Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative
Elevate Academy is a 501(c)(3) online school delivering free, trauma-informed professional development courses to adult survivors of human trafficking across 27 countries, founded in 2014 by Rebecca Bender as a program of the Rebecca Bender Initiative.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersGrants Pass, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative does
Elevate Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit online education program operating under the Rebecca Bender Initiative (EIN 45-5100719), headquartered in Lake Worth, Texas. Founded in 2014 by Rebecca Bender, the organization delivers a 12-week professional development curriculum for adult survivors of human trafficking who have been out of exploitative situations for at least one year. Curriculum comprises two required core courses — LifePlan Launch and Professional Development — plus one elective, drawn from a catalog of approximately ten electives spanning budgeting, business skills, nonprofit setup and management, public speaking, publishing, and law enforcement engagement. Delivery is fully online via a learning management system with video lessons, downloadable workbooks, and weekly live Zoom cohort discussions facilitated by experienced faculty, supplemented by a private social community and lifetime access to electives post-graduation.
The platform is purpose-built for trauma-informed instruction: all content is authored by survivors for survivors. The organization operates a two-channel go-to-market: (1) direct-to-consumer enrollment through elevate-academy.org and a self-serve registration flow, and (2) Elevate Connect, a membership program that licenses the curriculum to fellow anti-human trafficking organizations serving survivors in transitional living. Marketing relies on Instagram (@thisiselevateacademy), email newsletters, and referral pipelines from a network of named partners including Polaris Project, EmpowerHer Network, World Without Exploitation, Ride My Road, OnePurse, Epik Project, Trades of Hope, and the Global Leadership Summit.
Services are provided at no cost to survivors, with 100% tuition assistance funded by donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. Fundraising infrastructure includes one-time donations, the Elevate Partner program for businesses and influencers, and the Catalyst recurring monthly giving program. Cumulative reach is reported as 1,818 students across 27 countries and 865 cities, though no financials, headcount, or donation totals are publicly disclosed. The organization plans a Fall 2026 semester cohort.
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative
- Legal name
- Rebecca Bender Initiative
- Website
- https://elevate-academy.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Elevate Academy is a 501(c)(3) online school delivering free, trauma-informed professional development courses to adult survivors of human trafficking across 27 countries, founded in 2014 by Rebecca Bender as a program of the Rebecca Bender Initiative.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trafficking Survivor Education
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Tutoring, Study Skills & Learning Strategies for ASE (EDAAABAL)
Keywords
Where Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grants Pass
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donor Contributions: Elevate Academy operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded entirely by donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. Donors cover the costs for all courses, curriculum, and Welcome/Graduation Boxes. No tuition or fees are charged to students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Program for Survivors |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Elevate Academy is the largest online school for survivors of human trafficking in the world, offering a structured 12-week professional development program with two core courses (LifePlan Launch and Professional Development) plus one elective. The curriculum covers life planning, budgeting, business skills, public speaking, nonprofit management, and career preparation, delivered through live online Zoom discussions, video lessons, downloadable workbooks, and peer cohort support, with lifetime access to elective courses after graduation. All courses are provided at no cost to eligible survivors through donor-funded tuition assistance.
Product overview
Elevate Academy is a single, unified online professional development platform specifically designed for survivors of human trafficking. The program offers a structured 12-week curriculum comprising two core courses (LifePlan Launch and Professional Development) plus one elective, delivered through live online Zoom discussions, video lessons, downloadable workbooks, and community networking. Students receive lifetime access to all elective courses after graduation, along with monthly newsletters featuring job and educational opportunities, and optional life coaching. The platform also includes Elevate Connect, a membership program for partner organizations that provides curriculum access and facilitator support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Elevate Connect: An exclusive membership program for human trafficking organizations dedicated to supporting survivors in transitional living programs, offering access to Elevate Academy's transformative curriculum.
- Elevate Partner
- Catalyst
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,818 students impacted across 27 countries and 865 cities
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Polaris ProjectcoreHuman trafficking awareness organization partnering with Elevate Academy to support survivor education and economic empowerment programs.
- Ride My RoadcorePartner organization supporting Elevate Academy's mission to empower trafficking survivors through professional development.
- OnePursecorePartner organization aligned with Elevate Academy's mission to support survivors through economic empowerment initiatives.
- Global Leadership SummitcorePartner providing leadership development opportunities and resources for Elevate Academy students and alumni.
- World Without ExploitationcorePartner organization in the fight against human trafficking collaborating with Elevate Academy's survivor education programs.
- Epik ProjectcorePartner supporting Elevate Academy's initiatives to provide professional development for trafficking survivors.
- EmpowerHer NetworkcoreNetwork of women empowerment organizations partnering with Elevate Academy to support survivor leadership development.
- Trades of HopecorePartner organization supporting survivors through economic opportunities and fair trade initiatives aligned with Elevate Academy's mission.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Courtney's House: Washington, D.C. nonprofit providing direct services, education, and advocacy for domestic minor sex trafficking survivors. Comparable survivor-services and education orientation; serves a slightly different age cohort (minors) than Elevate.
- Restore NYC: New York-based nonprofit focused on empowering survivors of sex trafficking through long-term economic independence, education, and survivor-led leadership development. Directly comparable in survivor-led empowerment, education, and economic-independence orientation.
- Thistle Farms: Nashville-based nonprofit providing employment, housing, and economic empowerment programming for women survivors of trafficking, exploitation, and addiction. Highly comparable mission, survivor-led model, and economic-empowerment focus — the main difference is Thistle Farms emphasizes physical employment vs. Elevate's online education.
- Wellspring Living: Nonprofit providing residential recovery, education, and career-readiness programs specifically for survivors of domestic sex trafficking. Comparable as a survivor-education provider serving the same population; differs in being residential rather than online.
- EmpowerHer Network: Nonprofit supporting young women survivors of human trafficking through mentorship, education, and empowerment programs. Already an Elevate strategic partner; closely comparable survivor-women empowerment and education mission.
- Starfish Project: Nonprofit social enterprise providing holistic care and fair-wage employment to women survivors of exploitation, including training and education. Comparable survivor-empowerment and economic-independence mission; differs in jewelry/social-enterprise revenue model vs. Elevate's pure education model.
- Made by Survivors: Nonprofit providing education, vocational training, and economic empowerment to survivors of slavery and trafficking internationally. Directly comparable in combining survivor-led education with economic empowerment, though uses a fair-trade product model.
Broad incumbents
- International Justice Mission (IJM): Large global anti-trafficking organization focused on rescue, restoration, and prosecution. Comparable as a leading anti-trafficking brand operating survivor-restoration programs internationally; differs in being primarily a justice-system and rescue operator rather than an education provider.
- Polaris Project: One of the largest U.S. anti-trafficking nonprofits, operating the National Human Trafficking Hotline and broad survivor services. Polaris is already a listed Elevate partner; it is comparable as a dominant incumbent in the same anti-trafficking ecosystem where Elevate operates, though it is not an education specialist.
- A21: International anti-human trafficking organization with survivor aftercare, prevention education, and professional development programs across multiple continents. Comparable in survivor-focused programmatic delivery and global footprint, though A21 is broader in scope than Elevate's pure-education model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative social profiles
Digital presenceElevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative 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 Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative
What does Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative do?
Elevate Academy is the largest online school for survivors of human trafficking in the world, offering a structured 12-week professional development program with two core courses (LifePlan Launch and Professional Development) plus one elective. The curriculum covers life planning, budgeting, business skills, public speaking, nonprofit management, and career preparation, delivered through live online Zoom discussions, video lessons, downloadable workbooks, and peer cohort support, with lifetime access to elective courses after graduation. All courses are provided at no cost to eligible survivors through donor-funded tuition assistance.
Is Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative a public or private company?
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative founded?
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative was founded in 2014.
Where is Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative based?
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative is headquartered in Grants Pass, United States, in the North America region.
How does Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative make money?
One revenue line is on record: donor Contributions.
Who are Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Courtney's House, Restore NYC, Thistle Farms, Wellspring Living, EmpowerHer Network, Starfish Project and Made by Survivors. Broad incumbents are International Justice Mission (IJM), Polaris Project and A21.
Does Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative.
What industry is Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative in?
Elevate Academy/Rebecca Bender Initiative's product category is Trafficking Survivor Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAABAK, College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways), with a secondary code of EDAAABAL, Tutoring, Study Skills & Learning Strategies for ASE. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.