Urban Light
Urban Light is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 that provides trauma-informed, eight-pillar social services to boys and young men affected by trafficking and exploitation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, through street outreach and a Drop-In Center, funded by individual donations and foundation grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSaraphi, Thailand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Urban Light does
Urban Light is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, by Alezandra Russell to deliver trauma-informed social services to boys and young men affected by sexual exploitation and trafficking. The organization operates an eight-pillar service model covering health, employment, housing, education, harm reduction, prevention, outreach, and legal support, delivered directly through a Drop-In Center, street outreach in Chiang Mai's red light district and surrounding areas, and a Mobile Health & Wellness Clinic operated in partnership with ITO. Since 2009, Urban Light reports reaching more than 17,000 individuals cumulatively, with 2023 outputs including 3,100+ Drop-In Center visits, 7,100+ meals distributed, 68 individuals supported with housing assistance, and 26 people transitioned into safe, legal employment.
Urban Light does not develop technology products. Its core delivery infrastructure is human-led and locally staffed: in-country directors P'Paan and P'Tu oversee daily operations after founder Alezandra Russell was forced to leave Thailand in 2017 as a consequence of her advocacy; she continues to direct strategy, fundraising, and global advocacy remotely and is represented by AAE Speakers Bureau. The organization also contributes to global research on male survivors through partnerships with World Childhood Foundation, ECPAT International, Winrock International, and others.
Revenue is generated through individual donations (notably a Monthly Ambassador subscription program with tiers from $10 to $250 per month), one-time tax-deductible donations, and grants from institutional funders including the FIFA Foundation, World Childhood Foundation, and Leopold Bachmann Foundation. The US entity (Urban Light) is registered as a 501(c)(3) in Maryland with a Silver Spring mailing address, while Thai operations are conducted under Urban Light Foundation with a Siam Commercial Bank account in Chiang Mai.
Urban Light firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Urban Light
- Legal name
- Urban Light
- Website
- https://urban-light.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Urban Light is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 that provides trauma-informed, eight-pillar social services to boys and young men affected by trafficking and exploitation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, through street outreach and a Drop-In Center, funded by individual donations and foundation grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Urban Light industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Anti-Human Trafficking Survivor Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Temporary Shelters (624221)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding) (BPADAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)
Keywords
Where Urban Light is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saraphi
- HQ country
- Thailand
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Urban Light business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Monthly giving program (Monthly Ambassadors) where donors commit to recurring monthly donations at various levels ($10-$250/month) providing sustainable, predictable funding for programs.
- Tax-Deductible Charitable Donations: One-time donations via website, checks, and bank transfers. Urban Light is a registered 501(c)(3) charity organization in the USA, making donations tax-deductible.
- Grants and Foundation Support: Partnerships with foundations including World Childhood Foundation, FIFA Foundation, and other institutional funders to support research and programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | $10/month provides a harm reduction kit |
| Subscription | Monthly | $25/month provides comprehensive healthcare access |
| Subscription | Monthly | $50/month supports full participation in education programs |
| Subscription | Monthly | $100/month covers emergency housing for a person in crisis |
| Subscription | Monthly | $250/month funds a month of nutritious daily meals |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Urban Light product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Urban Light provides holistic, trauma-informed social services to boys and young men who are victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Services are delivered through an eight-pillar model covering healthcare, employment training, housing, education, harm reduction, prevention, outreach, and legal support, anchored by a Drop-In Center and street outreach in the red light district.
Product overview
Urban Light is a nonprofit organization that provides holistic, trauma-informed social services to boys and men affected by exploitation in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Their core offering is not a technology product but a service program built around eight pillars of care: Health (including a Mobile Health & Wellness Clinic), Employment (with job readiness training and the Rising Dough baking program), Housing (emergency and transitional housing), Education (tutoring, language classes, GED support), Harm Reduction, Prevention, Outreach, and Legal Support (documentation assistance). They also operate a Drop-In Center and conduct street-based outreach. The organization is locally-led, survivor-centered, and equity-focused, working with over 17,000 individuals since 2009.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Drop-In Center Urban Light's Drop-In Center in Chiang Mai provides direct in-person services to boys and young men affected by exploitation, facilitating over 3,100 visits in 2023 for healthcare, harm reduction supplies, food, and case management support.
- Mobile Health & Wellness Clinic Operated in partnership with ITO, the Mobile Health & Wellness Clinic brings healthcare (including HIV/STI testing and treatment) directly into communities in Chiang Mai where structural barriers prevent individuals from accessing services.
- Street Outreach Program Weekly street outreach visits to bars, massage parlors, and street-based locations in Chiang Mai's red light district and surrounding areas, providing harm reduction supplies, health resources, food, and relationship-based trust building with survivors.
- Transitional Housing Program Emergency and transitional housing for individuals in crisis, supporting 68 individuals with housing assistance in 2023 and cited as a case study in Winrock International's review of care models for trafficking survivors in Thailand.
- Rising Dough (Employment Training Program) Employment-readiness and baking skills program supporting transition into safe, legal employment; helped 26 people transition into safe, legal employment in 2023.
- Education Support Program Tutoring, language classes, and GED preparation delivered through Urban Light's programs to support educational attainment for survivors.
- Legal Documentation Support Legal support services helping survivors obtain documentation required to access rights, services, and legal employment in Thailand.
Companies that use Urban Light
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Urban Light technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Urban Light partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- World Childhood FoundationcoreResearch partnership producing 'Tell Them What Happened to Me: An Exploration of Online and Offline Sexual Exploitation of Males and SOGIE-Diverse Young People in Northern Thailand' published November 2022.
- ECPAT InternationalcoreFacilitated by Urban Light, contributed to 'Global Initiative on the Sexual Exploitation of Boys: The Thailand Report' (2021). Urban Light provided local expertise and facilitated the research.
- Winrock InternationalcoreMultiple research partnerships including 'Private Protection Centers to Assist Human Trafficking Survivors in Thailand: Obstacles to Registration and Recommendations for Mitigation' (2021) and 'Review of Models of Care for Trafficking Survivors in Thailand' (2019) where Urban Light's Transitional Housing Program was cited as a case study.
- Interact Region AsiaminorContributing partner to 'Beyond Awareness: Learning From Local Experiences to Move Forward in Fighting Human Trafficking' (2018).
- Up! InternationalminorResearch partner for 'To Help My Parents: An Exploratory Study on the Hidden Vulnerabilities of Street-Involved Children and Youth in Chiang Mai, Thailand' (2016).
- Love 146minorResearch partner for 'Boys for Baht? A Baseline Study on the Vulnerability of Male Entertainment Workers in Chiang Mai, Thailand' (2013).
- ITO × Urban LightcorePartnership supporting the Mobile Health & Wellness Clinic that brings healthcare directly into communities where structural barriers prevent individuals from accessing services.
- AAE Speakers BureauminorRepresents founder Alezandra Russell for speaking engagements including keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops, and faith community engagements globally.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Urban Light competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- ECPAT USA: US national affiliate of ECPAT focused on policy advocacy and survivor support. Comparable US-domiciled anti-trafficking advocacy, though primarily policy-oriented rather than direct service delivery in Thailand.
- Chab Dai: Cambodia-based coalition and direct-service organization working on anti-trafficking and child protection in Southeast Asia. Comparable regional focus and survivor-care programming, with shared donor pools in the anti-trafficking space.
Direct peers
- The A21 Campaign: Anti-trafficking nonprofit operating survivor care, prevention, and law-enforcement programs across multiple countries. Highly comparable service-delivery model targeting trafficking survivors through holistic, multi-pillar programs.
- Love146: International anti-trafficking nonprofit providing direct services to survivors and prevention education. Comparable mission, donor-funded model, and survivor-care philosophy; Urban Light has previously partnered with Love146 on field research in Thailand.
- World Childhood Foundation: Foundation funding and operating programs to protect children from sexual exploitation. Comparable as both a peer and current Urban Light partner, with similar programmatic focus on child trafficking survivors and trauma-informed care models.
- International Justice Mission: Large international anti-trafficking NGO that conducts rescue, restoration, and prosecution work globally. Highly comparable as a donor-funded nonprofit operating trauma-informed survivor care programs across multiple countries, though with a broader gender and geography scope than Urban Light.
- ECPAT International: Global network focused on ending the sexual exploitation of children. Directly comparable — and an existing research partner — given overlapping mission, survivor-care philosophy, and Thailand-specific country programs targeting exploited youth.
Broad incumbents
- Polaris Project: Large US-headquartered anti-trafficking organization operating the National Human Trafficking Hotline and survivor services. Comparable anti-trafficking mission and survivor-care model, but operating at much larger scale and broader scope.
- Free the Slaves: Established international anti-trafficking nonprofit operating survivor aftercare, advocacy, and community prevention. Comparable holistic survivor-care philosophy, though broader geographic and demographic scope than Urban Light's male-survivor focus.
Emerging players
- Not For Sale: International nonprofit running survivor-recovery social enterprises (bakery, cafe) analogous to Urban Light's Rising Dough baking program. Comparable survivor-employment model targeting trafficking survivors.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Urban Light social profiles
Digital presenceUrban Light compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Urban Light financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Urban Light leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Urban Light funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Urban Light 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 Urban Light
What does Urban Light do?
Urban Light provides holistic, trauma-informed social services to boys and young men who are victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Services are delivered through an eight-pillar model covering healthcare, employment training, housing, education, harm reduction, prevention, outreach, and legal support, anchored by a Drop-In Center and street outreach in the red light district.
Is Urban Light a public or private company?
Urban Light is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Urban Light founded?
Urban Light was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Urban Light based?
Urban Light is headquartered in Saraphi, Thailand, in the Asia region.
How does Urban Light make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are tax-Deductible Charitable Donations and grants and Foundation Support.
Who are Urban Light's main competitors?
Regional players on record are ECPAT USA and Chab Dai. Direct peers are The A21 Campaign, Love146, World Childhood Foundation, International Justice Mission and ECPAT International. Broad incumbents are Polaris Project and Free the Slaves. Not For Sale is listed as an emerging player.
Does Urban Light have an API?
No public API is recorded for Urban Light.
What industry is Urban Light in?
Urban Light's product category is Anti-Human Trafficking Survivor Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAHAF, Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding), with a secondary code of BPADADAH, Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.