Rise Together
Rise Together is a nonprofit that provides near-peer college guidance and mentorship to first-generation, low-income, and learning-difference high school students through the Pathways Program, Community Engagement Program, and fee-based Consulting Services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersCrozet, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Rise Together does
Rise Together is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Crozet, Virginia, founded in 2017 by Bryan and Gina Christ after they began developing the model through K-12 youth development programming in North Carolina and expanded it with UVA student facilitators starting in 2015. The organization addresses a structural gap in college access for first-generation, low-income, and learning-difference high school students, where the national student-to-school-counselor ratio is 424:1 and only ~14% of low-income students graduate from college. Its core model is near-peer mentoring: trained undergraduate college students from partner institutions (notably UVA and Northeastern University) are matched with high school juniors and seniors to deliver college application, financial aid, essay, and social-emotional support across three semesters per year.
The organization runs three core programs: the Pathways Program (a free 12-week remote college guidance program for high school students), the Community Engagement Program (a hybrid team mentoring program where college mentors partner with high school students to execute community projects), and Consulting Services (fee-based workshops, webinars, and individualized sessions for parents, educators, institutions, and non-profits on college admissions, learning differences, NCAA eligibility, and DEI). Its technology stack is lightweight: BaseCamp as the program hub for resource sharing, Zoom for session delivery, and Google Forms for applications and consent. Distribution is anchored by institutional partnerships with AVID programs, UVA schools (Curry, Batten, Madison House, iLab), and Northeastern University Torch Scholars, plus a Boston Public Schools branch. Since founding, Rise Together has served approximately 2,500 high school students, trained nearly 1,500 college mentors, and reports outcomes including 85%+ freshman retention, 91% four-year college enrollment at partner schools, and 94% of the Summer 2021 senior cohort receiving full financial aid packages.
Revenue is generated through four streams: individual donations (including planned giving and trust donations), corporate sponsorships from named 'Corporate Champions' (Wegmans, Kroger, Krispy Kreme, Bodo's Bagels), foundation grants (e.g., Parents Fund), and fee-based consulting services to educators and institutions. Programs are provided at no cost to high school students, while consulting pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization operates with 23 employees and serves students across 12 U.S. states plus international locations including the UK, Vietnam, South Korea, India, Pakistan, and South America.
Rise Together firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rise Together
- Legal name
- Rise Together
- Website
- https://risetogethermentor.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rise Together is a nonprofit that provides near-peer college guidance and mentorship to first-generation, low-income, and learning-difference high school students through the Pathways Program, Community Engagement Program, and fee-based Consulting Services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rise Together industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Mentoring Services
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)
Keywords
Where Rise Together is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Crozet
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rise Together business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Rise Together accepts single gifts and regular donations over several years from individuals. Donors can also leave a gift in their will or donate through a personal or family trust.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners provide financial sponsorship as 'Corporate Champions.' Rise Together also accepts non-financial donations including payment-in-kind, use of facilities, and donated equipment and software.
- Consulting Services: Rise Together provides fee-based consulting services to high school students, college students, parents, families, educators, institutions, and non-profits. Services include individualized sessions, webinars, presentations, and targeted workshop series on topics including learning differences, NCAA requirements, college admissions, and DEI initiatives.
- Foundation Grants: Rise Together receives support from foundations (e.g., Parents Fund) as part of its funding model, in addition to individual and corporate donations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Free | Pathways Program — Free for Students |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Consulting Services — Fee-based, not publicly listed |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Rise Together product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rise Together is a nonprofit that runs the Pathways Program, a free 12-week remote college guidance program providing high school juniors and seniors with near-peer undergraduate mentorship for college applications, essay writing, financial aid, and scholarship identification. It also delivers a Community Engagement Program pairing college mentors with high school teams on community projects, and Consulting Services for schools, districts, families, and nonprofits on college admissions, learning differences, NCAA eligibility, and DEI.
Product overview
Rise Together is a near-peer mentoring organization that operates three interconnected programs: Pathways (a remote 12-week college guidance program), Community Engagement (hybrid team mentoring for community projects), and Consulting (targeted workshops and sessions for students, families, and educators). The Pathways program serves as the flagship offering, providing first-generation and limited-income high school students with personalized college application support, financial aid guidance, and mentorship from trained college student mentors. Community Engagement extends the model by pairing college mentors with high school teams to execute community service projects. Consulting provides specialized support for students with learning differences, aspiring student athletes, and offers professional development for educators and institutions. All programs are supplemented with access to wellbeing resources and college access tools, creating a comprehensive ecosystem for college enrollment and retention.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pathways Program A no-cost 12-week remote college guidance program for limited-income and/or first-generation high school students during their junior and senior year. The program provides intensive assistance with college search, applications, essay writing, financial aid, scholarships, social-emotional skill development, and skill development to ensure a smooth transition to college. Delivered through near-peer undergraduate mentors via Zoom and the BaseCamp program hub.
- Community Engagement Program A hybrid (in-person and remote) team mentoring program where college mentors partner with high school students to brainstorm, plan, and execute a community project. Students develop leadership, collaboration, and career readiness skills while engaging with their communities.
- Consulting Services Targeted consulting services for high school students, college students, parents, families, educators, institutions, and non-profits. Includes individualized sessions, workshops, webinars, and curriculum development focusing on college admissions, financial aid, learning differences, NCAA eligibility, and DEI initiatives. Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed.
Quantifiable outcome
- 400+ high school students admitted to colleges and universities as of 2021
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Rise Together
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rise Together technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
Rise Together partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- University of Virginia (UVA) — Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public PolicycoreUVA's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy has provided backing and institutional support for Rise Together since the pilot program. The partnership enables UVA undergraduate students to serve as mentors, providing the backbone of Rise Together's near-peer mentoring model.
- University of Virginia (UVA) — Curry School of Education and Human DevelopmentcoreThe Curry School of Education and Human Development at UVA backed Rise Together during the pilot program and early expansion, supporting the organization's unique team mentoring model and co-designing curriculum for first-generation low-income students.
- UVA iLab Summer Incubator ProgramsupportingRise Together participated in the UVA iLab Summer Incubator Program, which provided early-stage support and resources for developing the organization's mentoring model and programming.
- UVA Madison HousecoreMadison House at UVA served as a key early partner in providing undergraduate volunteers for the Rise Together near-peer mentoring program, supporting service learning and volunteer recruitment.
- United WaysupportingUnited Way partnered with Rise Together on community projects, including a Freedom of Expression Wall where students and community members expressed themselves publicly. Rise Together accompanies community projects with on-campus college visits.
- WegmanssupportingWegmans is listed as a corporate partner/supporter of Rise Together, providing support for the organization's programs and students.
- KrogersupportingKroger is listed as a corporate partner of Rise Together, contributing to the organization's community support initiatives.
- Krispy KremesupportingKrispy Kreme is listed as a corporate supporter of Rise Together's mission and programs.
- Bodos (Bodo's Bagels)minorBodo's Bagels is listed as a local corporate supporter of Rise Together.
- Northeastern University — Torch ScholarscoreIn 2021-22, Northeastern University Torch Scholars partnered with Rise Together and Boston Public Schools to serve 40 first-generation city students in Boston. This partnership demonstrates Rise Together's expansion beyond Virginia.
- AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)coreRise Together has been serving AVID communities throughout Virginia and Boston Public Schools for over eight years. Classroom teachers rely on Rise Together to supplement their SEL and academic initiatives. Rise Together implemented its first pilot program in Western Albemarle High School's AVID classes in 2016-17.
- Albemarle County Public SchoolscoreAlbemarle County Public School administrators backed Rise Together's pilot program and subsequent expansion. Rise Together served AVID students at Charlottesville High School, Walton Middle School, and Albemarle County Community Public Charter School during 2020-21.
- QuestBridgecoreRise Together incorporates QuestBridge application support into its programming. QuestBridge is a non-profit connecting first-generation low-income high schoolers with partner colleges for full scholarships. Rise Together students have become QuestBridge Finalists.
- POSSE (POSSE Foundation)coreRise Together provides support for students applying through POSSE, a national nonprofit that awards full-tuition scholarships and leadership training. Rise Together students have become POSSE Finalists.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Rise Together competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving, low-income high school students with full four-year scholarships at partner colleges. Rise Together explicitly supports QuestBridge applications and has produced multiple QuestBridge Finalists, making it a closely aligned peer serving the same FGLI population.
- Schuler Scholar Program: College access program supporting first-generation and lower-income high school students through scholarships and advising. Comparable mission and target population, with deeper scholarship funding components for participating students.
- Matriculate: Nonprofit connecting high-achieving, low-income high school students with undergraduate mentors for one-on-one college advising. Closely matches Rise Together's near-peer mentoring model and first-generation, low-income target.
- iMentor: Long-term one-on-one mentoring nonprofit pairing high school students with college-educated adult mentors for college access and success. Closely comparable mentoring model targeting low-income students toward college enrollment and persistence.
- POSSE Foundation: National nonprofit awarding full-tuition scholarships and leadership development to diverse student teams at partner colleges. Rise Together supports POSSE applications and has produced POSSE Finalists; both organizations target first-generation, low-income students navigating selective college admissions.
- College Spring: College access program offering SAT prep, college application support, and mentoring to low-income high school students. Directly comparable mission and target population, with similar focus on closing the college readiness gap.
- Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing one-on-one college access and success advising to first-generation students from low-income backgrounds. Directly comparable target population and mission of college admission, persistence, and graduation support.
- National College Advising Corps: Places recent college graduates as full-time college advisers in underserved high schools. Addresses the same counselor-capacity gap that Rise Together targets, serving similar FGLI populations through a near-peer advising model.
Broad incumbents
- AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination): Nationwide K-12 college readiness system adopted by thousands of schools. Rise Together has partnered with AVID for 8+ years and supplements AVID classes; AVID is the broader incumbent in the same college readiness category serving similar students.
Emerging players
- KIPP Foundation: National charter school network serving predominantly low-income communities with a college-preparatory focus. Adjacent peer - both serve similar FGLI populations with college-readiness missions, but KIPP delivers via its own schools rather than a near-peer mentoring model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rise Together social profiles
Digital presenceRise Together financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rise Together leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Rise Together funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rise Together M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rise Together
What does Rise Together do?
Rise Together is a nonprofit that runs the Pathways Program, a free 12-week remote college guidance program providing high school juniors and seniors with near-peer undergraduate mentorship for college applications, essay writing, financial aid, and scholarship identification. It also delivers a Community Engagement Program pairing college mentors with high school teams on community projects, and Consulting Services for schools, districts, families, and nonprofits on college admissions, learning differences, NCAA eligibility, and DEI.
Is Rise Together a public or private company?
Rise Together is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Rise Together founded?
Rise Together was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rise Together based?
Rise Together is headquartered in Crozet, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rise Together make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, consulting Services and foundation Grants.
Who are Rise Together's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are QuestBridge, Schuler Scholar Program, Matriculate, iMentor, POSSE Foundation, College Spring, Bottom Line and National College Advising Corps. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is listed as a broad incumbent. KIPP Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Rise Together have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rise Together.
What industry is Rise Together in?
Rise Together's product category is Youth Mentoring Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAE, College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGADAC, After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits. Its SIC code is 8200.