Show Me The World Project
Show Me The World Project is a St. Louis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering STEM, entrepreneurship, international travel, and leadership programming to under-resourced youth across 8 schools, funded by coffee and merchandise sales, donations, and grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSaint Louis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Show Me The World Project does
Show Me The World Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 and headquartered at 401 Pine Street #29 in St. Louis, Missouri. The organization delivers experiential educational programming for youth from under-resourced communities, combining STEM instruction aligned with state and national biology standards, entrepreneurship training through operating a real coffee business, international travel experiences to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Ecuador, and leadership development via peer-to-peer mentoring. Programs currently reach 150+ students across 8 schools in the St. Louis and Ferguson, Missouri area. Reported educational outcomes include a 50% GPA increase among participants within the first two years and 90% proficiency or advanced scores on the Biology State Exam among program students, compared to 7% proficiency in the general school population.
The organization operates a hybrid social enterprise funding model. Program costs (international trips approximate $3,000 per student) are underwritten by three revenue streams: tax-deductible individual donations processed via PayPal, foundation and corporate grants, and commercial sales of single-origin specialty coffee, organic loose-leaf tea, hand-poured candles, branded apparel, and curated gift sets through its own e-commerce storefront. The coffee product line, sold under the SMTW Coffee brand, sources from farms in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru, and offers a subscription option with 10% off recurring delivery (every two weeks, monthly, or every two months). Pricing spans roughly $8.50–$64 per coffee SKU, $35–$96 for gift sets, and $15.80–$58 for merchandise. Donors contributing $1,000 or more receive student-created gifts. The largest disclosed single grant was $50,000 from Food City STL in December 2023.
Distribution is conducted through three channels: the organization's own e-commerce website, a PayPal-powered donation portal, and direct outreach to schools and administrators. The team is intentionally small (1–10 employees) and is led by co-founders Samantha Lurie Carroll (Executive Director, former Vashon HS Special Education Teacher of the Year and Teach For America alum), Sylvester Chisom (Director, Business Strategy, founder of Global CTE Learning and UMSL Entrepreneurship Professor), and Dr. Boahemaa Adu-Oppong (Director, Data & STEM Learning, ex-Bayer Crop Science and Thermo Fisher Scientific), with a Marketing Director hired in 2024. A strategic partnership with Washington University's Young Scientist Program, in place since 2014, supplies PhD graduate students who facilitate in-person and virtual science experiences. Marketing relies on content (website blog, annual reports), organic social (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters, and earned regional media coverage from Nine PBS, St. Louis Public Radio, Ladue News, KMOV News, and UMSL Daily.
Show Me The World Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Show Me The World Project
- Legal name
- Show Me The World Project
- Website
- https://showmetheworldproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Show Me The World Project is a St. Louis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering STEM, entrepreneurship, international travel, and leadership programming to under-resourced youth across 8 schools, funded by coffee and merchandise sales, donations, and grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Show Me The World Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Education Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Short-Term & Summer/Winter Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAF), Experiential & Field-Based Study Abroad (Research, Field Schools, Practicums) (EDAIAAAD)
Keywords
Where Show Me The World Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Show Me The World Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: Tax-deductible financial gifts from individual donors supporting educational equity. Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
- Specialty Coffee & Tea Sales: Single-origin specialty coffee and organic loose-leaf tea sold through e-commerce. Products include whole bean, ground, and coffee pods. Subscription options available with 10% discount for recurring delivery.
- Merchandise Sales: Branded apparel and accessories including hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, tumblers, tote bags, notebooks, and luggage tags. Includes limited edition collaborations like Made Mobb x Show Me The World.
- Grants: Foundation and corporate grants such as the $50,000 Food City STL Grant to support organizational operations and student programming.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single coffee/tea purchases and gift boxes |
| Subscription | Monthly | Coffee Club subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Branded merchandise |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Tax-deductible donations |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Show Me The World Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Show Me The World Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers experiential educational programs for youth from under-resourced communities, combining STEM instruction, real-world entrepreneurship through student-operated coffee business operations, international travel experiences, and leadership development. To fund these programs, the organization sells specialty single-origin coffee, organic loose-leaf tea, candles, branded apparel and merchandise, gift sets, and a recurring Coffee Club subscription through its own e-commerce storefront, supplemented by donations and grants.
Product overview
Show Me The World Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering specialty coffee, tea, merchandise, and experiential youth education programs. The core product portfolio includes: (1) Specialty Coffee - single origin beans from Costa Rica, Colombia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru in various roasts; (2) Organic Loose Leaf Tea - Earl Grey, Peppermint, Chamomile Lavender, and Raspberry Green sourced from top 2% of tea gardens; (3) Gift Sets & Holiday Boxes - curated combinations of coffee, tea, candles, and mugs; (4) Handcrafted Candles - organic soy wax candles in coffee and tea scents; (5) Branded Apparel & Merchandise - t-shirts, hoodies, drinkware, and accessories; (6) Coffee Club Subscription - monthly delivery with 10-20% savings. All products fund youth educational programs focused on STEM, entrepreneurship, global competency, and leadership development serving students across schools in the St. Louis, Missouri area.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Show Me Costa Rica Project: The original program name (2012-2019) focused specifically on Costa Rica educational trips before expanding to become Show Me The World Project.
- SMTW Coffee
Products and services
- Youth Educational Programs Experiential learning programs for youth from under-resourced communities covering STEM education aligned with state standards, real-business entrepreneurship training through operating the Show Me The World Coffee enterprise, international travel experiences (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Ecuador), and leadership development via weekly workshops and peer-to-peer mentoring. Programs are delivered through partner schools.
- Specialty Coffee (Single-Origin) Single-origin specialty coffee sourced from farms around the world (Costa Rica, Colombia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru). Offered as whole bean or ground in multiple roast levels (light, medium, dark) and various sizes (4oz-10oz). Sold via the organization's own e-commerce storefront.
- Organic Loose-Leaf Tea Organic loose-leaf teas sourced from the top 2% of tea gardens worldwide, including Earl Grey Black Tea, Peppermint Green Tea, Chamomile Lavender Green Tea, and Raspberry Green Tea. Sold via the organization's e-commerce storefront.
- Coffee Club Subscription Monthly subscription service delivering fresh-roasted single-origin coffee on a recurring cadence. Subscribers save 10-20% on orders with flexible delivery frequencies (every 2 weeks, monthly, or every 2 months).
- Coffee & Tea Gift Sets and Holiday Boxes Curated gift sets combining coffee and/or tea with accessories, including the Taste of the Tropics Coffee Gift Set (coffees from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia), The Flight Pack Holiday Coffee Gift Set, Coffee Gift Box ($35), Tea Gift Boxes ($49-$64), candle gift sets, and the limited-edition 314 Bold Artist Box with Brock Seals.
- Handcrafted Candles Hand-poured organic soy wax candles including Cold Brew Coffee Candle, Matcha Latte Candle, and Lavender Latte Candle, featuring high-quality fragrance oils and unique layered designs. Sold individually or paired with coffee/tea gift sets.
- Branded Apparel, Drinkware and Accessories (Gear) Branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks, crop hoodies, onesies, coffee/tea mugs, travel tumblers, sipper glasses, luggage tags, reusable tote bags, and notebooks. Includes limited edition collaborations such as the Made Mobb x Show Me The World line and the SMTW Day collection.
- Specialty Coffee Pods 100% compostable single-serve coffee pods filled with Costa Rica Medium Roast Tarrazu coffee, holding 40% more coffee than conventional pods and sealed immediately after grinding for freshness.
Quantifiable outcome
- Students increased GPA by 50% within first two years of program
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Show Me The World Project
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Show Me The World Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Show Me The World Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Washington University Young Scientist ProgramcorePartnership since 2014 where PhD graduate students from Washington University in St. Louis facilitate in-person and virtual science experiences and lessons aligned with national biology standards. This partnership enhances the STEM enrichment programming for participating students.
- Global CTE LearningcoreFounded by co-founder Sylvester Chisom, Global CTE Learning provides career and technical education curriculum to over 50,000 students across more than 600 school districts globally. Shares resources and expertise with the Show Me The World Project.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Show Me The World Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Higher Grounds Coffee: Higher Grounds is a specialty coffee roaster structured as a social enterprise that donates a share of revenue to international development causes. Directly comparable as a nonprofit/mission-driven coffee business, though focused on coffee trade rather than youth education.
Direct peers
- Café Momentum: Café Momentum is a nonprofit social enterprise that runs a restaurant/cafe to fund workforce development and mentorship for at-risk youth. Same dual-mission model as SMTW: a consumer-facing business whose revenue underwrites youth education and life-skills programming.
- buildOn: buildOn runs international service-learning and education programs for youth from under-resourced communities, with chapters in U.S. high schools. Directly comparable nonprofit model combining school-based programming, international travel, and equity-focused mission, operating at greater geographic scale.
- Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): NFTE delivers entrepreneurship education to young people from under-resourced communities, often in high school settings. Highly comparable curriculum focus (STEM/entrepreneurship for underserved youth) and school partnership GTM motion.
- Global Citizen Year: Global Citizen Year runs gap-year international immersion programs for high school graduates, with a focus on youth from diverse backgrounds. Comparable international experiential learning model serving U.S. youth in Latin America.
- Free The Children / WE Charity: WE Charity runs international service-learning and educational programs for youth, including school-based curriculum and immersive travel experiences. Directly comparable to SMTW on the international education for youth axis, though operating at much larger scale.
Broad incumbents
- Year Up: Year Up provides workforce training and career pathways for young adults from under-resourced communities. Comparable target population and program model (intensive multi-month program with measurable outcomes), though focused on older youth and tech careers.
- 4-H (National 4-H Council): 4-H is the largest U.S. youth development organization, delivering STEM, leadership, and entrepreneurship programming through school and community-based chapters. Comparable mission of expanding opportunity for youth via experiential STEM and leadership education.
- Junior Achievement USA: JA is the largest U.S. nonprofit delivering K–12 entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy education through school partnerships. Much broader scale, but directly comparable mission of bringing entrepreneurship and STEM-adjacent education to youth, including those in under-resourced areas.
- Take On College (formerly SIFE / Enactus): Enactus is a global student organization that engages college students in entrepreneurship projects with social impact. Adjacent model of experiential entrepreneurship education for young people, though focused on college rather than K-12.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Show Me The World Project social profiles
Digital presenceShow Me The World Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Show Me The World Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Show Me The World Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Show Me The World Project 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 Show Me The World Project
What does Show Me The World Project do?
Show Me The World Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers experiential educational programs for youth from under-resourced communities, combining STEM instruction, real-world entrepreneurship through student-operated coffee business operations, international travel experiences, and leadership development. To fund these programs, the organization sells specialty single-origin coffee, organic loose-leaf tea, candles, branded apparel and merchandise, gift sets, and a recurring Coffee Club subscription through its own e-commerce storefront, supplemented by donations and grants.
Is Show Me The World Project a public or private company?
Show Me The World Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Show Me The World Project founded?
Show Me The World Project was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Show Me The World Project based?
Show Me The World Project is headquartered in Saint Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Show Me The World Project make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are specialty Coffee & Tea Sales, merchandise Sales and grants.
Who are Show Me The World Project's main competitors?
Higher Grounds Coffee is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Café Momentum, buildOn, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), Global Citizen Year and Free The Children / WE Charity. Broad incumbents are Year Up, 4-H (National 4-H Council), Junior Achievement USA and Take On College (formerly SIFE / Enactus).
Does Show Me The World Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Show Me The World Project.
What industry is Show Me The World Project in?
Show Me The World Project's product category is Youth Education Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADALAB, International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs, with a secondary code of EDAIAAAF, Short-Term & Summer/Winter Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8200.