Refugee Empowerment Program

What Refugee Empowerment Program does

Refugee Empowerment Program (REP) is an independent nonprofit organization founded in 2002 and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that provides education, mentorship, and wraparound support services for refugees, immigrants, and asylees in the Memphis metropolitan area. The organization delivers a portfolio of programs spanning the full lifecycle of its beneficiaries: BELLA Pre-K and Nursery Care for infants and young children; STARS Elementary, Ku Panda Mentorship, Dream Keepers Middle and High, the Summer Program, and the RISE after-school program at Binghampton Christian Academy for school-age youth; and Adult Education covering ESOL, digital literacy, and citizenship preparedness, with morning and evening sessions. REP also supports broader community integration through advocacy, translation and interpretation, and targeted workshops.

REP's business model is that of a donation-funded nonprofit: all programs are provided free of charge to participants, and revenue is generated through individual donations, organizational contributions, and volunteer labor. Distribution is entirely direct and in-person, anchored at REP's headquarters at 258 North Merton Street in the Binghampton neighborhood, with satellite delivery at partner sites such as Binghampton Christian Academy. The organization is led by founder Ruth Lomo, a Sudanese refugee resettled in Memphis in 1993, and co-founder Camela Echols Blackmon, who transitioned from Social Services Director at United Methodist Neighborhood Centers to full-time REP work in 2007. REP has no disclosed technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, and no patents; its competitive position is grounded in community trust, lived-experience staff, and deep local partnerships rather than proprietary technology.

Name

Refugee Empowerment Program

Legal name

Refugee Empowerment Program

Website

https://www.repmemphis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Refugee Empowerment Program is an independent Memphis-based nonprofit founded in 2002 that provides free youth and adult education, mentorship, and integration services to approximately 500 refugees, immigrants, and asylees across 230 families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services — Refugee and Immigrant Support

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated) (EDAMAFAK), Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ)

Keywords

• Refugee support services
• Immigrant education programs
• ESOL adult literacy
• Youth mentorship programs
• Cultural integration services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Memphis

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: REP relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund its programs and services. The website features a PayPal donation option and references gifts and contributions as essential to funding the mission.
2. Volunteer Services: REP leverages volunteer contributions across multiple programs including adult education, youth mentorship, summer programs, and nursery care. Volunteers commit varying hours per week to support program delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Refugee Empowerment Program provides free education, mentorship, and wraparound support services to refugees and immigrants in Memphis, TN. Its offerings span early childhood education (BELLA Pre-K, Nursery Care), K-12 academic and enrichment programming (STARS Elementary, Dream Keepers Middle/High, RISE at Binghampton Christian Academy, Summer Program), adult education (ESOL, digital literacy, citizenship preparation), and the Ku Panda cross-cultural mentorship program. All services are delivered free of charge to beneficiaries and are sustained through charitable donations and community partnerships.

Product overview

Refugee Empowerment Program is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of youth and adult empowerment programs designed to serve refugees and immigrants in Memphis, TN. The organization provides a unified service model comprising youth programs (BELLA Pre-K, Ku Panda Mentorship, Summer Program, STARS Elementary, Dream Keepers Middle and High, and RISE at Binghampton Christian Academy) and adult programs (ESOL classes, digital literacy training, citizenship preparedness, and nursery care support). These programs work together to provide comprehensive cultural integration support from infancy through adulthood.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BELLA Pre-K Free pre-kindergarten early childhood education for children of refugee and immigrant families in Memphis.
• Nursery Care Free nursery care provided to refugee and immigrant families as part of REP's wraparound early childhood services.
• STARS Elementary Free elementary academic support and enrichment programming for refugee and immigrant students in Memphis.
• Dream Keepers Middle and High Free after-school academic and enrichment programming for middle and high school refugee and immigrant youth.
• Summer Program Free summer enrichment and learning continuity program for refugee and immigrant children and youth.
• RISE at Binghampton Christian Academy Free academic and enrichment program for refugee and immigrant students delivered on-site at Binghampton Christian Academy.
• Ku Panda Mentorship Program Free cross-cultural mentorship program matching refugee and immigrant youth with community mentors in Memphis.
• Adult Education Program (ESOL, Digital Literacy, Citizenship Preparation) Free adult education program for refugee and immigrant adults covering English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), digital literacy, and U.S. citizenship test preparation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grew from serving 12 children in 2002 to serving 500+ individuals across 230 families by 2019

Named customers1 record

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Memphis Leadership FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007In 2007, REP joined Memphis Leadership Foundation as an operational ministry. This partnership provided organizational infrastructure and support during REP's growth phase.
• United Methodist Neighborhood CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002Camela Echols Blackmon provided space for the after-school program at United Methodist Neighborhood Centers where she served as Social Services Director. This collaboration led to REP's founding.
• LIVEGIVEMidsouthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed on LIVEGIVEMidsouth platform for charitable giving, helping connect donors with REP's mission.
• Binghampton Christian AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerREP operates the RISE program at Binghampton Christian Academy, providing after-school support and mentorship to BCA students through a collaborative arrangement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): A large national and global humanitarian organization that resettles refugees in the U.S. and provides direct services including ESOL, employment, and youth programs. Comparable to REP because IRC delivers a similar wraparound newcomer-support portfolio, though at far greater scale across many cities.
• Catholic Charities USA: National federation of Catholic Charities agencies that deliver refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and community support. Comparable to REP because diocesan affiliates (e.g., Catholic Charities of West Tennessee) operate near-identical programs to REP at the local level.
• World Relief: National evangelical refugee resettlement agency with offices across the U.S. that deliver ESOL, employment, and youth services to refugees and immigrants. Comparable to REP because World Relief Memphis runs the same mission set in overlapping geographies.
• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS): Faith-based national refugee resettlement agency providing case management, ESOL, and integration services. Comparable to REP because LIRS network affiliates operate community-level newcomer programs that overlap directly with REP's ESOL and youth offerings.
• HIAS: Jewish-founded global refugee agency providing legal aid, resettlement, and integration services in U.S. cities. Comparable to REP because HIAS affiliates run local programs covering the same newcomer journey from arrival through citizenship that REP serves in Memphis.
• Church World Service: Faith-based humanitarian organization engaged in refugee resettlement and integration programming across multiple U.S. sites. Comparable to REP because CWS offices deliver the same adult education and youth support continuum that REP provides.

Direct peers

• Catholic Charities of West Tennessee: Local Catholic Charities affiliate serving the Memphis and West Tennessee region with refugee resettlement, immigration, and family support services. The most direct geographic peer to REP because both organizations serve newly arrived refugees in the same metro area with overlapping services.
• World Relief Memphis: Local Memphis office of World Relief providing refugee resettlement, ESOL, case management, and youth services. Direct peer to REP because both organizations compete for and serve the same newcomer population in the Memphis market.

Emerging players

• Bridges (formerly Bridges USA): Memphis-based nonprofit focused on cross-cultural engagement and integration programming across the Mid-South. Comparable to REP because Bridges runs adjacent newcomer and immigrant integration programs in the same Memphis ecosystem where REP operates.
• Literacy Mid-South: Memphis-based adult literacy nonprofit offering ESOL and adult basic education to under-served adults. Comparable to REP because Literacy Mid-South's adult ESOL program directly overlaps with REP's adult education stream and serves the same regional population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@refugeeempowermentprogram3751
• Facebookfacebook.com/901.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refugee-empowerment-program
• Instagraminstagram.com/901empowerment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Refugee Empowerment Program