OUR STORY
HOW WE COME
TOGETHER.
NextUp901 is a city-wide network of people, partners, and programs that connects career-ready talent with employers ready to hire.
Powered by The Collective Blueprint.
OUR MISSION
Connecting young adults to tuition-free training for careers that pay and grow and to employers ready to hire.
RESULTS
FOR THE 901
For over a decade, The Collective Blueprint has connected Memphis talent to opportunity.
NextUp901 expands that work: tuition-free training for careers that pay and grow, plus connection to employers ready to hire.
Together, we're building boundless futures, stronger businesses, and a greater Memphis.
HOW IT WORKS
WHERE TALENT&
OPPORTUNITY MEET
1
We grow the talent.
2
We find the opportunity.
3
We bring them together.
WE’RE CONNECTED.
OUR NETWORK
1 Young Adults
Explore options. Choose a path. Start moving forward.
2 Community Partners
Refer young adults into the program.
3 The Collective Blueprint
Runs intensive programs that include paid professional development, free coaching, and employer referrals.
4 Training Partners
Deliver hands-on training for high-demand roles Memphis employers need.
6 Employers
Hire trained, career-ready talent and help shape what comes next.
5 Funders
Invest to expand access, pathways, and results across the 901.
OUR
LEADERSHIP
Our team includes local leaders, founding members, and operators who know Memphis and the workforce landscape from the inside.
Many of us are alumni of the programs we now help run.
WORKFORCE PARTNER LEADS
Sarah Lockridge-Steckel
CEO & Co-Founder
The Collective Blueprint
Meka Egwuekwe
CEO
CodeCrew
Aaron Lamey
Executive Director
Tech901
Rory Thomas
President & CEO
Memphis Medical District Collaborative
Michael Anthony Martini
President & CEO
Memphis Goodwill/The Excel Center
Skip Redmond
President
Moore Tech
GOVERNMENT & SYSTEM PARTNERS
Paul Young
Mayor
City of Memphis
Anna McQuiston
Executive Director
MidSouth Development District
Jared Barnett
President & CEO
Memphis Slingshot
BUILT FOR MEMPHIS.
BY MEMPHIS.
250+
Young adults served each year
65+
Employer partners
10+
Yrs. supporting early-career adults (TCB)
74%
Participants placed into jobs or internships
$16K
Avg. income growth per participant
IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS
Boundless futures, stronger businesses, a greater Memphis.
PARTICIPANTS
Careers that pay & grow.
$17/hr
Starting pay rate
2.76x
Avg. income growth post
86%
Training completion rate
EMPLOYERS
Faster, better hires.
65+
Employer partners
78%
Returning employers
85%
Employer recommended
FUNDERS
Measurable impact, YOY.
$4MM
Total alum earnings in Y1
3.25x
ROI on every $ donated
2K+
Applications each year
OUR SUPPORTERS
THIS WORK IS POWERED BY MEMPHIS & PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN IT.
Our work is made possible by public and private partnerships that invest in connecting talent with opportunity.
WHEREVER YOU START, THERE'S A NEXT STEP.
