Rising Tide Society

What Rising Tide Society does

Rising Tide Society, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Dover, Delaware. It serves 75,000+ small business owners and creative entrepreneurs worldwide through a portfolio of community and educational offerings, including a global network of local and virtual chapters, a quarterly webinar series, an annual multi-day virtual conference called the Business Boost Summit, an educational blog, and a Leader Library of chapter-facilitation resources. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Wendy Zook, with operations supported by roughly 20 staff and more than 45 volunteers; co-founder Natalie Franke continues to support the community in a Past President capacity.

The underlying technology is a community platform built around a primary Facebook group hub (~75,000+ members), an Instagram presence, an email list, a chapter directory website, and event tooling for virtual summits and webinars. The merchandise arm is operated via a third-party storefront (Bonfire), and the website is built on standard HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with partial WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility. The core product surface is content- and relationship-driven rather than software-driven, with the Leader Library (curated monthly topic ideas and discussion resources for chapter leaders) functioning as the primary proprietary asset.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack: one-time and recurring donations from supporters, corporate sponsorships from aligned small-business brands, merchandise royalties from the Bonfire store, and paid content access via the All Access Pass ($99 early bird / $129 regular) sold alongside free summit attendance. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on peer referrals, the Facebook group, organic social, the chapter network, and the annual Business Boost Summit as the flagship acquisition and monetization event; partnership integrations (Flodesk, Enji, Lawson House, The Legal Paige, True40 Studio) are layered into the All Access Pass digital swag bag.

Name

Rising Tide Society

Legal name

Rising Tide Society, Inc.

Website

https://risingtidesociety.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rising Tide Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a global community of 75,000+ small business owners and creative entrepreneurs through local chapters, webinars, an annual Business Boost Summit, and educational content, funded by donations, sponsorships, merchandise, and paid summit content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Community and Education Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH)

Keywords

• Small business community
• Creative entrepreneur network
• Nonprofit business education
• Virtual business summit
• Chapter-based networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: One-time and recurring donations from supporters. As a nonprofit organization, Rising Tide Society cannot exist without financial support and donations.
2. Merchandise Sales: T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, mugs, and other merch sold through Bonfire. A percentage of every purchase goes directly to RTS.
3. All Access Pass: Premium content access to summit replays and bonus sessions for $129 (early bird $99). Lifetime access to workshop recordings and exclusive resources.
4. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from aligned brands and businesses for events and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rising Tide Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides education, connection, and collaboration opportunities to 75,000+ small business owners and creative entrepreneurs through a global chapter network, an Educational Blog, Quarterly Webinars, the annual Business Boost Summit, and a Leader Library for volunteer chapter leaders. The organization is funded by donations, corporate sponsorships, merchandise sales, and a paid All Access Pass upgrade for premium summit content.

Product overview

Rising Tide Society is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of educational and community-based services for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs. The core offerings include an Educational Blog providing articles and resources, the Business Boost Summit (annual multi-day virtual conference), Quarterly Webinars (four per year), and a Leader Library for chapter leadership resources. The organization also facilitates a global Chapter Network of local and virtual chapters led by volunteers, plus a Merchandise Store and Donation Program to support operations. The organization serves 75,000+ members and is led by a board of directors with support from over 45 volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Business Boost Summit: Annual multi-day virtual conference for creative entrepreneurs featuring educational workshops on business topics including marketing, finance, operations, and wellbeing.
• Quarterly Webinars
• Leader Library

Products and services

• Educational Blog Free online blog providing articles and resources on marketing, finances, systems, branding, wellbeing, scaling, and goal setting for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs.
• Business Boost Summit Multi-day virtual conference for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs featuring expert speakers on finance, marketing, operations, and mindset, with optional paid All Access Pass upgrade for lifetime replays and bonus content.
• All Access Pass Paid upgrade to the Business Boost Summit offering lifetime replay access, exclusive bonus sessions, a digital swag bag with partner offers, and additional perks.
• Quarterly Webinars Four free virtual webinars per year open to all members featuring expert speakers on topics relevant to small business owners and creative entrepreneurs.
• Leader Library Resource library for volunteer chapter leaders providing monthly topic ideas and materials to facilitate local and virtual chapter discussions.
• Chapter Network Decentralized network of regional chapters worldwide led by volunteer chapter leaders, providing in-person and virtual meetups for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs.
• Merchandise Store Online store selling branded t-shirts, tanks, sweatshirts, hoodies, mugs, and tote bags through Bonfire, with a percentage of each purchase funding Rising Tide Society's mission.
• Donation Program Donation program accepting one-time and recurring contributions to fund the nonprofit's operations, technology, and educational resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75,000+ small business owners supported globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FlodeskcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Email marketing platform partner for the Business Boost Summit. Flodesk provides discounted offers for All Access Pass holders and contributes content to the digital swag bag. Rising Tide Society uses Flodesk for their own email marketing and chapter emails.
• EnjicoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Marketing software partner and official affiliate partner. Tayler Cusick Hollman, founder of Enji, serves as a speaker and content contributor. All Access Pass includes group coaching call opportunity and exclusive offers for Enji services.
• Lawson HousecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Full-service branding agency partner. Provides services including visual brand design, messaging strategy, and website development. CEO Caroline Lewis speaks at RTS events and contributes to All Access Pass bonus content including free brand and website audits.
• The Legal PaigecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Legal education platform and contract template shop for small business owners. Founder Paige Griffith contributes content to RTS events. All Access Pass includes 35% discount on legal resources and bonus legal Q&A session.
• True40 StudiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerWellness/fitness partner providing on-demand fitness classes as part of the All Access Pass digital swag bag.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SCORE: SCORE is a nonprofit network of volunteer business mentors affiliated with the U.S. Small Business Administration, providing free mentoring and education to entrepreneurs. It is a broader incumbent in the small business education and community space and a partial substitute for RTS's networking and educational offerings.
• Startup Grind: Startup Grind is a global startup community with local chapters and an annual conference, serving founders and the startup ecosystem. It is comparable as a chapter-based community and event-driven brand, but skews toward venture-scale tech startups rather than the SMB/creative entrepreneur niche RTS serves.

Direct peers

• Indie Hackers: Indie Hackers is a community and content platform for independent founders building internet businesses. While RTS focuses on a broader SMB/creative entrepreneur base, Indie Hackers competes for the same solo-operator attention with community-led education and storytelling about building profitable small businesses.
• Being Boss: Being Boss is a community, podcast, and education platform targeting creative entrepreneurs and small business owners. It overlaps directly with Rising Tide Society's core audience (creative entrepreneurs) and product mix (community, courses, events), although Being Boss operates more heavily as a paid content business.
• Alignable: Alignable is the largest small business network in North America, offering a community platform for SMB owners to connect, refer, and learn. It directly parallels Rising Tide Society's focus on peer networking and education for small business owners, although it operates as a venture-backed for-profit platform rather than a nonprofit.
• The Futur: The Futur is a leading online education brand teaching creative professionals how to run and grow their businesses, with a strong YouTube and course presence. It is comparable to RTS as an educational community serving the same creative entrepreneur demographic, although it is a more centralized, content-driven business.
• Creative Mornings: Creative Mornings is a free, monthly breakfast lecture series for the creative community, organized through local volunteer-led chapters in cities worldwide. It is highly comparable to Rising Tide Society in its nonprofit, volunteer-driven, chapter-based model serving creative professionals seeking community and education.
• Freelancers Union: Freelancers Union is a nonprofit organization advocating for and serving independent workers and freelancers in the U.S. It is comparable to Rising Tide Society as a mission-driven, membership-style nonprofit supporting solo/small business operators, though it leans more into advocacy, insurance, and benefits.
• Fizzle: Fizzle is an online education and community platform for independent small business owners, offering courses, coaching, and a member community. It targets a very similar audience to Rising Tide Society (solo entrepreneurs, creatives, coaches) with overlapping educational content and community features.

Others

• Mighty Networks: Mighty Networks is a software platform that enables creators and brands to build paid online communities. It is thematically related to Rising Tide Society's community-led model as an enabling infrastructure provider for community-based businesses serving the same SMB/creative entrepreneur demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/risingtidesociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/1475794719410301
• Instagraminstagram.com/risingtidesociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rising-tide-society

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Rising Tide Society