BLAC
BLAC is a nonprofit that runs a 12-week paid summer internship program placing emerging Black and underrepresented talent in US advertising agencies, supported by donations and corporate sponsors. The organization has served nearly 300 professionals across annual cohorts since 2020.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What BLAC does
BLAC (Building Leaders And Creators) is an independent nonprofit internship community founded in 2020 that operates a 12-week paid summer internship program placing emerging Black and underrepresented talent in leading US advertising agencies. The program recruits applicants nationally through video-based applications (open mid-December through mid-February), matches candidates to host agencies across 11+ US cities plus remote placements, and delivers a structured curriculum: a one-week onboarding (Intro Week), 8.5 weeks of in-agency work with biweekly cohort sessions, a 1.5-week brand pitch project, and a one-week career fair. As of the 2024 cohort, BLAC has supported nearly 300 professionals through the program.
The organization is operated by a three-person staff (Executive Director Nicolet Gatewood, Program Director Emily Elyshevitz, and Operations & Program Coordinator Jaydin Geer) with governance from a Board of Directors drawn from majority-owned agencies and partners including Cornett, Barkley, BVK, Anomaly, TL Communications, and Majority. BLAC also maintains an alumni network for ongoing mentorship and, in 2025, launched DEI Offerings — coaching and training resources for agencies on retaining diverse talent. The organization is governed as a US nonprofit corporation (BLAC Inc., headquartered via a Long Beach, CA mailing address) with no parent company, no disclosed funding rounds, and no venture or private equity backing.
BLAC's revenue model is donation- and sponsorship-based rather than fee-based: host agencies set and pay intern compensation directly, while BLAC itself is funded through Givebutter crowdfunding and corporate sponsorships from advertisers including Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on organic social media (Instagram, LinkedIn), email, the blacinternship.org website, and word-of-mouth referrals from alumni, supporters, and host agencies. Brand partners participate by briefing interns on the Pitch Project and engaging at the annual Career Fair.
BLAC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BLAC
- Legal name
- BLAC Inc.
- Website
- https://blacinternship.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- BLAC is a nonprofit that runs a 12-week paid summer internship program placing emerging Black and underrepresented talent in US advertising agencies, supported by donations and corporate sponsors. The organization has served nearly 300 professionals across annual cohorts since 2020.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BLAC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development / Advertising Internship Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Professional Organizations (813920)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Onboarding & New-Hire Training Programs (BPACANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Team-Building & Offsite Services (HSACADAF), Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)
Keywords
BLAC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Sponsorship: BLAC operates as a nonprofit organization funded by donations from supporters and sponsors. The website includes a donate button linking to givebutter.com/support-blac-h7tyfd. The organization is sponsored by various advertising agencies and brands who support the DEI mission.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Paid internship program with compensation rates set by individual host agencies |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
BLAC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BLAC (Building Leaders And Creators) operates a twelve-week paid summer internship program that recruits, trains, and places emerging Black and underrepresented creative talent into leading advertising agencies across the United States. The program combines agency-based work experience with virtual cohort sessions, a brand pitch project, and a career fair, and is supplemented by ongoing alumni mentorship and DEI coaching resources for host agencies.
Product overview
BLAC (Building Leaders And Creators) is an independent agency internship community that operates as a single, unified program focused on bringing more Black and underrepresented talent into the advertising industry. The core offering is the BLAC Internship Program—a twelve-week summer experience that pays, trains, and places emerging talent in leading agencies. This is supplemented by the Pitch Project component where interns develop creative concepts for national brands, and the Career Fair component for career placement. BLAC also provides ongoing mentorship and community network support to alumni, plus DEI offerings to help agencies support and retain diverse talent. The company does not operate a multi-module software platform; rather, it delivers its mission through a structured internship program with associated components and support services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BLAC Internship Program A twelve-week paid summer internship program that recruits, trains, and places emerging Black and underrepresented creative talent into leading advertising agencies across the United States. Interns participate in an onboarding week, in-agency work, twice-weekly virtual cohort sessions, a brand pitch project, and a career fair, with compensation rates set by each host agency. Open to U.S.-authorized workers aged 18+ who can commit 29 hours per week.
- BLAC DEI Offerings Resources and guidance provided to advertising agencies on how to best support and retain Black and underrepresented talent, including coaching and training services on DEI implementation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 300 up-and-coming professionals supported to date, many currently thriving in advertising, marketing, and related creative industries
Companies that use BLAC
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
BLAC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
BLAC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- POCstockcorePartner organization supporting BLAC's mission to increase representation of people of color in advertising.
- TL Communications (Toni Lee)corePresident Toni Lee serves on BLAC's Board of Directors, providing strategic guidance.
- Cornett (Emmy Hartley)coreCOO Emmy Hartley serves on BLAC's Board of Directors, providing strategic guidance.
- BarkleycoreAdvertising agency partner and supporter of BLAC, with representation on the board.
- BVKcoreAdvertising agency partner and supporter of BLAC.
- AnomalycoreAdvertising agency partner and supporter of BLAC.
- Majority (Asmirh Davis)coreFounding Partner & President Asmirh Davis serves on BLAC's Board of Directors.
- Host Advertising AgenciescoreAgencies across the country host BLAC interns for the 12-week program, providing hands-on experience, training, and mentorship. Includes agencies in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Austin, Atlanta, Birmingham, and Lexington.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
BLAC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- See It Be It (Cannes Lions): Cannes Lions program promoting gender equality in the creative advertising industry through mentorship and exposure at the festival — broader incumbent platform addressing similar diversity-in-advertising talent development that BLAC targets.
- American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's): The primary industry trade association for US ad agencies — runs MAIP and broader DEI initiatives; the institutional incumbent that defines standards and convenes the agencies BLAC depends on for host placements.
Direct peers
- She Runs It: Nonprofit focused on advancing women in advertising and media through mentorship, awards, and talent programs — serves the same host-agency and emerging-talent pipeline as BLAC, with overlapping sponsor base.
- INROADS: Nonprofit providing paid internships and career development to high-achieving underrepresented youth across multiple industries including advertising and marketing — overlaps directly with BLAC's internship, sponsorship, and host-partner model.
- ADCOLOR: Industry coalition advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across advertising, marketing, and media — runs its own awards, mentorship, and career programs that overlap directly with BLAC's diversity-in-advertising mission and host-agency ecosystem.
- Free The Work: Nonprofit dedicated to increasing diversity in the commercial directing and production talent pipeline — operates in the same advertising-ecosystem DEI space as BLAC, connecting diverse talent with agencies and brands.
- Lagrant Foundation: Provides scholarships, internships, and mentorship to underrepresented students pursuing careers in advertising, marketing, and PR — directly comparable mission, target audience, and host-agency placement model.
- The One Club for Creativity: Nonprofit supporting the creative advertising industry through awards, education, and diversity initiatives including The One Show and ONE School — comparable nonprofit, advertising-industry focus, and emerging-creative-talent pipeline.
- 4A's MAIP (Multicultural Advertising Internship Program): Operated by the American Association of Advertising Agencies, MAIP is the most established multicultural advertising internship program placing diverse students at host agencies — directly overlapping with BLAC's mission, target talent pool, and host-agency channel.
Emerging players
- Creative Ladder: Nonprofit addressing racial inequity in creative industries through mentorship and exposure programs for underrepresented youth — comparable emerging-talent focus, but broader creative-industry scope than BLAC's advertising-specific placement model.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BLAC social profiles
Digital presenceBLAC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BLAC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
BLAC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BLAC 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 BLAC
What does BLAC do?
BLAC (Building Leaders And Creators) operates a twelve-week paid summer internship program that recruits, trains, and places emerging Black and underrepresented creative talent into leading advertising agencies across the United States. The program combines agency-based work experience with virtual cohort sessions, a brand pitch project, and a career fair, and is supplemented by ongoing alumni mentorship and DEI coaching resources for host agencies.
Is BLAC a public or private company?
BLAC is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was BLAC founded?
BLAC was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does BLAC make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Sponsorship.
Who are BLAC's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are See It Be It (Cannes Lions) and American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's). Direct peers are She Runs It, INROADS, ADCOLOR, Free The Work, Lagrant Foundation, The One Club for Creativity and 4A's MAIP (Multicultural Advertising Internship Program). Creative Ladder is listed as an emerging player.
Does BLAC have an API?
No public API is recorded for BLAC.
What industry is BLAC in?
BLAC's product category is Workforce Development / Advertising Internship Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACANAF, Onboarding & New-Hire Training Programs, with a secondary code of HSACADAF, Corporate Team-Building & Offsite Services. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8600.