Our Story
Nine13sports® was founded in 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a health- and fitness-focused nonprofit by former national champion cyclist Tom Hanley. While traveling the country as a competitive athlete, Tom noticed a consistent pattern: most of the youth participating at velodromes and BMX tracks came from middle- to upper-income families—those who could afford the gear and program fees.
At the same time, he saw that youth from under-resourced communities had far fewer opportunities to engage with the bicycle. While Tom had grown up using the bike as a tool for athletic achievement, he began to envision a broader purpose. He believed that, with the right approach—one that prioritized equitable access and operated year-round—bicycles could become powerful tools to inspire, educate, and empower young people from all backgrounds.
The original vision and business plan for Nine13sports® was built around a simple but powerful goal: to bring the joy of bicycling to kids of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds across Indianapolis. To truly make an impact, it was clear the program needed to meet kids where they already were—and for most of the year, that meant their schools.
Although Tom had no formal background in education or experience in the nonprofit sector, he was driven by a clear purpose. He combined stationary trainer stands with interactive software and equipped them with durable bikes designed to fit children of all sizes. With that innovative setup, he launched pilot programs in three schools during Nine13sports®’ inaugural year.
Whenever something new is launched, the fear of failure is always present. The early days of Nine13sports® were filled with questions: Will this work? Will the kids enjoy it? Can most of them even pedal a bike?
But for Tom, who was raised in a household that embraced entrepreneurship, the risk of failure wasn’t intimidating—it was part of the process. In fact, launching something imperfect and learning from it was an exciting challenge. Feedback came quickly and honestly—from students, teachers, and members of the cycling community—and it helped shape the future of the program.
Several moments from that first year stand out. One teacher pulled Tom aside to point out a student who normally tried to skip PE class but now refused to get off the bike—he was having too much fun. At another school, students with special needs were able to fully participate in the activity alongside their peers, many for the first time.
These early successes confirmed what Tom believed from the start: it is absolutely possible to create a space where kids of all shapes, sizes, abilities, and backgrounds can experience the joy and empowerment of the bicycle. And the Nine13sports® mantra was born:
"The Bicycle is the Ultimate Equalizer"®
As demand for the Kids Riding Bikes program grew—thanks to its no-cost model for schools—Tom sought funding through traditional grants. But with the economy still recovering, many funders saw Nine13sports® as too new, too small, or too unconventional.
Leveraging his background as a competitive cyclist, Tom pivoted to a different model: corporate support through marketing and community engagement. This shift not only kept the organization going during a critical time but also established a sustainable funding approach that remains central to our impact today.
Momentum steadily grew as media exposure sparked interest from new corporate partners, leading to valuable relationships and expanded school reach. This progress attracted key foundations, resulting in grant support that further fueled our growth.
Introducing our bicycle simulator at public events like Health & Fitness Expos connected us with our first healthcare partner. Their support helped us enter new school districts and hire our first employee.
Since then, our equipment has become a sought-after feature for events and corporate partners alike—a highly visible, engaging way to promote health and wellness for kids of all ages.
"We would eventually come to realize that without intentionally setting out to do so, we had become a positive disruptor wherever we went."
We transformed the school environment by offering the Kids Riding Bikes program as an engaging, hands-on learning experience that helps students retain educational messages more effectively.
Our partnership model challenges traditional nonprofit relationships by helping corporate partners meet branding, marketing, and community engagement goals. For many, we act like a supplemental marketing agency—creating impact through social media and custom video content that showcases the powerful stories our programs generate every day.
Of course, there have been challenges along the way—from equipment theft to missed funding opportunities—but the Indianapolis community has consistently supported us. By our fifth year, we felt ready to shift into high gear.
Between 2017 and 2018, our team doubled from 4 to 8 members, and our vehicle fleet expanded from one van to three, enabling us to serve three schools daily. We also extended summer programming to community centers, reaching even more Central Indiana youth. By year-end, our flagship program had impacted over 15,000 kids.
Our presence at community events also grew to more than 30 activations annually, and with investment in a new, eye-catching tent, our visibility—and impact—continued to expand.
We transformed the school environment by offering the Kids Riding Bikes program as an engaging, hands-on learning experience that helps students retain educational messages more effectively.
Our partnership model challenges traditional nonprofit relationships by helping corporate partners meet branding, marketing, and community engagement goals. For many, we act like a supplemental marketing agency—creating impact through social media and custom video content that showcases the powerful stories our programs generate every day.
Of course, there have been challenges along the way—from equipment theft to missed funding opportunities—but the Indianapolis community has consistently supported us. By our fifth year, we felt ready to shift into high gear.
Between 2017 and 2018, our team doubled from 4 to 8 members, and our vehicle fleet expanded from one van to three, enabling us to serve three schools daily. We also extended summer programming to community centers, reaching even more Central Indiana youth. By year-end, our flagship program had impacted over 15,000 kids.
Our presence at community events also grew to more than 30 activations annually, and with investment in a new, eye-catching tent, our visibility—and impact—continued to expand.
As our impact grew, teachers and supporters began asking: What about kids who love biking but don’t have a bike at home? Could the bike be used to teach subjects like math or science?
Until then, we had focused on delivering one program exceptionally well, but we couldn’t ignore the exciting potential of new bike-based programming to engage youth in fresh ways.
Originally founded as a health and fitness nonprofit, in 2018 we began evolving into an education-focused organization that uses the bicycle as a tool to teach a variety of subjects throughout a child’s entire K-12 journey. Over the following years, we developed three new programs, each in different stages of implementation.
The first to launch was Kids Building Bikes (fall 2018), a hands-on program where students spend 16 hours learning mechanical skills and STEM concepts while building their own bike. Graduates leave with a new bike, helmet, and lock, along with valuable employability skills.
Recognizing that time constraints limited how deeply STEM topics could be explored, we formed an advisory group of educators from Central Indiana school districts. Together, we are developing ways to bring bicycles and bike components directly into classrooms—working alongside teachers to deliver engaging, standards-aligned lessons.
"We believe the bicycle is an extremely underleveraged educational tool and are excited to continue empowering the youth we serve through the power of the bicycle."