The Other Side Academy

What The Other Side Academy does

The Other Side Academy (TOSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates free, 30-month residential therapeutic community programs at campuses in Salt Lake City, Utah (founded 2015) and Denver, Colorado (founded 2019). The program serves non-violent offenders facing incarceration, individuals with long histories of substance abuse, and chronically homeless men and women, accepting participants both pre- and post-sentencing. TOSA's underlying methodology is a "classic therapeutic community" — a peer-based behavioral change architecture, modeled on the Delancey Street Foundation, in which the community itself is the primary change agent and all staff are former TOSA graduates with lived experience, with no professional therapists or counselors. The program explicitly excludes sex offenders, arsonists, and applicants requiring special clinical counseling, and requires participants to remain on campus for the 30-month commitment.

Participants receive housing, clothing, food, medical and dental care, GED tutoring, and job placement assistance at no charge while working full-time in one of TOSA's vocational training schools. These training schools — The Other Side Movers (rated #1 in Utah), The Other Side Thrift Boutique (SLC and Murray), The Other Side Builders, Designer Storage (Denver), Denver Moving & Storage, Furniture Boutique, and a property management operation — perform dual duties as functioning businesses generating revenue and as hands-on vocational training grounds. Reported outcomes include a 23% recidivism rate for graduates versus typical 40-60% baseline, 69% drug-free/crime-free/employed status for all graduates, and 100% full-time employment at graduation.

The business model is self-sustaining transaction revenue from the vocational enterprises plus donations processed through the Zeffy platform, with no government funding. Customer-facing pricing is zero — all services are free to accepted participants. The go-to-market is community-led: judicial referrals (judges, prosecutors, public defenders, probation/parole officers) plus direct walk-ins to either campus, amplified by earned media coverage, civic endorsements (Utah Attorney General, Salt Lake City Mayor, district attorneys), and TEDx talks. TOSA is licensed by Utah's Department of Consumer Protection as a Residential Vocational & Life Skills program and gained a legislative tailwind in March 2022 when Utah SB 179 formally recognized this category of program as a viable court-sentencing alternative.

Name

The Other Side Academy

Legal name

The Other Side Academy

Website

https://theothersideacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Other Side Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating free 30-month residential therapeutic community programs in Salt Lake City and Denver for non-violent offenders, substance abusers, and homeless individuals. Operations are self-funded through vocational training businesses including moving, thrift, construction, and storage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rehabilitation & Vocational Training Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Educational Services (611), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Emotional & Behavioral Disorders (EBD) / Therapeutic Day Schools (EDAKAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Therapeutic community program
• Vocational training services
• Addiction recovery program
• Criminal rehabilitation services
• Social enterprise business

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Vocational Training Schools: Self-sustaining through training schools including moving companies (The Other Side Movers), thrift boutiques (The Other Side Thrift Boutique), property management, and construction. These social enterprises fund operations and provide vocational training simultaneously.
2. Donations: Accepts donations through Zeffy platform. No government funding received.
3. Social Enterprise Revenue: Operating vocational training businesses including Other Side Movers (#1 rated moving company in state), Other Side Thrift Boutique, Designer Storage in Denver, and Murray Thrift Boutique. These enterprises cover most program expenses and provide on-the-job training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Other Side Academy operates a free 30-month residential therapeutic community program that teaches pro-social, vocational, and life skills to individuals with histories of addiction, criminal behavior, and homelessness. Students live on campus and work full-time at one of the organization's vocational training schools (moving, thrift retail, construction, storage, furniture), which simultaneously fund program operations and provide hands-on job training. All staff are former graduates with lived experience rather than licensed therapists.

Product overview

The Other Side Academy is a single, unified therapeutic community program that operates multiple vocational training schools as integrated components of its rehabilitation model. The core offering is a comprehensive 30-month residential program combining peer-based therapeutic community methodology with hands-on vocational training through social enterprises including The Other Side Movers, The Other Side Thrift Boutique (including Murray location), The Other Side Builders, Designer Storage, and Furniture Boutique. These vocational training schools serve dual purposes: providing students with marketable job skills and generating revenue that makes the program free to participants. The organization also offers a Leadership Institute for advanced development and a Financial Success Program for graduates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Other Side Academy Residential Program A 30-month residential therapeutic community program that provides vocational training, education, peer counseling, and transitional services to individuals with histories of addiction, criminal behavior, and homelessness. Free to participants; all basic necessities (housing, food, clothing, medical/dental care, GED tutoring) provided.
• The Other Side Movers A moving company serving the general public in Salt Lake City; functions as a vocational training school that teaches students marketable job skills while generating revenue to support the organization's operations.
• The Other Side Thrift Boutique

Quantifiable outcome

• 23% recidivism rate for graduates who complete 2.5+ years, vs. typical 40-60% for prison system
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supportive.

• Utah County District Attorney's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Jeff Buhman, Utah County District Attorney, was instrumental in establishing the program as an alternative sentencing option. His office worked with Joseph and Celia Grenny to bring the Delancey Street model to Utah, approving the first candidates for the program.
• Delancey Street FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Other Side Academy is modeled after the Delancey Street Foundation in San Francisco, which has helped over 20,000 people transform their lives over 45 years. Several Delancey Street graduates (Dave Durocher, Lola Zagey, Steve Strong) left to help launch The Other Side Academy as founding staff.
• Utah State LegislaturecoreOthersIn March 2022, the Utah Legislature passed Senate Bill 179 eliminating the JRI certification process for drug treatment programs and clarified that residential vocational training programs like TOSA are viable options for court sentencing.
• Utah Attorney General Sean ReyessupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpressed support for the program and committed to encouraging the legislature, law enforcement, and others to join in supporting this proven model for criminal justice reform.
• Zion's Bank (Scott Anderson)supportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerScott Anderson, President and CEO of Zion's Bank, endorsed the program and recognized its value in transforming prisoners into productive citizens.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Delancey Street Foundation: San Francisco-based parent therapeutic community that inspired and trained TOSA's founders. Operates multiple residential campuses with the same peer-led TC model and integrated vocational training businesses, making it the closest direct peer despite TOSA having spun out of it.
• John Volken Academy: Operating two-year therapeutic community programs in British Columbia and Arizona with a peer-led model and integrated social enterprises. Comparable directly to TOSA on program length, methodology, and target population of addiction/justice-involved adults.
• Phoenix House: One of the largest nonprofit behavioral health providers in the U.S., running residential and outpatient therapeutic community programs for substance use and co-occurring disorders. Operates at materially greater scale but shares the TC methodology and residential recovery model.
• Samaritan Daytop Village: New York-based nonprofit operating residential therapeutic community programs for substance abuse and criminal justice-involved populations. Directly comparable TC methodology and residential vocational/rehabilitation model.
• Gateway Foundation: Large nonprofit operating residential and outpatient substance use treatment across multiple states, including therapeutic community programs for justice-involved individuals. Comparable on residential recovery model and court-referral intake.
• Bridges of America: Nonprofit operating residential therapeutic community programs for offenders and ex-offenders in Florida, with a peer-led model and integrated work crews/vocational activity. Closely comparable model and target population.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): Nonprofit providing employment-focused reentry services to people returning from incarceration, with rigorous outcome measurement and a work-first model. Comparable on the workforce reintegration focus of TOSA's vocational training enterprises.

Emerging players

• A New Way of Life: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing residential and reentry support for women exiting incarceration, including some peer-community elements. Comparable population focus on justice-involved individuals with a smaller-scope, gender-specific niche.

Broad incumbents

• Volunteers of America: Large national nonprofit operating residential recovery, reentry, and supportive housing programs nationwide. A broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities but operating across many program areas rather than a dedicated TC model.
• Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers: Operates long-term residential rehabilitation programs for men and women with addiction and related issues, structured around work therapy in operated businesses. Comparable on the integrated residential-plus-work-therapy model at much greater scale and geographic breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gotootherside

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 The Other Side Academy