What Empowered Parents in Community does

Empowered Parents in Community (EPiC) is a Durham, North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to addressing educational inequities affecting Black children and other systematically underserved students in public schools. Founded in 2019 by Executive Director Jovonia Lewis, EPiC originated from the 2016 Parents of African American Children (PAAC) initiative and was formalized into a 501(c)(3) with foundational support from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. The organization delivers a portfolio of community-rooted programs — Circle of Hope (peer support and self-care), Listening Sessions (lived-experience sharing), Community Conversations (parent-led dialogue with educators), and Collectives (family leadership development) — alongside specialized offerings such as a Special Education Collective, Men's Early Childhood Education Collective, Men's Circle of Hope, and Multi-Family Circle of Hope.

EPiC operates through direct community delivery and school-district partnerships, with an anchor relationship with Durham Public Schools spanning 16 schools across 2 North Carolina counties. It also offers a 10-month Train-the-Trainer service that equips partner organizations in additional counties to replicate the EPiC organizing model, and maintains a research collaboration with Duke University's Sanford School of Policy on AIG program access and early-childhood equity. The organization has cumulatively reached 3,000+ community members and, in 2023/24, hosted 59 events serving roughly 500 people directly and 4,000 indirectly.

EPiC has no proprietary technology platform; its technology footprint consists of a website, email/newsletter tools, Eventbrite for event management, and Google Workspace/Sheets for data collection and research. Its business model is grant- and donation-based, with no fee-for-service revenue — programs are free to participants, and funding comes from foundation grants (e.g., Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation) and individual donations via GiveButter, amplified by earned media coverage from CBS 17, ABC 11, WRAL, Spectrum News 1, and EdNC. The organization is staffed by 5 employees and governed by a 6-member Board of Directors.

Name

Empowered Parents in Community

Legal name

Empowered Parents in Community

Website

https://epic-nc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Empowered Parents in Community (EPiC) is a Durham, NC 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing educational equity for Black families through parent-led community programs, specialized collectives, and a Train-the-Trainer service. It operates across 16 schools in 2 North Carolina counties, funded by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Advocacy Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Trauma-Informed & Resilience-Building Programs (Early Childhood) (EDACAOAD), Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Parent leadership development
• Educational equity advocacy
• Community organizing services
• Family engagement programs
• School partnership consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Donations: EPiC operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through grants (e.g., Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation) and individual donations via GiveButter. No fee-for-service revenue model is described.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Empowered Parents in Community (EPiC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers community-rooted programs and training services centered on parent leadership and lived experience to address systemic educational inequities. Programs include Circle of Hope, Listening Sessions, Community Conversations, Collectives, Special Education Collective, Men's Early Childhood Education Collective, Men's Circle of Hope, and Multi-Family Circle of Hope. Through its Train the Trainer service, EPiC equips partner organizations and school districts to implement its parent-led advocacy model across additional counties.

Product overview

Empowered Parents in Community (EPiC) offers a portfolio of community-based programs and training services focused on educational equity and parent advocacy. The core programs include Circle of Hope sessions (offering safe spaces for self-care and community building), Listening Sessions, Community Conversations, and Collectives for parent leadership development. EPiC also provides specialized programs including a Special Education Collective, Men's Early Childhood Education Collective, and Men's Circle of Hope. The organization's Train the Trainer service enables other organizations to implement the EPiC model through a 10-month consultation and training program. Together, these programs listen to family experiences, educate about educational systems, and advocate for equitable outcomes through parent-led initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Circle of Hope A safe, supportive space for like-minded parents and guardians to practice self-care, build community, and engage in self-exploration and healing journeys. Offered free to families in Durham and across North Carolina.
• Listening Sessions Community gatherings where members share lived experiences with education and systemic inequalities, strengthening connections among parents, caregivers, and educators.
• Community Conversations Parent-led discussions with educators and students to address disparate data-driven outcomes and develop solutions for school systems.
• Collectives Collaborative family communities that move from being consumers of services to gaining leadership positions and holding power to drive efforts to close the opportunity gap.
• Train the Trainer A 10-month training service that equips parents, caregivers, and school-community partners to lead collective advocacy initiatives. Includes 6 trainings, monthly strategy meetings, and internal infrastructure tools with the EPiC toolkit.
• Special Education Collective A virtual space for parents and caregivers navigating IEPs, 504 plans, evaluations, and special education processes, with support from EPiC program staff.
• Men's Early Childhood Education Collective A private, healing space for fathers, father figures, and male caregivers to learn, connect, ask questions, and build relationships around early childhood education.
• Men's Circle of Hope A space for men to connect, support one another, and have honest conversations about parenting, relationships, stress, mental health, and showing up for families and communities.
• Multi-Family Circle of Hope A multi-generational Circle of Hope bringing families together for collective wellness and support.

Named customers2 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Duke University's Sanford School of PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPiC partners with Duke's Sanford School of Policy on research initiatives, including a report on the State of Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) programs in Durham and a report on Early Child Care Equity in North Carolina's QRIS system.
• Durham Public Schools (DPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPiC works closely with Durham Public Schools as a parent engagement and advocacy partner, operating in 16 DPS schools. EPiC's Parent Ambassador program works directly with DPS administration. DPS has incorporated parent-teacher communication into its strategic plan as a result of EPiC's advocacy.
• WE ARE (working to extend anti-racist education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPiC and WE ARE formed a collaboration designed to eliminate the use of exclusionary discipline for preschool students. WE ARE offers workshops for parents on race-based conversations and for schools on culturally relevant pedagogy. Featured in EdNC coverage.
• Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC)minorOthersECAC is a Parent Center referenced in EPiC's Resources section as a support organization for parents of children with disabilities. EPiC lists ECAC as a resource for families navigating special education.
• CANDORminorOthersCANDOR is a North Carolina organization referenced in EPiC's resources for families of autistic individuals. EPiC co-hosted a 2025 candid conversation with CANDOR on 'Insights from Autistic Adults for Families & Educators'.
• Local News Outlets (CBS 17, ABC 11, WRAL, Spectrum News 1, EdNC)minorOthersMultiple local North Carolina news outlets (CBS 17, ABC 11/WTVD, WRAL, Spectrum News 1, EdNC) have covered EPiC's community conversations, discipline disparity advocacy, and school partnership work, providing earned media visibility.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PACER Center: Minnesota-based parent training and information center supporting families of children with disabilities. Directly comparable to EPiC's Special Education Collective (IEP/504 navigation) and to its parent-advocacy orientation for K-12 disability rights.
• Abriendo Puertas: National parent leadership organization building the capacity of Latino families with young children. Comparable to EPiC in its bilingual, culturally-rooted, parent-voice approach to educational equity, though serving a different demographic community.
• Stand for Children: National education advocacy organization focused on equity, parent voice, and policy reform in K-12. Comparable to EPiC's policy-advocacy orientation (e.g., the K-2 suspension campaign) and its parent-led engagement model, though operating across multiple states.
• Parent Revolution: California-based parent organizing nonprofit focused on educational equity and parent power in low-income communities. Highly comparable to EPiC's parent-led, advocacy-driven model targeting systemic inequities in public schools serving Black and Brown families.
• BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life): National nonprofit building academic and social-emotional outcomes for scholars of color through expanded learning and parent engagement. Comparable to EPiC in its dual focus on student outcomes and parent/family empowerment in underserved communities.
• Families In Schools: Los Angeles-based nonprofit building parent and community engagement to improve public education outcomes for underserved students. Closely comparable to EPiC in its parent-led, community-organizing approach to educational equity and its district partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit that works inside K-12 schools to support students, particularly those facing systemic barriers. Comparable to EPiC's wraparound, school-embedded service model, though it operates at a much larger scale and is more top-down in delivery.
• Harlem Children's Zone: Pioneering nonprofit providing cradle-to-career services to children and families in Harlem. Comparable to EPiC's cradle-to-college/cradle-to-career framing and community-based equity model, though operating at dramatically larger scale with a broader service portfolio.
• City Year: National nonprofit deploying near-peer mentors to support students in under-resourced schools. Adjacent to EPiC's school-partnership model and equity focus, though built around AmeriCorps service delivery rather than a parent-community organizing model.
• Parent Teacher Association (PTA): National parent advocacy organization operating in K-12 schools across the country. EPiC overlaps with PTA's role as a parent voice in schools, but differentiates through a community-organizing, equity-focused model rather than traditional fundraising and event coordination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/epicnc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@epic-nc
• Facebookfacebook.com/EPiCNC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empowered-parents-in-community
• Instagraminstagram.com/epic_nc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Empowered Parents in Community