What YONER Liberia does

YONER Liberia (legally registered as YONER Liberia, Business Registration No. 052300371) is a private, founder-led nonprofit social enterprise headquartered on Weaver Avenue in Paynesville City, Montserrado County, Liberia. Founded on February 4, 2008 by Jarius Andrew Greaves in the immediate aftermath of Liberia's civil war, the organization originated as a child-soldier rehabilitation and reintegration effort and has since been repurposed as a tech-education learning accelerator focused on youth entrepreneurship, employability, and tech-innovation capacity building. It operates through roughly 32 paid staff plus a volunteer base across six of Liberia's fifteen counties (Bong, Grand Bassa, Margibi, Montserrado, Nimba, Rivercess) and has reached over 100,000 youth, students, women, and disadvantaged beneficiaries since inception.

The organization's core product portfolio comprises three themed programs — Reimagining Employability (youth entrepreneurship incubation, launched 2016), Reimagining Education (international study/test prep facilitation launched 2019 in partnership with the Ministry of Education's Scholarship Division), and Agriculture Entrepreneurship / EIE4AD (sustainable agribusiness launched 2018) — supported by a recurring event stack: the Liberia Diamond Challenge high-school pitch competition (partnered with the University of Delaware since 2016), the annual Entrepreneurship Impact Summit ("The Liberia Big Idea"), monthly Entrepreneurs & Tech-Innovators Meet-ups, quarterly GIST Panels, and The Grind bi-monthly TV/radio series. Sub-products include the Higher Education Advancement Program (HEAP) for transnational scholarship placement (since 2020), the SHE-CAN Mentorship Institute (since 2018), and UNLEASH SDG Hacks hackathons (since 2020/2021).

YONER's business model is grant-funded nonprofit operations with no commercial product pricing. Revenue derives from institutional grants and donor partnerships — including the European Union (US$86,000 under PARTNERS), the US Embassy Monrovia Public Affairs Section, the US Department of State GIST Initiative, UNDP Liberia, UNLEASH, and Concern Worldwide/Welthungerhilfe/ZOA/SPARK consortium relationships — with cumulative grants raised and managed exceeding US$600,000 lifetime and US$335,227 in the past five years. A nascent quasi-commercial stream is emerging through HEAP, where YONER acts as an education management organization coordinating recruitment, admission, and travel for Liberian students placed at universities across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the USA via partner tuition and scholarship schemes. Beneficiary services are delivered free at the point of use through direct program delivery, partnerships with government ministries, INGO consortia, and embassies, and channel partnerships with ECOWAS Radio, Liberia Broadcasting System, and the University of Delaware.

Name

YONER Liberia

Legal name

YONER Liberia

Website

https://yonerliberia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YONER Liberia is a non-profit social enterprise founded in 2008 that runs entrepreneurship, education, and agribusiness programs for Liberian youth across six counties. It delivers free training, scholarships, and hackathons funded by grants from the EU, US State Department, and UNDP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA), Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)

Keywords

• Youth entrepreneurship training
• Education management services
• Nonprofit social enterprise
• International scholarship facilitation
• Agricultural entrepreneurship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paynesville

HQ country

Liberia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding / Development Partnerships: YONER raises and manages grants from institutional donors including the European Union (PARTNERS Programme), US Embassy Monrovia, US Department of State's GIST Initiative, UNDP Liberia, and UNLEASH. Over its history YONER has raised and managed over US$600,000 in grants; over the past 5 years it has raised and managed over US$335,227 in grants.
2. Education Management & Scholarship Coordination Services: YONER serves as an education management organization, coordinating recruitment, admission, and travel facilitation for Liberian students to pursue international studies. The HEAP (Higher Education Advancement Program) facilitates undergraduate and graduate placements at partner universities in Africa, Asia, Europe and USA, operating under affordable tuition and scholarship schemes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

YONER Liberia is a nonprofit social enterprise that designs and delivers youth-focused education, employability, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and technology innovation programs in Liberia. Its portfolio includes structured scholarships, mentorship institutes, entrepreneurship competitions, agriculture entrepreneurship training, hackathons, summits, and a radio/TV program, all provided free of charge to beneficiaries and financed primarily through institutional grants and donor partnerships.

Product overview

YONER Liberia is a social enterprise and tech-education learning accelerator offering a platform of interconnected programs focused on reimagining education and employability through social entrepreneurship and technology innovation. The core portfolio includes three thematic programs (Reimagining Employability, Reimagining Education, and Agriculture Entrepreneurship) supported by flagship events including the Liberia Diamond Challenge high school entrepreneurship competition, the annual Entrepreneurship Impact Summit, monthly Entrepreneurs & Tech-Innovators Meet-ups, the quarterly GIST Tech Innovators Panel, and The Grind radio/TV show. Additional offerings include the Higher Education Advancement Program (HEAP) for international study facilitation and the SHE-CAN Mentorship Institute for young women's scholarships. The organization also organizes UNLEASH SDGs Hacks Liberia hackathons. Together, these programs provide a comprehensive ecosystem supporting youth entrepreneurship development, higher education access, and agricultural livelihoods across Liberia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reimagining Employability: Incubator program supporting students and emerging entrepreneurs to build skills and resilience for business growth, launched in 2016.
• Reimagining Education
• Reimagining Agriculture & Agribusiness (EIE4AD)
• Liberia Diamond Challenge

Products and services

• Reimagining Employability A workforce-readiness and employability program that equips Liberian youth with practical skills and pathways into employment, delivered as a free service by YONER Liberia.
• Reimagining Education An education reform and learning enhancement program designed to improve the quality and relevance of education for Liberian learners, delivered as a free service by YONER Liberia.
• Agriculture Entrepreneurship (EIE4AD) An agriculture entrepreneurship program that builds value-chain and smallholder enterprise capacity across 360 Mother Groups in Liberia, delivered as a free service by YONER Liberia.
• Liberia Diamond Challenge A high school entrepreneurship competition that engages Liberian secondary students in entrepreneurial learning, delivered in partnership with high schools as a free program by YONER Liberia.
• Higher Education Advancement Program (HEAP) A scholarship and academic preparation program that supports disadvantaged university students in Liberia with international scholarship facilitation and TOEFL/IELTS/SAT/GRE tutorials, delivered as a free service by YONER Liberia.
• SHE-CAN Mentorship Institute A mentorship institute for young Liberian women that builds leadership, confidence, and career pathways, delivered as a free service by YONER Liberia.
• The Grind A radio and television program produced by YONER Liberia that broadcasts entrepreneurship and youth-empowerment content to a national Liberian audience.
• Entrepreneurship Impact Summit (EIS) A summit convened by YONER Liberia that convenes entrepreneurs, policymakers, and partners to advance entrepreneurship impact in Liberia.
• GIST Entrepreneurs and Tech Innovators Panel A panel program hosted by YONER Liberia that convenes entrepreneurs and technology innovators to discuss tech entrepreneurship in Liberia.
• Entrepreneurs & Tech-Innovators Meet-up

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 youth, students, women and disadvantaged Liberians impacted across 6 counties
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Concern WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead INGO in the EU PARTNERS Programme consortium. Works with YONER in implementing agricultural and entrepreneurship programs for smallholder farmers and mother groups in Grand Bassa County and 6 other counties.
• Welthungerhilfe (WHH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the EU PARTNERS Programme consortium (Lead INGO). Partners with YONER on food security and nutrition-sensitive agriculture programs in rural Liberian communities.
• ZOAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINGO partner within the EU PARTNERS Programme consortium implementing alongside YONER in selected Liberian counties.
• SPARKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINGO partner within the EU PARTNERS Programme consortium supporting youth entrepreneurship and agriculture development in Liberia.
• University of Delaware — Horn Entrepreneurship ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYONER serves as Official Pitch Site Partner for the Diamond Challenge — a global high school entrepreneurship competition. Provides mentorship training, curriculum and global competition framework. Partnership since 2016. YONER coined the initiative nationally as 'Liberia's First High School Entrepreneurship Competition' in 2018.
• SHE-CAN International (Supporting Her Education Changes A Nation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2018 to recruit, mentor and support young Liberian women for fully funded US college scholarships. YONER conducts information sessions, application support and mentorship. 20 young women from Liberia have been selected; 9 already studying in the USA. YONER supported recruitment in Bong, Bomi, Grand Bassa, Margibi, Montserrado and Nimba counties.
• UNLEASHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal innovation platform for SDGs. YONER hosted Liberia's first UNLEASH SDG Hacks in 2020 and 2021, bringing together young talents to develop solutions to education and climate challenges. Jarius Greaves is a UNLEASH Global Top Talent for SDGs.
• Liberian Ministry of Youth & SportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry providing strategic partnership, accreditation and programmatic alignment for YONER's youth empowerment programs across Liberia.
• Liberian Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partnered on the Reimagining Education program. YONER works with the Ministry's Scholarships Division for international study coordination and student vetting.
• Liberian Ministry of HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry providing programmatic alignment for health-related aspects of YONER's community development work.
• Starz UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiberia-based university partner supporting YONER's education and entrepreneurship programs.
• Tamma CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner supporting YONER's technology and innovation ecosystem development.
• CERATH Development OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal development organization collaborating with YONER on youth empowerment initiatives.
• Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational broadcaster serving as media partner, providing coverage and distribution for YONER's programs and events including the Diamond Challenge.
• ECOWAS RadiominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional broadcasting partner amplifying YONER's reach across ECOWAS member states.
• Paynesville City CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government authority partnering with YONER on community development initiatives in Paynesville, Liberia's second-largest city.
• Obama FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYONER's Founder/CEO is a Proud Obama Leader, providing network access and global platform connections for YONER's mission.
• Picture Pals-USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner supporting YONER's cross-cultural youth programming and media initiatives.
• Nobel LiberiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner contributing to YONER's education and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
• NVTI (National Vocational Training Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment vocational training institute aligned with YONER's skills development programs.
• Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational youth umbrella organization partnering with YONER on youth advocacy and empowerment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Concern Worldwide: Lead INGO in the EU PARTNERS consortium alongside YONER, focusing on livelihoods, food security, and nutrition in Liberia. Operates similar smallholder farmer and community development programs in overlapping Liberian counties.
• ZOA: Dutch INGO consortium partner in the EU PARTNERS Programme in Liberia, working on agriculture-based livelihoods and community resilience. Comparable in donor base, target geography, and smallholder farmer focus.
• SPARK: SPARK is a direct co-implementer with YONER in the EU PARTNERS Programme in Liberia and runs youth entrepreneurship and agribusiness programs in fragile states. Highly comparable as a youth employment and SME development NGO operating in West Africa.
• SHE-CAN International: SHE-CAN partners with YONER to recruit and mentor young Liberian women for fully funded US college scholarships. Directly comparable as a youth education and international scholarship NGO with a strong gender lens.
• Welthungerhilfe (WHH): Co-implementer in the EU PARTNERS Programme with YONER in Liberia, with focus on food security, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and rural livelihoods. Comparable in target beneficiaries (rural smallholder farmers) and funding model (EU grants).
• University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship (Diamond Challenge): YONER's primary partner for the Liberia Diamond Challenge, a global high school entrepreneurship competition. Comparable as a youth entrepreneurship education program operator with curricular and competition IP.
• UNLEASH: UNLEASH is a global SDG innovation platform with which YONER co-hosts the UNLEASH SDGs Hacks Liberia. Directly comparable as a youth innovation and SDG-focused program operator with global brand and hackathon methodology.
• BRAC Liberia: BRAC operates youth skills training, microfinance, and agricultural programs in Liberia. Closely comparable as a multi-thematic poverty alleviation NGO targeting youth, women, and smallholder farmers in Liberia.
• Mercy Corps Liberia: Mercy Corps runs youth empowerment, agricultural development, and economic growth programs in Liberia. Directly comparable as a large INGO with overlapping youth employment and smallholder farmer mandates in the same Liberian geography.

Regional players

• Restoring Hope Liberia: Local Liberian NGO focused on youth education, peacebuilding, and post-conflict community development. Comparable in geographic focus (Liberia), mission (youth empowerment post-conflict), and stakeholder base (international donors, government counterparts).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yonerlib2008
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=QCwPBTZnc5Y
• Facebookfacebook.com/yonerliberia2008
• Instagraminstagram.com/yonerliberia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yoner-libera

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about YONER Liberia