EMMA’S TORCH JOINs STAND TOGETHER FOUNDATION

EMMA’S TORCH SELECTED TO JOIN STAND TOGETHER FOUNDATION’S CATALYST COMMUNITY

Stand Together Foundation Graphic saying "Proud Catalyst"

Emma’s Torch joins a highly selective community of nonprofits working to break the cycle of poverty

Brooklyn, New York, January 21, 2024 – Emma’s Torch is proud to announce it has been selected to participate in Stand Together Foundation’s Catalyst Program, a management training and peer-learning program to help nonprofits further their mission to transform communities.  Emma’s Torch is one of 11 nonprofits joining the Catalyst Community – a growing network of over 300 organizations across all 50 states working to transform the lives of more than one million Americans through bottom-up empowerment.  

Emma’s Torch is a non-profit social enterprise that provides refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking  with in-depth culinary training as well as employability, equity, and empowerment training. Throughout their time at Emma’s Torch, students learn in both a classroom and apprentice setting, thanks to our cafes and catering businesses. Emma’s Torch sets students up for successful employment in an industry in which their cultural heritage and cuisine can be celebrated. What’s more, Emma’s Torch provides a community in which they can build supportive relationships.

Emma’s Torch was selected among hundreds of nonprofit organizations through an extensive vetting process and accepted into the program after a rigorous evaluation. Nonprofits joining Stand Together Foundation’s Catalyst Community are recognized for disrupting the status quo, demonstrating “outside-the-box” thinking, and embracing community-driven and people-centered approaches. Program criteria also includes proven outcomes and the potential for scale and cultural impact. 

"We are thrilled to begin this year by welcoming 11 innovative nonprofits into the Catalyst Community, home to more than 300 of our country’s most dynamic social entrepreneurs," said Evan Feinberg, executive director of Stand Together Foundation. "Utilizing bottom-up solutions, each organization is demonstrating a better way to tackle our nation’s largest problems. We are eager to support and amplify the transformative work these new Catalysts are doing in their communities to empower individuals to reach their full potential."

"We are looking forward to learning from this remarkable community. We have already benefited so much from this experience, and know that together we will go far." - Kerry Brodie, Emma’s Torch Founder and  Executive Director


The Catalyst Program is a six-month management and peer-learning training program for the nation’s most transformative nonprofits. The experience will equip Emma’s Torch’s leaders with principle-based thinking and new tools and approaches to deepen its impact and expand its reach. The program serves as an on-ramp to long-term partnership with Stand Together Foundation, including Principle Based Management™ coaching, leadership development, operational support, and access to a community of entrepreneurial peers, influential philanthropists, and business leaders.


Emma’s Torch  joins ten other social entrepreneur-led organizations in beginning the Catalyst Program, which officially kicked off on January 9th, 2024 in Leesburg, Virginia. The following is a full list of the latest organizations to join Stand Together Foundation’s Catalyst Community:

  • Adaptive Performance Center (Billings, MT)
    Adaptive Performance Center serves veterans seeking care and community through physical fitness and peer assistance. More than a gym, Adaptive Performance Center provides workout classes, massages, and acupuncture sessions exclusive to military personnel, healing mental and physical trauma through movement and community support. 

  • Christian Community Development Association (Chicago, IL)
    Christian Community Development Association provides online and in-person training to equip and mobilize grassroots leaders to make transformational change in their communities. Rooted in principles of mutual benefit and dignity, Christian Community Development Association empowers every member to partner with each other and their neighbors to create systemic change. 

  • Citizen University (Seattle, WA)
    Citizen University works to support Americans nationwide to practice powerful, responsible citizenship rooted in civic participation and commitment to ideals. In order to strengthen our fragile democracy, Citizen University equips and empowers catalytic individuals and organizations around the country to build a stronger civic culture in their communities and to rebuild faith in one another and our democracy. 

  • Emma’s Torch (Brooklyn, NY)
    Emma’s Torch provides professional training for in-demand jobs in the restaurant industry for refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of human trafficking. In addition to creating pathways for professional success, Emma’s Torch empowers refugees with community support and individualized mentorship to reach personal goals within and outside of the culinary space. 

  • Empower Her Network (New London, CT)
    Empower Her Network walks alongside survivors of human trafficking to create an Empowerment Plan – an individualized success pathway – focusing on housing solutions, financing education, and establishing a steady wage career. With a combination of strong partnerships and an emphasis on individual transformation, Empower Her Network provides survivors with a strong support system and encouraging guidance to set, plan, and reach their goals. 

  • Every Neighborhood Partnership (Fresno, CA)
    Every Neighborhood Partnership activates, equips, and mobilizes neighbors to be decision-makers in their communities, ensuring those closest to the problems have the tools and resources to implement solutions. Through school support, health and wellness resources, neighborhood development, and community training, Every Neighborhood Partnership ensures community members can make the change they need in their communities. 

  • FriendshipWorks (Boston, MA)
    FriendshipWorks connects older adults with volunteers for friendship and assistance, reducing social isolation and loneliness through relationship-building and community support. By creating companionship that destigmatizes loneliness and improves both mental and physical health outcomes, FriendshipWorks is a source of mutually beneficial relationships rooted in compassion and human connection. 

  • Lemonade Day (Houston, TX)
    Lemonade Day teaches children the foundation of entrepreneurship through lesson-based programming, taking them from dream to execution on their first business venture – a lemonade stand. Lemonade Day walks the business leaders, social advocates, and community volunteers of tomorrow through the steps of starting, owning, and operating a business while building self-esteem and inspiring innovation. 

  • Liberty’s Promise (Alexandria, VA)
    Liberty’s Promise connects low-income immigrant youth with American ideals through civic education and professional opportunities, paving the path for each child to reach their personal “American Dream.” Whether a student’s dream is earning a college degree, entering their chosen profession, or raising a family, Liberty’s Promise empowers youth to be active community members who reach their full potential. 

  • Serenity Recovery Connection (Colorado Springs, CO)
    Serenity Recovery Connection offers a comprehensive community-based approach to recovery from substance use disorder, supporting everyone affected by substance use disorder through peer coaching and mentorship. Unlike prevailing models of recovery which rely on clinical or medical interventions, Serenity Recovery Connection focuses on the power of relationships throughout the recovery process and empowers individuals to map out their own road to wellbeing. 

  • Sound Off (San Antonio, TX)
    Sound Off delivers vital, long-term mental health support for veterans, service members, and intelligence officers while maintaining the anonymity of the person seeking help. Nearly 47% of those who meet the criteria for mental health disorders do not seek support due to personal and professional stigma, as well as a lack of trust in a clinician’s ability to understand their respective experiences. To overcome these obstacles, Sound Off enables users to maintain complete anonymity while receiving care from a licensed counselor or sharing their experiences with a peer who has walked the same path. By reducing the stigma and fear associated with seeking mental health support, Sound Off is ensuring veterans around the country are receiving the help they need on their own terms.


Emma’s Torch is a New York based non profit dedicated to empowering refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking through culinary education.


About Stand Together Foundation

Stand Together Foundation is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty in America by driving change from within communities. We are building a community of social entrepreneurs who believe in people, work from the bottom up, and unite with anyone to do right. Since 2016, we have committed over $180 million and counting to fuel the innovation of nonprofits throughout the country to build stronger, safer communities where all people can learn, contribute, and realize their full potential. Our goal is to help nonprofit leaders maximize their impact to transform more lives out of poverty. Learn more at www.StandTogetherFoundation.org.

Emma's Torch