Emerge

What Emerge does

Emerge, Inc. is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1976 that delivers an integrated portfolio of disability support services to more than 450 individuals with developmental, physical, and mental health disabilities across central Maryland (Baltimore City plus Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties). The organization's service architecture comprises five core lines — Residential Services (supported living, family-home support, and managed residential facilities with 24-hour support as needed), Day Services (therapeutic care and pre-work skill-building), Employment & Pre-Employment Services (job finding, on-the-job coaching, work enclaves, and competitive placement with employers including Giant Food, Dollar Tree, and Kiddie Kollege), Professional Services (health, wellness, and therapy), and Fun & Recreation (social outings, vacations, and Special Olympics participation). Emerge also operates a social enterprise greenhouse and wholesale flower farm in Perry Hall, Maryland, in continuous operation since 1954, producing over 200,000 plants annually as both a therapeutic environment and earned-income platform staffed primarily by customers.

The organization's business model is a hybrid of state-funded managed services and philanthropic support. Government funding through Maryland developmental disabilities programs is the primary revenue stream, supplemented by foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, individual donations (including earmarked entertainment contributions), and direct plant nursery sales to the public, farmers markets, and bulk pre-order customers. Service pricing is not publicly disclosed because costs are typically covered through government-funded waivers and programs rather than direct customer payment. Marketing relies on a community-driven mix of organic social (Facebook, LinkedIn), an email newsletter, the "Proud Family" bumper-sticker/sticker program, and annual fundraising events. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors composed of senior staff, community business leaders, family members of customers, and customer representatives, with no parent company or controlling entity.

Emerge differentiates itself through a codified no-discharge policy — the organization has never discharged a customer because it lost confidence in finding the right path — and through a persistent multi-service model that recasts care approaches when initial methods prove inadequate. This commitment, combined with nearly 50 years of operating history and formal recognition by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, has positioned Emerge as the resource of choice in central Maryland for individuals with the most severe disabilities and complex personal situations. Core technology is not applicable to the service model; all delivery is human-staff-based across a multi-disciplinary team of approximately 501-1,000 employees including executive leadership, six-plus program directors, job coaches, residential managers, and professional therapy staff.

Name

Emerge

Legal name

Emerge, Inc.

Website

https://emergeinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Emerge, Inc. is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 that provides residential, day, employment, professional, and recreational services to more than 450 individuals with developmental, physical, and mental health disabilities across central Maryland, funded primarily by state programs and supplemented by philanthropy and a plant nursery social enterprise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ), Disability Employment & Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Programs (EDAAAOAI)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Supported living services
• Residential care services
• Developmental disability programs
• Vocational training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Emerge receives government funding through Maryland state programs to support individuals with developmental, physical and mental health disabilities. This is the primary revenue source for the organization's supported living, residential, day, pre-employment, and employment services.
2. Foundation and Corporate Support: The organization receives grants and support from foundations and corporate donors to fund programs and services for individuals with disabilities.
3. Individual Donations: Community members and supporters make direct donations to support Emerge's mission and programs, including donations earmarked for entertainment excursions for customers.
4. Plant Nursery Sales: Emerge operates a greenhouse and wholesale flower farm in Perry Hall, Maryland (in continuous operation since 1954) that sells plants including spring annuals, Easter flowers, fall plants, and holiday flowers including poinsettias. Plants are available for sale to the public, at farmers markets, and can be pre-ordered in bulk for delivery.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Emerge delivers patient-centric disability services including supported living, residential, day services, professional health and therapy services, and pre-employment/employment programs to more than 450 individuals with developmental, physical and mental health disabilities across central Maryland. The organization also operates a greenhouse and wholesale flower farm social enterprise in Perry Hall, Maryland (continuous operation since 1954) that produces over 200,000 plants annually and serves as both a revenue source and a vocational work environment for its customers.

Product overview

Emerge is a nonprofit organization offering an integrated portfolio of disability services operating as a unified care model. The core service offerings include Residential Services, Day Services, Employment & Pre-Employment Services, Professional Services, and Fun & Recreation, all delivered under the Emerge Way philosophy emphasizing respect, empathy, and lifelong commitment to customers. Emerge's Businesses (Nursery/Greenhouse) operates as a social enterprise providing horticultural products and employment opportunities. Services are delivered through a multi-service structure with supported living, residential, day, pre-employment, and employment services serving more than 450 individuals throughout central Maryland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Services Support services for individuals living in their own or family homes, Emerge-supported living homes, and full residential facilities managed by Emerge. Includes assistance with daily living activities, personal hygiene, healthcare management, and 24-hour support as needed.
• Day Services Therapeutic care and guidance focused on personal progress, offering life-enriching activities including concerts, social gatherings, museum visits and spectator sports, plus pre-work programs built around therapeutic and skill-building activities.
• Employment & Pre-Employment Services Services helping customers identify and develop skills needed to obtain employment, including job finding, on-the-job coaching, transportation, interest inventory, work evaluations and training. Opportunities include contractual work, work enclaves, mobile work crews, supported placements and competitive job placement with community employers.
• Professional Services Health, wellness and therapy provisions centered on customer progress and independence, staffed by a team of professionals committed to assisting individuals with disabilities to live full and independent lives.
• Fun & Recreation Social activities including movies, concerts, outings and vacations, with many individuals participating in Special Olympics where Emerge customers have won state championships.
• Emerge's Businesses (Nursery and Greenhouse) One of Maryland's oldest greenhouse and wholesale flower farms, located in Perry Hall, Maryland, producing over 200,000 plants annually including spring annuals, Easter flowers, fall mums and pansies, and holiday poinsettias. Customers do all the planting, watering and care, making it both a therapeutic environment and an employment platform. Plants are sold to the public, at farmers markets, and via bulk pre-order for delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 450 individuals served with disabilities
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Melwood: Maryland-based nonprofit providing disability employment, day, and residential services. Highly comparable to Emerge in mission, geography, and integrated service model, including horticultural/training social enterprises.
• Chimes: Mid-Atlantic nonprofit serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, day, and employment programs. Comparable in scale, mission, and service breadth to Emerge.
• Penn-Mar Human Services: Penn-Mar is a Pennsylvania/Maryland-area nonprofit supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential, vocational, and community employment services, closely mirroring Emerge's integrated platform.
• SEEC: SEEC (Seeking Employment, Equality, and Community) is a Maryland-based nonprofit providing day, employment, and community-living supports to individuals with developmental disabilities, directly overlapping Emerge's core service lines.
• St. Coletta of Greater Washington: Greater Washington-area nonprofit providing residential, day, vocational, and clinical services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable in mission, customer profile, and service mix.

Broad incumbents

• The Arc Maryland: Statewide nonprofit association and provider supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Maryland through advocacy and direct services. Overlaps Emerge's customer base and policy/funding environment.
• Catholic Charities of Baltimore: Large Maryland-based human services nonprofit offering residential, behavioral health, and disability-related supports. Overlaps in service categories and geographic region but at a broader mission scale.
• LifeBridge Health: Maryland health system that includes community-based disability and behavioral health programs. Adjacent rather than direct overlap, but competes for similar government funding and referrals in central Maryland.
• Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas: Regional arm of a national nonprofit providing disability, behavioral health, and housing services across the Mid-Atlantic. Competes for similar government contracts and serves an overlapping customer base.

Emerging players

• Community Options: National nonprofit operating residential, day, and employment programs for people with disabilities, with a Mid-Atlantic presence. Comparable service portfolio but operates at a larger national scale than Emerge.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/eMergeInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emerge-inc
• Xx.com/EmergeInc1

Compliance2 records

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 Emerge