Advance Memphis
Advance Memphis is a South Memphis nonprofit founded in 1999 that delivers trauma-informed workforce development, financial literacy, and support services to adults in zip codes 38126 and 38106, funded by donations, grants, and two social enterprises (3PL fulfillment and a staffing agency).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersMemphis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Advance Memphis does
Advance Memphis is a private nonprofit, place-based ministry founded in 1999 by Steve Nash in South Memphis, Tennessee. The organization empowers adults in zip codes 38126 and 38106 — both areas of concentrated poverty, with 43% of residents below the poverty line and 64% of neighborhood children living in poverty — to break cycles of unemployment through a holistic workforce development model. Its core programs include Work Life (a 5-week soft-skills job-readiness course), Faith & Finances (a 12-week financial literacy class with Individual Development Accounts offering $2:$1 matched savings up to $3,000), Forklift Training, Employment Development job placement, and support services encompassing free professional counseling, addiction recovery, and the Mobility Mentoring coaching program. Three staff are trained in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and the curriculum integrates biblical principles through partnerships with The Chalmers Center and Jobs for Life.
The organization operates two social enterprises that fund its mission: Advance Memphis Fulfillment, a third-party logistics and e-commerce fulfillment business operating up to 90,000 square feet of warehouse space (with Infoplus WMS, seven dock doors, and HUBZone location) serving clients from startups to venture capital-backed firms such as Essor (5+ year partner), Docazoo, CD Plastics, InvestinVynl, and Artlogistics; and Advance Memphis Staffing, an on-site temporary employment agency launched in 2009 that places entry-level workers in fulfillment and external business roles.
Revenue is generated through a blend of donations (including the Good Neighbor Network monthly giving program), grants, the annual Art for Jobs fundraiser (which generated over $233,000 in 2022 with a 50/50 artist split model), and earned income from fulfillment and staffing services. The go-to-market is community-led and place-based: relationship-centric outreach through word-of-mouth, 200+ annual volunteers, a newsletter, social media, and event-driven fundraising. A Slingshot Memphis 2025 Impact Study credits the organization with producing $1.50–$1.75 in poverty-fighting benefits per $1 spent, validating social return on investment. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Dan Butler (Ninety8Ventures) and is led operationally by a team of approximately 15 staff including Director of Operations Juanita Johnson, Warehouse Manager Wilson Barton, and Work Life Manager Curtis Hines.
Advance Memphis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Advance Memphis
- Legal name
- Advance Memphis
- Website
- https://advancememphis.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Advance Memphis is a South Memphis nonprofit founded in 1999 that delivers trauma-informed workforce development, financial literacy, and support services to adults in zip codes 38126 and 38106, funded by donations, grants, and two social enterprises (3PL fulfillment and a staffing agency).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Advance Memphis industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)
Keywords
Where Advance Memphis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Advance Memphis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Charitable contributions from donors, including monthly giving through the Good Neighbor Network, and grant funding from foundations and organizations supporting economic development and poverty alleviation.
- Fulfillment Services Revenue: Third-party logistics and e-commerce fulfillment fees charged to business partners and clients from startups to large venture capital firms.
- Staffing Services: On-site temporary employment agency providing entry-level employees for fulfillment operations and select outside businesses, generating fees from employer partnerships.
- Art for Jobs Fundraiser: Annual art sale and fundraiser where 50% of proceeds fund operations; artists may receive up to 50% split on sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free classes for South Memphis residents |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Advance Memphis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Advance Memphis is a place-based nonprofit ministry that provides free workforce development, financial literacy, and support services (Work Readiness, Faith & Finances, Forklift Training, addiction recovery, counseling, Mobility Mentoring, and matched savings) to adults in South Memphis zip codes 38126 and 38106. It also operates two social enterprises, Advance Memphis Fulfillment (3PL/warehousing up to 90,000 sq ft) and Advance Memphis Staffing (temporary employment agency), which generate revenue to subsidize its mission programs.
Product overview
Advance Memphis operates as a place-based, relationship-centric ministry offering a portfolio of interconnected programs that empower South Memphis adults toward economic stability. The core offerings include: Work Life (a 5-week holistic job-readiness class), Faith & Finances (12-week financial literacy with matched savings), and Forklift Training (certification program). These connect to employment pathways through Employment Development (job placement assistance) and Advance Memphis Staffing (temp agency). The organization also operates two social enterprises: Fulfillment (90,000 sq ft 3PL warehouse offering order fulfillment, kitting, and inventory management) and the Staffing program. Support services include Addiction Recovery, free Counseling, and Mobility Mentoring coaching. An annual Art for Jobs fundraiser generates revenue for the programs. The integrated model moves participants from training through employment to financial stability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Advance Memphis Fulfillment: 3PL and e-commerce fulfillment services providing affordable, timely logistics solutions for clients from startups to large venture capital firms.
- Work Life
- Faith & Finances
- Art for Jobs
Quantifiable outcome
- $1.50-$1.75 in poverty-fighting benefits produced per $1 spent
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Advance Memphis
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Advance Memphis technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Advance Memphis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- The Chalmers Center for Economic DevelopmentcoreCollaborated with Advance Memphis to develop the Work Life curriculum, integrating biblical principles with workforce development best practices for holistic economic mobility.
- Jobs for LifecorePartnered with Advance Memphis to develop the Work Life curriculum, providing expertise in job readiness and workforce development frameworks.
- Craft OrganizationminorPartnership to revitalize the St. Paul Community Garden, providing social entrepreneurship training and empowerment for Work Life students through food cultivation.
- Pearl River Glass StudiominorPartnership providing warehouse space for Historic Clayborn Temple stained glass restoration project, creating work opportunities for Work Life students.
- PickleManiaminorSocial-emotional learning through sports activities integrated into Work Life curriculum to build resilience and stress management skills.
- Access ConsultingminorTrauma-informed work culture consulting to help staff understand brain responses under stress and implement empathetic coaching practices.
- Mobility Mentoring (Empathways)minorMobility Mentoring strategy using staff and volunteers as coaches to help neighbors set and achieve SMART goals for economic mobility.
- EssormajorFulfillment business partner for over 5 years, utilizing kitting and assembly services; described as 'one of our best partners' with quick action and excellent service delivery.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Advance Memphis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Year Up: National nonprofit providing job-readiness training, soft-skills coaching, and placement for young adults from under-resourced communities; closely aligned mission and methodology to Advance Memphis's Work Life program.
- Per Scholas: Nonprofit providing tuition-free tech and workforce training to adults from low-income communities; directly comparable model of free training, employer partnerships, and wraparound supports leading to sustained employment.
- Jobs for Life: National nonprofit providing biblically-based job readiness curriculum; co-developed Advance Memphis's Work Life and operates the same faith-integrated, soft-skills, employer-engagement model.
- Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit operating workforce development programs funded by social enterprises (retail/3PL); directly comparable in the dual-mission structure of job training + revenue-generating enterprise that supports program operations.
- The Chalmers Center for Economic Development: Curriculum partner that co-developed Advance Memphis's Work Life program; comparable as a faith-based anti-poverty organization whose product is the curriculum itself, sold/licensed to similar ministries.
Regional players
- Memphis Tilth: Memphis-based nonprofit focused on food systems, urban agriculture, and community development; operates social-enterprise-style programs in South Memphis and overlaps in target population (zip codes 38126/38106).
- Agape Child & Family Services: Memphis-based faith-aligned nonprofit providing family, education, and economic-stability services; comparable as a regional peer operating similar community-based, holistic-support programs in the Memphis metro.
- Memphis Grizzlies Foundation: Memphis-based nonprofit pursuing youth education, economic opportunity, and community development; comparable scale and mission overlap in serving under-resourced Memphis neighborhoods.
- HopeWorks Memphis: Memphis-based nonprofit working on community and economic development in underserved neighborhoods; comparable as a regional peer addressing similar place-based poverty and employment barriers.
- Volunteer Memphis: Memphis-based nonprofit leveraging volunteer networks for community impact; comparable in the heavy reliance on a 200+ volunteer base to deliver program capacity in Memphis.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Advance Memphis social profiles
Digital presenceAdvance Memphis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Advance Memphis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Advance Memphis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Advance Memphis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Advance Memphis
What does Advance Memphis do?
Advance Memphis is a place-based nonprofit ministry that provides free workforce development, financial literacy, and support services (Work Readiness, Faith & Finances, Forklift Training, addiction recovery, counseling, Mobility Mentoring, and matched savings) to adults in South Memphis zip codes 38126 and 38106. It also operates two social enterprises, Advance Memphis Fulfillment (3PL/warehousing up to 90,000 sq ft) and Advance Memphis Staffing (temporary employment agency), which generate revenue to subsidize its mission programs.
Is Advance Memphis a public or private company?
Advance Memphis is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Advance Memphis founded?
Advance Memphis was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Advance Memphis based?
Advance Memphis is headquartered in Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Advance Memphis make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are fulfillment Services Revenue, staffing Services and art for Jobs Fundraiser.
Who are Advance Memphis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Year Up, Per Scholas, Jobs for Life, Goodwill Industries International and The Chalmers Center for Economic Development. Regional players are Memphis Tilth, Agape Child & Family Services, Memphis Grizzlies Foundation, HopeWorks Memphis and Volunteer Memphis.
Does Advance Memphis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Advance Memphis.
What industry is Advance Memphis in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAL, Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAB, Community Center Education Programs. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.