diverse learners cooperative
Diverse Learners Cooperative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 that provides professional learning, coaching, fellowships, and free tools to K-12 educators serving students with disabilities and multilingual learners, primarily in Tennessee.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersBrentwood, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What diverse learners cooperative does
Diverse Learners Cooperative (DLC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee (Nashville metropolitan area), providing professional learning, coaching, and resources to educators serving diverse learners—students with disabilities and multilingual learners. The organization delivers four core service lines: Accessible Professional Learning (a virtual Micro-PD series of 30-minute professional development sessions), the Teacher Leader Fellowship (a year-long leadership program for special education and EL teachers), the Coaching Collaborative (a year-long cohort model for instructional leaders), and School & System Partnership engagements (multi-year, context-based school improvement work). All core programs are supported by a free catalog of downloadable tools and templates covering IEP facilitation, co-teaching models, case-manager time management, and inclusive planning frameworks. DLC reports having reached 45,000+ students, 1,800+ educators, and 125+ schools since inception, with anchor relationships at KIPP Nashville, Valor Collegiate Academies, STRIVE Collegiate Academy, Soulsville Charter School, East End Prep, and Purpose Prep.
The organization's technology footprint is minimal: it has no software platform, no mobile app, no API, and no proprietary AI/ML components. Its digital infrastructure consists of a WordPress-based website (diverselearnerscoop.com), a Mailchimp newsletter, and social media presence across LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. The IEP Reflection Tool, which auto-generates a pie chart from goal-progress inputs, is the only automated computational product. All substantive value delivery is human-mediated through a 13-person staff composed entirely of former teachers, special education leaders, and instructional coaches.
DLC's revenue model is a hybrid of philanthropic donations (including a "Champions for Teachers" monthly giving program), competitive grants (including a 2025 Model Development and Dissemination grant from the U.S. Department of Education), and undisclosed-priced professional services contracts for School & System Partnerships. Most offerings—Fellowship, Micro-PD sessions, and downloadable tools—are free to educators. The organization is governed by an independent board of directors and is not affiliated with any private equity, venture capital, or parent entity. Following founder Brooke Allen's departure in summer 2025 to pursue a school-founder role with the Nashville Incubator, Jessica Post serves as Interim Executive Director while a permanent search is underway.
diverse learners cooperative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- diverse learners cooperative
- Legal name
- Diverse Learners Cooperative
- Website
- https://diverselearnerscoop.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Diverse Learners Cooperative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 that provides professional learning, coaching, fellowships, and free tools to K-12 educators serving students with disabilities and multilingual learners, primarily in Tennessee.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
diverse learners cooperative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educator Professional Development Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Inclusion Facilitation & Classroom Accommodation/Modification Support (EDAKABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)
Keywords
Where diverse learners cooperative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brentwood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
diverse learners cooperative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Philanthropic Support: DLC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations. They offer a monthly giving program called 'Champions for Teachers' and accept one-time donations.
- Government Grants: In 2025, DLC received a Model Development and Dissemination (MDD) grant from the U.S. Department of Education, a competitive federal investment for developing teacher retention models with national impact potential.
- Professional Development Services: School-based professional learning services where DLC collaborates with school teams to design quality professional learning catered to specific needs. Pricing is likely quote-based as not publicly disclosed.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Teacher Leader Fellowship - Free year-long program for accepted educators |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Micro-PD Sessions - Free virtual professional development |
| Other | Multi-year contract | School-Based Professional Learning - Customized PD services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
diverse learners cooperative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Diverse Learners Cooperative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that equips K-12 educators of students with disabilities and multilingual learners with professional learning, year-long fellowships, coaching cohorts, and school-based partnership services. Its core deliverables are the Accessible Professional Learning workshops (including free virtual Micro-PD sessions), the Teacher Leader Fellowship, the Coaching Collaborative, and School & System Partnership engagements, supported by a free library of downloadable educator tools.
Product overview
Diverse Learners Cooperative is a 501(c) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of professional development and educational support services for educators serving diverse learners (students with disabilities and multilingual learners). The core offerings include Accessible Professional Learning (APL) with virtual Micro-PD series, the Teacher Leader Fellowship (year-long fellowship), the Coaching Collaborative (cohort model for leaders), and School & System Partnerships. These are complemented by free downloadable tools and resources including IEP-related guides, co-teaching templates, and the Teacher Retention Toolkit. The organization operates primarily in Tennessee and serves schools nationally through virtual programming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Accessible Professional Learning Professional development workshops and a free virtual Micro-PD series delivering 30-minute professional learning sessions for K-12 educators across the country, with an average participant rating of 4.6 out of 5 for improving practice with diverse learners.
- Teacher Leader Fellowship Year-long fellowship program that develops technical and leadership skills in educators of students with disabilities and multilingual learners, including a three-day summer session, school-year growth sessions, on-site coaching, peer school visits, mentor groups, and an Impact Project. Free to accepted educators.
- Coaching Collaborative Year-long cohort model for diverse-learner leaders (Coaches, Coordinators, and Directors) providing in-person professional development, access to quality resources, and on-site coaching. Participants rate the experience 9.6 out of 10.
- School & System Partnership Context-based partnership engagement with schools and districts following a cycle of identifying focus areas, gathering data, creating action plans, implementing support, and reflecting on progress. Includes Impact Focus Partnerships in Accessible Instruction, Positive Behavior, and Student Support Systems.
- Champions for Teachers Monthly Giving Program Monthly recurring giving program that provides ongoing philanthropic support to fund DLC's programs and services for educators serving diverse learners.
Quantifiable outcome
- 45,000+ students have greater access to empowered teachers and higher quality, inclusive educational opportunities
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use diverse learners cooperative
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
diverse learners cooperative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
diverse learners cooperative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Tennessee SCOREcoreDLC partnered with Tennessee SCORE to conduct the most comprehensive study of special education programming in Nashville's charter schools since 2017, surveying 178 individuals across 32 campuses. Also partner in IGNITE Nashville Network for co-planning implementation.
- Marshall CoLabcoreNational partnership between DLC, TN SCORE, and Marshall CoLab to launch IGNITE Nashville Network supporting co-planning implementation across ten Nashville charter schools as a sustained practice.
- Nashville Teacher ResidencycoreDLC launched an 18-month, job-embedded SPED certification pathway in collaboration with Nashville Teacher Residency at no cost to candidates, addressing the teacher preparation pipeline.
- Educating All Learners AlliancecoreDLC collaborates with EALA and other organizations including DCMP, MCIE, and Blue Engine on the Inclusion Today campaign to shift practices among school and district leaders for equitable outcomes for all learners.
- The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP)minorPart of the Inclusion Today cross-organizational collaboration developing the Starter Kit for Inclusive Leadership Practices and Companion Guide.
- Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE)minorPart of the Inclusion Today collaboration focused on developing practical tools for inclusive leadership practices.
- Blue EngineminorPart of the Inclusion Today collaboration developing the Starter Kit for Inclusive Leadership Practices and Companion Guide.
- Teach For AmericaminorListed as a membership and alliance organization that inspires and informs DLC's work.
- NIET (National Institute for Excellence in Teaching)minorListed as a membership and alliance organization supporting DLC's work.
- NashNowminorNashville-based education organization listed as an alliance member.
- Center for Literacy EducationminorListed as a membership and alliance organization supporting DLC's work.
- Family Engagement PartnersminorListed as a membership and alliance organization supporting DLC's work.
- LPE (Learning Public Schools)minorListed as a membership and alliance organization.
- CNM (Coalition of Neighborhoods)minorListed as a membership and alliance organization.
- Regional Primary Care PlusminorListed as a membership and alliance organization.
- Center for Education ReformminorNational organization listed as alliance member.
- National Center on Education and DisabilityminorListed as a membership and alliance organization.
- EdTrust TennesseeminorDLC team joined EdTrust Tennessee at the Tennessee State Capitol for Day on the Hill advocacy activities, advocating for policies that make inclusive education possible and sustainable.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
diverse learners cooperative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Council for Exceptional Children: The leading professional association for special educators, providing PD resources, advocacy, and standards specifically for educators of students with disabilities. Directly comparable target audience and PD-focused mission to DLC's special education offerings.
- National Center for Learning Disabilities: Nonprofit focused on improving outcomes for the 1 in 5 children with learning disabilities through advocacy, resources, and professional development. Directly comparable to DLC's diverse-learner educator-support and policy-advocacy work.
- Colorín Colorado: Free bilingual resource site for educators and families of English language learners, providing instructional strategies and PD content. Closely comparable to DLC's multilingual-learner focus and free-tool distribution approach.
- Understood.org: Nonprofit resource hub for educators and families of learners with differences, offering free toolkits, courses, and PD content. Directly comparable to DLC's free-tool/PD distribution model and diverse-learner audience.
- Teaching Channel (by Carney Sandoe): Video-based PD platform for educators with curated lesson content and teacher-training resources. Comparable on the PD-for-educators model and digital-content distribution approach.
Broad incumbents
- WIDA (at WCER / Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison): Consortium that develops standards, assessments, and professional learning for educators of multilingual learners. Comparable on the ML teacher PD mission, though operates as a university-affiliated standards body rather than a service-delivery nonprofit.
- Learning Forward: National professional association advancing professional learning for educators. Comparable to DLC's professional-development and coaching mission, with overlapping audiences (school leaders, instructional coaches), but positioned as a membership/standards body rather than a direct-service provider.
- TNTP: National nonprofit that partners with school systems on teacher recruitment, development, and retention. Directly comparable to DLC on the teacher-retention and professional-development thesis, but operates at much larger scale and broader scope than DLC's diverse-learner specialization.
- Teach For America: National teacher-recruitment and development nonprofit that places educators in high-need schools. DLC lists TFA as an alliance member; comparable on teacher-pipeline and educator-development mission, though TFA focuses on recruitment while DLC focuses on in-service retention.
Emerging players
- Center for Collaborative Education: Nonprofit that partners with schools on equitable, inclusive practices and student-centered approaches. Comparable on the inclusive-school-partnership model and PD-for-educators model, though broader in scope than DLC's SPED/ML focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks2 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
diverse learners cooperative social profiles
Digital presencediverse learners cooperative compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
diverse learners cooperative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
diverse learners cooperative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
diverse learners cooperative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
diverse learners cooperative 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 diverse learners cooperative
What does diverse learners cooperative do?
Diverse Learners Cooperative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that equips K-12 educators of students with disabilities and multilingual learners with professional learning, year-long fellowships, coaching cohorts, and school-based partnership services. Its core deliverables are the Accessible Professional Learning workshops (including free virtual Micro-PD sessions), the Teacher Leader Fellowship, the Coaching Collaborative, and School & System Partnership engagements, supported by a free library of downloadable educator tools.
Is diverse learners cooperative a public or private company?
diverse learners cooperative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was diverse learners cooperative founded?
diverse learners cooperative was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is diverse learners cooperative based?
diverse learners cooperative is headquartered in Brentwood, United States, in the North America region.
How does diverse learners cooperative make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Philanthropic Support is the primary driver. The others are government Grants and professional Development Services.
Who are diverse learners cooperative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Council for Exceptional Children, National Center for Learning Disabilities, Colorín Colorado, Understood.org and Teaching Channel (by Carney Sandoe). Broad incumbents are WIDA (at WCER / Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison), Learning Forward, TNTP and Teach For America. Center for Collaborative Education is listed as an emerging player.
Does diverse learners cooperative have an API?
No public API is recorded for diverse learners cooperative.
What industry is diverse learners cooperative in?
diverse learners cooperative's product category is Educator Professional Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKABAD, Inclusion Facilitation & Classroom Accommodation/Modification Support, with a secondary code of EDAJAKAH, Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.