African Community Economic Development of New England

What African Community Economic Development of New England does

ACEDONE is a Massachusetts-based 501(c) Community Development Corporation founded in 2002 by Abdulkadir Hussein, a Somali immigrant, to support East African refugee and immigrant families in Greater Boston. The organization operates five core program areas: Youth Development (AceZone for grades 1-8, Youth In Charge for grades 9-12 founded in 2011, and YICx for ages 19-30 launched in 2024), Social Services (Housing Stability, Health Equity, and a 50-bed Green Street Shelter in Cambridge), Economic Development (Small Business technical assistance and micro-lending, Community-Driven Housing, and the Erie-Glenway 9-unit affordable condo project), Community Programs (Annual Summer Kickoff, Winter Drive, Fatherhood Program), and Global Initiatives focused on East Africa. Reported cumulative impact metrics include $700K+ deployed in micro-loans to 450+ entrepreneurs, 1.2K+ youth engaged, 5,000+ individuals served, $5M in COVID-19 relief distributed to immigrant-owned small businesses, 4,650+ MassHealth enrollments, 300+ families in homeownership programs, and 9 affordable housing units delivered.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its core delivery model is in-person, community-based programming staffed by culturally fluent case managers and program leads. ACEDONE operates from three Massachusetts locations — a Boston administrative office, a Roxbury outreach office, and the Cambridge Green Street Center — and opened a new Ohio branch in April 2026, signaling the organization's first multi-state expansion. Revenue and funding flow through four primary channels: (1) individual and institutional donations, with a 50% Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit applied to gifts of $1,000 or more, (2) program-service grants and contracts, (3) micro-loan capital recycled through the small business program, and (4) real estate unit sales of affordable housing at $258K-$378K per unit. Only one disclosed funding round ($5,000 in December 2018) appears on record; no audited financials have been published.

Key institutional partnerships include the City of Boston for housing stability referrals, the Equity Now and Beyond coalition for health equity service delivery, the Welcome Home Boston affordable housing coalition (in which ACEDONE is developing the Erie-Glenway Phase 2 project), Cambridge Savings Bank for the Empowering Entrepreneurs workshop series (launched June 2026), and the Massachusetts CITC program for donor incentive structuring. Leadership is anchored by Founder and CEO Abdulkadir Hussein and Director of Real Estate and Finance Kaynan Yassin. The strategic posture is one of horizontal program expansion (age bands, asset classes, geographies) within a nonprofit, mission-driven delivery model rather than technology or AI-enabled scaling.

Name

African Community Economic Development of New England

Legal name

African Community Economic Development of New England

Website

https://acedone.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACEDONE is a Boston-based 501(c) Community Development Corporation founded in 2002 serving East African refugee and immigrant families through youth development, social services, affordable housing, micro-lending, and health equity programs across Greater Boston and Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & School System Navigation (Parent Engagement, Youth Services) (EDAAADAH), Career Exploration & Labor Market Readiness (EDAAAKAA)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Youth development programs
• Affordable housing development
• Immigrant entrepreneurship support
• Micro-lending services

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: ACEDONE relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Through the Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, donors contributing $1,000 or more receive a 50% state tax credit, making donations more attractive to philanthropists.
2. Micro-loans and Small Business Lending: ACEDONE deploys micro-loans to immigrant entrepreneurs and small business owners. The organization has deployed over $700K in micro-loans and supports over 450 entrepreneurs through technical assistance and lending programs.
3. Real Estate Development: ACEDONE develops affordable housing units for sale to income-eligible buyers. Current development includes the Erie-Glenway 9-unit affordable condominium community in Dorchester with pricing from $258,000 to $378,000.
4. Program Services and Grants: ACEDONE receives grant funding to operate programs in youth development, social services, health equity, and economic development. Services are provided in partnership with city agencies and coalitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACEDONE is a Community Development Corporation that delivers a portfolio of direct-service programs across youth development, social services, economic development, housing, and international/global initiatives for immigrant and refugee families in Greater Boston. It runs youth after-school and leadership programs, a 50-bed homeless shelter, affordable housing development, micro-loans and small business technical assistance, and culturally responsive health and housing stability services.

Product overview

ACEDONE operates as a community development nonprofit offering a multi-faceted portfolio of programs organized into five core initiative areas: Youth Development (AceZone for grades 1-8, Youth in Charge/YIC for grades 9-12, and YICx for young adults 19-30), Social Services (Housing Stability, Health Equity, and Green Street Shelter), Economic Development (Small Business Development, Community-Driven Housing & Real Estate including the Erie-Glenway initiative), Community Programs (Annual Summer Kickoff, Winter Drive, Fatherhood Program), and International/Global Initiatives. These interconnected programs work together to serve immigrant, refugee, and marginalized communities across Greater Boston and beyond, addressing housing stability, economic opportunity, health equity, and youth empowerment through culturally responsive support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AceZone

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of youth trained graduate high school; 70% pursue higher education
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cambridge Savings BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Partnership with Cambridge Savings Bank to present Empowering Entrepreneurs: Business and Finance Essentials - a free workshop covering financial statements, legal business structures, loans/grants, and marketing strategies. The workshop supports aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners.
• Equity Now and BeyondcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of six Boston immigrant-led nonprofits focused on health equity. ACEDONE provides mental and behavioral health services to 200 individuals annually through this partnership, prioritizing community members experiencing housing instability.
• City of BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with City of Boston for housing stability services. ACEDONE collaborates with city agencies to expand housing access for immigrant, refugee, and low-income families, prevent displacement, and provide support services.
• Welcome Home BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACEDONE is part of Welcome Home Boston Phase 2 Initiative for affordable housing development. Current project Erie-Glenway is a 9-unit affordable condominium community in Dorchester with 5 units at 80% AMI and 4 units at 100% AMI.
• Green Street CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Green Street Center in Cambridge (11-15 Green Street) houses the 50-bed homeless shelter and serves as a venue for workshops and community programs including the Empowering Entrepreneurs series.
• Diaspora NetworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S.-based diaspora networks connected with local leaders abroad to support culturally grounded, community-driven projects in health, education, and economic development in East Africa and fragile regions.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights11 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/acedoneboston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acedone

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 African Community Economic Development of New England