Cleveland, Ohio · Global Reach

Grounded in community.
Built for growth.

A boutique consulting firm helping nonprofits, social enterprises, and food businesses build financial sustainability — without losing what makes them powerful.

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14+

Countries Served

30+

Chef Entrepreneurs

Businesses Founded

Financial & Operational Strategy

Revenue modeling, feasibility analysis, and roadmaps that keep mission and money aligned.

Funding Strategy

Building pipelines that keep the funding coming.

Business Launch

From concept to grand opening.

Strategic Communications & Brand Identity

A creative identity that is unmistakably yours — and a strategy that moves people to action.

Investment Models

Our Investment Models

Every engagement is tailored. Here is how we structure our partnerships.

Strategic Sprint

2–4 Weeks

Starting at $5,000+

A focused, high-impact engagement designed to solve a specific challenge — whether that is building a financial model, designing a brand identity, developing a grant proposal, or executing a targeted campaign.

Growth Project

1–3 Months

$8,000 – $18,000+

A deeper engagement for organizations ready to tackle a major initiative — launching a new program, overhauling communications, or building a funding pipeline from scratch.

Flagship Engagement

The 6-Month Transformation

Comprehensive Partnership

$30,000+

Our flagship engagement. A comprehensive, six-month partnership where we overhaul your financial strategy, optimize your programs, and build the funding and communication infrastructure you need to scale sustainably.

Business Launch Partnership

End-to-End Launch Support

$15,000 – $35,000+

End-to-end support for launching a new business, product line, or social enterprise — from operational systems and press strategy to on-site optimization and creative direction.

Research & Evaluation Contracts

Federal & State Contracts

$25,000 – $150,000+

Doctoral-level impact evaluations, equity audits, and external evaluation services for federal and state grants. Pricing scales based on the size of the dataset, duration of the study, and grant budget requirements.

Strategic Advisory Partnership

Ongoing Partnership

Starting at $2,500+/month

Ongoing, executive-level thought partnership and strategic oversight for organizations that need consistent, high-level guidance without hiring a full-time executive.

Who We Are

Strategy that honors where you come from

"Furahi means joy and happiness in Swahili. We bring that same spirit to every organization we serve."

We are a boutique firm led by a Congolese-born entrepreneur and a doctoral researcher in workforce development. We bring both lived experience and academic rigor to every engagement — so our recommendations are grounded in your reality, not just a generic framework.

Lived Experience

Our lead consultant has built real businesses, managed real kitchens, and worked directly with immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs.

Research Rigor

We bring doctoral-level evaluation methods and evidence-based frameworks to every engagement — turning complexity into clear, actionable strategy.

Cultural Competency

We center the voices and knowledge systems of communities others overlook — especially immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC-led organizations.

"The best consulting doesn't just look at your balance sheet. It looks at your community, your culture, and your people."

— Esther Ngemba, Founder

Our Team

The people behind the strategy

A consultant who has built businesses, conducted rigorous research, and served communities — not just advised on them.

Esther Ngemba

Founder & Lead Consultant

Esther Ngemba

Financial Strategy Social Enterprise Culinary Business Cultural Entrepreneurship Immigrant & Refugee Orgs MBA Candidate

Esther Ngemba believes that every person and every community has a story worth sharing — and that when we listen to those stories, we can build bridges, inspire change, and create real opportunities for growth.

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and resettled in Cleveland, Ohio in 2011, Esther founded Furahi: A Taste of Home — a social enterprise that used the story of Congolese cuisine to bring people together, fund 24+ scholarships for girls in the DRC, and provide over 200 meals to the local community.

As Communications Director for Freedom BLOC, Esther led community unification during a challenging period — using shared narratives and data-driven engagement strategies to grow community engagement by 35%. As a consultant to One World Kitchen, she helped immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs tell their own stories while building the financial models they need to thrive.

Today, through Furahi Consulting Studio, Esther brings together her expertise in financial strategy, creative direction, marketing, and cultural entrepreneurship to help mission-driven organizations grow with their story — and their soul — intact.

24+

Scholarships funded for girls in the DRC

35%

Community engagement growth at Freedom BLOC

$95K

In new grant funding secured

Our Work

Proof in practice

Real work. Real communities. Real results. A sample of what we've built alongside our clients.

United Nations & Global Citizen

United Nations & Global Citizen · Global Campaign

Mobilizing $250 Million for Global Education in Crisis

Provided creative direction and native voiceover talent for the "Leave No One Behind" campaign video, with advocacy efforts directly contributing to $250M+ in commitments from world leaders.

Secured $250M in global funding commitments

Led creative direction for international campaign video

Provided authentic native voiceover for global audience

Creative DirectionGlobal AdvocacyStrategic Communications

Black Freedom Collective

Black Freedom Collective · Community Change

Scaling a National Learning Community & Organizing Ecosystem

Partnered with the Reinvestment team at Community Change to grow the F.U.L.L. learning community — managing the digital ecosystem, coordinating high-impact training sessions, and developing data-backed grant proposals.

Managed national digital community and partner convenings

Developed comprehensive grant proposals and prospect databases

Created brand voice, visual identity, and storytelling toolkits

Capacity BuildingGrant StrategyBrand Identity

Committee to Improve Police-Community Relations

Committee to Improve Police-Community Relations · Akron, OH

Leading Strategic Communications for a Historic Voter Initiative

Led messaging and creative direction for Issue 10 — a city charter amendment establishing an independent Citizens' Police Oversight Board — culminating in a historic 62% voter approval.

Led messaging and creative direction for Issue 10 campaign

Executed multi-channel digital and media relations strategy

Achieved historic victory with 62% voter approval

Strategic CommunicationsMedia RelationsCampaign Strategy

The Freedom BLOC

The Freedom BLOC · Akron, OH

Revitalizing Brand Identity and Securing Critical Funding

Orchestrated a complete revitalization of the organization's brand identity and digital footprint — leading a new website design, refining social strategy, and securing $95,000 in new grant funding.

Increased social media audience engagement by 35%

Secured $95,000 in new grant funding through strategic development

Authored executive speeches and facilitated media training

Brand AmplificationPolicy AdvocacyGrant Writing

One World Kitchen

One World Kitchen · Building Hope in the City

Engineering the Financial and Operational Launch of a Culinary Enterprise

Provided the strategic and financial architecture to turn a refugee and immigrant chef workforce initiative into a sustainable reality — from financial models to a visual-first LEP curriculum to the cafe launch.

Engineered financial models and diversified revenue streams

Designed visual-first curriculum for LEP entrepreneurs

Led operational launch and press strategy for new cafe

Financial ModelingCurriculum DesignEnterprise Launch

Collective Grant Writing & Consulting

Collective Grant Writing & Consulting · Nonprofit

Building the Grant Pipeline and Brand Foundation for Mission-Driven Organizations

Provided end-to-end grant strategy and creative direction — building the funding infrastructure and brand identity that mission-driven organizations need to sustain and grow their impact.

Managed full grant pipeline from research to proposal development

Built prospect databases with research-backed evaluation criteria

Established brand voice, visual identity, and storytelling frameworks

Grant StrategyCreative DirectionBrand Development

Client Testimonials

What our clients say

The impact of our work is best told by the people and organizations we have served.

Esther has added great value to our One World Kitchen program — a chef entrepreneurship program that has graduated thirty students from over fourteen countries. Through her careful analysis, she evaluated our financial viability and projected growth opportunities through clear financial documents, making data-driven decisions and creatively allocating our resources. Her strategic consulting has already improved our profitability and allowed for job creation for the newcomer community.

One World Kitchen

Program Leadership

Hope Center · Cleveland, OH

Esther was an incredible asset to our consulting work. She conducted thorough grant research for our clients and built beautifully designed creative and graphic templates that we still use across our business today. Her ability to combine strategic thinking with hands-on creative execution — from branding to ready-to-use client templates — elevated the quality of everything we delivered. She brought professionalism, creativity, and real results to every project she touched.

Jordan Brown

Owner

Collective Grant Writing & Consulting

Esther brings something special to every engagement — she is a true collaborative problem solver who doesn't just deliver high-quality work, she invests in the people and missions behind it. Her care for the communities she serves is evident in everything she does, and the results speak for themselves.

Freedom BLOC

Leadership Team

Akron, OH