career, FAFSA Completions, Teachers, Kindergarten Readiness), educational programs (Smart Beginnings/Early Grade Reading, Youth Voice Project, Continuous Improvement Cohorts), and coalition services (Wisconsin Partnership). The data dashboards are built using embedded visualization tools and pull data from external sources including the WI Department of Public Instruction, U.S. Census Bureau, and Federal Student Aid. The organization does not appear to offer a commercial software product in the traditional sense.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Smart Beginnings: Early childhood initiative focusing on kindergarten readiness, part of the Kindergarten Readiness Network
- Early Grade Reading
- Youth Voice Project
- Continuous Improvement Cohorts
- Get Kids Ready Community of Practice
Products and services
- Cradle-to-Career Dashboard Interactive data dashboard providing a snapshot of how Kenosha County is performing at critical milestones along a child's journey from birth to entering the workforce. Tracks seven key indicators tied to future student success. Designed for community partners, policymakers, and the public to monitor educational outcomes.
- County Overview Dashboard Data visualization dashboard providing an overview of Kenosha County demographics, student population, cost of living, and equity metrics. Includes population data, student enrollment, and housing information for community stakeholders assessing local conditions.
- FAFSA Completions Dashboard Dashboard tracking Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion rates by school for graduating classes, helping identify students who may miss out on available funding. Updates weekly during the FAFSA cycle. Used by schools and partners to target outreach strategies.
- Kindergarten Readiness Network (Smart Beginnings) Action network focused on ensuring children are prepared for kindergarten through community engagement and family support. Includes developmental screening tools and resource connections for families of young children in Kenosha County. Part of the broader Smart Beginnings early childhood initiative.
- Youth Voice Project High school leadership development program offering sophomores, juniors, and seniors opportunities to engage in decisions impacting their lives, including civic engagement projects and an annual Youth-Led School Board Candidate Forum. Open to students from Tremper High School, LakeView Technology Academy, and Westosha Central High School.
- Continuous Improvement Cohorts Cohort-based program supporting local organizations in strengthening their impact through data-driven decision-making and collaborative learning. Grounded in the Results Count leadership framework from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Available to nonprofit, education, and community organization partners.
- Teachers Data Dashboard Dashboard providing data on teachers in Kenosha County to support education workforce analysis. Used by partners and policymakers assessing K-12 workforce conditions.
- Early Childhood Educator Interviews Research compilation capturing insights from child care providers in Kenosha about the industry challenges and opportunities. Provides qualitative data to inform early childhood program and policy work.
- Wisconsin Partnership Coalition Coalition of local organizations working in Brown, Kenosha, and Racine Counties plus City of Milwaukee focused on Early Childhood Education transformation. Goal to put 10,000 more young people on a path to success by 2030. Includes Building Our Future, Milwaukee Succeeds, Higher Expectations for Racine County, and Achieve Brown County.
Quantifiable outcome
- Third grade reading proficiency linked to high school graduation and college enrollment
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Building Our Future
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Building Our Future technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Building Our Future partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and significant.
- StriveTogethercoreNational initiative that Building Our Future is a proud member of. StriveTogether provides the proven framework for collective impact work improving youth outcomes from cradle to career. Building Our Future is part of a network of 70 communities reaching 10.4 million students with 10,800 partner organizations.
- Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA) FoundationcoreKABA Foundation serves as the fiscal sponsor for Building Our Future, a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations made to Building Our Future are tax-deductible under IRS guidelines through the KABA Foundation.
- Wisconsin PartnershipcoreCoalition of local education partnerships working in Brown, Kenosha, and Racine Counties, as well as the City of Milwaukee. Focused on Early Childhood Education including Kindergarten Readiness and Early Literacy. Goal: put 10,000 more young people on a path to success by 2030.
- Higher Expectations for Racine CountycoreLocal education partnership and member of the Wisconsin Partnership coalition. Collaborating on Equitable Enrollment Collaborative to boost FAFSA completion rates in Racine and Kenosha.
- Achieve Brown CountycoreLocal education partnership and member of the Wisconsin Partnership coalition working on early childhood education in Brown County.
- Milwaukee SucceedscoreLocal education partnership and member of the Wisconsin Partnership coalition working on early childhood education in Milwaukee.
- Higher Expectations' Equitable Enrollment CollaborativemajorWorking closely with local districts and postsecondary partners to implement targeted strategies that boost FAFSA completion rates in Racine and Kenosha counties.
- Kenosha Fire DepartmentsignificantPartner in Continuous Improvement Cohorts, working on diversity and recruitment initiatives including increasing female applicants to the fire department by 50%. Partnership was showcased at INSPIRE conference October 2024.
- Shalom CentersignificantPartner in Continuous Improvement Cohorts, working on expanding outreach to Hispanic residents through bilingual materials and community partnerships.
- United Way of Kenosha CountymajorKey partner in early childhood and community engagement initiatives. Co-leading Readers are Leaders tutoring program expansion and Dolly Parton Imagination Library program.
- Boys & Girls Club of KenoshamajorKey partner in Continuous Improvement Cohorts and youth development initiatives. Participant in early childhood education and youth leadership programs.
- Kenosha Human Development Services (KHDS)significantPartner in Continuous Improvement Cohorts focused on early childhood outcomes and family services.
- Big Brothers Big SisterssignificantPartner in Continuous Improvement Cohorts working on youth mentoring and development outcomes.
- Kenosha Achievement Center (KAC)majorKey partner in early childhood initiatives including SPROUTS playgroups, Even Start Family Literacy Program, and developmental screening programs using ASQ-3.
- Gateway Technical CollegemajorPostsecondary partner in the Lumina Talent Hub designation working to strengthen transfer pathways and postsecondary completion. Host site for Youth-Led School Board Candidate Forums.
- University of Wisconsin-ParksidemajorKey postsecondary partner in Lumina Talent Hub designation and workforce development initiatives. Host site for Inspire Southeast Wisconsin program pilot.
- Dolly Parton Imagination LibrarysignificantFree book program being launched in Kenosha County through United Way partnership. Provides age-appropriate books mailed monthly to children in qualifying zip codes.
- Kenosha Public LibrarymajorPartner in Early Grade Reading initiatives including Reading Resource Hub development, early literacy programs, storytimes, and community engagement.
- YoungStarsignificantWisconsin Department of Children and Families program providing ratings and support for child care centers. Building Our Future promotes YoungStar ratings as framework for quality child care in Kenosha County.
- Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD)corePrimary K-12 education partner for all initiative areas including kindergarten readiness, early grade reading, postsecondary access, and Youth Voice Project.
- Kenosha Unified School District's African American Youth Initiative (AAYI)significantPartner for two-day strategic planning session in Continuous Improvement Cohort focused on college and career readiness for African American students.
- Inspire Southeast WisconsinmajorRegional career exploration platform (7 counties) piloted in Kenosha at Lance Middle School and Tremper High School, allowing employers to connect directly with schools.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Building Our Future competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- StriveTogether: StriveTogether is the national network of 70 cradle-to-career communities that Building Our Future belongs to. While it operates at a national scale rather than serving a single county, it provides the framework, methodology, and grant funding (including the $350K Cradle to Career Community Challenge) that Building Our Future uses.
Direct peers
- Achieve Brown County: Achieve Brown County is the fourth member of the Wisconsin Partnership coalition alongside Building Our Future, Milwaukee Succeeds, and Higher Expectations. It applies the same StriveTogether collective impact model in Brown County focused on early childhood and cradle-to-career outcomes.
- Alignment Nashville: Alignment Nashville is a long-standing StriveTogether member organization operating a cradle-to-career collective impact model in the Nashville metro area. It shares Building Our Future's focus on cross-sector action networks, data dashboards, and educational outcome improvement across K-12 and postsecondary access.
- Milwaukee Succeeds: Milwaukee Succeeds is a StriveTogether member and direct coalition partner with Building Our Future within the Wisconsin Partnership. Both organizations share an identical cradle-to-career collective impact model, focus on educational outcome gaps, and operate at the county level with comparable action network structures.
- Higher Expectations for Racine County: Higher Expectations for Racine County is the third coalition partner in the Wisconsin Partnership with Building Our Future. It operates the same cradle-to-career collective impact framework in Racine County and jointly leads the Equitable Enrollment Collaborative targeting FAFSA completion with Building Our Future.
- Road Map Project (Seattle): The Road Map Project is a StriveTogether member applying cradle-to-career collective impact in the South Seattle and King County region. It mirrors Building Our Future's emphasis on data dashboards, kindergarten readiness, third-grade reading, and postsecondary credential completion.
- The Strive Group (formerly Cincinnati Strive Partnership): The Strive Group is the original cradle-to-career collective impact organization founded at the University of Cincinnati, from which Building Our Future explicitly adapted its model. Both organizations share identical backbone-organization structures, action networks, and Results Count frameworks.
Others
- Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA) Foundation: KABA Foundation is the fiscal sponsor for Building Our Future, providing 501(c)(3) tax-deductible status. As a regional business alliance, it offers employer engagement and community investment infrastructure that Building Our Future draws upon but does not directly compete with.
- United Way of Kenosha County: United Way of Kenosha County is a key operational partner that co-leads the Readers are Leaders tutoring program and Dolly Parton Imagination Library with Building Our Future. It serves as the donation platform channel and provides complementary early childhood and community engagement programming.
- Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha: Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha is a Continuous Improvement Cohort partner of Building Our Future, providing direct youth development services. While not a collective impact backbone, it is a key delivery partner for youth programming and shares the Kenosha County footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Building Our Future social profiles
Digital presenceBuilding Our Future financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Building Our Future leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Building Our Future funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Building Our Future 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 Building Our Future
What does Building Our Future do?
Building Our Future is Kenosha County's local cradle-to-career education partnership and a member of the StriveTogether Network. It convenes community stakeholders through Collaborative Action Networks across five outcome areas - Kindergarten Readiness, Early Grade Reading, Postsecondary Access, Youth Voice, and Continuous Improvement - and provides shared data dashboards, coaching, and training grounded in the Results Count framework from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to improve educational outcomes for children from birth through career readiness.
Is Building Our Future a public or private company?
Building Our Future is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Building Our Future founded?
Building Our Future was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Building Our Future based?
Building Our Future is headquartered in Kenosha, United States, in the North America region.
How does Building Our Future make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Building Our Future's main competitors?
StriveTogether is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Achieve Brown County, Alignment Nashville, Milwaukee Succeeds, Higher Expectations for Racine County, Road Map Project (Seattle) and The Strive Group (formerly Cincinnati Strive Partnership). Others are Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA) Foundation, United Way of Kenosha County and Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha.
Does Building Our Future have an API?
No public API is recorded for Building Our Future.
What industry is Building Our Future in?
Building Our Future's product category is Community Education Partnership Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAF, Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDALABAB, Career Services & Career Readiness. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.