OneWest

What OneWest does

OneWest is a Louisville, Kentucky-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development corporation founded in 2014 that operates as the dedicated commercial-revitalization entity for the nine neighborhoods of West Louisville (Russell, Portland, Shawnee, Park DuValle, Parkland, Chickasaw, Park Hill, California, and Algonquin). Its primary "product" is a four-pillar community development methodology — Commercial Development, Community Advocacy, Community Engagement, and Capacity Building — packaged into an integrated ecosystem facilitator role across 25+ community partners. Operationally, OneWest delivers this through three interlocking platforms: (1) The Plan Room, a free business accelerator for Black, minority, and women-owned construction businesses offering training, mentorship, access to project plans, and certification support; (2) a retail/restaurant accelerator pipeline (Porter House and Houston House at 516A/516B South 18th Street) that onboards graduates of the Chef Space incubator into their first retail locations; and (3) a portfolio of owned and renovated commercial properties including the Royal Theater complex (1803 W Broadway), 1821 W Broadway coffee shop, 1731 W Broadway, 526 S 18th Street, and 504/508 S 18th Street, all leased at subsidized rates to West End small businesses.

The organization also runs signature community programming — including the annual Winter Wonderland at Shawnee Park (200,000+ lights, 7,500+ cars, 71,000+ residents reached) and the Pay It Forward Community Service Project (March 17, 2026 corridor beautification with Iowa State University students) — which function as both community service and donor/brand surface area. OneWest is governed by a board representing banking (Fifth Third, Independence Bank), healthcare (Norton Hospital), legal (Frost Brown Todd), and resident constituencies, and is led by President & CEO Evon J. Smith (appointed January 2018, 25+ years of real estate development experience).

OneWest's revenue model is grant- and donation-funded rather than commercial. Primary funding streams are philanthropic grants (Rockefeller Foundation: $500K in 2023-01; James Graham Brown Foundation: $1M in 2025-07 matched dollar-for-dollar), individual donations through an Invest West campaign (with a stated $50M campaign goal), and corporate contributions (UPS provided the inaugural corporate contribution in 2014). Capital intensity on the development side is largely being mobilized externally — OneWest's May 2026 announcement projects more than $200M in total planned investment across the West Loop (~$70M, restaurants/health clinics/affordable housing) and the West Louisville Sports and Entertainment Complex. Cumulative funds raised since inception exceed $10M. There is no pricing model for core programming (Plan Room is free, events are free), and commercial property rents are intentionally subsidized to support small business tenants and prevent resident displacement.

Name

OneWest

Legal name

OneWest

Website

https://onewest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OneWest is a Louisville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 that drives commercial revitalization across the nine neighborhoods of West Louisville through a four-pillar model of commercial development, community advocacy, engagement, and capacity building, serving residents, minority-owned construction businesses (via The Plan Room accelerator), and small-business tenants in its owned commercial property portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

Keywords

• Community development
• Nonprofit revitalization
• Minority business accelerator
• Commercial property development
• Workforce training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants: OneWest secures grants from foundations including The Rockefeller Foundation ($500,000) and James Graham Brown Foundation ($1 million) to fund accelerator programs and community revitalization projects. These are primary funding sources for operations.
2. Donations and Campaign Contributions: The organization accepts donations through its Invest West campaign and other fundraising efforts. The donation page shows a $50 million campaign goal, indicating major reliance on philanthropic contributions.
3. Property Development Income: OneWest generates revenue through commercial property ownership, renting spaces to businesses (e.g., 504/508 South 18th Street) and developing properties for lease (e.g., 1731 W Broadway with two commercial bays).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OneWest is a nonprofit community development organization that drives commercial revitalization of West Louisville's nine neighborhoods through four pillars: Commercial Development, Community Advocacy, Community Engagement, and Capacity Building. It acquires and develops commercial properties, operates The Plan Room business accelerator for minority-owned construction businesses, provides subsidized retail/incubator space, and hosts community events. Its work is funded through philanthropic grants and donations.

Product overview

OneWest is a community-focused nonprofit organization that operates as an ecosystem facilitator for the commercial revitalization of West Louisville. The organization offers multiple interconnected programs and property development projects organized around four core pillars: Commercial Development, Community Advocacy, Community Engagement, and Capacity Building. Key programs include The Plan Room (a business accelerator for minority-owned construction businesses), a Retail Accelerator Program with physical spaces like Porter House and Houston House, and various property redevelopment projects. The organization also hosts community events including Winter Wonderland and the Pay It Forward Community Service Project. Since inception, OneWest has raised over $10 million in capital funds to support its initiatives across nine neighborhoods in West Louisville.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Plan Room: A business accelerator providing Black and minority business owners with training, mentorship, and networking opportunities in a dedicated space at no cost to participants. Designed to help underrepresented entrepreneurs win contracts and improve racial minority representation in the construction industry.

Products and services

• The Plan Room A business accelerator that provides Black and minority business owners in the construction industry with training, access to project plans, mentorship, and networking opportunities in a dedicated space in the West End community. It offers hands-on educational experiences, mentorship, professional services, and networking events, serving as a destination for developers and property owners to entertain bids and invest in diverse companies.
• Retail Accelerator Program A program that supports retail businesses through accelerator spaces, providing chefs and entrepreneurs their first retail location opportunities, along with resources for marketing, operations, and business development.
• Porter House / Houston House (516A & 516B South 18th Street) Renovated structures serving as an accelerator program for chefs completing the Chef Space incubator. This 1,670 sq ft space seats 49 customers and provides tenants with resources for marketing, operations, reporting, and business development.
• 1821 West Broadway Coffee Shop A community-led coffee shop project completed as part of a community design process conducted with Urban Design Associates, providing a neighborhood coffee shop in the West End.
• 526 South 18th Street A historic restoration of a 2,360 sq ft building transformed into a vibrant mixed-use space with affordable residential units and commercial space in the heart of the West End.
• Royal Theater A redevelopment project encompassing six contiguous buildings home to a convenience store, restaurant, daycare center, dentist, nail salon, barbershop, clothing store, and pawn shop, with rental rates kept low due to donor support.
• Winter Wonderland at Shawnee Park A free annual community holiday event at Shawnee Park featuring over 200,000 lights, festive displays, live performances from choirs and music groups, laser light shows, and holiday tunes, creating a winter fantasy experience for West Louisville families.
• Pay It Forward Community Service Project A half-day community service effort focused on beautification of the 18th Street Corridor, including yard work, alley clean-up, weatherization support, minor exterior repairs, and aging-in-place assistance delivered at no cost to approximately 40 households, businesses, and community spaces.

Quantifiable outcome

• Raised over $10M since inception to support West Louisville projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Urban Design AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on community-led design process for 1821 West Broadway project, a neighborhood coffee shop development completed in May 2022.
• Iowa State University Pay It Forward ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Iowa State University student leaders for Pay It Forward Community Service Project focused on beautifying the 18th Street Corridor, supporting residents aging in place.
• Love Your Block LouisvilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner contributing resources and labor to Pay It Forward Community Service Project for minor home repairs in West Louisville.
• Project WarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing weatherization support and expertise for the Pay It Forward Community Service Project.
• BrightsideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner contributing to beautification efforts in Pay It Forward Community Service Project.
• Age-Friendly LouisvilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner focused on aging-in-place assistance as part of the Pay It Forward Community Service Project.
• Turn Around ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction partner contributing expertise and labor to Pay It Forward Community Service Project.
• Chef SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestaurant incubator program that chefs complete before entering OneWest's Porter House accelerator space. OneWest supports chefs who complete the Chef Space incubator with their first retail location.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Build Healthy Places Network: National nonprofit that catalyzes investment in low-income communities to address health and economic disparities, working at the intersection of community development and health. Comparable ecosystem-facilitator role to OneWest, though focused on the cross-sector health-equity angle.
• Reinvestment Fund: National mission-driven financial institution that deploys capital and data to revitalize low-income neighborhoods, including financing CDCs and community developers. Comparable in deploying catalytic capital into distressed real estate, but functions more as a funder/lender than a direct operator.
• Grounded Solutions Network: National nonprofit that supports community land trusts and shared-equity homeownership models to keep housing permanently affordable in disinvested neighborhoods. Comparable in mission to prevent displacement in West Louisville, with a sharper focus on community land trust structures.

Direct peers

• Purpose Built Communities: National nonprofit that partners with local leaders to break up concentrated poverty through a four-pillar model (cradle-to-career education, housing, community wellness, economic development) anchored in mixed-income real estate development. Closely comparable integrated-pillar methodology and place-based approach to OneWest.
• Center for Community Progress: National nonprofit focused specifically on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties, helping cities and CDCs acquire, rehab, and repurpose distressed real estate. Directly comparable to OneWest's strategy of tackling 5,000+ vacant West End properties.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit that combines real estate development, lending, and policy advocacy to revitalize low-income communities, including a focus on Black, Brown, and historically disinvested neighborhoods. Mirrors OneWest's mixed model of development, capacity building, and community advocacy at significantly greater scale.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development intermediary that finances and supports CDCs, affordable housing, and economic development in distressed neighborhoods. Highly comparable mission and ecosystem-facilitator role to OneWest, but operates at national scale with a far larger staff and capital base.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Large nonprofit that builds, rehabilitates, and advocates for affordable housing in distressed communities worldwide, including minority neighborhoods. Comparable on the property-development and community-capacity-building dimensions, though at a vastly larger scale.

Regional players

• New Directions Housing Corporation: Louisville-based nonprofit housing developer providing affordable housing, resident services, and community development in West Louisville and other Kentucky neighborhoods. Operates in the same geography as OneWest and competes for similar funding and development opportunities.
• Louisville Urban League: Louisville-based affiliate of the National Urban League focused on economic empowerment, education, and community development for African Americans and low-income residents in West Louisville. Shares the same target population and mission pillars as OneWest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/onewestlou
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@onewestlou7393
• Facebookfacebook.com/OneWestLouisville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onewest
• Instagraminstagram.com/onewestlou

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about OneWest