R.I.S.E Edutainment

What R.I.S.E Edutainment does

R.I.S.E. Edutainment (Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere) is a grassroots nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The organization operates an "Edutainment" methodology that combines education with entertainment to empower BIPOC youth in the Greater Toronto Area through creative arts programming, mentorship, and paid performance opportunities. Its service portfolio includes the Edutainment Summit (annual flagship event), the Legal Artivism Program (nine-month art-law-social justice residency run with BLAC and OJEN), the LCA Artist Development Program (2-3 month coaching initiative), the monthly RISE Open Mic (hosted at CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals), the year-end Last RISE showcase, the 416RISE event series, and the Rising VR Program. The organization has hosted 785+ events over 14 years, platformed 198 artists in 2025, paid $1.98M in cumulative artist fees ($106K in the last year), and engaged 30,000+ community members.

The organization's core technology is its community-grounded Edutainment methodology rather than a software platform; delivery depends on in-person events, community venue partnerships, and a small in-house team (12 employees). Its underlying infrastructure is modest: a Squarespace website, a CanadaHelps donation portal, branded merchandise e-commerce, and DistroKid distribution for music releases (including the Legal Artivism Album). R.I.S.E. Edutainment monetizes through charitable donations, fundraising events, and merchandise sales, with program participation offered free to youth participants. Strategic partners include Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC), Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN), CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals, and Rozaay Mgmt, which powers operations and marketing. The organization is led by Executive Director Randell Adjei and operates as an independent registered charity with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or parent organization.

Name

R.I.S.E Edutainment

Legal name

R.I.S.E. Edutainment

Website

https://riseedutainment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

R.I.S.E. Edutainment is a Toronto-based grassroots nonprofit founded in 2011 that empowers BIPOC youth in the Greater Toronto Area through an Edutainment methodology combining education, creative arts, mentorship, and paid performance opportunities across multiple programs and community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Fine Arts Schools (611610), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH), Youth Leadership, Oratory & Civic Speaking Programs (EDAMAOAH)

Keywords

• Youth arts programs
• Artist development
• Community education
• Creative arts mentorship
• BIPOC youth empowerment

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations through CanadaHelps platform, indicating a donation-based funding model supported by charitable contributions.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts and apparel through the online store.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

R.I.S.E. (Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere) Edutainment is a grassroots nonprofit organization that empowers BIPOC youth in the Greater Toronto Area through an edutainment methodology combining education with entertainment. It operates programs such as the Edutainment Summit, Legal Artivism residency, LCA Artist Development Program, and monthly RISE Open Mic events, alongside paid performance opportunities for emerging artists.

Product overview

R.I.S.E. Edutainment operates as a grassroots arts education organization offering a portfolio of programs including the Edutainment Summit (annual educational/entertainment event), Legal Artivism Program (nine-month art-law-social justice residency), LCA Artist Development Program (2-3 month artist coaching initiative), and recurring events such as RISE Open Mic, Last RISE, and 416RISE celebrations. The organization functions as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, providing Black and BIPOC youth in the Greater Toronto Area with live events, paid artistic opportunities, and mentorship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 416RISE: Toronto-based youth arts platform and event series named after the city's area code (416), featuring open mic events and performances.
• LCA Artist Development Program
• Legal Artivism
• Edutainment Summit
• RISE Open Mic

Products and services

• Edutainment Summit Annual event combining educational workshops with entertaining showcases, bringing together industry leaders, mentors, and emerging talent for workshops, panels, and performances.
• Legal Artivism Program Nine-month residency promoting access to justice for BIPOC youth through fusion of art, law, and social justice, in partnership with Black Legal Action Centre and Ontario Justice Education Network.
• LCA Artist Development Program 2-3 month program providing emerging artists with free coaching, paid opportunities, and practical experience in performance, stage presence, and artistic growth.
• RISE Open Mic Monthly open mic event held at CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals, providing performance opportunities for emerging artists.
• Last RISE Year-end youth arts showcase and fundraiser celebrating youth creativity and community impact, held annually in December.
• 416RISE Recurring event series named after Toronto's area code (416), featuring open mic events and performances, marking community programming milestones.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.98M in artist fees paid over lifetime
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLAC is a key partner in the Legal Artivism program, which is a nine-month residency promoting access to justice for BIPOC youth through art, law, and social justice. BLAC provides legal expertise and mentorship to emerging artists.
• Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOJEN partners with R.I.S.E. Edutainment on the Legal Artivism program, contributing to legal education workshops and professional mentorship for emerging artists addressing justice issues through creative mediums.
• CEE Centre for Young Black ProfessionalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals serves as the venue host for monthly RISE Open Mics, providing community space for BIPOC youth artistic expression. Located at 75 Thermos Road, Toronto.
• Rozaay Mgmt (RM)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRozaay Mgmt (RM) powers events and programming for R.I.S.E. Edutainment, providing marketing and management support for the organization's initiatives.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Harbourfront Centre: Major Toronto cultural institution delivering year-round arts programming, festivals, and artist development. Comparable as a broader incumbent arts-development platform in the same city, though with significantly larger scale.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada: National youth-development nonprofit offering arts, education, and mentorship programming for young people. Comparable as a broad nonprofit serving youth development with arts-adjacent programming, though at much larger scale.
• Canada's National Arts Centre: National performing arts institution offering education, artist development, and youth programming. Comparable as a broader incumbent in arts education and artist-platform services, though at much larger scale and scope.

Direct peers

• JAYU: Toronto nonprofit advancing human rights through the arts, including festivals, residencies, and youth programming. Highly comparable given R.I.S.E.'s Legal Artivism program intersects arts with justice education.
• Nia Centre for the Arts: Toronto-based nonprofit Black arts organization supporting emerging artists and cultural programming for the Black community. Comparable as a culturally-rooted arts-development hub serving similar audiences and creators.
• UrbanArts: Toronto community arts council delivering youth-focused arts programming and platforming emerging artists in underserved neighborhoods. Comparable as a community-rooted arts-development nonprofit.
• Manifesto Community Projects: Toronto organization running arts, culture, and community programming with a strong emphasis on platforming underrepresented creators. Comparable in event-driven model and BIPOC youth audience.
• The Remix Project: Toronto-based nonprofit providing arts and life-skills programming for BIPOC youth, with similar focus on creative expression, mentorship, and paid opportunities. Highly comparable in mission, target demographic, and operating model.
• MABELLEarts: Toronto community arts organization in the Mabelle neighbourhood using arts to drive social change and youth engagement. Comparable as a grassroots community-arts nonprofit with event programming.

Regional players

• Artscape: Toronto nonprofit supporting community-engaged arts through artist studios, exhibitions, and events. Comparable as a Toronto nonprofit arts-infrastructure provider serving similar creative communities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/r-i-s-e-edutainment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 R.I.S.E Edutainment