Emerge Maryland

What Emerge Maryland does

Emerge Maryland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 and headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland (P.O. Box 4576, Baltimore, MD 21212). The organization recruits, trains, and supports Democratic women seeking to run for public office at local, county, state, and federal levels, operating as the Maryland state affiliate of the national Emerge America network. It was established in response to women retiring from the Maryland statehouse without successors, and the first class graduated in 2013.

The organization's core product is the Signature Program, a comprehensive five-month, 75-hour candidate training course delivered in-person on Saturdays at various locations across Maryland. The program covers public speaking, fundraising, media and messaging, networking, campaign strategy, endorsements, diversity and inclusion, and ethical leadership, taught by campaign consultants and advisors with proven track records. The portfolio is anchored by two feeder and follow-on products: Taste of Emerge Maryland, a one-day introductory workshop that has engaged more than 1,000 women statewide, and an Alumnae Network that connects program graduates who serve in elected office. Up to 20 women are selected per cohort through a competitive written application and selection-committee interview process.

Emerge Maryland generates revenue through participant tuition ($500), a non-refundable $40 application fee, a participant-driven $500 fundraising obligation (totaling $1,500 per participant), and individual donations solicited via its website. The organization employs 11-50 staff, is governed by a Board of Directors (Chair: Abby Hendrix, Vice-Chair: Amanda LaForge, Secretary: Toni Sandridge, Treasurer: Beth Rabion-Gettleman), and is led by Executive Director Diana Emerson, a 2021 alumna. The organization reports a 91% alumnae win rate in 2022 general elections, with graduates including state senators, delegates, county executives, and city council members across Maryland.

Name

Emerge Maryland

Legal name

Emerge Maryland

Website

https://md.emergeamerica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Emerge Maryland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that recruits, trains, and supports Democratic women candidates in Maryland through a 75-hour Signature Program, Taste of Emerge introductory workshops, and an Alumnae Network connecting graduates serving in elected office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Candidate Training

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL)

Keywords

• Political candidate training
• Campaign training program
• Women leadership development
• Nonprofit political organization
• Democratic candidate recruitment

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition: Participants pay tuition of $500 for the 5-month training program, including materials and meals. Additionally, each participant is required to raise $500 through fundraising efforts for the organization. Total participant obligation is $1,500.
2. Donations and Contributions: Individual donors contribute to support the organization's operations and mission to train Democratic women candidates. The organization actively solicits contributions through its website.
3. Application Fees: A non-refundable $40 application fee is required for program consideration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Emerge Maryland recruits, selects, and trains Democratic women in Maryland to run for public office through a 75-hour, five-month Signature Program delivered as in-person classes held one or two Saturdays per month across the state. The training covers public speaking, fundraising, media and messaging, networking, campaign strategy, endorsements, diversity and inclusion, and ethical leadership, taught by campaign consultants and advisors. The Signature Program is complemented by a one-day Taste of Emerge Maryland introductory workshop and an ongoing Alumnae Network that supports graduates running for and serving in elected office.

Product overview

Emerge Maryland is a political training organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on its Signature Program — an intensive five-month, 75-hour candidate training course for Democratic women aspiring to run for public office. This core program is complemented by the Taste of Emerge Maryland one-day introductory workshop, which serves as a pathway for women to explore political leadership before committing to the full Signature Program. The organization also maintains an Alumnae Network connecting graduates who have gone on to hold elected positions throughout Maryland. The programs collectively provide training in campaign strategy, fundraising, public speaking, media messaging, networking, and ethical leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Signature Program A comprehensive five-month candidate training program providing Democratic women in Maryland with 75 hours of intensive training in campaign strategy, public speaking, fundraising, media and messaging, networking, endorsements, diversity and inclusion, and ethical leadership, delivered by campaign consultants and advisors. Classes meet one or two Saturdays per month at locations across Maryland, and select up to 20 participants per cohort.
• Taste of Emerge Maryland A one-day introductory workshop designed for women curious about public leadership, providing foundational exposure to political processes, campaign strategy, public speaking, fundraising, and community leadership, and serving as an entry point to the full Signature Program. More than 1,000 women statewide have attended.
• Alumnae Network An ongoing community of Emerge Maryland graduates who have gone on to serve in elected and appointed offices across Maryland, providing peer support, mentorship, and continued connection for program alumnae.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% win rate for alumnae in 2022 general elections
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Vote Run Lead (formerly Running for Women): Vote Run Lead is a nonpartisan nonprofit that trains women to run for office. It offers programming analogous to Emerge Maryland's Signature Program and competes for aspiring female candidates across the country.
• Running Start: Running Start is a nonpartisan organization that trains young women to run for political office. Its focus on leadership development and political training for women makes it a direct peer to Emerge Maryland's training portfolio.
• She Should Run: She Should Run is a nonpartisan nonprofit encouraging women to run for office. Like Emerge Maryland, it provides candidate encouragement and training resources, though it operates at a national scale and is nonpartisan.
• National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC): NDTC provides free online and in-person campaign training to Democratic candidates and organizers. It overlaps with Emerge Maryland's training offerings and its donor base, though it operates nationally and serves men and women alike.
• Wellstone Action: Wellstone Action (Wellstone Centers) provides political and campaign training programs for progressive candidates and leaders. Its training curriculum targets a similar progressive candidate audience as Emerge Maryland.
• EMILY's List: EMILY's List is the largest national organization dedicated to electing Democratic pro-choice women. It overlaps with Emerge Maryland's mission of increasing Democratic women in office and competes for the same donor and candidate pool.
• Higher Heights for America: Higher Heights for America builds the political power of Black women through leadership development and candidate support. Its training and pipeline approach closely mirrors Emerge Maryland's mission, though focused on Black women specifically.
• Emerge America: Emerge America is the national parent network of state affiliates including Emerge Maryland. It runs the same model of recruiting, training, and supporting Democratic women candidates, making it the most direct organizational peer.
• National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC): NWPC is a multipartisan organization recruiting, training, and supporting women candidates. Its candidate training and endorsement work directly parallels Emerge Maryland's program, though it operates at the national level.

Emerging players

• New America Alliance: New America Alliance focuses on developing Latino leadership and electing Latino officials. Its candidate development mission overlaps with Emerge Maryland's work though targeted at a different demographic and political identity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EmergeMaryland
• Facebookfacebook.com/emergemarylan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emerge-maryland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Emerge Maryland