D.R.E.A.M., Inc. (Developing Responsible Economically Advanced Model-citizens)

What D.R.E.A.M., Inc. (Developing Responsible Economically Advanced Model-citizens) does

D.R.E.A.M., Inc. (Developing Responsible Economically Advanced Model-Citizens) is a New York City-based nonprofit financial literacy organization founded in October 2009 by Femi Faoye and Jaleni Thompson — two Wall Street veterans who met in high school and founded the organization in response to the 2008-09 financial crisis's impact on underserved urban communities. The organization's primary mission is delivering financial education programming to urban youth, with secondary outreach to urban adults and community partners across the New York City metropolitan area, New Jersey, and select other cities including Chicago.

The core product is the Invest in Success Program, a two-year preparatory institute for NYC and NJ high school students that combines Finance Academy monthly Saturday sessions (progressing from budgeting basics to private market investment valuation), the Success Mentor volunteer pairing program, and competitions including the Stock Pitch Competition, Biz Plan Competition, and Personal Finance Case Competition. Supporting offerings include Money Talk$ community events (workshops, webinars, conferences co-hosted with civic groups and schools), Financial Empowerment: 101 crash courses, and the annual National Financial Literacy Month Conference. Technology delivery is light: a Squarespace-hosted web presence, social channels (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube), webinar platforms, and Eventbrite for event registration, supplemented by the Zolio stock-market simulation platform for student investing practice.

D.R.E.A.M. is funded through donations framed as 'social investment' and refundable admission deposits for Invest in Success enrollment, with operational support from corporate partners including ING DIRECT/Capital One 360 Café (venue partner), Moody's Corporation, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation (international), Liberty LEADS at Bank Street College, Catalyst Network Foundation, and Zolio. The organization celebrates 15 years of continuous operation, has graduated multiple Invest in Success cohorts, and reports flagship events hosting 500+ attendees. The leadership team comprises a Co-Founder/CEO, Co-Founder, CFO, CTO, two Directors of Programming, Chief of Business Development, and Chief Compliance Officer.

Name

D.R.E.A.M., Inc. (Developing Responsible Economically Advanced Model-citizens)

Legal name

Developing Responsible Economically Advanced Model-Citizens, Inc.

Website

https://dream-usa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

D.R.E.A.M., Inc. is a NYC-based nonprofit that delivers financial literacy education programs to urban youth through its flagship two-year Invest in Success institute, Money Talk$ community events, workshops, and annual competitions, supported by donations and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Literacy Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Finance & Financial Literacy for Students (EDAMAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Saving & Emergency Funds (EDAAAJAB), Budgeting & Cash-Flow Management (EDAAAJAA)

Keywords

• Financial literacy education
• Youth financial education
• Community workshops
• Mentorship programs
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Social Investment: The organization accepts donations and frames contributions as 'social investment' to fund operations and programs.
2. Program Participation Deposits: A refundable admission deposit is required upon enrollment in the Invest in Success program to secure participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

D.R.E.A.M. is a nonprofit that delivers financial literacy education to urban youth and adults through the two-year Invest in Success preparatory institute (covering budgeting, saving, checking, investing, and college financing), Money Talk$ community events and webinars, the Success Mentor program, and annual conferences and competitions. Programming is delivered in person and virtually through partner venues such as the Capital One 360 Café, schools, and community organizations in the NYC metro area, NJ, and Chicago.

Product overview

D.R.E.A.M. is a nonprofit financial literacy education organization offering programs primarily focused on urban youth. The core product is the Invest in Success Program, a two-year preparatory institute consisting of four main components: $tart $mart, Finance Academy, and Mentorship. Supporting offerings include Money Talk$ community events, the Success Mentor Program, and various competitions (Stock Pitch Competition, Biz Plan Competition, Personal Finance Case Competition). The Financial Empowerment: 101 workshops provide supplemental education, while the annual National Financial Literacy Month Conference serves as a major community outreach event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Invest in Success: A two-year preparatory institute focused on developing students' knowledge of personal finance and investing, featuring components including $tart $mart, Finance Academy, and Mentorship.
• Money Talk$
• Success Mentor

Products and services

• Invest in Success Program Two-year preparatory institute for NYC and NJ high school students covering saving, budgeting, checking accounts, investing, and college financing. Includes Finance Academy sessions, Success Mentorship, and annual competitions.
• Money Talk$ Community Events Community financial literacy events co-hosted with local organizations, educational institutions, civic groups, and government entities for urban adults and youth. Includes workshops, webinars (e.g., Google+ Hangout webinars), and breakout sessions on budgeting, investing, debt, and credit.
• Finance Academy Monthly Saturday in-person instructional sessions conducted as part of the Invest in Success program, covering topics from basic budgeting to advanced investing concepts including private market investments.
• Success Mentor Program Mentorship program pairing Invest in Success scholars with volunteer Success Mentors who guide them on financial decisions, budgeting, saving, and college preparation. Rolling application process with phone interviews and background checks.
• Financial Empowerment: 101 Workshop series providing crash courses on budgeting, saving, and basic financial concepts for high school students and adults, delivered in locations including Brooklyn, NY and Chicago, IL.
• National Financial Literacy Month Conference Annual premiere community event bringing together Tri-State area individuals for conversations on personal finance topics including budgeting, investing, debt, credit, retirement, and wealth building.
• Stock Pitch Competition Annual capstone competition for year-two Invest in Success scholars to build stock portfolios and present investment recommendations to a panel of judges, with cash prizes for winners.
• Biz Plan Competition Shark Tank-style entrepreneurship competition for junior Invest in Success scholars to pitch business plans with the opportunity to receive capital to commercialize their ventures.
• Personal Finance Case Competition Competition for freshman and sophomore Invest in Success scholars who present analysis on handling personal financial portfolios to a panel of judges.

Quantifiable outcome

• First cohort graduated in June 2014 after completing the two-year Invest in Success program.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ING DIRECT Café (now Capital One 360 Café)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2011Official partnership announced November 29, 2011 to host the 2011-12 Invest-in-Success program at the ING DIRECT Café in NYC. The café provided a state-of-the-art venue for Finance Academy sessions. D.R.E.A.M. supported ING DIRECT's mission to create a nation of savers.
• YEC (Young Entrepreneur Council)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner displayed on the Partners & Sponsors page of the D.R.E.A.M. website.
• Liberty LEADScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bank Street College of Education's Liberty LEADS program. D.R.E.A.M. scholars led workshops on budgeting and money management for Liberty LEADS middle school students during National Financial Literacy Month.
• DASHA WellnessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing two weeks of healthy lunches for Invest-in-Success students. Founded by Dr. Darren (DA) Pollack and Shannon (SHA) Pollack, located in Midtown Manhattan.
• Benjamin TalkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership announced in November 2020 as documented in blog posts. Details of partnership scope to be determined.
• Catalyst Network FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of the Be Money Wi$e: Financial Empowerment Panel Discussion held at Capital One 360 Café in April 2013 during National Financial Literacy Month.
• Rob Wilson TVcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint presentation of 'The Money Talk' Webinar: 2013 Guide to Financially Dominating Your Competition. Rob Wilson is VP and financial advisor at Blazer Capital Management, serving professional athletes and entertainers.
• Tottenham Hotspur FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership to lead financial education sessions in England. D.R.E.A.M. partnered with Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to deliver programming abroad.
• Moody's CorporationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMoody's Corporation sponsored the 'Wall Street in the Black: Insight on Success from Wall Street Trailblazers' event honoring African American pioneers in finance. Co-Founder Femi Faoye attended as guest representing D.R.E.A.M.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Greenlight Financial Education: Greenlight is a fintech offering kids/teens debit cards and investment accounts bundled with financial education content. It overlaps with D.R.E.A.M.'s invest-by-doing model (savings and brokerage account components of Invest in Success) and competes for parent and teen attention in the same demographic.
• Zogo: Zogo is a digital financial literacy platform used by banks and credit unions to engage Gen Z consumers, including educational modules on saving, investing, and budgeting. It overlaps with D.R.E.A.M.'s investor/saving curriculum for young people but delivers via mobile app rather than cohort mentorship.

Broad incumbents

• Council for Economic Education: The Council for Economic Education is a long-established nonprofit supporting K-12 economic and personal finance education through standards, curriculum, and educator training. It operates at broader national scale than D.R.E.A.M. and overlaps on financial-literacy mission and curriculum developer positioning.
• Money Management International (MMI): MMI is a national nonprofit credit counseling and financial education agency serving consumers with budgeting, debt, and money management programs. It is comparable to D.R.E.A.M.'s Money Talk$ adult and community programming on budgeting, debt, and credit topics.
• NEFE (National Endowment for Financial Education): NEFE is a national nonprofit foundation focused on financial education research, programs, and public awareness. It overlaps with D.R.E.A.M.'s broader financial-literacy mission and National Financial Literacy Month positioning, and competes for sponsor, grant, and public-policy attention.

Direct peers

• Junior Achievement USA: Junior Achievement is the largest U.S. nonprofit delivering financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education to K-12 students. D.R.E.A.M.'s Invest in Success program competes for the same urban-youth, school-based and after-school demand and the same corporate-sponsor dollars.
• Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF): NGPF provides free personal finance curriculum, teacher professional development, and student experiences targeted at U.S. high schools. It overlaps directly with D.R.E.A.M.'s curriculum design, sponsor base (financial institutions), and target students, though NGPF emphasizes teacher enablement over direct student programming.
• EverFi: EverFi provides digital financial literacy, life skills, and career-readiness curriculum used broadly in U.S. schools and employers. It overlaps with D.R.E.A.M.'s financial literacy curriculum mission and competes for the same school-district and corporate-sponsor relationships.
• FoolProof Foundation: FoolProof is a nonprofit delivering consumer and personal finance education to schools, with content emphasizing underserved youth. D.R.E.A.M. competes with FoolProof in the school-and-community channel for the same student demographic and sponsor pool.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America - Money Matters: Money Matters is Boys & Girls Clubs of America's flagship financial literacy program for teens from underserved communities, combining goal setting, budgeting, and saving with a mentoring layer. It directly overlaps with D.R.E.A.M.'s Invest in Success target audience and community-based delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dream_nyc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/dreamnycorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/DREAMNYC
• Instagraminstagram.com/dream_usa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/d.r.e.a.m.-inc.-developing-responsible-economically-advanced-model-citizens-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 D.R.E.A.M., Inc. (Developing Responsible Economically Advanced Model-citizens)