What Flying High does

Flying HIGH Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio, founded in 1994 by Jeffrey M. Magada following an informal 1988 youth sports initiative. The organization delivers an integrated portfolio of workforce development and social services for individuals facing barriers to employment, including ex-offenders, people in recovery, GED-seeking adults, and residents of food desert areas across the Mahoning Valley (Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana counties, Ohio). Core offerings are operated through wholly owned programs: the Professional Development Center, an Ohio Board of Career Colleges and Schools-registered vocational school offering CNA, CDCA, Culinary Fundamentals, Welding, and Carpentry training; the Nutrition-Assisted Alcohol & Drug Treatment Program, licensed by Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services (License #01-7766) and integrating nutritional counseling with traditional recovery; Eagle's Nest 1 & 2 Recovery Housing (Ohio Recovery Housing associates); the GROW Urban Farm social enterprise; High School Equivalency preparation with ASPIRE; the Mahoning Valley Partnership for Employment; Access Healthy Foods Mahoning Valley and Mobile Markets; the Rapid Housing Program; and the newly established Shining Gems Development Corporation (2025). The organization operates four physical sites spanning three counties, employs 51-100 people, and holds BBB Accredited Charity status.

The business model is grant-funded nonprofit with supplementary social enterprise revenue: primary inflows come from federal grants (U.S. Department of Labor, USDA) and Ohio state agency funding (Department of Job & Family Services, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services), with additional philanthropic donations and modest produce sales from GROW Urban Farm to CSAs, restaurants, and food pantries. Programs are delivered free or at low cost to participants; HSE test vouchers offset testing costs. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on referrals from social service agencies, workforce development boards, recovery housing networks, and state partnerships rather than paid marketing. The founder/Executive Director remains in place after 35+ years, signaling strong institutional continuity but also founder-key-person concentration.

Name

Flying High

Legal name

Flying HIGH Inc.

Website

https://flyinghighinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Flying HIGH Inc. is a Youngstown, Ohio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering integrated workforce development, vocational training, recovery housing, licensed addiction treatment, and food access programs to individuals with employment barriers across the Mahoning Valley region of Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Youngstown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue from government grants including funding from U.S. Department of Labor, Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and USDA. In 2016, Flying HIGH was the only program in Ohio awarded a grant by the Department of Labor for advanced manufacturing and healthcare training.
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Flying HIGH Inc. is a BBB Accredited Charity meeting all 20 BBB Charity Standards.
3. Social Enterprise Revenue: GROW Urban Farm generates revenue through sales of locally grown produce to CSAs, restaurants, and food pantries. Access Healthy Foods Mahoning Valley and Mobile Markets sell fresh produce and essentials to food desert areas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Flying HIGH Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers an integrated portfolio of workforce development and social services to individuals facing employment barriers in northeast Ohio. Core offerings include vocational training at the Professional Development Center (CNA, CDCA, Culinary, Welding, Carpentry), nutrition-assisted alcohol and drug treatment, sober recovery housing, GED/High School Equivalency preparation, and urban farming social enterprises (GROW Urban Farm, Access Healthy Foods, Mobile Markets). Programs are delivered directly through facilities and partner networks across Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana counties, with services funded primarily by government grants and charitable donations.

Product overview

Flying HIGH Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a multi-faceted portfolio of workforce development and social service programs. The core offerings include the Professional Development Center (vocational training school), GROW Urban Farm (social enterprise for job readiness training), Nutrition Assisted Alcohol & Drug Treatment Program (integrated recovery services), and Eagle's Nest Recovery Housing (sober living). These programs are complemented by the Mahoning Valley Partnership for Employment, Ohio To Work Partnership, High School Equivalency Preparation, and Access Healthy Foods/Mobile Market initiatives. The Professional Development Center offers specific vocational tracks including CNA, CDCA, Culinary Fundamentals, Welding, and Carpentry programs. Together, these programs provide a continuum of services from employment assistance and vocational training through recovery support and housing, designed to help individuals overcome employment barriers and achieve economic self-sufficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Professional Development Center (PDC) Vocational school approved by the Ohio Board of Career Colleges and Schools offering professional development curriculum in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and restaurant industries including CNA, CDCA, Culinary Fundamentals, Welding, and Carpentry programs for individuals facing barriers to employment.
• GROW Urban Farm Social enterprise providing workforce development and job readiness training through hands-on horticulture, greenhouse operations, organic land care, irrigation, business/marketing, and basic carpentry skills training, with produce sold to local CSAs, restaurants, and food pantries.
• Nutrition Assisted Alcohol & Drug Treatment Program Licensed outpatient treatment program integrating traditional recovery counseling with nutritional education and treatment to address biochemical imbalances and digestive issues hindering recovery for individuals with alcohol and drug addiction.
• Eagle's Nest Recovery Housing Safe and sober living environment providing peer support for individuals in recovery, with services including alcohol and drug assessments, group counseling, recovery coaching, and peer support, operated as Ohio Recovery Housing associates.
• High School Equivalency Preparation

Quantifiable outcome

• 75 individuals placed in employment through Urban Youth Works Project with 55 completing occupational training and/or post-secondary education
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ohio State University Extension Mahoning CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting GROW Urban Farm operations, providing agricultural expertise and extension services for workforce development through horticulture.
• Lake to River Food Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal food cooperative partnership for distributing locally grown produce from GROW Urban Farm to community members.
• Grow YoungstownminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting urban agriculture and local food systems development in Youngstown area.
• ASPIREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing High School Equivalency (HSE) instruction with in-person classes and customized learning plans at Flying HIGH facilities.
• Ohio Recovery HousingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEagle's Nest 1 & 2 Recovery Houses are Ohio Recovery Housing associates, operating in accordance with the association's standards of excellence and code of ethics.
• Ohio To WorkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStatewide workforce development initiative providing Flying HIGH with access to career counseling, tools, resources, and training programs with funding options for job seekers.
• Eastern Gateway Community CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining provider partner connected through Ohio To Work for post-secondary education and career training programs.
• Youngstown State UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining provider partner connected through Ohio To Work for higher education and career training pathways.
• Trumbull Career Tech CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCareer and technical training center partner in Mahoning Valley providing vocational education options through Ohio To Work connection.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Fortune Society: Provides reentry support, housing, substance-use treatment, and employment services for formerly incarcerated individuals. Comparable wraparound service model for justice-involved populations.
• Easterseals: National nonprofit offering vocational training, employment placement, and recovery/support services for individuals facing barriers to employment. Comparable target population and workforce mission.
• Center for Employment Opportunities: National nonprofit focused specifically on employment outcomes for people returning from incarceration. Directly comparable to Flying HIGH's REUNITE Ohio and ex-offender placement work.
• Goodwill Industries International: Largest U.S. nonprofit workforce-development operator offering vocational training, job placement, and reentry services. Most directly comparable by mission and revenue mix (donations + social enterprise + grants).
• OhioGuidestone: Ohio-based nonprofit providing behavioral health, addiction treatment, workforce development, and recovery housing — a near-direct regional peer to Flying HIGH's service mix.
• The Salvation Army: Operates addiction recovery programs, sober living, workforce training, and food assistance nationwide. Comparable breadth of social services under one organizational umbrella.
• Chrysalis: Workforce development nonprofit serving individuals facing barriers including homelessness, justice involvement, and substance use. Closely comparable reentry-to-employment mission and target population.
• Volunteers of America: National nonprofit providing workforce development, recovery housing, behavioral health, and veteran reentry services. Closely comparable multi-program wraparound model.

Broad incumbents

• National Skills Coalition: National workforce policy and advocacy organization. Not a direct operator but directly relevant as the federal/state policy ecosystem that funds Flying HIGH's training programs.

Regional players

• OhioMeansJobs: State of Ohio's publicly operated workforce development system and a key partner/funder for Flying HIGH. Operates similar job-readiness and credentialing services in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FlyingHIGHIncPDC
• Instagraminstagram.com/flyinghighinc_pdc/?hl=en
• Xx.com/flying_inc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Flying High