Mi Casa Resource Center

What Mi Casa Resource Center does

Mi Casa Resource Center is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 by seven mothers and one father in West Denver, operating as an economic mobility and workforce development organization serving primarily Latino, immigrant, and low-income communities. It delivers services through two principal program lines, Business Pathways (entrepreneur training, consulting, the La Receta food business accelerator, and the ProBoPat pro bono patent program administered across six Rocky Mountain states) and Career Pathways (sector-specific training in financial services, medical administration, HR, and HVAC, plus career coaching). Since 1989 it has hosted Colorado's only U.S. Small Business Administration Women's Business Center, and in 2017 was named WBC of the Year among 115+ centers nationally. Stackable credential pathways are articulated with Arapahoe Community College, Metropolitan State University Denver, and Community College of Denver, and Google Professional Certificates are delivered via Coursera at $25 per learner.

The operating model is a hybrid nonprofit: roughly 12% of budget is sourced from an SBA cooperative agreement (~$184,000), with the balance drawn from individual and corporate donations, foundation grants (including a $1.5M lead gift from the Salazar Family Foundation that enabled the 2017 relocation to the Salazar Center for Family Prosperity at 345 S Grove St), event sponsorships ($1,000-$15,000 tiers), modest program fees ($0-$150, with scholarships), and facility rentals. Underlying technology is non-proprietary: a standard Coursera-based learning management system, a CRM, and event-driven community marketing rather than any AI or ML capabilities. The organization has cumulatively served 11,000+ individuals, supported the launch of 1,000+ businesses (which generated $39.9M in revenue in 2020), and reports that career-program graduates on average earn $10,000 more per year post-completion. Distribution is anchored at the Denver headquarters, with ProBoPat extending remote service across Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho. Leadership is headed by CEO Angeles Ortega, appointed February 2021.

Name

Mi Casa Resource Center

Legal name

Mi Casa Resource Center

Website

https://micasaresourcecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Mi Casa Resource Center is a Denver-based nonprofit founded in 1976 that delivers career training, business development, and pro bono patent services to underserved entrepreneurs, job seekers, and Latino communities across Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce and Small Business Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

Keywords

• Workforce development training
• Small business consulting
• Women's business center
• Career pathway coaching
• Pro bono patent assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Grants & Contracts: Federal funding from U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for Women's Business Center operations. State and city funding partnerships. Federal funding represents approximately 12% ($184,000) of stated budget.
2. Donations & Philanthropy: Individual donations, corporate giving, foundation grants, workplace giving campaigns, planned giving, stock donations, and enterprise zone tax credits. Mail donations accepted at headquarters address.
3. Program Fees: Modest program fees for career and business trainings ranging from $0-$150. Scholarships and financial assistance available for qualified participants. Administrative fees for patent program ($50).
4. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for signature events including Taste of La Receta and Las Jefas & Jefes. Tiered sponsorship packages from $1,000 to $15,000.
5. Facility Rentals: Community room rentals for local organizations, non-profits, and private events. Hourly and daily rates with state-of-the-art A/V technology and flexible floor plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mi Casa Resource Center is a Denver-based nonprofit that delivers career training, business development, patent assistance, and educational attainment services to underserved entrepreneurs, job seekers, and families. Its core programs include Business Pathways training, Career Pathways training and coaching, the ProBoPat Pro Bono Patent Program, La Receta food business accelerator, and stackable credential pathways with college credit. Services are delivered primarily in-person at the Salazar Center for Family Prosperity in Denver with bilingual English/Spanish support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women's Business Center (WBC): Colorado's only Women's Business Center under the U.S. Small Business Administration, supporting entrepreneurs through all stages of business development since 1989
• ProBoPat (Patent Program)
• La Receta®
• Women's Leadership Program (Poder a Ella)

Products and services

• Business Success (Business Pathways Training) Core small business training program for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs, valued at $8,000 but offered for a minimal administrative fee with scholarships available. Includes three one-on-one consulting sessions and is eligible for 6 college credits at Community College of Denver.
• Business Consulting One-on-one consulting and advising services for small business owners and entrepreneurs on topics such as business planning, access to capital, marketing, and operations, delivered by bilingual business advisors.
• La Receta Food Business Accelerator A specialized food entrepreneur accelerator providing culinary business training, mentorship, and showcase opportunities for food-based small business owners, culminating in the annual Taste of La Receta event.
• Women's Leadership Program (Poder a Ella) A transformative leadership development program for women across all aspects of their professional and personal lives.
• Career Pathways Training
• Career Coaching
• ProBoPat Pro Bono Patent Program A USPTO-sponsored pro bono patent program providing free patent preparation and filing assistance for low-income inventors in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, connecting inventors with 20+ volunteer patent attorneys. Includes a $50 administrative fee.
• Google Professional Certificates Industry-recognized certification programs in IT Support, Data Analytics, UX Design, Project Management, Cybersecurity, and Digital Marketing, delivered via Coursera at a $25 total cost including career coaching sessions.
• Financial Education Workshops
• Educational Attainment Programs Stackable credential pathways, ESL classes, GED preparation, education coaching, and digital literacy programs enabling adult learners to earn secondary and post-secondary credits, including transfer to partner colleges.
• QuickBooks Bootcamp (Spanish)
• Microsoft Excel 101 Workshop
• Community Room Rentals

Quantifiable outcome

• $10,000/year additional earnings for career program graduates
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished ProBoPat (Pro Bono Patent Initiative) under the America Invents Act to assist low-income inventors. USPTO sponsors the program that Mi Casa administers in partnership with state bar associations.
• Lowenstein SandlercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational law firm providing pro bono patent attorney services for ProBoPat inventors. Utah office has partnered with Mi Casa since January 2017.
• Colorado Bar Association IP SectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Intellectual Property Sections of Colorado and Utah Bar Associations to administer ProBoPat patent program.
• Pro Bono Patent Attorneys NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 20+ volunteer patent attorneys and agents from firms including Dorsey, Brownstein, Stoel Rives, Merchant Gould, Faegre Drinker, Haynes Boone, Perkins Coie, Polsinelli, WilmerHale, Cozen O'Connor, Morrison Foerster, and others.
• Arapahoe Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner allowing Medical Administration Training graduates to earn 4 college credits toward certificates.
• Metropolitan State University Denver (MSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner where Human Resources Essentials Training graduates can earn 4 college credits toward business certificates and bachelor's degrees.
• Community College of DenvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner where Business Success graduates can earn 6 college credits toward entrepreneurship certificates and associate degrees.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing Google Professional Certificates through Coursera platform at reduced cost ($25) for participants.
• CourseracoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline learning platform partner for delivering Google Professional Certificates and other educational programs.
• PCs for PeopleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing affordable computers and low-cost internet for eligible individuals.
• Tax Help ColoradominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free tax preparation services for households with income $64,000 or less.
• Denver Financial Empowerment CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free financial coaching to help with debt, credit, savings, and budgeting.
• KeyBankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing financial wellness workshops on interest rates, home ownership, and related topics.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing no-cost technology workforce training to underserved adults. Directly comparable to Mi Casa's Career Pathways model in mission (economic mobility for underserved populations), funding model (grants + corporate partnerships), and outcomes orientation.
• Year Up: Workforce-development nonprofit offering training, stipends, and corporate placement to young adults from underserved communities. Closely comparable to Mi Casa's Career Pathways offering in target population (low-income career entrants), training-plus-job-placement model, and employer partnerships.
• NPower: Nonprofit delivering no-cost tech training and job placement to veterans and underserved young adults. Comparable to Mi Casa Career Pathways in free/skills-based curriculum model, corporate-employer placement, and outcomes-based funding approach.
• Women's Business Development Center: Chicago-based SBA Women's Business Center offering training, consulting, and certification programs to women entrepreneurs. The most direct peer to Mi Casa's WBC operation, with identical SBA designation status, similar bilingual/multicultural service model, and parallel training/funding partnerships.
• Accion Opportunity Fund: Community Development Financial Institution providing small business loans, coaching, and education to underserved entrepreneurs. Comparable to Mi Casa's Business Pathways in target (women and minority small-business owners), bilingual delivery, and integration of capital access with non-financial business support.
• Grameen America: Microfinance nonprofit providing small-dollar loans, training, and peer-support networks to women entrepreneurs in underserved U.S. communities. Closely comparable to Mi Casa's Business Pathways in women-focused microenterprise development and wraparound training-plus-capital model.
• Project QUEST: San Antonio-based nonprofit providing sector-based career training, wraparound supports, and job placement to low-income adults. Comparable to Mi Casa Career Pathways in long-term workforce training with certifications and income-lift outcomes tracking.
• Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll): Nonprofit running community-based business accelerators and pitch competitions for entrepreneurs from underserved demographics. Comparable to Mi Casa's Business Pathways and La Receta programs in accelerator/cohort model, mentoring-heavy delivery, and multicultural small-business focus.

Broad incumbents

• UnidosUS: National Latino civil rights and community-advocacy organization with a broader policy/advocacy scope than Mi Casa but overlapping audience. Comparable in Latino-community mission and bilingual service orientation, but operates as an advocacy/policy organization rather than a direct service provider.

Regional players

• Rocky Mountain Microfinance Institute: Denver-based nonprofit providing business education, mentoring, and small-dollar lending to low-income entrepreneurs in the Rocky Mountain region. Directly comparable to Mi Casa Business Pathways in geography (Colorado-based), target market (low-income entrepreneurs), and integrated training-plus-capital model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/micasadenver
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-dXP0lSSo-K3jDeyy3NpUw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/MiCasaResourceCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/mi-casa-resource-center/mycompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/micasaresourcecenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Mi Casa Resource Center