Right to Be

Anti-Harassment Training and Educationrighttobe.org

Right To Be is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers bystander intervention training, harassment prevention programs, and trauma-informed storytelling platforms to corporations, schools, governments, and individuals across 25+ countries.

Company typePrivate
Founded2005
HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B and B2C
OfferingServices

What Right to Be does

Right To Be is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 (originally as Hollaback!) and rebranded in 2020–2021 to reflect an expanded mission addressing harassment in all its forms. The organization delivers bystander intervention training built around its proprietary 5Ds methodology (Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, Direct), which has been adapted into more than 25 training topics spanning workplace, youth, online, public, and identity-specific contexts. It operates a portfolio of complementary products including free public virtual trainings, customized private training experiences for organizations, the Right To Be YOUth curriculum for grades 8–12, a Storytelling Platform (Hate and Hope Tracker) housing 32,000+ harassment narratives, HeartMob for online harassment support, and Expert Voices Together for journalists and researchers facing online abuse. Underlying technology is a WordPress/Salesforce/Zoom stack; no AI/ML components are disclosed.

Revenue is generated through five streams: paid private/corporate training engagements, tax-deductible donations (the dominant funding mechanism for free public trainings), corporate sponsorships, book sales (I've Got Your Back by Emily May and Jorge Arteaga), and merchandise via a BigCartel storefront. The go-to-market combines community-led free programming as a top-of-funnel acquisition channel with an enterprise field-sales motion targeting corporations, government agencies, K-12 and higher education institutions, and nonprofits. Notable enterprise customers include NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, L'Oréal Paris (multi-year StandUp campaign reaching 44 countries), Sephora, and Vox Media, alongside civic partnerships with LA vs Hate, Blue Mountains City Council, and CUNY.

The organization reports cumulative reach across 50+ cities in 25 countries, with 4.5–5 million people trained via the L'Oréal partnership alone and 120,000+ trained in 2021. Emily May (Co-Founder, Ashoka Fellow, TED Fellow) leads as President and Lead Executive Officer, supported by VPs of Movement Building & Programs and Finance & Growth. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors, holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status (EIN 27-3199988), and earned Candid's Platinum Transparency Seal for 2025.

Right to Be firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Right to Be
Legal name: Right To Be Inc.
Website: https://righttobe.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2005
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: Right To Be is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers bystander intervention training, harassment prevention programs, and trauma-informed storytelling platforms to corporations, schools, governments, and individuals across 25+ countries.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Right to Be industry classification

Industry

Product category: Anti-Harassment Training and Education
NAICS: Educational Services (611), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (611710)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
akta.pro primary industry: Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)
akta.pro secondary industries: Safeguarding, Child Protection & Reporting Services (EDAJAIAD), Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy (BPAGAFAL)

Keywords

Anti-harassment training
Bystander intervention education
Workplace harassment prevention
Nonprofit training services
Community safety programs

Where Right to Be is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Brooklyn
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Right to Be 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

Private/Corporate Training: Paid customized training experiences for organizations, workplaces, and corporations. Private trainings can be customized for specific workplace needs in collaboration with the training team.
Donations: Tax-deductible donations to a 501(c)(3) public charity supporting the organization's mission. Includes stock gifts, donor advised fund contributions, corporate matching through Benevity, and mail donations.
Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor the creation of new training and/or funding of free public training sessions.
Book Sales: Sale of 'I've Got Your Back: The Indispensable Guide to Stopping Harassment When You See It' by Emily May and Jorge Arteaga, co-authored by the organization.
Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise through BigCartel including apparel and accessories supporting the anti-harassment mission.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Freemium	Pay-as-you-go	Free Public Trainings
Other	Multi-year contract	Private Organization Training
Other	Multi-year contract	Train the Trainer Program

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels12 records

Right to Be product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Right to Be is a nonprofit that delivers bystander intervention training and anti-harassment education built on its proprietary 5Ds methodology (Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, Direct). It sells customized private training to organizations, offers free public trainings to individuals, runs a youth curriculum for grades 8–12, operates digital storytelling and HeartMob platforms for people experiencing harassment, and co-creates large-scale campaigns with corporate partners such as L'Oréal Paris.

Product overview

Right To Be is a nonprofit organization that functions as a training and education platform focused on building a world free of harassment and filled with humanity. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio centered on its core 5Ds of Bystander Intervention methodology (Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, Direct). The primary offerings include Bystander Intervention Training (both free public sessions and private customized programs for organizations), the Right To Be YOUth anti-bullying curriculum for schools, and the Storytelling Platform for sharing harassment experiences. Supporting offerings include Expert Voices Together for journalist/researcher support, the HeartMob online harassment support platform, the Hate and Hope Tracker story collection system, Online Harassment Resources and safety guides, the Allies Solidarity Network partner program, and the I've Got Your Back book. The organization provides Train the Trainer Programs and Collaborative Campaigns with partners. All offerings are oriented around empowering individuals and organizations to respond to, intervene in, and heal from harassment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Bystander Intervention Training Core training program teaching the 5Ds methodology (Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, Direct) for safely intervening when witnessing harassment in workplace, public, online, and identity-specific contexts. Delivered to organizations and individuals.
Free Public Trainings Complimentary virtual training sessions on over 25 anti-harassment topics (workplace harassment, youth programs, online safety, identity-specific programs) delivered via Zoom to the general public.
Private Training Experiences

Quantifiable outcome

98.8% of training attendees feel prepared to intervene in harassment after attending
+4 more outcomes

Companies that use Right to Be

Customer profile

Named customers12 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Right to Be technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature4 records

Right to Be partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Conducted the largest international study on street harassment in 42 cities around the world. Published research advancing global understanding of harassment prevention.
L'Oréal PariscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-year StandUp campaign partnership to stop gender-based street harassment globally, launched in 44 countries and trained 4.5-5 million people. L'Oréal Paris co-branded trainings and public awareness campaigns.
SephoracoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLaunched 'Hearts not Hate' campaign on World Mental Health Day to encourage safe, open spaces for respectful online discussion.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed and delivered Bystander Intervention to Stop Anti-Asian and Xenophobic Harassment training to support #StopAsianHate movement. Also partnered on animated video series teaching 5Ds methodology and conflict de-escalation training.
Blue Mountains City CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated 'Safe To Be' campaign featuring Right To Be's 5Ds of bystander intervention including training, posters, videos, and murals created with local artists.
LA vs HatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLA County initiative brought in Right To Be for train-the-trainer for a diverse, multi-lingual coalition of local nonprofits. Created video content posted on LA Metro to teach riders how to intervene when they see harm.
Grand Street SettlementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilt multi-year learning journey to equip staff with skills to better deliver social services through bystander intervention training.
SafeTourminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped training for artists and tour crews addressing industry-standard safety incidents. Training has been used to train bands and crews nationwide.
Open To AllminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRight To Be became member of coalition to support the retail world with industry-specific insights and training for coalition members.
Chicago Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated peer-to-peer discussion guide for middle schoolers to take leadership in conversations about standing up against bullying.
Seattle Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensed Right To Be YOUth curriculum for multiple schools in their district to teach students bystander intervention skills.
City University of New York (CUNY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing relationship with multiple CUNY colleges to deliver relevant, impactful bystander intervention training to student bodies and employees.
George Washington UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to create Expert Voices Together - a resource providing trauma-informed direct care for researchers and journalists targeted by online harassment.
PEN AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped one-hour training adapting 5Ds of bystander intervention to the online setting to help people intervene safely when witnessing online abuse.
MozillaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to develop open-source framework helping civil society organizations build preventative and reactive processes for staff experiencing online harassment.
Kairos FellowshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Mozilla on developing framework for organizations to handle online harassment of staff and volunteers.
1M4 and ANJEL TechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree 90-minute training on bystander intervention in response to anti-Black police violence covering 5Ds strategies: delegate, document, and delay.
Allies Solidarity Network MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of partner organizations dedicated to supporting communities experiencing hate and harassment. Members take proactive and responsive action through social media campaigns, official communications, and expert conversations.
Woori ShowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated interactive educational short video series for parents and kids to learn about bystander intervention when kids witness racism or harassment.
AARPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC to create series of educational animated videos teaching bystander intervention methods for anti-Asian hate.
The Neurodiversity AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped bystander intervention training to support the neurodiverse community and stop stigma around learning differences.
Sibling Leadership NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational nonprofit supporting siblings of people with disabilities partnered on bystander intervention training for disability community in public spaces.
Center for Urban PedagogyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to create printable, public access design PDF guide walking through harassment scenarios and 5Ds bystander intervention.
RALIANCEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported evaluation of bystander intervention in the workplace alongside Germain Impact Solutions.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Right to Be competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Stop Street Harassment: Nonprofit focused on documenting and addressing street harassment through research, advocacy, and community education. Closest mission-aligned peer, originally housed within the same Hollaback! ecosystem.
GLSEN: Nonprofit advancing safe, inclusive K–12 schools for LGBTQ+ students through curriculum, educator training, and anti-bullying programs. Direct peer in K–12 anti-bullying and bystander/empowerment training content.
RALIANCE: Nonprofit intermediary that funnels resources to local rape crisis centers and supports sexual violence prevention through workplace and community programming. Peer in workplace prevention training and evaluator of bystander interventions.
Traliant: Specialist vendor of workplace harassment, DEI, and compliance e-learning for mid-market and enterprise. Direct competitor for Right To Be's private corporate training engagements.
PEN America: Free-expression and literary organization running online harassment programs for journalists and writers. Peer in online bystander intervention training, including the joint 5Ds adaptation with Right To Be.
Futures Without Violence: National nonprofit advancing prevention of and response to gender-based violence through training, policy, and direct services. Comparable in anti-harassment mission, training programs, and education-led delivery.

Broad incumbents

Anti-Defamation League (ADL): Long-established nonprofit delivering anti-bias, anti-hate, and bystander/Upstander education in schools, workplaces, and communities. Comparable in mission (combating harassment and hate) and education-first delivery model, but with a much larger footprint and broader scope.
EVERFI: Large-scale digital education platform selling workplace harassment, DEI, and compliance training to enterprises. Closest commercial competitor in private bystander/harassment training for corporations.
Vector Solutions: Provider of workforce compliance and safety training, including harassment prevention. Overlaps with Right To Be in private organizational harassment training, particularly for regulated and public-sector employers.
NAVEX Global: Major vendor of ethics, compliance, and harassment training software for enterprises. Adjacent competitor in the broader workplace harassment training market Right To Be sells into.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Right to Be financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Right to Be leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Right to Be funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Right to Be M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Right to Be

What does Right to Be do?

Is Right to Be a public or private company?

Right to Be is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Right to Be founded?

Right to Be was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Right to Be based?

Right to Be is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.

How does Right to Be make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Private/Corporate Training is the primary driver. The others are donations, corporate Sponsorships, book Sales and merchandise Sales.

Who are Right to Be's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Stop Street Harassment, GLSEN, RALIANCE, Traliant, PEN America and Futures Without Violence. Broad incumbents are Anti-Defamation League (ADL), EVERFI, Vector Solutions and NAVEX Global.

Does Right to Be have an API?

No public API is recorded for Right to Be.

What industry is Right to Be in?

Right to Be's product category is Anti-Harassment Training and Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAB, Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations, with a secondary code of EDAJAIAD, Safeguarding, Child Protection & Reporting Services. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.