NFTE and BUILD Announce Merger to Drive Systemic Change in Education 

A New Model for Nonprofit Growth

The merger reflects a broader shift in how mission-driven organizations can scale. Rather than growing through traditional expansion alone, NFTE and BUILD are pioneering a new model for impact in the entrepreneurship education nonprofit sector. They are preserving what makes each organization unique while unlocking greater reach and efficiency. With a projected annual operating budget of approximately $18MM, the combined organization unites NFTE’s national and global reach, educator training, and research capabilities with BUILD’s relationship-centered, experiential learning model.

“The nonprofit sector is entering a period of transformation,” said Patty Alper, President of the Alper Portfolio Group and Co-Chair of the NFTE Board of Directors. “Organizations are increasingly being challenged to think beyond traditional structures and find new ways to create impact at scale. This partnership demonstrates how mission-aligned organizations can come together to build something larger than any one organization could achieve on its own.”

“Education is at an inflection point,” said Anthony Salcito, General Manager, Enterprise at Coursera, Inc. and Co-Chair of the NFTE Board of Directors. “Technology is changing how we work faster than traditional education systems can adapt, and young people are preparing for careers that may not yet exist. Education must do more than prepare students for a first job; it must equip them to adapt to change and create opportunity throughout their lives. Bringing our organizations together gives us a greater ability to help make that shift at scale.“

Connecting New York and Silicon Valley

The merger brings together two organizations built in two of the country’s most influential economic centers. NFTE, founded in New York City, the world’s biggest financial capital, and BUILD, founded in Silicon Valley, the global epicenter of innovation, have spent decades helping young people develop the entrepreneurial mindset needed to navigate change and create opportunity. By combining, they are connecting the nation’s financial and innovation anchors to help shape the future of education.

“BUILD was founded on a simple but powerful idea: when young people are given the opportunity to create, lead, and solve real-world problems, they develop skills and confidence that last a lifetime,” said Suzanne McKechnie Klahr, Founder of BUILD. “Joining NFTE’s family of brands brings together BUILD’s project-based, experiential approach with NFTE’s global reach. What began in Silicon Valley and New York City can now come together to help shape how young people around the world learn to create, lead, and own their futures.“

“Bringing together an organization born in Silicon Valley with one founded in New York connects two of the world’s most influential centers of innovation and finance around a shared goal: ensuring that young people, particularly those too often left out of these networks of opportunity, have the skills, relationships, and confidence to help shape and participate in the future economy,” said David Peinsipp, Partner and Co-chair of the global capital markets group at Cooley, a global law firm, and Chair of the BUILD Board of Directors.

The First Chapter of NFTE’s Family of Brands

This merger marks the first chapter in NFTE’s larger vision to bring together mission-aligned organizations, expand access to entrepreneurial learning, and build a stronger national and global ecosystem dedicated to helping young people own their futures.

For media inquiries, contact Denise Berkhalter Miller, APR, at mediainquiries@nfte.com or (917) 281-4362. To learn more, visit nfte.com/subscribe.

About NFTE
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) brings the power of entrepreneurship education to learners, educators, and decision-makers so all young people can own their futures. A global nonprofit founded in 1987, NFTE leads the movement for equitable access to entrepreneurship education, having reached nearly 2 million learners worldwide through school, community, out-of-school, and digital programming. Learn more at nfte.com.

About BUILD
Founded in 1999, BUILD is a national nonprofit that ignites the potential of youth from under-resourced communities through entrepreneurship education. BUILD has served more than 400,000 students across 2,000+ communities nationwide. Learn more at BUILD.org.