Inneract Project offers design education open to all students, with a mission-driven focus on reaching and supporting Black, Latinx, and underrepresented designers of color—helping them build the skills and access needed to pursue careers in design.

What We Do

20 year non profit, serving over 10K Black and Brown youth, developing education experiences that expose youth to design.

Who we are

Our programs focuses on: Skills, Awareness and Mentorship — for middle + high school, college and career.

Our Values

  • We prioritize the socioeconomic needs of communities that otherwise have limited access to exceptional design education opportunities and experiences, including low-to-no-cost programs.

  • We work to increase representation of Black, Latinx, and underrepresented designers of color while providing opportunities for their ideas and experiences to be respected and integrated into design and tech spaces.

  • We continuously refine our curriculum, instruction, and assessment to be current and ahead of evidence-based and emerging practices in the fields of design education and learning science.

  • Our programs and curriculum are primarily designed and taught by professionals who mirror the communities we serve and reflect their cultures and values.

  • We know we can’t do it alone. We build deep partnerships with community organizations, higher education, industry and philanthropy to ensure measurable impact and sustainability.

Our Journey & Vision

2004 — Early Years

In 2004, after a career in basketball and an MFA from the University of Washington, Maurice Woods founded IP to support underrepresented Black and Brown youth of color. This grassroots effort quickly grew into a mission-driven organization based in the Bay Area, CA.

2012 — Building Community

By 2012, IP expanded its programs nationwide, collaborating with tech giants like Google, Apple, and Meta, and saw its students admitted to top design schools and hired by major firms. However, a reliance on volunteers limited its impact, highlighting the need for a full-time staff to stabilize the organization.

2024 — Achieving Impact at Scale

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, IP overhauled its program in 2023, introducing, “Summer Design Camp” and "Uplift," an online mentorship platform for young, underrepresented designers. These changes, coupled with our team's growth, aim to bolster our 20-year legacy in promoting equity in design, preparing us for future expansion opportunities.

Inneract Project Alumni

Inneract Project’s work/impact is seen throughout various different stages of life—from Middle School to Career.

  • Malik Jones started with Inneract Project in middle school. He has taken multiple classes throughout the years and now is attending Parsons School for Design in New York.

  • Jasmine Robinson started with IP in middle school, and is now pursuing a design degree at UC San Diego. In addition, Jasmine was awarded a Summer 2022 internship at Meta.

  • Aska Mukati is an Inneract Project mentee who used our Uplift platform. She was ultimately offered a full-time design position at a startup, Daffy.

  • Andrew Whitmore used our Uplift platform. Through an Inneract Project partnership with Design Map, he obtained a freelance contract and also enrolled in a UX workshop. He worked as a designer at Nike.

  • Charmienne started with Inneract Project in high school. An IP scholarship recipient, she is currently attending UC Berkeley for design.

  • Cendan Clairborne started with Inneract Project in middle school, participating in our early youth academy and lectures. He is now a motion designer at OddFellows TV.