RISE

What RISE does

RISE (Reimagining Industry to Support Equality) is a global non-profit collaboration that advances equality and opportunity for low-income workers in garment, footwear, and home textile supply chains. Founded in 2023 through the integration of BSR's HERproject, Gap Inc.'s P.A.C.E., Better Work, and CARE—organizations with 15+ years of evidence-based program experience—RISE is hosted and managed by BSR and operates with 29 employees across 9 countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam), with recent expansion into East Africa.

The organization delivers four interconnected workplace programs: Financial Health (financial inclusion and wage digitization in partnership with Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth), Respect (workplace safety and gender-based violence prevention/remediation), Foundations (workers' rights and agency), and Digital (an offline-capable tablet app designed for low-literacy workers with animations, games, and quizzes). Supporting technology includes the RISE Digital Wages Toolkit (a multi-language platform for managers transitioning from cash to digital wages) and the RISE Impact Portal, a data platform for tracking workplace program progress across member organizations.

RISE's revenue model combines tiered membership dues ($3K-$50K annually based on member revenue), per-program fees for enrolling factories and units, collaborative cost-sharing between members and participating factories, and grant funding from Leaders' Circle funders (Target, Gap Inc.) and Anchor Partner Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. The organization serves 43+ major brand and retailer members including Nike, Gap Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., Macy's, Target, PVH, Ralph Lauren, Inditex, and Primark, with implementation delivered through a vetted network of local partners in each operating country. By 2025, RISE had supported over 1 million workers through its workplace programs.

Name

RISE

Legal name

RISE: Reimagining Industry to Support Equality

Website

https://riseequal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RISE is a global non-profit collaboration delivering workplace programs in garment, footwear, and home textile supply chains, serving major brands, suppliers, and over 1 million workers across 9 countries with a focus on financial inclusion, gender equality, and worker rights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Worker Welfare and Workplace Programs in Garment Supply Chains

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workplace Wellness & Wellbeing Education (EDAAAHAN), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Workplace gender equality
• Supply chain worker welfare
• Financial inclusion training
• Wage digitization programs
• Workplace safety initiatives

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from brands, buyers, retailers, and suppliers in the apparel, footwear, and home textile industries. Fees scale based on company revenue size.
2. Program Fees: Fees for enrolling factories and units in RISE workplace programs, including quality assurance, oversight, local partner vetting, and capacity building.
3. Collaborative Program Investment: Cost-sharing opportunities between RISE members and participating factories for workplace programs. In 2025, 53% of programs were co-funded, saving members a combined $500,000.
4. Grant Funding: Support from Leaders' Circle funders including Target and Gap Inc., and Anchor Partner Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. Grants fund organizational development and pilot/expansion opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

RISE is a global membership collaboration that delivers workplace programs in garment, footwear, and home textile supply chains covering financial health, respect and workplace safety, foundations (worker rights and agency), and digital literacy. Programs are enrolled by member brands, buyers, and suppliers and implemented through vetted local partners in 9 countries, supported by the RISE Digital Wages Toolkit and RISE Impact Portal data platform.

Product overview

RISE (Reimagining Industry to Support Equality) is a global collaboration that offers a suite of workplace programs focused on improving equality for workers in global garment, footwear, and home textile supply chains. The core portfolio includes four interconnected programs: Financial Health (wage digitization and financial inclusion), Respect (workplace safety and GBVH prevention), Foundations (workers' rights and agency), and Digital (app-based training for health, financial, and stress management). Supporting these programs are the Digital Wages Toolkit for Managers (a technology tool for wage digitization implementation) and the RISE Impact Portal (a data tracking platform for members). The organization also produces research reports, toolkits, and guidance documents as part of its knowledge-sharing mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Health Program A workplace program delivered in collaboration with the garment industry and financial sector to improve financial inclusion and resilience for workers, especially women, and deliver shared economic value. Includes wage digitization, financial literacy, and partnerships with financial service providers across 9 countries.
• Respect Program A comprehensive workplace program that increases safety at work and prevents and remediates violence and harassment in the world of work. Designed for garment, footwear, and home textile supply chain factories and their member brands.
• Foundations Program A workplace development program that increases agency and advances workers' rights for supply chain workers. Built on the foundations of Gap Inc.'s P.A.C.E. curriculum and Better Work's Worker Rights and Responsibilities training module.
• Digital Program An app-based program that improves digital literacy and provides tools to improve health, financial, relationship, and stress management for supply chain workers. Delivered via the RISE Digital App, which is offline-capable and tailored for low-literacy users with animations, games, and quizzes.
• RISE Digital Wages Toolkit for Managers A technology tool that supports managers to transition from cash to digital wages in a responsible way that considers the needs of all workers, particularly women workers. Includes multi-language guidance (English, Bangla, Khmer, Chinese, Arabic) on setting up digital payroll, preparing the workforce, and coordinating payday.
• RISE Impact Portal A data platform for tracking workplace program progress and impact across member organizations, accessible to RISE members for ESG reporting and program measurement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 38% increase in women reporting they save every month after financial health program
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers27 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered local implementation, strategic, flagship anchor partner and core founding partner.

• FUNDATEDlocal implementationImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Local partner in Guatemala implementing RISE Financial Health program with global brands, buyers, suppliers, and financial service providers.
• MICRA Indonesialocal implementationImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Local partner in Indonesia implementing RISE Financial Health program across garment and footwear factories with 29,922 workers (82% women).
• IFC (International Finance Corporation)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership under IFC/ILO Better Work to study opportunities and challenges of wage digitalization in Cambodia's garment factories through interviews and surveys with over 400 workers and managers from more than 100 factories.
• Center for Development Services (CDS)local implementationImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Local implementation partner in Egypt supporting nine garment factories supplying RISE members in five governorates representing 24,000 workers (43% women) with gender-sensitive transition from cash to digital wages.
• Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growthflagship anchor partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Anchor Partner for RISE Financial Health focus area. Since 2018, partnership has scaled wage digitization for RMG factories and workers. Pairs digital wages with financial capability training, providing much needed financial planning resources for managers and workers, especially women. Active in Cambodia, Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Guatemala.
• CAREcore founding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational humanitarian organization fighting global poverty by working alongside women and girls. Supporting RISE with technical expertise, fundraising, and partnerships at country and global level. In some geographies, CARE directly implements RISE program activities.
• Better Work (ILO/IFC)core founding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Labour Organization (ILO) and International Finance Corporation (IFC World Bank) collaboration promoting decent work and better business in the garment industry. Supporting RISE with technical expertise, fundraising, and partnerships. Better Work's Worker Rights and Responsibilities training module has been integrated into the RISE Foundation Program.
• HERproject (BSR)core founding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSR collaborative initiative active 2007-2022 supporting low-income women in global supply chains. HERproject programs, activities and team have been fully integrated into RISE.
• Gap Inc. P.A.C.E.core founding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGap Inc. program providing women and girls in the global apparel industry foundational life skills, technical training, and support. P.A.C.E. has been fully integrated into RISE Foundations Program and Integrated Model. Gap Inc. is also a Leaders' Circle funder.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Macy's and RISE addressing heat stress, basin health, clean water access, and worker health and safety in textile factories. WWF brings expertise on freshwater systems, climate resilience, and water stewardship issues.
• Microfinance OpportunitiesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner collaborating on Cambodia wage digitalization study with IFC, ILO/Better Work, examining opportunities for financial inclusion for women.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Sedex: Global membership platform for supply chain data, ethics, and labor rights. Comparable to RISE as a multi-stakeholder data and membership platform serving brands and suppliers across apparel and consumer goods.
• Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI): UK-based alliance of companies, trade unions, and NGOs promoting workers' rights in supply chains. RISE co-developed the GBVH toolkit with ETI in 2026; both operate multi-stakeholder membership models focused on apparel/footwear supply chain standards.
• Fair Labor Association: Multi-stakeholder nonprofit focused on protecting workers' rights in apparel and agricultural supply chains. Comparable to RISE in serving global brand members with workplace assessment, audit, and worker-voice programs.
• Social Accountability International (SAI): Nonprofit developing and operating the SA8000 social certification standard for workplaces. Comparable to RISE as a membership/standards organization serving apparel and consumer-goods brands on worker welfare and supply chain ethics.
• Textiles Exchange: Nonprofit driving the use of preferred materials in the textile industry. Compares to RISE as a textile/apparel-focused membership organization providing standards, benchmarking, and programs to global brands.
• Better Work (ILO/IFC): Joint ILO/IFC program improving working conditions in garment supply chains. RISE was co-founded by Better Work and partners with it on the Cambodia wage digitalization research; both target apparel factories with workplace training, advisory, and assessment services.
• Fashion for Good: Global platform for textile and apparel industry collaboration on sustainability innovation. Overlapping membership and apparel/footwear sector focus with RISE, though centered on environmental and innovation outcomes rather than worker welfare.
• Sustainable Apparel Coalition: Industry coalition for apparel, footwear, and textile sustainability, creator of the Higg Index tools. Shares RISE's apparel/footwear vertical focus and brand-membership model, though primarily focused on environmental sustainability measurement.

Others

• CARE International: Founding partner of RISE and a major humanitarian organization with global supply chain programs. While primarily a humanitarian NGO, CARE contributes technical expertise, fundraising reach, and on-the-ground implementation in RISE geographies.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Parent organization and host of RISE, and former operator of HERproject. BSR runs adjacent sustainability advisory and HERproject successor programs that share infrastructure, audiences, and client relationships with RISE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RISE_Equal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reimaginingindustrytosupportequality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about RISE