Ride For Unity

What Ride For Unity does

Ride For Unity is a UK-registered not-for-profit organization founded in 2020 that uses cycling events, community hubs, and storytelling to rebuild social trust and foster unity across cultures, generations, and borders. The company is registered in England and Wales (company number 16406788) with a registered office at 20 Wenlock Road, London, and operates as a program of The Vee Foundation, a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as fiscal sponsor for tax-deductible donations. Its signature experiential products include the 7 Days / 7 Emirates UAE 2024 ride (January 2024; 437 km, 20 riders, 12 nationalities, 2,500+ students engaged across 12 educational stops), the Road to Resilience UAE 2025 leadership ride (January 2025), and the upcoming Ride to Reconnection Rwanda 2025 (August 2025). The organization also runs locally tailored community hubs in the UAE and Rwanda providing mentorship, youth sport development, cycling programs, disability access, and environmental conservation activities, and serves beneficiaries through school and university partnerships (e.g., Wellspring School RAK, American University Dubai, National Charity Schools Ajman, House of Wisdom Sharjah).

The organization has no proprietary technology, software product, API, or digital platform. Distribution and program delivery rely entirely on physical events, on-the-ground hubs, educational institution partnerships, and storytelling content shared via the rideforunity.com website and social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter). Revenue is generated exclusively through donations — processed via Stripe with monthly and lifetime giving tiers — and corporate sponsorships. Named corporate and institutional sponsors include AGMC BMW, English Path, NiO (NuQUL), Platinum Heritage, Mindspring Capital, the Government of Ras Al Khaimah, and major UAE media outlets (Khaleej Times, The National). Customer segments are primarily youth and community members, with secondary segments including schools and educational institutions, riders and volunteers, and corporate sponsors. The organization is led by Founder Daniel Bernard (25 years in the sports industry across four continents), Managing Director Sareh Ameri, and UAE Community Hub Director Imke Abma; no external institutional investment, venture, or private equity ownership is evidenced.

Name

Ride For Unity

Legal name

Ride for Unity

Website

https://rideforunity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ride For Unity is a UK-registered not-for-profit founded in 2020 that uses cycling events, community hubs, and storytelling to build trust and unity across cultures, primarily serving youth, schools, and communities in the UAE and Rwanda, and funded by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Community Programs

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cycling Events (Road Races, Gran Fondos, Sportives) (MPAKAIAC)

Keywords

• Cycling events
• Community programs
• Youth mentorship
• Social impact initiatives
• Nonprofit sports movement

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Monthly and lifetime giving options available. Donations fund community hubs and global events to spread the message of trust, connection, and community.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities available at various levels for individuals and corporations. Sponsors support specific events or regions and receive visibility through the organization's events and materials.
3. The Vee Foundation Partnership: Ride For Unity is a program of The Vee Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ride For Unity is a not-for-profit organization that runs multi-day cycling events across different regions (UAE, Rwanda) and operates local community hubs offering youth mentorship, education-through-sport workshops, and testimony-driven storytelling. Its programs target youth, riders, volunteers, schools, and community members, with funding sourced from individual donations and corporate sponsorships routed through The Vee Foundation (its 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor).

Product overview

Ride For Unity operates as a non-profit movement using cycling events and community programs to promote unity, diversity, inclusion, tolerance, and sustainability. The organization offers a portfolio of cycling tours (Rwanda 2025, Road to Resilience UAE 2025, 7 Days/7 Emirates UAE 2024) as its core experiential products, supplemented by Community Hubs that provide regional access to mentorship, education-through-sport, and youth development programs. The product ecosystem is unified by the mission of rebuilding trust and fostering connection through shared physical experiences, with funding flowing through a donation program powered by Stripe. The organization has no software product, API, or digital platform offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Hubs
• Education Through Sport
• Human Connection (Storytelling)
• Youth Mentorship Through Sport
• Donation Program
• Ride to Reconnection: Rwanda 2025 Week-long cycling tour across Rwanda from August 17-24, 2025, traveling from Kigali to Akagera National Park, connecting international riders with Rwandan youth, educators, and community changemakers through cycling, storytelling, and mentorship including visits to genocide memorials, conservation sites, and youth development programs.
• Road to Resilience: UAE 2025 Two-day cycling event in the UAE (January 16-17, 2025) featuring a summit of Jebel Jais, leadership workshops with students at WellSpring Private School, and a 'Humanity in Leadership: The Future of Connection, Sustainability and Resilience' event in Dubai with keynote speeches and panel discussions featuring global leaders.
• 7 Days/7 Emirates: UAE 2024 Seven-day cycling challenge held January 6-12, 2024, traversing all seven emirates of the UAE, engaging 20 riders from 12 nationalities across 437 kilometers, incorporating educational stops, sustainability activities (mangrove plantations, coral conservation), and community engagement with special needs children, concluding in Abu Dhabi.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ lives impacted (goal)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• AGMC BMWcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary sponsor for 7 Days / 7 Emirates 2024 event. BMW AGMC supported the cycling event as part of their sustainability pillar. Provides vehicles and support for event operations.
• English PathcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading English language school that sponsored the 7 Days / 7 Emirates event. Mike Summerfield, Managing Director stated the sponsorship aligns with their ethos of bringing people together through shared experiences and learning.
• Khaleej TimescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor UAE newspaper that served as media partner for the 7 Days / 7 Emirates 2024 event. Provided extensive press coverage of events and mission.
• The NationalmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerUAE newspaper that provided press coverage of the 7 Days / 7 Emirates event, featuring articles about cyclists crossing all seven emirates.
• Wolfi's DubaiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRestaurant venue that hosted the gala dinner and grand finale of the 7 Days / 7 Emirates event at Hudayriyat Island.
• Government of RAKmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRas Al Khaimah government supported the event, with activities including visit to Department of Economic Development for diversity workshop.
• Platinum HeritageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesert safari and heritage tour company listed as a sponsor for the 7 Days / 7 Emirates 2024 event.
• Wellspring School RAKmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrivate school in Ras Al Khaimah partnered for interactive sports science stations, entrepreneurial workshop, and leadership activities with students.
• American University DubaimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversity that hosted discussions on life significance and sport as a driver for life during the 7 Days / 7 Emirates event.
• House of Wisdom UAEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational institution in Sharjah visited during the 7 Days / 7 Emirates event.
• National Charity Schools UAEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity school network in Ajman where RFU conducted interactive sessions and sport activities with children.
• Mindspring CapitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestment firm listed as a sponsor for the 7 Days / 7 Emirates 2024 event.
• NiO (NuQUL)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerProudly supported the Road to Resilience 2025 UAE event as a key sponsor.
• Rwanda ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner for Rwanda 2025. Brings education, access, and support to rural youth. 100% of donations go to ground-level impact. RFU will work with Rwanda Action special needs children and alumni.
• Dian Fossey Gorilla FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus tour at Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund facility during Rwanda 2025 Day 2 activities, with RFU program for campus management.
• The Vee FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRide For Unity is a program of The Vee Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All contributions to RFU are tax-deductible through this parent organization.
• Senses Residential and Day Care for Special NeedsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecial needs center in Dubai visited during 7 Days / 7 Emirates event, with cycling activities with Children of Determination at Kite Beach.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Qhubeka: South African non-profit distributing bicycles to people in need to improve access to schools, clinics, and jobs. Direct comparable on the African footprint, mission of mobility through cycling, and donor/sponsor-driven funding model.
• Bike for Peace: International cycling initiative founded in Denmark, organising long-distance rides across borders to promote peace and intercultural understanding. Direct comparable on the cycling-for-peace positioning, multi-country ride format, and grassroots ambassador model.
• Bikes Not Bombs: Boston-based non-profit using the bicycle as a vehicle for social change, including youth workforce development and shipping bikes to community partners abroad. Direct comparable on the youth-development-through-cycling model and event-driven fundraising.
• Sustrans: UK-based charity enabling people to travel by foot, bike, or public transport for everyday journeys, with strong community programmes and event activations. Direct comparable on UK charitable status, community cycling programmes, and education-led impact thesis.
• Specialized Foundation: Charitable arm of bicycle manufacturer Specialized, focused on supporting cycling-based youth development programmes such as the Specialized Foundation Riders for Health. Direct comparable on cycling-for-youth-development positioning.
• Cycling UK: UK national cycling charity advocating for cycling, organising events, and running community programmes. Direct comparable on UK charitable base, event-led engagement (rides, challenges), and education-through-cycling programming.
• World Bicycle Relief: Non-profit that distributes bicycles in developing regions to improve access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. Direct comparable: uses cycling as a vehicle for measurable social impact, similar donor base, and operates across multiple emerging markets.
• PeacePlayers International: Uses basketball to bring together young people from divided communities, particularly in conflict-affected regions. Direct comparable: explicitly leverages sport to bridge cultural and political divides, very similar positioning to RFU's trust-and-unity mission.
• Right to Play: Global sport-for-development NGO using sport and play to protect, educate, and empower children in communities affected by conflict, disease, and poverty. Direct comparable on the sport-for-impact model, target beneficiary (youth), and reliance on institutional donors.
• Cycling Without Age: Global movement offering cycling experiences to elderly and isolated people to reduce loneliness and build intergenerational connection. Direct comparable on the cycling-as-human-connection thesis and volunteer/rider-led operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ride-for-unity
• Instagraminstagram.com/ride.for_unity/?hl=en
• Xx.com/Ride_For_Unity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Ride For Unity