2025-11-17T14:13:24+00:00 2024-12-31 440160260 Forvis Mazars LLP 1201 Walnut Street Suite 1700 Kansas City MO 641062246 990 2024-01-01 481187886 Youth Entrepreneurs Inc YOUT 3168283938 4111 E 37TH ST N D101 WICHITA KS 67220 HENRICH HEUER TREASURER 3168283938 2025-11-17 true true Michael Engle P00482834 8162216300 2025-11-17 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z Empowered KYLIE STUPKA 4111 E 37TH ST N D101 WICHITA KS 67220 7290636 false X WWW.TEACHEMPOWERED.ORG X 1996 KS Empowered believes that every student deserves an education that truly prepares them for success in their life. We provide 30,000+ (continued on schedule o) 6 5 35 0 0 3946632 7123198 32 14585 24013 97977 41156 54876 4011833 7290636 147920 483717 0 3176771 3998537 0 371 3612678 2619425 6937369 7101679 -2925536 188957 2885789 3384769 1389542 1699565 1496247 1685204 TO (I) EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS WITH RESPECT TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS GENERALLY; AND (II) ENCOURAGE THE PRACTICE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS. EMPOWERED IS COLLABORATING WITH EDUCATORS TO TRANSFORM EDUCATION TO BETTER SERVE STUDENTS- ONE CLASSROOM (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) false false 5716848 483717 14585 Growth: Our educator community grew to include 54,000 members by the end of 2024. 15,000 of those educators had accounts on our online curricular and community platform, Empowered Hub, with 24/7/365 access to our digital activity library, AI activity generator, classroom resources, on-demand and virtual professional development and training content, and the ideas, suggestions, and inspiration being shared by our collaborative educator community members. That number included 5,000 educators who newly joined Empowered Hub during the year. During that time, we also gained 3,000 educators who engage with us and our educator community via social media bringing our total to 18,000 social followers. The growth in our educator community means more students, nationally, benefiting from personalized, hands-on educational experiences that help them be prepared for success outside of school. Our community additionally included 20,000 educators who consume our content through other digital means, such as our monthly Teacher e-newsletter. (continued on schedule o) 5716848 true true false false false false false false false false true false false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false true true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true true false false false true 21 0 true 35 true false false false false false false false false false false false false X 6 5 true false false false true true true true true false false false true true true true true true true true false false CA FL GA AL HI IL KS KY MD MI MN MS OR PA RI TN UT VA AR WV WI X HENRICH HEUER 3168283938 4201 WILSON BLVD SUITE 0800 ARLINGTON VA 22203 Kylie Stupka Director/President 1.0 0.0 X X 0 0 0 Amy Pelletier Director 1.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 Dale Gibbens Director/Vice Chair 2.0 9.0 X 0 0 0 Elizabeth Koch Director/Chair 3.0 7.0 X 0 0 0 Meredith Olson Director 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 WW Hanna Director 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Henrich Heuer Treasurer 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Tracey Andrist Assistant Treasurer 40.0 0.0 X 238878 0 20488 Weston Edwards Secretary 1.0 10.0 X 0 0 0 Joel Short Director of Business Systems 40.0 0.0 X 129484 0 26976 Katherine Archibald Chief Product Officer 40.0 0.0 X 213996 0 34546 Lindsay Schroeder Chief Executive Officer 40.0 0.0 X 236680 0 39606 Patrick LaRocco Director of Data 50.0 0.0 X 114695 0 6580 Sean Amore Director, Brand Strategy and Communications 40.0 0.0 X 104027 0 11727 1037760 0 139923 6 false true false Cornerstone Data Inc 127 N WASHINGTON WICHITA KS 67202 Data Consulting Services 245250 Arkus Inc 10 Times Square 6th Floor New York NY 10018 Software Services Contract 178639 EDDY Acquisitions LLC dba EducationDynamics LLC 15200 Santa Fe Trail Dr Suite 200 Lenexa KS 66219 Media 127500 3 7123198 7123198 WORKSHOP REVENUE 611600 14585 14585 0 0 0 0 14585 97977 97977 54876 54876 0 54876 54876 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7290636 14585 0 152853 X 483717 483717 259366 259366 3038083 2939667 98306 110 132154 127519 4630 5 325098 258168 66930 243836 235937 7890 9 48444 48444 1606678 636105 970573 0 261740 230465 31275 104585 92128 12457 21799 18336 3463 298893 287602 11044 247 53244 50620 2624 98730 25824 72906 BAD DEBT 40062 40062 0 0 MEMBERSHIPS & DUES 368 300 68 0 84882 31032 53850 0 7101679 5716848 1384460 371 1593042 591596 1987215 275000 808004 22639 0 0 0 0 131434 296748 941306 729735 253029 211571 100280 0 0 0 0 0 2885789 3384769 1389542 1699565 0 0 0 0 1389542 1699565 X 1112119 766756 384128 918448 1496247 1685204 2885789 3384769 188957 0 X false true true false X 3944464 6228221 5012556 3946632 7123198 26255071 0 0 3944464 6228221 5012556 3946632 7123198 26255071 11186074 15068998 746 108 0 24013 97977 122844 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26377915 244917 0.57127 0.61524 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 451424 311697 139727 489882 418038 71844 211571 7971531 680895 0 680895 7290636 0 0 7290636 7782574 680895 0 680895 7101679 0 0 7101679 Schedule D, Part X, Line 2 MANAGEMENT HAS EVALUATED THEIR INCOME TAX POSITIONS UNDER THE GUIDANCE INCLUDED IN ASC 740. BASED ON THEIR REVIEW, MANAGEMENT HAS NOT IDENTIFIED ANY MATERIAL UNCERTAIN TAX POSITIONS TO BE RECORDED OR DISCLOSED IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. true AWARDS 892 483717 Schedule I, Part III GRANT PURPOSE AWARDS : GRANTS TO INDIVIDUAL EDUCATORS TO ASSIST WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING. Schedule I, Part I, Line 2 Procedures for monitoring use of grant funds GRANTS TO INDIVIDUALS WERE MADE TO EDUCATORS TO ASSIST WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING. FOR ALL SUCH GRANTS, EMPOWERED REVIEWED THE GRANTEE'S APPLICATION TO CONFIRM CHARITABLE/EDUCATIONAL NATURE OF THE PROGRAMMING TO BE SUPPORTED, VERIFIED THE TAX ID OF THE RECIPIENT, ISSUED THE GRANT SOLELY FOR SUPPORT OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR WHICH SUPPORT WAS REQUESTED, AND PERFORMED FOLLOW UP REPORTING TO CONFIRM THE GRANT WAS SPENT FOR THE PURPOSES ISSUED. X X X false false false false false false false true false Tracey Andrist Assistant Treasurer 188878 0 50000 0 0 0 10938 0 9550 0 259366 0 0 0 Lindsay Schroeder Chief Executive Officer 161680 0 75000 0 0 0 14365 0 25241 0 276286 0 0 0 Katherine Archibald Chief Product Officer 163996 0 50000 0 0 0 2365 0 32181 0 248542 0 0 0 Joel Short Director of Business Systems 119484 0 10000 0 0 0 7385 0 19591 0 156460 0 0 0 Schedule J, Part I, Line 7 Non-fixed payments INCENTIVE COMPENSATION IS BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORGANIZATION. IT IS NOT BASED ON THE FINANCIAL RESULTS OF THE ORGANIZATION NOR ON A FIXED FORMULA. TOTAL COMPENSATION IS REVIEWED TO ENSURE IT IS IN LINE WITH FAIR MARKET VALUES. Form 990, Part I, Line 1 BRIEF MISSION educators with the same trust, respect, and support they extend to their students. By supporting teachers through a principle-based educational strategy and a collection of hundreds of resources (including customizable activities, classroom materials, on-demand training, professional development content, a collaborative community, and staff support) that help them use our strategy to enhance what they are already doing in the classroom, we make it easier and more fulfilling for them to transform their classrooms into spaces where more learners are engaging in personalized, hands-on educational experiences. The result is more teachers leveraging the growth mindset to imbue their students with greater ownership over their educational decisions and outcomes and more young people actively creating opportunities for themselves and their communities. Form 990, Part III, Line 1 ORGANIZATION'S MISSION AT A TIME. OUR EDUCATIONAL STRATEGY IGNITES AND NURTURES THE GROWTH MINDSET AND OUR SUPPORT RESOURCES HELP EDUCATORS BE MORE CONFIDENT AND SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR WORK. THE RESULT IS A GREATER PERCENTAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE BENEFITING FROM PERSONALIZED, HANDS-ON LEARNING AND THE GROWTH MINDSET. OUR GOAL IS TO SEE EDUCATION TRANSFORM TO PRIORITIZE PERSONALIZED, HANDS-ON LEARNING OVER A STANDARDIZED one-size-fits-all approach. THIS WILL HELP MORE STUDENTS DISCOVER, DEVELOP, AND APPLY THEIR UNIQUE TALENTS - ALLOWING THEM GREATER SUCCESS IN LIFE AND, ULTIMATELY, IMPROVING THEIR COMMUNITIES. Form 990, Part III, Line 4a PROGRAM SERVICE DESCRIPTION Technology: During 2024, we invested heavily in technology tools to support our educator community. Significant progress was made in the build of our updated digital activity library which launched in Q1'25 with an enhanced user experience, including more robust filtering and search functionalities. In Q4'24 we also launched our Empowered AI Activity Generator for educators to rapidly create their own personalized, experiential, and collaborative lessons and activities. Skillset Development: Approximately 2,000+ educators experienced the power and opportunity of our educational strategy through training in 2024. 50% of these educators participated in RiseUp Workshop sessions that were led by our staff inside host schools' district professional development days. Another approximate 50% of those educators attended Empowered's training sessions held at educational conferences across the country. We also trained 100 educators at multiple regional summer events hosted by Empowered. Digital Communications: On a monthly basis, Empowered distributed our Teacher e-Newsletter to over 30,000 recipients, inclusive of Empowered Hub subscribers. Grants and Supplies: In 2024, we issued over 1,300 micro-grants to educators to support them in building an engaging, student-centered learning environment in which students can discover and develop their unique talents. We also shipped 1,400 start-up kits to educators who newly joined our educator community. Start-up kits enable our new community members to rapidly experiment and implement a principles-based, student-centered culture in their classrooms. Empowered will continue to prioritize strategies that elevate educators as catalysts for student transformation, empowering them to lead classrooms where every learner is seen, valued, and equipped to discover their unique gifts. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a & 15B PROCESS TO ESTABLISH COMPENSATION THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS COMPRISED OF INDEPENDENT VOTING MEMBERS, PERFORMED A COMPENSATION REVIEW FOR THE TOP MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS. AS DEEMED NECESSARY, AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT IS USED TO PROVIDE A MARKET STUDY REPORT TO GAUGE WHERE THE MEDIAN SALARY IS FOR THE MARKET IN KANSAS AND OTHER RELEVANT GEOGRAPHIES AS APPROPRIATE. THEY MAY ALSO OBTAIN RESEARCH DATA ON COMPARABLE POSITIONS WITHIN THE NON-PROFIT SECTOR IN KANSAS AND OTHER RELEVANT GEOGRAPHIES AS APPROPRIATE, USING 990 PUBLISHED DATA. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE USES THE DATA TO DETERMINE THE PROPER COMPENSATION AMOUNT FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. Form 990, Part VI, Line 2 Family/business relationships amongst interested persons CERTAIN OFFICERS & DIRECTORS - Business relationship Form 990, Part VI, Line 6 Classes of members or stockholders EMPOWERED IS A MEMBER CORPORATION. MEMBERS HAVE SUCH RIGHTS AND ARE ENTITLED TO VOTE ON MATTERS AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE BYLAWS. Form 990, Part VI, Line 7a Members or stockholders electing members of governing body THE MEMBERS, REFERRED TO IN PART VI, SECTION A, LINE 6, HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ELECT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Form 990, Part VI, Line 7b Decisions requiring approval by members or stockholders APPROVAL BY THE MEMBERS IS REQUIRED TO: ELECT AND REMOVE DIRECTORS, AMEND THE ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS, AND TO ENGAGE IN ANY SIGNIFICANT TRANSACTION AS FURTHER DESCRIBED IN THE ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS. Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b Review of form 990 by governing body AN INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTING FIRM PREPARED AND REVIEWED THE FORM 990. A FULL DRAFT OF THE 990 ALONG WITH ALL REQUIRED SCHEDULES IS THEN PROVIDED TO INTERNAL MANAGEMENT AND LEGAL COUNSEL FOR REVIEW. ALL QUESTIONS ARE ADDRESSED AND ANY MODIFICATIONS ARE MADE, IF NECESSARY. Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c Conflict of interest policy A COPY OF EMPOWERED INC.'S POLICY ON CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS GIVEN TO ALL DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR TERM OF SERVICE. EACH PERSON IS MADE AWARE AND ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF AND ADHERENCE TO THE POLICY AND EACH PERSON IS REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE TO THE BOARD VARIOUS POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AS SET FORTH IN THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY. IF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS DETERMINES THAT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS, IT WILL CONSULT WITH EMPOWERED'S LEGAL COUNSEL TO DETERMINE HOW TO BEST RESOLVE THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST. EMPOWERED MAY REQUIRE A BOARD MEMBER WHO HAS A FINANCIAL INTEREST IN ANY TRANSACTION OR ARRANGEMENT TO WITHDRAW FROM VOTING ON THE MATTER. The organization recently updated its conflict of interest policy for directors, officers, and key employees and each of them acknowledged the new policy. Form 990, Part VI, Line 19 Required documents available to the public THE DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19 ARE MADE AVAILABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH IRS RULES. Form 990, Part IX, Line 11g Other Fees OTHER PROFESSIONAL FEES - Total Expense: 1588436, Program Service Expense: 617863, Management and General Expenses: 970573, Fundraising Expenses: 0; TEACHER INCENTIVES - Total Expense: 18242, Program Service Expense: 18242, Management and General Expenses: 0, Fundraising Expenses: 0; CAPITOL LEADERS INSTITUTE 4201 Wilson Blvd Suite 900 ARLINGTON VA 22203 473438079 PUBLIC ED DE 501(c)(3) 7 STCC true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false