Refugee Dream Center

What Refugee Dream Center does

Refugee Dream Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 in Providence, Rhode Island by Dr. Omar Bah, a Gambian refugee and former journalist, to bridge the gap left when U.S. government refugee resettlement support ends after 90 days. The organization delivers a comprehensive suite of wraparound services to refugees and asylum seekers, including Reception & Placement (airport pickup, housing setup, cultural orientation), Integration Services (case management, food distribution, transportation, interpreting), Training & Mentorship (ESOL, citizenship preparation, financial and digital literacy, job training), Health & Wellness (Journey to Health education, home visits, clinical counseling, food pantry serving 100+ individuals weekly), Youth Mentorship (Homework Helpers, Youth Soccer, Ten Young Refugee Men, domestic violence prevention), Advocacy & Outreach, and Professional Training services sold to outside institutions such as police academies and hospitals. Multilingual staff, most of whom are refugees themselves, deliver services primarily in person from the center at 747 Broad Street, Providence, on a walk-in basis, with field-based home visits, food distribution, and partner referrals from HIAS, Dorcas International, and UNHCR.

The organization is funded through a mix of federal funding, philanthropic grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations solicited via Mightycause and Facebook Birthday Fundraisers. Named grants include $29,000 from The Champlin Foundation (2020) and $10,000 from a Tufts Health Plan Foundation-led Vax Challenge grant (2021), with additional support from United Way of Rhode Island, Islamic Relief USA, LISC RI, and the Rhode Island Foundation. There are no equity investors, no parent company, and no venture or private equity participation; the organization is governed by a board including Phanida Phivilay and Andrew Kanter, with Teddi Jallow serving as Executive Director alongside founder Dr. Omar Bah. Cumulative reach is approximately 300 refugees served, with 38 resettled in 2024, and the organization maintains a 10-year track record marked by recognitions including the Wheeler Community Spirit Award (2022) and a 2025 federal court victory in coalition with Dorcas International striking down Trump administration policies that had frozen immigration benefits.

In 2025, the organization entered a contraction phase: the State Department's refugee program suspension led to federal funding loss and staff layoffs, even as services continued to operate. The center's strategic response includes diversifying into fee-for-service Professional Training (branded "The Orchid") for institutional clients and an expanding advocacy posture. The organization is structurally a small, community-rooted social services nonprofit with no proprietary technology, no digital platform, and no AI/ML components, making it fundamentally different from a typical technology-driven investment target and more akin to a community-based service organization whose growth is constrained by grant cycles, federal policy, and headcount.

Name

Refugee Dream Center

Legal name

Refugee Dream Center

Website

https://refugeedreamcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Refugee Dream Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 in Providence, Rhode Island, that delivers wraparound resettlement, education, employment, health, and youth services to refugees and asylum seekers in Rhode Island, funded by federal grants, philanthropic donations, and institutional partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Resettlement & Integration Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Child and Youth Services (62411), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH), Refugee/Migrant Health & Resettlement Health Units (HLAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Refugee resettlement services
• ESOL adult education
• Integration case management
• Youth mentorship programs
• Cultural attunement training

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Donations are solicited through Mightycause page, Facebook Birthday Fundraisers, and general fundraising campaigns. The organization also collaborates with donors to provide essential resources and support to refugees.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Refugee Dream Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that delivers post-resettlement support to refugees and asylum seekers in Providence, Rhode Island. Its core offerings include a 90-day Reception & Placement program (airport pickup, housing setup, cultural orientation, ESOL enrollment, benefits registration), Integration Services (case management, employment support, food distribution, interpreting, transportation), and Training & Mentorship (ESOL, citizenship preparation, computer/digital literacy, financial literacy, job training, youth mentorship, and culturally sensitive mental health counseling). All services are provided free of charge to refugees and are funded by donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Refugee Dream Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of social services for refugees and asylum seekers. Rather than a technology product platform, it operates as a service-based organization with multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include Reception & Placement services (initial resettlement support), Integration Services (ongoing support for self-sufficiency), Education programs (ESOL, Citizenship, Computer Literacy, Financial Literacy), Employment services (Job Training), Health & Wellness services (Journey to Health, Home Visits, Clinical Counseling, Food Pantry), Youth Mentorship Programs (Refugee Youth Dream, Homework Helpers, Soccer), and Advocacy & Outreach. The Women's Intercultural Project and Breaking Barriers Program provide culturally-specific support, while Professional Training Services extend expertise to partner organizations. These programs work together to support refugees from initial arrival through full community integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reception & Placement Program
• Integration Services
• ESOL Classes
• Citizenship Classes
• Computer/Digital Literacy Training
• Financial Literacy Workshops
• Job Training Program
• Youth Mentorship Programs
• Journey to Health Program
• Clinical Counseling Services
• Food Pantry
• Women's Intercultural Project
• Breaking Barriers Program
• Cultural Attunement Training
• Advocacy & Outreach Program
• Professional Training Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 refugees served by the center
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brown University Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2022Researchers at Brown's Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies are working with the Refugee Dream Center to assess Afghan refugees' needs and improve military-civilian partnerships. They co-authored a report including 32 interviews with Afghan refugees and eight recommendations for leaders involved in resettlement.
• HIAScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHIAS is a partner agency that refers refugees to Refugee Dream Center for post-resettlement services. They work together on resettlement efforts before Trump's immigration orders suspended the State Department's refugee program.
• Dorcas International InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDorcas International is a resettlement partner. The Refugee Dream Center coordinates with them for services and together they advocate for refugee rights. RDC won a federal immigration case alongside Dorcas International challenging policies that froze immigration benefits.
• United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNHCR is a partner agency working with the Refugee Dream Center on refugee resettlement efforts in Rhode Island.
• LISC Rhode IslandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLISC Rhode Island featured the Refugee Dream Center in a press release about expanded ESOL classes including SNAP participants.
• Rhode Island Community Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Refugee Dream Center collaborates with the Rhode Island Community Food Bank to distribute food from their pantry to community members weekly, serving over 100 individuals each week.
• Brown UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner; also includes Moses Brow School collaboration and research partnerships with Brown's Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies.
• University of Rhode Island (URI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner; founder Dr. Omar Bah is an alumnus (Class of 2010).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RefugeeDream

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Refugee Dream Center