Roots Reborn

What Roots Reborn does

Roots Reborn is a Maui-based nonprofit organization founded in August 2023 in immediate response to the devastating wildfires on the island. Operating from its headquarters at 285 W. Ka'ahumanu Ave. in Kahului, the organization delivers a vertically integrated portfolio of services to migrant and immigrant communities on Maui: pro bono immigration legal aid (removal defense, asylum, DACA, VAWA, U Visas, naturalization), the state's only ICE watch group and rapid response network, Know Your Rights training using a Train-the-Trainer model, Community Care Navigation across housing, health, employment, and disaster recovery systems, and direct cash assistance. Its flagship Our Financial Future program, funded in part by the American Red Cross and running January through June 2025, provides $5,000 per participant ($2,500 at start and $2,500 upon completion) paired with mandatory banking access through Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union and a financial education course. To date the organization has channeled over $2 million in direct aid and resources to Maui's immigrant communities, including nearly $200,000 within 72 hours of the wildfires and more than $1.3 million through Our Financial Future.

The organization is staffed by 15-20 fully bilingual, bicultural personnel composed entirely of migrants, immigrants, and children of immigrants, covering roles from Co-Founder/Executive Director and Director of Operations & Development through Staff Attorney, Community Care Navigators, Legal Assistant, Program Coordinators, and Outreach & Events Coordinator. Co-founders include Veronica Mendoza (Executive Director), Kevin Block (Lead Legal Counsel and founder of Maui Immigration Law, LLC), Khara Jabola-Carolus (former Executive Director of the State of Hawai'i's Commission on the Status of Women), and Leslee Matthews (Founder & Managing Attorney of Speak Out & Up Law, LLC). The board includes representation from the J. Walter Cameron Center and other community leaders.

Roots Reborn's revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit structure: tax-deductible individual and corporate donations processed through the MonkeyPod platform (maui-roots-reborn.monkeypod.io), institutional grants (American Red Cross, Stupski Foundation), and merchandise sales through its Mercadito Merch store (t-shirts, kids' tees, tote bags priced $20-$30, hand-printed locally on Maui by Aloha Ke Akua Clothing Co. with 7-10 day shipping). The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on trusted networks, word-of-mouth referrals, community events, and bilingual outreach rather than paid marketing. Technology infrastructure is intentionally lightweight (Squarespace website, Mailchimp newsletter, Google Forms for volunteer signup), reflecting a service-delivery model where scale is achieved through human relationships rather than software platforms. Geographic scope is concentrated on Maui island, with stated intent to serve Maui nui and immigrant communities 'on Maui and beyond.'

Name

Roots Reborn

Legal name

Maui Roots Reborn

Website

https://rootsreborn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Roots Reborn is a Maui-based nonprofit founded in August 2023 after the wildfires, delivering pro bono immigration legal aid, the state's only ICE rapid response network, community care navigation, and direct cash assistance to immigrant and migrant communities on Maui through a bilingual, bicultural staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigrant and Refugee Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & School System Navigation (Parent Engagement, Youth Services) (EDAAADAH), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI), Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE), Entrepreneurship & Self-Employment Transition Support (BPACAOAK)

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Disaster relief services
• Community resource navigation
• Immigrant advocacy programs
• Financial assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kahului

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tax-Deductible Donations: Individual and corporate donations processed through MonkeyPod platform. Donations are tax-deductible and support all organizational programs including Know Your Rights trainings, ICE rapid response network, and Community Care Navigators.
2. Merchandise Sales (Mercadito Merch): Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, kids' tees, and tote bags. Products are hand-printed locally on Maui by Aloha Ke Akua Clothing Co. Revenue supports immigrant justice work including ICE tipline and rapid response network.
3. Grants and Program Funding: Grant funding from organizations such as American Red Cross for specific programs like Our Financial Future. Program provides $5,000 financial assistance ($2,500 at start + $2,500 upon completion) to eligible wildfire-affected immigrant community members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Roots Reborn provides pro bono immigration legal aid, Know Your Rights education, ICE rapid response, community care navigation, and direct financial assistance to migrant and immigrant communities on Maui. Its flagship Our Financial Future program combines $5,000 in direct cash assistance with financial education and banking access. The organization supplements its services with a branded merchandise store (Mercadito Merch) and operates entirely through a bilingual, bicultural staff composed of migrants, immigrants, and their children.

Product overview

Roots Reborn is a grassroots, multicultural immigrant-justice and disaster-response nonprofit organization that offers a portfolio of interconnected services rather than a single software product. The core offerings include: Immigration Legal Aid Services (pro bono legal representation covering removal defense, DACA, VAWA, U Visas, asylum, naturalization), Know Your Rights Programming (train-the-trainer educational model), the ICE Watch Tip-Line and Rapid Response Network (Hawaii's only), Community Care Navigation (holistic disaster case management), Direct Aid and Community Relief (emergency financial assistance), and the Our Financial Future Program (financial education with $5,000 in direct assistance). Additionally, the Mercadito Merch store sells activist-themed apparel to fund operations. The organization partners with external programs including Kaiser's Hawaii Health Access Program and the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study. The organization does not appear to offer a unified software platform; rather, it delivers services directly to community members through its bilingual, bicultural team.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Immigration Legal Aid Services Pro bono immigration legal representation and services for migrant and immigrant communities on Maui, covering removal defense, document replacement, asylum applications, VAWA protections, DACA renewals, U Visas, consular processing, advance parole, and naturalization assistance.
• Know Your Rights Programming Educational programming that builds constitutional protections awareness for workers, employers, families, and the greater community using a Train-the-Trainer model that multiplies reach across trusted networks.
• ICE Watch, Tip-Line and Rapid Response Network State's only ICE watch group and rapid response network that mobilizes community members when immigration enforcement is reported, providing immediate support and protection to immigrant families on Maui.
• Community Care Navigation Holistic disaster case management service where trained Community Care Navigators walk alongside immigrant and migrant families helping them navigate housing, work, health, and disaster-recovery systems, complete applications, troubleshoot denials, and connect to trusted partners.
• Direct Aid and Community Relief Rapid distribution of financial support and emergency resources to vulnerable community members, including direct cash assistance, food, and gas support following the Maui fires and other emergencies.
• Our Financial Future Program Flagship financial empowerment program providing $5,000 total in direct assistance ($2,500 at start, $2,500 upon completion), paired with a financial education course and required banking access at Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union. Funded by an American Red Cross grant for wildfire-affected immigrant community members.
• Mercadito Merch Online merchandise store selling branded apparel and accessories with activist messaging to fund Roots Reborn's programs. Products are hand-printed locally on Maui by Aloha Ke Akua Clothing Co.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2 million+ in direct aid channeled to immigrant and migrant communities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union (VICFCU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Trusted program partner for Our Financial Future program. Participants are required to open a bank account at VICFCU if they don't already have one. VICFCU provides banking access essential to the financial empowerment component of the program.
• Kaiser Hawaii Health Access ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help low-income immigrant families obtain essential health insurance. Roots Reborn provides enrollment support, translation, and on-site assistance to overcome language barriers in accessing healthcare.
• CNHA Kako'o Maui Housing ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing program partnership supporting disaster-affected immigrant families in securing housing. Roots Reborn provides navigation support and community connections.
• Aloha Ke Akua Clothing Co.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal, family-owned Maui business that hand-prints Roots Reborn merchandise (t-shirts, totes) using eco-friendly inks. Production kept in Hawaii to support local economy.
• J. Walter Cameron CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCesar Gaxiola, Executive Director of J. Walter Cameron Center, serves as Vice President on Roots Reborn's Board of Directors. The Cameron Center supports 24 nonprofits serving over 60,000 individuals annually.
• Maui Immigration Law, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKevin Block, founder of Maui Immigration Law, serves as Co-Founder and Lead Legal Counsel on Roots Reborn's board. Provides immigration legal expertise and represents individuals in removal proceedings.
• Speak Out & Up Law, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeslee Matthews, Founder & Managing Attorney, serves as Co-Founder and Lead Legal Counsel on Roots Reborn's board. Also a social worker connecting community with resources.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Voices of Micronesians Of Maui (VoMOM): Maui-based community organization dedicated to the Micronesian community, including COFA migrants. Directly comparable in serving Roots Reborn's Pohnpeian and COFA navigator population on Maui, with overlapping community leadership.
• Catholic Charities Hawaii: Hawaii's largest social services nonprofit providing immigration legal aid, refugee resettlement, and social services. Comparable to Roots Reborn in offering immigration legal services alongside broader social support, with similar Hawaiian service geography and target populations.
• Pacific Gateway Center: Honolulu-based nonprofit providing immigration, refugee resettlement, employment, and social services to immigrants and refugees across Hawaii. Closely comparable to Roots Reborn in mission, immigrant focus, and Hawaiian service geography.
• COFA Alliance National Network: National network supporting migrants from the Compact of Free Association states (Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau). Directly comparable in serving Roots Reborn's COFA community segment with shared cultural and language needs, including Pohnpeian-speaking populations.
• Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights: Statewide immigrant advocacy organization including policy, education, and direct services. Directly comparable to Roots Reborn's mission of immigrant justice and Know Your Rights programming, with overlapping Hawaiian service territory.

Regional players

• Hawaii Community Foundation: Hawaii's largest community foundation providing grant funding and philanthropy advisory to nonprofits serving Hawaii. Comparable in funding channel role and supporting Maui wildfire recovery efforts, relevant as a likely institutional funding partner for Roots Reborn.

Broad incumbents

• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC): National nonprofit providing training, technical assistance, and resource development for immigration legal services organizations. Comparable to Roots Reborn's Know Your Rights 'train-the-trainer' model and legal aid capacity building approach.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Large international humanitarian organization providing refugee resettlement, immigration legal aid, and disaster response. Comparable in combining immigration legal services with disaster response and cash assistance, but operating globally at far greater scale.
• Maui Economic Opportunity (MEO): Established Maui-based Community Action Agency providing a broad portfolio of social services to low-income residents including immigrants. Comparable as a Maui-based community services provider with overlapping target populations, but offers a much wider service breadth.
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): National nonprofit providing pro bono immigration legal aid to unaccompanied children and other vulnerable immigrants. Comparable to Roots Reborn's pro bono immigration legal aid model and immigrant-justice mission at significantly larger national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Roots-Reborn-61552779279105

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Roots Reborn