Wellness Warriors

What Wellness Warriors does

Wellness Warriors is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2007 that operates a dragon boat paddling program for cancer survivors in the Boston/Cambridge and broader New England region. The team originated as a program under The Wellness Community in 2001 and was incorporated as an independent non-profit in 2009 after that parent organization closed. It is operated entirely by volunteers, with a disclosed headcount of 1–10, and serves the All Cancer Paddler (ACP) community through structured practices, peer support, and competitive racing. The organization holds GuideStar Platinum transparency status, SafeSport certification, and an active leadership role on the USDBF ACP committee.

The core service is a community-based dragon boat program in which survivor paddlers train and compete in 22-person fixed-seat boats. Wellness Warriors owns three racing boats — Thunder, Lightning, and Fire (acquired in 2018) — and conducts practices out of facilities including the MIT Resch Boathouse. The team competes domestically and internationally; its most prominent competitive result on record is three silver medals at the 2024 IDBF Club Crew World Championships. The organization co-hosted the first-ever ACP paddle camp with USDBF in 2023 and has helped develop additional ACP clubs in Rhode Island and New Hampshire, positioning itself as the regional anchor for survivor paddling rather than a single team.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of individual membership dues ($75/year), individual donations, corporate sponsorships tiered at Jade ($500+), Silver ($2,000+), and Gold ($5,000+), in-kind contributions, and Donor-Advised Fund gifts. The organization has been profiled by Dana-Farber and the Boston Globe, supporting patient referrals and donor visibility. There is no equity, no outside capital, and no fundraising rounds; sustainability rests on dues, donations, and volunteer labor.

Name

Wellness Warriors

Legal name

Wellness Warriors, Inc.

Website

https://wellnesswarriorsboston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wellness Warriors is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit operating a dragon boat paddling team for cancer survivors in the Boston/Cambridge area, and is the only All Cancer Paddler club in New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Survivor Support Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

Keywords

• Dragon boat racing
• Cancer survivor support
• Paddle sports
• Community wellness programs
• Nonprofit athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton Highlands

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues of $75 per survivor provide a baseline revenue stream. New members may take an optional free two-week trial period before committing to membership.
2. Individual Donations: Cash donations from individuals allow the organization to target greatest needs. Donations can be made online, by check, or through Facebook Fundraisers.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Business and corporate sponsors contribute at Gold ($5000+), Silver ($2000+), or Jade ($500+) levels. Sponsors receive recognition and bespoke packages tailored to their needs.
4. In-Kind Contributions: The organization accepts equipment and other in-kind contributions from donors, including boat donations and volunteer services.
5. Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Donations: Donors with DAF programs can recommend grants directly to Wellness Warriors through DAF Direct.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wellness Warriors delivers a paddling support group and dragon boat racing program for cancer survivors on the Charles River. Members participate in seasonal on-water practices (May through September), new paddler orientations, off-season winter training using paddle ergometers, and regional, national, and international dragon boat competitions across three racing teams of varying intensity (Thunder, Lightning, Fire). All programming is delivered through an all-volunteer, membership-based non-profit model.

Product overview

Wellness Warriors is a non-profit dragon boat team providing a paddling support group for cancer survivors. The organization operates a unified service platform centered on dragon boating activities, with three competitive racing boats (Thunder, Lightning, and Fire) offering different intensity levels for survivor athletes. Core offerings include seasonal on-water practice sessions, new paddler orientations, winter training programs, and participation in regional and international dragon boat racing festivals. The organization supplements its primary service with digital tools including Slack for team communication, an online donation system powered by Give Lively, and a team merchandise store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dragon Boating Program
• Thunder Boat Racing Team
• Lightning Boat Racing Team
• Fire Boat Racing Team
• New Paddler Orientation
• Winter Training Program
• Team Store

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 silver medals at 2024 IDBF Club Crew World Championships in Ravenna, Italy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MIT Resch (formerly Pierce) BoathousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MIT Resch Boathouse at 409 Memorial Drive, Cambridge serves as Wellness Warriors' primary practice location. The organization uses the facility during practice season (May-September) and must complete MIT-specific waivers. This partnership enables the organization's core programming on the Charles River.
• Charles River ApparelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Charles River Apparel donated a dragon boat to Wellness Warriors in 2018. The Lipsett family (Deb and Barry Lipsett of Charles River Apparel) have been long-time supporters and sponsors. The company participated in the boat eye-dotting ceremony.
• Friends of Mel FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPauline Alighieri of Friends of Mel Foundation provided funding that helped Wellness Warriors restructure and incorporate as a non-profit after The Wellness Community closed in 2009.
• Watertown Yacht ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatertown Yacht Club allowed Wellness Warriors to use their dock space for dragon boats. The club celebrated this partnership in their newsletter and received a painting from Wellness Warriors in appreciation.
• United States Dragon Boat Federation (USDBF) ACP CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellness Warriors provides leadership on the USDBF All Cancer Paddler committee and co-hosted the first-ever ACP paddle camp in 2023 with USDBF. This partnership supports national ACP development and growth.
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSGH employees (including Julianne Nevins, Charlie Russo) have written about Wellness Warriors on the company blog and participated in team events. The company hosted sponsor appreciation activities.
• Hua+TV and Asian Cultural CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with Shuyi Wang/Hua+TV and Asian Cultural Center to produce the mini documentary 'Awaken the Dragon Together' about Wellness Warriors in 2019.
• Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi AcademyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLion dancers from Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy performed at Wellness Warriors sponsor appreciation event and boat blessing ceremony in 2018.
• Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWellness Warriors participates in Dana-Farber's Young and Strong Breast Cancer Conference and other events. Dana-Farber featured Wellness Warriors in Instagram content. Both organizations share mission alignment around cancer survivorship.
• Ellie FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWellness Warriors participates in the Breast Cancer Community Empowerment Summit sponsored by Ellie Fund at Roxbury Community College.
• Boston Breast Cancer Equity CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWellness Warriors participates in Cancer Equity Colloquium and Cancer Care Takes a Community symposium organized by the Boston Breast Cancer Equity Coalition.
• Ohana New England Dragon Boat TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganized scrimmage with other Boston dragon boat teams during COVID when regular races were cancelled. Also hosts 'Ohana's Fort Point Scrimmage' as part of Wellness Warriors' race schedule.
• BodyScapes FitnessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Dragon sponsor ($2000+) providing corporate sponsorship support to Wellness Warriors.
• DoubleTree by HiltonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJade Dragon sponsor ($500+) providing corporate sponsorship support to Wellness Warriors.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pink Phoenix Dragon Boat Team: Reno-based breast cancer survivor dragon boat team, one of the older and more prominent survivor teams in the U.S. Closely comparable to Wellness Warriors in sport (dragon boat), mission (cancer survivorship), and member-driven club structure, though narrower in cancer-type eligibility.
• Livestrong at the YMCA: YMCA-based small-group fitness program for cancer survivors, with which Wellness Warriors has referral partnerships. Both organizations deliver structured physical-activity programming for the same survivor population through community-based, volunteer-instructor models.
• Team Survivor: National network of fitness and training programs for cancer survivors. Comparable to Wellness Warriors in mission (physical recovery and peer support for cancer survivors) and delivery model (community-led, volunteer-driven exercise programming), though Team Survivor spans multiple sports rather than a single water sport.
• Pink Dragon Paddlers: Cancer survivor dragon boat team operating in the U.S. Comparable to Wellness Warriors in offering competitive dragon boat racing for cancer survivors through a club membership model with similar volunteer-driven operations.

Others

• International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF): Global governing body that hosted the 2024 Club Crew World Championships in Ravenna, Italy, where Wellness Warriors earned three silver medals. Peer at the governing/sanctioning level that defines competitive structure for the survivor paddling category.
• United States Dragon Boat Federation (USDBF): National governing body for dragon boat racing in the U.S. Wellness Warriors participates in USDBF events and provides leadership on the federation's All Cancer Paddler committee, making it a peer at the ecosystem/regulatory layer rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Survivorship Programs: Large academic medical center running institutional cancer survivorship programming. While not a direct competitor, it is a peer in the survivor wellness space, partnering with Wellness Warriors and representing the type of institutional programming that could absorb survivor referrals.

Regional players

• SurviveOars: Toronto-based breast cancer survivor dragon boat team. Highly comparable sport and mission model to Wellness Warriors but operates primarily in Canada rather than the U.S., making it a regional peer in the same survivor-paddling category.
• Abreast In A Boat: Vancouver-based breast cancer survivor dragon boat team that pioneered international survivor paddling competitions. Direct sport and mission peer to Wellness Warriors, but based in Canada with a longer competition history.
• Boston Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival: Long-running New England dragon boat festival in which Wellness Warriors competes. Peer at the regional event and community layer, providing the competitive venue and audience critical to Wellness Warriors' member acquisition and brand visibility.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCt0V6sF_dVjTha8ryhf8l-g
• Facebookfacebook.com/WWBostonDB
• Instagraminstagram.com/wwbostondb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wellness-warriors-boston

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wellness Warriors