OUR MISSION
Rising Tide Capital is a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform lives and communities through entrepreneurship.
OUR VISION
Inclusive communities of resilient entrepreneurs catalyzing a thriving and sustainable economy for all.
Watch our founding story
OUR APPROACH
Rising Tide Capital provides business development services designed to transform lives by helping individuals start and grow successful businesses; build communities through collaborations with other non-profits, higher education institutions, corporations, and public agencies; and create a scalable program model with measurable impact which can be replicated in communities of need across the U.S.
THE PROBLEM
Working Poverty
Underemployment and unemployment in underserved, urban neighborhoods
THE OPPORTUNITY
Entrepreneurship
Increased income and job creation
OUR INPUT
Knowledge Capital
Business management
education
Social Capital
Networking, mentorship and
sales opportunities
Financial Capital
Access to lenders and loan
preparation
OUR IMPACT
Individual
Increased income from
business
Family
Self-sufficiency, economic
mobility, and assets building
Community
Job creation and local economy
stimulation
Legacy
Generational wealth
Learn moreOur History
On May 26, 2004 the incorporation papers were signed and the Rising Tide Capital journey began! Almost 10 years later, as a CNN hero that has been recognized by President Obama for social innovation, we’ve celebrated the 1,000th graduate of our Community Business Academy, and launched new and innovative programs to better serve the needs of our entrepreneurs. With a regional expansion into four cities and counting, and the first of many national replication initiatives of the RTC model in Chicago, we’ve remained dedicated to our vision and will continue to innovate in service to our mission.
- 2004 2005 FIRST Steps
- 200620072008EARLY SUCCESS
- 200920102011REGIONAL EXPANSION
- 201220132014 and beyondRISING TIDE CITIES
FIRST STEPS
- Incorporation papers signed on May 26, 2004. The RTC journey begins!
- RTC opens its first office on Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City.
- Earliest client meetings are held at cafes and kitchen tables; word begins to spread.
- To meet the increasing demand, RTC launches The Community Business Academy in September 2006 and graduates its first 15 entrepreneurs.
Our Values
PEOPLE VALUES
How we guide our relationships with our clients, team members, funders, board members, and partners.
- Honest Communication
- Joyful Productivity
- Mindful Teamwork
- Entrepreneurial Innovation
- Personal Growth & Development
- Commitment to Social Change
- Respect
PERFORMANCE VALUES
What we demand of ourselves, individually and as a social enterprise.
- Professional Excellence
- Grassroots Methodology
- Quantitative Outcomes
- Programs which are:
- Efficient
- Effective
- Sustainable
- Scalable
- Replicable