ricRACK

What ricRACK does

ricRACK inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 and headquartered at 321 Burgundy St in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It operates a three-part community reuse ecosystem consisting of a Creative Reuse Shop that resells donated clothing, accessories, jewelry, fabric, notions, and fiber arts supplies; a Community Sewing Studio that delivers structured classes, workshops, camps, and private lessons for ages 8 and up; and a Textile Recycling Program that processes worn textiles into shoddy fiber for industrial reuse at a $5 per pound processing fee. The organization also runs self-guided studio rentals at $25 per hour and accepts bulk in-kind donations on designated Mondays and by appointment.

The business is community-led rather than technology-led. Go-to-market relies on partnerships with local schools, museums, libraries, and community centers for outreach programming, supplemented by event-driven marketing (Fill-A-Bag sales, anniversary celebrations, NOLA Green Drinks) and organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, monthly email newsletter). Revenue is diversified across class registration fees ($45 to $500 per offering), retail shop sales, studio rental, textile recycling fees, and tax-deductible donations, with no public disclosure of revenue figures. Operations are supported by 1-10 employees plus a specialty instructor network (lingerie designers, Mardi Gras Indian artisans, FIT graduates, heritage quilters) and a Board of Directors led by Founder Alison Parker, with governance expertise in finance, law, sustainability, and education. Strategic partnerships with Arts New Orleans, the City of New Orleans Office of Youth and Families (Pathways Youth Internship Program), Glass Half Full, and Grounds Krewe anchor institutional relationships built over 14 years.

Name

ricRACK

Legal name

ricRACK inc.

Website

https://ricracknola.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ricRACK is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in New Orleans that operates a Creative Reuse Shop, a Community Sewing Studio, and a textile recycling program serving children, teens, and adults through classes, retail, and textile processing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education and Textile Reuse Nonprofit

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)

akta.pro primary industry

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Textile & Fiber Arts Classes (Weaving, Knitting, Embroidery, Dyeing) (THAJAKAB), Crafts & DIY (Paper, Fiber, Wood, Resin, DIY Projects) (EDAAAGAB)

Keywords

• Textile recycling
• Sewing education
• Creative reuse retail
• Fiber arts classes
• Community nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

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. Class Registration Fees: Revenue from teaching sewing, crafting, and fiber arts classes to children and adults. Classes range from single sessions to multi-week courses and summer camps.
2. Creative Reuse Shop Sales: Retail sales of donated clothing, accessories, jewelry, fabric, notions, and fiber arts supplies. Materials are donated and resold to fund the mission.
3. Textile Recycling Processing Fee: Charges $5 per pound for textile recycling to cover processing and transport costs for materials that cannot be reused or repurposed.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations to support the nonprofit mission. ricRACK is a 501(c)(3) organization.
5. Studio Rental: Hourly rental of fully equipped studio space with sewing machines, sergers, cutting tables, and tools for self-guided projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ricRACK is a nonprofit organization that runs a reuse shop selling donated craft and sewing supplies, a sewing studio offering pay-as-you-go classes for children, teens, and adults, and a textile recycling program that collects and redistributes unwanted fabric and craft materials. Its core activities are creative reuse retail, hands-on sewing instruction, and textile waste diversion within the New Orleans community.

Product overview

ricRACK is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a community-based creative reuse ecosystem centered on textile recycling and sewing education. The organization operates three interconnected offerings: a Creative Reuse Shop selling donated clothing, fabric, and fiber arts supplies; a Community Sewing Studio providing structured classes and workshops; and a Textile Recycling Program processing worn textiles into recycled fiber. Classes span all ages (kids 8+, teens, adults) and skill levels, ranging from beginner sessions like Sewing 101 and Crochet 101 to advanced programs like Custom Jumpsuits, Lingerie Bra Making, and French Flower Making. The studio also offers facility rentals and private lessons for flexible learning access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reuse Shop Retail shop selling donated craft supplies, fabric, and sewing materials at affordable prices to community members, hobbyists, and students.
• Sewing Studio Classes Hands-on sewing and fiber arts classes priced per class for children, teens, and adults, taught in a shared studio environment.
• Textile Recycling Program Collection and redistribution service for surplus fabric, sewing supplies, and craft materials that would otherwise go to waste, supporting the reuse shop and studio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Diverts thousands of pounds of textiles from landfills annually through creative reuse shop sales and recycling program
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arts New OrleanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts New Orleans supports ricRACK's community arts programming and creative reuse mission as a key funding and promotional partner for the arts community in New Orleans.
• City of New Orleans (Office of Youth and Families, Pathways Youth Internship Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of New Orleans supports ricRACK through the Pathways Youth Internship Program, connecting young people with creative reuse and sewing education opportunities.
• Glass Half FullminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization that co-hosted NOLA Green Drinks event at ricRACK, connecting the environmental community with ricRACK's sustainability mission.
• Grounds KreweminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization that partnered with ricRACK for community events including GIVENOLA Day and environmental programming.
• A Little Something Intimates (Kelsey Brehm)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLingerie designer who teaches bra making, pantie, and garter classes at ricRACK, bringing specialized expertise in intimates craftsmanship.
• Marwan Pleasant / MarlenceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFashion designer and Mardi Gras Indian who teaches advanced beading and embellishment classes, bringing traditional craft techniques to the community.
• Marillyn in the Moon (Robin Brou)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerQuilt designer and instructor who teaches the Kids Regina Quilt Master Class, sharing her family's sewing heritage and textile expertise.
• Ari ChalewminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSewing instructor who leads the Saturday Morning Kids Sewing Club, providing patient and kind instruction for young makers.
• Lorenza De la PuenteminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFashion Institute of Technology graduate who leads the Teen's Intermediate Sewing Club, bringing professional design training to teen students.
• Adrienne MorrowminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSelf-taught hand embroiderer who teaches Embroidery 101 classes, emphasizing sustainability and upcycling through embroidery.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mood Fabrics: Fabric retailer offering in-person and online sewing classes alongside a large notions/fabric selection. Comparable retail-plus-education model focused on sewing enthusiasts.
• Textile Arts Center (Brooklyn): Textile-focused arts education center offering classes in sewing, weaving, embroidery, and fiber arts for all ages. Closest direct peer to ricRACK's Community Sewing Studio curriculum.
• SCRAP APD (Portland): Creative reuse nonprofit diverting materials from landfill into arts and education. Same mission alignment with textile recycling and creative reuse education.
• Scrap Creative Reuse (Ann Arbor): Nonprofit creative reuse center retailing donated materials and running arts/craft education programs. Same hybrid retail-plus-education nonprofit model as ricRACK.
• Scrap (San Francisco): Creative reuse nonprofit selling donated craft supplies and offering classes/workshops. Directly comparable to ricRACK's combination of a creative reuse shop and education studio in a single location.

Broad incumbents

• Salvation Army Family Stores: National donated-goods retail and textile collection network. Same donated-clothing intake and resale model as ricRACK's Creative Reuse Shop, but at a national scale.
• Jo-Ann Fabrics: National craft and fabric retailer offering classes for sewing, crochet, and fiber arts. Overlaps in craft retail and sewing education but operates as a for-profit big-box chain.
• Patagonia Worn Wear: Brand-owned circular apparel program that resells, repairs, and recycles used clothing. Comparable textile recycling and resale mission, scaled nationally as part of a major apparel brand.
• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit operating donated-goods retail and textile recycling at massive scale. Comparable donation-driven retail and textile reuse functions, but with vastly broader geographic reach and infrastructure.

Others

• Circularity Gap Reporting / ReFiber (textile recycling hubs): Industry consortiums and textile-to-fiber recycling programs processing worn textiles into shoddy and other inputs. Adjacent to ricRACK's textile recycling program and its downstream reuse of materials into padding and industrial inputs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ricracknola
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ricrack
• Instagraminstagram.com/Ricracknola

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 ricRACK