Knowledge Quest
Knowledge Quest is a Memphis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating since 1998 that delivers free cradle-to-career programming, including early childhood education, after-school academies, family stability services, and a USDA-certified organic urban farm, to youth and families in South Memphis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersMemphis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Knowledge Quest does
Knowledge Quest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 590 Jennette Place in Memphis, Tennessee, operating continuously since 1998 (one source dates founding to 1995). The organization delivers a cradle-to-career continuum of free programming to youth and families in South Memphis through a two-generational Home. Health. Opportunity (H2O) methodology. It operates four core programs: Early Childhood Academy (full-day Pre-K with Early Head Start and Head Start services for children 12 months to 4 years), Extended Learning Academies (after-school and summer programming Pre-K through 12th grade with academic enrichment, STEM, and Social Emotional Learning), Family Stability Centers (case management, housing assistance, financial literacy, mental health counseling), and Green Leaf Learning Farm (a 3-acre USDA-certified organic urban micro-farm producing 7,500+ pounds of produce annually). Supporting offerings include the Best Buy Teen Tech Center, Jay Uiberall Culinary Academy, Green Leaf Cafe, ACT Prep, Design Thinking Lab, Metalworks career pathway, and Residences at Green Leaf internship housing. Services are delivered through three campus locations within a 2-mile stretch of South Memphis.
The organization is funded entirely through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, supplemented by government grants including Early Head Start, Head Start (in partnership with Porter-Leath and First 8 Memphis), and Nita M. Lowery 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants through the Tennessee Department of Education. All programs are provided at no cost to income-eligible families, eliminating financial access barriers. Founder and CEO Marlon Foster leads the organization, with a board chaired by Tim Haberberger (Co-Head of Client Operations, Southeastern Asset Management) that includes executives from FedEx Supply Chain, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Valero Memphis Refinery, and the University of Memphis. The 2023 Slingshot Baseline Impact Study rated Knowledge Quest 'Very Strong' across all four evaluation categories (Benefit-Cost Ratio, Systems-Level Change, Use of Best Practices, and Measurement Infrastructure).
In 2023, Knowledge Quest served 500 families, enrolled 275 students, and impacted 2,000+ individuals through Family Stability Center programming. The organization's strategic differentiation rests on its combination of USDA-certified organic urban agriculture, a comprehensive two-generational service model, deep corporate and collegiate partnership ecosystem, and 25+ years of embedded presence in one of Memphis's most under-resourced communities.
Knowledge Quest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Knowledge Quest
- Legal name
- Knowledge Quest
- Website
- https://knowledgequest.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Knowledge Quest is a Memphis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating since 1998 that delivers free cradle-to-career programming, including early childhood education, after-school academies, family stability services, and a USDA-certified organic urban farm, to youth and families in South Memphis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Knowledge Quest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Youth and Family Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Career & College Readiness Platforms (Guidance, Planning, Scholarships) (EDAJAMAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtual CTE & Career Pathways Programs (K–12) (EDAJADAL), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)
Keywords
Where Knowledge Quest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Knowledge Quest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Knowledge Quest is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies primarily on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The website features a donation intake form allowing donors to direct contributions to specific programs including Extended Learning Academy, Green Leaf Learning Farm, Family Stability Center, and Best Buy Teen Tech Center.
- Government Grants and Partnerships: Knowledge Quest partners with government entities and receives funding through programs like Early Head Start and Head Start (in partnership with Porter-Leath and First 8 Memphis), as well as Nita M. Lowery 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants through the Tennessee Department of Education.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Free programs for income-eligible families |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Knowledge Quest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Knowledge Quest is a nonprofit community organization that delivers free, place-based educational, wellness, and economic mobility programs to youth and families in South Memphis. Its portfolio spans early childhood education, after-school and summer academic enrichment, technology education, family case management and counseling, and USDA-certified organic urban farming, all unified under a two-generational Home. Health. Opportunity (H2O) cradle-to-career framework.
Product overview
Knowledge Quest is a multi-service nonprofit organization serving youth and families in South Memphis through its H2O (Home. Health. Opportunity) methodology. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including the Early Childhood Academy (full-day preschool with Early Head Start/Head Start for children 12 months to 4 years), Extended Learning Academy (Pre-K through 12th grade after-school and summer programming with academic enrichment, STEM, and Social Emotional Learning), Best Buy Teen Tech Center (technology education featuring coding, creative media, and maker workshops as part of The Clubhouse Network), Green Leaf Learning Farm (3-acre USDA-certified organic urban micro-farm with food access initiatives), Family Stability Centers (family coaching, counseling, case management, and referrals), and the Jay Uiberall Culinary Academy (culinary arts training). Supporting offerings include Green Leaf Cafe (farm-to-table meals), ACT Prep classes, Design Thinking Lab, Metalworks career pathway, and the Residences at Green Leaf internship housing program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Green Leaf Learning Farm: A 3-acre USDA-certified organic urban micro-farm focused on student education, community development, and food access/security.
- Early Childhood Academy
- Extended Learning Academy
- Family Stability Centers
- Best Buy Teen Tech Center
- Jay Uiberall Culinary Academy
- Green Leaf Cafe
Products and services
- Early Childhood Academy
- Extended Learning Academy
- Best Buy Teen Tech Center
- Green Leaf Learning Farm
- Family Stability Centers
- Jay Uiberall Culinary Academy (JUCA)
- Green Leaf Cafe
- ACT Prep Class
- Residences at Green Leaf
Quantifiable outcome
- 500 families served, 275 students enrolled, 7,500 pounds of produce harvested in 2023
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Knowledge Quest
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Knowledge Quest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Knowledge Quest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.
- Porter-LeathcorePorter-Leath partners with Knowledge Quest to provide comprehensive Early Head Start and Head Start services for eligible families. Porter-Leath helps build stronger children and families by empowering them to achieve a healthy, optimal, and independent lifestyle.
- First 8 MemphiscoreFirst 8 Memphis partners with Knowledge Quest to provide comprehensive Early Head Start and Head Start services for eligible families in South Memphis.
- Best BuycoreBest Buy supports the Best Buy Teen Tech Center at Knowledge Quest, providing technology resources and programming for teens. The Teen Tech Center is a member of The Clubhouse Network, providing a creative, safe, and free out-of-school learning environment.
- The Clubhouse NetworkcoreKnowledge Quest's Teen Tech Center is a member of The Clubhouse Network, a global network of after-school technology learning centers. Each Clubhouse provides creative, safe, free learning environments where youth work with adult mentors.
- Jay Uiberall FoundationkeyJUF partnered with Knowledge Quest to establish the Jay Uiberall Culinary Academy (JUCA), where high school students learn about culinary arts and the food cycle through training and mentoring activities.
- Literacy Mid-SouthkeyLiteracy Mid-South's Read Memphis Project partners with Knowledge Quest to build capacity for literacy and adult basic education centers throughout the Mid-South region.
- Memphis Public LibrarykeyMemphis Public Libraries serves lifelong learners and supports Knowledge Quest programming by providing resources for readers and connecting community members to information and learning opportunities.
- Explore Bike ShareminorExplore Bike Share promotes bike culture in Memphis through community development, bike education, and safety training. Partnership supports healthy lifestyle initiatives for Knowledge Quest families.
- Urban StrategieskeyUrban Strategies specializes in results-informed human services development, planning, and strategy implementation as part of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization, supporting Knowledge Quest's community development efforts.
- LeMoyne-Owen CollegekeyLeMoyne-Owen College, a private historically black college affiliated with the United Church of Christ, partners with Knowledge Quest on collegiate relations and internship programs.
- Advance MemphiskeyAdvance Memphis partners to empower adults in South Memphis to break cycles of unemployment, establish economic stability, and restore dignity through knowledge, resources, and skills.
- RISE FoundationkeyRISE Foundation (Responsibility. Initiative. Solutions. Empowerment.) developed unique expertise in helping entry-level wage earners budget, save, and accumulate assets, supporting Knowledge Quest's economic mobility goals.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Knowledge Quest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Porter-Leath: Memphis-based nonprofit providing Early Head Start, Head Start, and foster care services across the Mid-South. Porter-Leath is a co-delivery partner with Knowledge Quest on early-childhood programming and serves the same income-eligible families with overlapping educational and family-stability offerings.
- Advance Memphis: Memphis nonprofit focused on workforce development, economic mobility, and adult empowerment for under-resourced communities. It directly partners with Knowledge Quest and competes for the same donor/grant dollars targeting South Memphis families.
- RISE Foundation (Memphis): Memphis-based financial empowerment nonprofit serving low-wage earners through budgeting, savings, and asset-building programs. It complements and overlaps with Knowledge Quest's Family Stability Centers economic-mobility component for the same South Memphis population.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis: Memphis affiliate of a national youth-development nonprofit delivering after-school academic enrichment, STEM, and teen programming — directly overlapping with Knowledge Quest's Extended Learning Academy and Teen Tech Center for school-age youth in the same region.
- Urban Strategies, Inc. National nonprofit specializing in results-informed human services planning and neighborhood revitalization, including HOPE VI Choice Neighborhoods implementation. It partners with Knowledge Quest and works on the same place-based community-development chassis in similar distressed neighborhoods.
- First 8 Memphis: Early-childhood systems-building collaborative in Memphis funding and coordinating Pre-K and early-childhood services. It is a direct funding/coordination partner with Knowledge Quest's Early Childhood Academy and operates in the same policy and funding ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South: Large regional nonprofit operating after-school care, summer programs, youth development, and family services across the Mid-South. It is a broader incumbent offering some of Knowledge Quest's wraparound youth and family supports but across a much wider geography and program portfolio.
Emerging players
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Memphis: Memphis youth-mentoring nonprofit serving similar at-risk youth populations with overlapping after-school and youth-development programming. Smaller scope than Knowledge Quest's cradle-to-career model but draws on the same volunteer and donor pool.
Regional players
- Latino Memphis / Hispanic-serving community organizations: Memphis-area community development and education nonprofit serving underserved families with adult education, youth programs, and family services. Regionally analogous in scope and funding profile, though serving a different demographic segment in the same Mid-South geography.
Others
- Mustard Seed Inc. Urban-agriculture and food-access nonprofit operating community gardens, farm stands, and nutrition education programs in food-insecure neighborhoods. Conceptually comparable to Knowledge Quest's Green Leaf Learning Farm model of combining urban farming with education and food-access missions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Knowledge Quest social profiles
Digital presenceKnowledge Quest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Knowledge Quest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Knowledge Quest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Knowledge Quest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Knowledge Quest
What does Knowledge Quest do?
Knowledge Quest is a nonprofit community organization that delivers free, place-based educational, wellness, and economic mobility programs to youth and families in South Memphis. Its portfolio spans early childhood education, after-school and summer academic enrichment, technology education, family case management and counseling, and USDA-certified organic urban farming, all unified under a two-generational Home. Health. Opportunity (H2O) cradle-to-career framework.
Is Knowledge Quest a public or private company?
Knowledge Quest is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Knowledge Quest founded?
Knowledge Quest was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Knowledge Quest based?
Knowledge Quest is headquartered in Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Knowledge Quest make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are government Grants and Partnerships.
Who are Knowledge Quest's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Porter-Leath, Advance Memphis, RISE Foundation (Memphis), Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, Urban Strategies, Inc. and First 8 Memphis. YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South is listed as a broad incumbent. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Memphis is listed as an emerging player. Latino Memphis / Hispanic-serving community organizations is listed as a regional player. Mustard Seed Inc. is listed as an others.
Does Knowledge Quest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Knowledge Quest.
What industry is Knowledge Quest in?
Knowledge Quest's product category is Community Youth and Family Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAMAO, Career & College Readiness Platforms (Guidance, Planning, Scholarships), with a secondary code of EDAJADAL, Virtual CTE & Career Pathways Programs (K–12). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.