Rootead

What Rootead does

Rootead is a Kalamazoo, Michigan-based 501(c)-style nonprofit founded in 2015 that delivers culturally responsive programming for Black and brown communities through three integrated branches: Birth Justice (Red Birth Green doula program, Community Based Doula Training, Blossom Babies childbirth education, Baby Café lactation support), Youth Enrichment (RYDDE pre-professional drum and dance ensemble for ages 13–18, summer camps for ages 5–12, Books and Boogie literacy program), and Community Healing (Rootead OG's adult drum and dance, retreats, Juneteenth Celebration, African Masquerade fundraiser). The organization operates from a main studio at 505 E Kalamazoo Ave and extends reach through pop-up sites at El Concilio and the Edison Neighborhood Association, delivering services free or at low cost with a trauma-informed, decolonized framework grounded in Sankofa principles.

Revenue is assembled from three streams: (1) donations and foundation grants — Rootead maintains relationships with at least 12 funders including W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Bronson Health Foundation, Dorothy U. Dalton, Fetzer Institute, Irving S. Gilmore, and United Way; (2) program fees — youth summer camp at $200/week per child, Community Based Doula Training at $500 (Kalamazoo residents) and $1,500 (non-residents) with a $50 application fee; and (3) service revenue — Red Birth Green doula services that, through HealthConnect One accreditation and MDHHS curriculum approval, enable graduates to accept Michigan Medicaid payments. Free offerings include Village Playdates, weekly diaper giveaways, and walk-in Baby Café support groups.

The organization is led by Founder/CEO/executive director Kama Mitchell, with an Operations and Development Director (Carmen James), Youth Enrichment Director (Heather Mitchell), and Marketing Lead (Adia Brown), supported by 11–50 staff and a board. Distribution is community-led: physical studio plus partner-hosted pop-ups, augmented by organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), a newsletter, and signature annual events (Juneteenth, African Masquerade gala). The underlying "technology" is a curated cultural curriculum and a partner-mediated service delivery network rather than software, and the organization holds a Candid Gold Seal of Transparency (2023) for nonprofit accountability.

Name

Rootead

Legal name

Rootead

Website

https://rootead.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rootead is a Kalamazoo, Michigan-based nonprofit founded in 2015 that delivers culturally responsive birth justice, youth enrichment, and community healing programs — including doula services, the RYDDE youth drum and dance ensemble, and Baby Café lactation support — centered on Black and brown families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJALAK

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Educational Support Services (Tutoring & Counseling)

SECONDARYEDAAAFAF

Family & Parenting Education (Family Literacy, Parenting Skills)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

Keywords

• Birth justice services
• Youth enrichment programs
• Community healing programs
• Culturally responsive doula services
• African arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalamazoo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Rootead accepts donations through its website and various giving campaigns. The organization is funded by individual donors and foundation support.
2. Youth Summer Camp Fees: Revenue from youth summer camp programs at $200/week per child, with scholarships available for families who qualify.
3. Community Based Doula Training: Training program fees of $500 for Kalamazoo residents and $1500 for non-residents, with a $50 application fee. Financial assistance and payment plans are available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rootead provides birth justice, youth enrichment, and community healing programming through the Rootead Enrichment Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The organization delivers culturally responsive, trauma-informed services including doula support (Red Birth Green program), lactation support (Baby Café), childbirth education (Blossom Babies), community-based doula training, youth drum and dance ensembles (RYDDE), summer camps, and wellness retreats for Black and brown families and community members.

Product overview

Rootead is a community service organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs under three main branches: Birth Justice, Youth Enrichment, and Community Healing. The Birth Justice branch includes the Red Birth Green (RBG) Doula Program and Community Based Doula Training for expectant families. Youth Enrichment features the RYDDE pre-professional drum and dance ensemble, Youth Summer Camps, and Books and Boogie literacy programs. Community Healing encompasses retreats, the Rootead OG's adult drum and dance group, and wellness programming. All branches share the mission of 'reclaiming the village' through culturally responsive, trauma-informed services that center Black and brown communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Red Birth Green (RBG): Doula program under the Birth Justice branch offering prenatal, birth, and postpartum support to families.
• RYDDE
• Ile Itaja
• Blossom Babies
• Baby Café
• Village Playdates

Products and services

• Red Birth Green (RBG) Doula Program Doula program providing prenatal, birth, and postpartum support for families, using Sankofa principles and integrating traditional practices that address mind, body, and spirit. Aimed at helping families move from overwhelm to confidence in their birth journey.
• Community Based Doula Training HealthConnect One accredited doula education program with curriculum approved by MDHHS, allowing graduates to accept Michigan Medicaid payments. Consists of 20 weekly sessions covering topics in depth. Priced at $500 for Kalamazoo residents and $1,500 for non-residents with $50 application fee and financial assistance/payment plans available.
• Youth Summer Camp Summer camp program for youth ages 5-12 featuring West African Drum & Dance, African-inspired crafts, and the strategy game Mancala, concluding with a family showcase. Scholarships available on first-come first-served basis.
• Village Playdate Weekly drop-in sessions with story time and activities for families with young children, offered free of charge at the Rootead Enrichment Center.
• Baby Café at Rootead Walk-in parent support group offering lactation professional support for baby feeding, available free of charge through partnership with Bronson Health Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Pop-up services also offered at El Concilio and Edison Neighborhood Association locations.
• Blossom Babies Comprehensive, culturally responsive childbirth and postpartum education class designed to support birthing people and their families as they prepare for labor, delivery, and the early weeks of parenting.
• RYDDE (Rootead Youth Drum and Dance Ensemble) Pre-professional drum and dance company for youth ages 13-18 focusing on Black Diasporic styles including Traditional West African, Afro Fusion, and Afro Beats. Features an annual showcase that drew nearly 90 attendees in March 2026.
• Rootead OG's Adult drum and dance group focusing on the traditions of West African Diaspora ethnomusicology, serving as a parallel program to RYDDE for adult community members.
• Books and Boogie Movement and literacy program delivered in collaboration with Kalamazoo Head Start, providing movement activities, interactive book readings, letter and sound recognition, and mindfulness activities for young children.
• Retreats Wellness and liberation experiences offered through transformative justice, nervous system regulation, generative somatics, and healing arts for community members.
• Diaper Giveaway Weekly diaper distribution program offering free diapers from Newborn to 4t/5t Pull-ups on a first-come, first-served basis to families in need.

Quantifiable outcome

• RYDDE annual showcase drew nearly 90 attendees, demonstrating strong community engagement and cultural programming impact.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HealthConnect OnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRootead's Community Based Doula program is a HealthConnect One accredited doula education program. The curriculum has been approved by MDHHS, enabling graduates to accept Michigan Medicaid payments.
• El ConciliocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner location for Pop-up Baby Café services, bringing support to the Latino community at 2501 Millcork St, Kalamazoo.
• Edison Neighborhood AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner location for Pop-up Baby Café services at 816 Washington Ave, Kalamazoo.
• Kellogg Community CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for Rootead youth drum and dance performances as part of college programming celebrating Black History Month.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• March of Dimes: March of Dimes is a large established maternal and infant health nonprofit operating programs, research, and advocacy nationwide. It is a broad incumbent overlapping with Rootead's birth-justice and prenatal-education work, though at a vastly larger scale and with a clinical/research orientation.
• Black Mamas Matter Alliance: Black Mamas Matter Alliance is a national advocacy network advancing Black maternal health policy and practice. It is a broader incumbent operating in the same birth-justice space as Rootead's Birth Justice branch, focused on systems change rather than direct service.
• Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies is a national coalition of maternal and infant health organizations. It overlaps with Rootead's perinatal support and parent-education work as a broader incumbent in the same mission category.

Emerging players

• National Black Doulas Association: The National Black Doulas Association is a professional membership and training organization advancing Black birth workers. It is comparable to Rootead's community doula training program as an emerging player building the doula workforce pipeline.
• Black Women Birthing Justice: Black Women Birthing Justice is a Bay Area collective focused on research, advocacy, and community support around Black birth outcomes. Its mission aligns closely with Rootead's birth-justice focus and makes it a comparable emerging/community-based peer.

Direct peers

• Ancient Song Doula Services: Ancient Song is a Brooklyn-based birth justice organization providing doula training, community doula services, and advocacy for people of color. Its accredited doula training and birth-equity focus mirror Rootead's Community Based Doula Training and Red Birth Green program.
• Uzazi Village: Uzazi Village is a Kansas City-based nonprofit offering culturally-focused maternal health, doula, and youth/family services to Black and Brown communities. It is the closest structural analog to Rootead, operating an accredited doula program alongside youth and family support services.
• Mamatoto Village: Mamatoto Village is a Washington, D.C. perinatal support nonprofit that combines community-based doula services, mental health support, and family advocacy for Black families. Its integrated birth-worker and family-services model is directly comparable to Rootead's Birth Justice branch.
• Commonsense Childbirth: Commonsense Childbirth operates The JJ Way midwifery model and culturally-centered perinatal services for underserved communities. Its combination of clinical-grade training and community birth-equity programming makes it a strong direct peer.

Regional players

• YWCA Kalamazoo: YWCA Kalamazoo is a regional women-and-family services nonprofit already partnered with Rootead. It serves overlapping women/family/child-welfare missions in the same Kalamazoo geography, making it a relevant regional peer and ecosystem collaborator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDEhUvqKZwwpm-sGkLautCA
• Facebookfacebook.com/rootead
• Instagraminstagram.com/rootead
• Xx.com/rootead
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rootead

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Rootead