- Juma ventures
Juma Ventures was founded in 1994 with a
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop franchise inSan Francisco , CA. Juma Ventures has since become widely respected as one of the leading social enterprise and youth development programs in the U.S. Since those early days, our program has evolved considerably, to include both social enterprises where teens receive employment opportunities and a focused set of support services that complement the experience youth receive on the job, preparing them for transitions to college and career paths when they finish high school. Today, Juma is focused on developing opportunities to scale our work, in order to expand our impact with youth and create a model that informs the work of other organizations in the nonprofit sector.Juma Ventures is an innovative nonprofit organization that has developed a unique and highly effective approach to youth development: Juma develops and operates businesses – known as “social enterprises” – for the purpose of providing job opportunities to economically disadvantaged teens.
In addition to the employment opportunities provided in these social enterprises, Juma empowers youth with financial education and savings programs, college & career exploration, and essential life skills. Together, these jobs and support services, in conjunction with the supportive peer and adult relationships that youth form in Juma’s program,combine to create a model that provides the foundation for youth to transcend challenging circumstances and make successful transitions to college and careers in early adulthood.
Each year, Juma Ventures works with approximately 400 youth between the ages of 15 - 19 years. Juma’s youth are recruited through schools and community programs in San Francisco and Oakland’s most impoverished neighborhoods. All participants have very limited access to opportunities for employment, educational advancement, financial stability, and career success. Since 1994, Juma has worked with more than 2500 youth and the vast majority have moved on to college and career-directed employment
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