Urban League of Eastern MA

What Urban League of Eastern MA does

The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM) is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 1919 and headquartered at 88 Warren St in Roxbury, Boston. As one of the oldest affiliates of the National Urban League movement, the organization delivers free workforce development, education, health, justice, and support services to adults and youth across Eastern Massachusetts. Its workforce development portfolio includes the MSIMBO coding bootcamp (a 20-week full-stack web development program), CLIK computer literacy, the DigiUL Graphic Design Lab, the Healthcare Institute, the Employment Resource Center (serving 600+ annually), job placement services with 12 months of follow-up, and case management with up to 24 months of post-placement support. The organization also operates the YODA youth STEM program (grades 6-12), the NextStage MBE Academy for minority business owners (powered by Interise), domestic and sexual violence support services, the Holistic Health Access Initiative (free Lyft rides for older adults in partnership with the City of Boston), and the Black Male Mental Health Initiative (in partnership with William James College and Takeda).

ULEM generates no revenue from participants; all programs are free. Operating revenue is sourced from corporate partnerships (Comcast, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Takeda, Lyft, Jobcase), foundation and government grants, individual donations, planned giving/bequests, and a tiered membership program ($500 corporate, $350 Heritage Club, $75 church/small business). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by Chair Josh Kraft, with Rahsaan D. Hall, Esq. serving as President & CEO. The core technology stack is service-delivery based; there are no proprietary software products, APIs, or AI/ML systems. The organization's structural differentiator is its three-channel community ecosystem: ULEM itself, the ULEM Guild (volunteer/fundraising auxiliary), and YPN-ULEM (young professionals network), all operating under the National Urban League umbrella.

Name

Urban League of Eastern MA

Legal name

Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts Inc.

Website

https://ulem.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 1919 that delivers free workforce development, youth STEM, health, and support services to adults and youth across Eastern Massachusetts, funded by corporate grants, donations, and membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

West Roxbury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grants & Corporate Partnerships: Funding from corporate partners (Comcast, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, etc.), foundation grants, and government grants to support workforce development and social services programs.
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting economic empowerment and civil rights mission. Includes planned giving, bequests, IRA charitable rollovers, and Donor-Advised Fund contributions.
3. Membership Fees: Corporate memberships ($500), Heritage Club ($350), and Church & Small Business memberships ($75). Digital membership cards offered with benefits including event discounts and listing on website.
4. Scholarship Fund: Annual scholarship awards ($500 each) for graduating high school seniors attending accredited colleges, universities, or trade schools. Funded through donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ULEM is a 501c3 nonprofit that provides free workforce development, education, certification, health, and support services to adults in Eastern Massachusetts to overcome racial, social, and economic barriers to employment and economic development. Core programs include the MSIMBO Coding Bootcamp, CLIK, DigiUL Graphic Design Lab, Healthcare Institute, YODA youth STEM program, NextStage MBE Academy, MOS/NCRC/IC3 certification testing, Employment Resource Center, job placement, and case management.

Product overview

The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts operates a multi-program service ecosystem focused on workforce development, education, health, and civic engagement. The core workforce development portfolio includes MSIMBO Coding Bootcamp (full-stack web development), the YODA youth STEM program, CLIK computer literacy, DigiUL Graphic Design Lab, Healthcare Institute, and the NextStage MBE Academy for small business growth. Support services include an Employment Resource Center providing computer access and job search assistance, case management, job placement services, and domestic/sexual violence support. Health initiatives include the Holistic Health Access Initiative (HHAI) in partnership with Lyft and the Black Male Mental Health Initiative. The organization also offers certification preparation (MOS, NCRC, IC3), scholarship programs, digital membership cards, and civic engagement initiatives including the Clean Slate Initiative and Reclaim Your Vote. Programs are free to all participants and supported through corporate partnerships and individual donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MSIMBO: ULEM Coding Bootcamp

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% improvement in STEM career knowledge among YODA students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• LyftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2024Partnership through the Holistic Health Access Initiative (HHAI) providing free 'Healthy Rides' to Boston's older adults (age 60+) to connect to wellness services including medical appointments, pharmacies, wellness programs, and senior centers.
• City of BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2024Partner in the Holistic Health Access Initiative (HHAI) alongside Lyft, providing free transportation to wellness services for Boston's older adults through the Age Strong Commission.
• William James CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Black Male Mental Health Initiative (BMMHI) providing mental health resources, BIPOC provider directories, and supporting the development of the Black male mental health workforce.
• InterisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver NextStage MBE Academy powered by Interise's award-winning curriculum, a state-wide initiative supporting small business growth in Boston, Brockton, and South Coast areas.
• Northeastern University Law StudentssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration providing cultural sensitivity training related to victims of trauma of color for the Domestic and Sexual Violence Project.
• National Urban LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerULEM is one of the oldest affiliates within the National Urban League movement, operating under its umbrella with access to Project Ready curriculum and National Urban League Young Professionals network.
• National Council of Urban League GuildssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerULEM Guild operates under the auspices of both ULEM and the National Council of Urban League Guilds.
• Clean Slate InitiativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerULEM supports the Clean Slate Initiative focused on record relief for citizens, advocating for legislative changes to reduce financial burdens of the record-clearing process.
• Election Modernization CoalitionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in the Election Modernization Coalition working on voting rights and access issues.
• Age Strong Commission (City of Boston)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Boston department managing the Age Strong Shuttle service for booking Healthy Rides for older adults through the Holistic Health Access Initiative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Urban League:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/theULEMRoxbury
• Facebookfacebook.com/ULEMORG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-league-of-eastern-ma
• Instagraminstagram.com/ulem105
• Xx.com/theULEM

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Urban League of Eastern MA