What Mentors International does

Mentors International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1990 (originally as Enterprise Mentors International) that delivers structured entrepreneurial mentoring programs aimed at lifting families from poverty to economic self-reliance. The organization operates in 25-30 countries through 12 international field offices, with FY2025 metrics of 43,000 entrepreneurs trained, 173,500 business training sessions delivered, and 250,000 total lives impacted. Approximately 72% of program participants are women, and reported first-year outcomes for participants include a 53% income increase, 65% savings increase, and 22% debt decrease, producing a claimed 1:5 economic impact ratio.

The core product is a 12-month structured mentoring engagement combining business training curricula, peer learning circles, and access to micro-finance products, delivered through locally recruited mentors at in-country field offices. The organization has invested in technology under CTO Brad Lees (notable for building Zelle at Early Warning Services and shipping consumer apps for Bank of America and Wells Fargo), including a mobile-friendly platform for program delivery and donor/impact engagement. Programs have expanded beyond pure entrepreneurship into adjacent offerings such as the Job Seekers Journey for employment placement.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations via a tiered giving model: $25/month for one entrepreneur, $100 for four-month engagements, $250 for 12-month mentorships, and $1,000 to sponsor 50-100 entrepreneurs. The organization states that 90% of donations flow directly to programs. Growth has been partly inorganic, with multiple mergers consolidating peer nonprofits including Lifting Generations, One Life at a Time, Cause for Hope, Cambodia Job Foundation, and Elevate Global; the Elevate Global merger brought in current CEO Peter Sturgeon (former MD at Sorenson Capital and BCG consultant). The corporate partnership with Light the World provides an additional institutional fundraising channel. Headquartered in Kaysville, Utah.

Name

Mentors International

Legal name

Mentors International

Website

https://mentorsinternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Mentors International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 that delivers 12-month entrepreneurial mentoring and micro-finance programs across 25-30 countries, training 43,000 entrepreneurs annually and serving primarily women in low-income communities through 12 international field offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Poverty Alleviation / Micro-Enterprise Mentoring Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry) (EDAIAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate/Industry-Sponsored International Internship Programs (EDAIAFAH), Career & Employability Integration Support (Work Culture, Networking, Job Readiness) (EDAIAKAH), Peer Mentorship, Buddy & Host-Family Matching Programs (EDAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Micro-enterprise mentoring
• Poverty alleviation programs
• Nonprofit business training
• Entrepreneurship education
• Humanitarian aid services

Headquarters

HQ city

Draper

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Mentors International generates revenue entirely through charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Donors contribute varying amounts to support micro-entrepreneur training programs, with 90% of all donations going directly to programs. The organization participates in the Light the World Giving Machine initiative, allowing donors to purchase specific gifts (goats, chickens, sewing kits, business startup support) that are paired with mentoring services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Mentors International delivers one-on-one mentoring combined with practical business and vocational skills training to micro-entrepreneurs and job seekers in developing countries. Programs include the Entrepreneur Journey (business management training), Job Seekers Journey (English, graphic design, Microsoft Office, web design, call center preparation), and the Keystone Personal Development curriculum, supplemented by charitable giving via the Light the World Giving Machine initiative.

Product overview

Mentors International operates as a nonprofit organization offering two primary programs: the Entrepreneur Journey for existing micro-entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses, and the Job Seekers Journey for individuals preparing to enter the workforce. Both programs combine practical business and vocational skills training with one-on-one mentoring. The organization also operates the Giving Machines initiative in partnership with Light the World, providing tools and startup support paired with mentoring. The core offering is the combination of skills training modules (business management, personal development) delivered alongside personalized mentoring support across 25 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Giving Machine: Holiday giving initiative featured in the Light the World Giving Machine, allowing donors to provide gifts such as goats, chickens, sewing materials, and startup support paired with business mentoring.

Products and services

• Entrepreneur Journey

Quantifiable outcome

• 250,000 total lives impacted in FY2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Light the World)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMentors International is proud to be featured in the Light the World Giving Machine initiative sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The initiative features physical kiosks in shopping centers and a virtual Giving Machine, allowing donors to provide gifts paired with business mentoring to micro-entrepreneurs worldwide.
• Coca-Cola FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor partner supporting Mentors International's mission to lift families from poverty to self-reliance through entrepreneurship and mentoring.
• KeapminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing support for the organization's programs and operations.
• Liberty PioneerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Mentors International's global poverty alleviation programs.
• USU / HuntsmanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor from Utah State University Huntsman School supporting the mission.
• doTERRAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Mentors International's programs through healing hands initiative.
• Elevate GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly an independent organization that merged with Mentors International. Provided innovative small business training, in-field operations technology, and real-time impact measurement in Latin America. CEO Peter Sturgeon previously led Elevate Global before the merger.
• Cambodia Job FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization that merged with Mentors International, providing mentoring, education opportunities, and help for small business entrepreneurs in Cambodia for over 10 years. David Moon was one of the founders and executive director before the merger.
• Lifting GenerationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that merged with Mentors International sharing the mission of transforming poverty into self-reliance. Bruce Hough serves as Founding Board Member and CFO Justin Mellor previously served as CFO for Lifting Generations.
• One Life at a TimecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that merged with Mentors International to expand reach in poverty alleviation through entrepreneurship.
• Cause for HopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that merged with Mentors International sharing values and mission of lifting generations from poverty.
• Thanksgiving PointminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for Mentors International annual gala events held at Thanksgiving Point Show Barn in Lehi, Utah.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BRAC: BRAC is one of the largest nonprofit development organizations in the world, providing a wide range of services including microfinance, education, healthcare, and enterprise development to lift people out of poverty. Both BRAC and Mentors International combine skills training with mentorship to empower micro-entrepreneurs in low-income countries.
• FINCA International: FINCA International is a nonprofit microfinance organization that provides financial services and training to low-income entrepreneurs across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Like Mentors International, it operates in similar geographies and shares the mission of supporting micro-entrepreneurs to achieve economic self-sufficiency.
• Heifer International: Heifer International is a nonprofit that works to end hunger and poverty by providing livestock, training, and mentorship to smallholder farmers, with a similar 'gift paired with mentoring' model. Mentors International's Giving Machine (goats, chickens, sewing kits paired with mentoring) mirrors Heifer's gift-and-training concept, and both serve rural micro-entrepreneurs in similar geographies.
• TechnoServe: TechnoServe is a nonprofit that helps entrepreneurial men and women in developing countries lift themselves out of poverty by building competitive farms, businesses, and industries. It is the closest functional peer to Mentors International because both pair business training with on-the-ground mentoring for micro-entrepreneurs in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and both target income and sustainability outcomes over donations.
• Kiva: Kiva is a nonprofit crowdfunding platform that enables individuals to lend money to low-income entrepreneurs and students worldwide. Both Kiva and Mentors International focus on funding and supporting micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries and leverage donor/lender contributions to drive measurable economic outcomes.
• Opportunity International: Opportunity International is a nonprofit microfinance organization providing small business loans, savings, insurance, and training to people in developing countries. It shares Mentors International's focus on micro-entrepreneur business training and emergence from poverty, and overlaps in many of the same African and Latin American countries.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a large humanitarian and development nonprofit operating in more than 40 countries, helping people survive crisis and build stronger communities. It addresses poverty alleviation more broadly than Mentors International, but overlaps in geographies and in supporting economic development for low-income populations.
• World Vision: World Vision is a large Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. It shares Mentors International's faith-based donor affinity and global footprint, with overlapping country presence in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Emerging players

• Acumen: Acumen is a nonprofit impact investment fund that invests in early-stage companies providing critical goods and services to low-income customers. While it uses impact investing rather than direct mentoring, both organizations focus on creating sustainable economic opportunities for the world's poor and share a metrics-driven approach to poverty alleviation.
• Trickle Up: Trickle Up is a nonprofit that works with women in extreme poverty to build sustainable micro-enterprises through seed capital grants and mentoring. Like Mentors International, it targets women micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries with a combination of capital, training, and personal mentorship to achieve economic self-reliance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mentors
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mentorsinternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/MentorsIntl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1474464
• Instagraminstagram.com/mentorsinternational

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Mentors International