About Us
We help your child find hope by providing a place to belong so they can breakthrough, achieve excellence, and make an impact.
WHAT WE DO
EMA is a 501c3 nonprofit social enterprise that knows the power of young humans. Since its founding in 2013, EMA has been on a mission to unlock the leadership potential of children from all backgrounds and inspire them to achieve greatness in sports and life by becoming their best version. EMA has catalyzed positive transformation in the community and society through its safe haven and mindfulness-promoting culture. EMA has made a meaningful impact on the world by uplifting over 3,000 young humans and empowering them to strive for their dreams. We believe our children are the future and are proud to make the world better with our leaders.
Mission
To unlock each young human's leadership potential for a lifetime of achievement and meaningful impactโin sports and life.
Vision
Sports becomes the ultimate magnet to attract ALL kids and young humans, while creating the safe-haven environment that optimally enables the development of leadership skills for life through the process of self-actualization. After graduating, these leaders will carry a framework for being a positive and productive member of society through their own unique expression of what it means to be a good person.
Our culture
EMAโs culture defines us. It is what we stand for and value as an ecosystem of people pursuing a shared mission. It is the powerful force that guides the way we work together, treat each other, and treat those around us.
EMAโs culture is our differentiator, and when it comes to life, it is our competitive advantage.
The following values create EMAโs culture of familyโour superpower.
(4) CORE VALUES
Trust
Nothing is more valuable to us than the trust we cultivate with our families, team, and everyone in our ecosystem. We earn this trust through our professionalism, honesty, transparency, excellence in customer service, and asking for feedback.
Relationships
Relationships are the fabric of EMA. We create powerful relationships by cultivating raving fans, not clients, and by treating people better than they expect by exceeding their expectations. If our families, partners, and team are raving about us, then we have achieved our goal. Weโll ALWAYS value people and our relationships over profits.
Integrity
Always tell the truth. We believe that nothing is more important than our reputationโbehaving with the highest levels of integrity is fundamental to who we are.
Inclusion
Working with people of different backgrounds, cultures, demographics, and thinking styles helps us grow into better professionals and leaders. We accept people as part of the EMA community when their intentions and heart align with wanting to become a good person and positively promote others' journey. We recognize and acknowledge that people are at different starting points. This means that each person is unique. However, we do not align with malintent or intentional hate that is counter to this intention.
(7) Leadership BEHAVIORS
We Develop L.E.A.D.E.R.S.
Listening
Listen with ears to hear you. Listen with eyes to see you. Listen with heart to connect with you.
Empathetic
Seek genuine connections by understanding the needs of others and being aware of their feelings, thoughts, and body language.
Accountable
Embrace mistakes to become your best version.
Daring
Engage every challenge with courage and enthusiasm by taking risks without fearing failure.
Energy-giving
Raise the confidence of others by making people feel good about themselvesโevery day.
Resilient
Bounce back stronger from setbacks with hope and optimism.
Self-less
Prioritize WE over me.
(4) EXPERIENCES
Positive outlook
At all levels of the organization, we exemplify our values. What we expect from each other and our studentsโwe see the best in everyone.
Passion
We are grateful that we have a job that feels more like a lifeโs purpose.
Bold
We embrace going beyond our comfort zone.
Mindfulness
Our ethos gives everyone the enthusiasm and safe space to think โ to be present โ leading to mental agility, resilience and self-awareness.
Access and Inclusion Story
From the very first day EMA started its operations, the organization has prioritized access and inclusion. Since 2014, EMA has awarded over $500,000 in tuition assistance to over 100 student-athletesโ in need. Currently, 20% of its students receive assistance.
2014
$2,000 awarded
5 students
2015
$40,000 awarded
20 recipients
2016
$76,000 awarded
40 recipients
2017
$110,000 awarded
50 recipients
2018
$120,000 awarded
75 recipients
2019
$80,000 awarded
40 recipients
2020
$50,00 awarded
43 recipients
2021
$36,000 awarded
26 recipients
Our Founderโs Story
Coach Jerome Gumbs leads a healthy lifestyle that revolves around making sure each Student-Athlete gets the support they need to succeed on the court and in life. The responsibility he carries in doing so is his greatest privilege.
READ HIS FULL STORYARE YOU
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Ready to join the
Empower ME Academy?
Awesome. Weโre about something bigger than basketball. And we want you to be a part of it.
For our son Maddox, Empower ME has been the best and most important academic or athletic after school program.
Stephen Davis
Father of Maddox Davis
(HS Class of 2021)
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Learn, grow, and grab first dibs on what we offer. Get our Empowering News (E-NEWS) โ written by Coach Gumbs and the EMA Team โ every month.
Which shot had @stephencurry30 energy? ๐
Pure joy in the gym ๐คฉ
Moments like this are why we do what we do - children having fun, feeling confident, and falling in love with the game.
How much do you love the game?
Last night was special โจ
Huge thank you to everyone who showed up, competed, and brought the energy. We appreciate you all for the support and trusting the process. This is just the beginning โก๏ธ
Which shot had @stephencurry30 energy? ๐
Pure joy in the gym ๐คฉ
Moments like this are why we do what we do - children having fun, feeling confident, and falling in love with the game.
How much do you love the game?
Last night was special โจ
Huge thank you to everyone who showed up, competed, and brought the energy. We appreciate you all for the support and trusting the process. This is just the beginning โก๏ธ
At our MLK Day Clinic, we asked our student-leaders a simple question: Whatโs your dream? ๐ค
Their answers remind us why this work matters โ creating space for children to dream big, feel heard, and believe in whatโs possible, on and off the court. Tell us what yours is in the comments ๐๐ฝ
๐ฌ @fxlukas_
Today, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Who did it best? Let us know below ๐๐ฝ
Weโre back in the Palace ๐
Join us for our MLK Dream Clinic this Monday on January 19th โ honoring Dr. Kingโs legacy through leadership, community, and empowerment through sport.
๐ Register with the link in our bio. Coach is ready to see you there!
Which shot had @stephencurry30 energy? ๐
Pure joy in the gym ๐คฉ
Moments like this are why we do what we do - children having fun, feeling confident, and falling in love with the game.
How much do you love the game?
Last night was special โจ
Huge thank you to everyone who showed up, competed, and brought the energy. We appreciate you all for the support and trusting the process. This is just the beginning โก๏ธ
At our MLK Day Clinic, we asked our student-leaders a simple question: Whatโs your dream? ๐ค
Their answers remind us why this work matters โ creating space for children to dream big, feel heard, and believe in whatโs possible, on and off the court. Tell us what yours is in the comments ๐๐ฝ
๐ฌ @fxlukas_
Today, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Who did it best? Let us know below ๐๐ฝ
Weโre back in the Palace ๐
Join us for our MLK Dream Clinic this Monday on January 19th โ honoring Dr. Kingโs legacy through leadership, community, and empowerment through sport.
๐ Register with the link in our bio. Coach is ready to see you there!
This is what community looks like ๐ค๐ฝ๐
Building confidence, forming real connections, and finding a place where you belong. Basketball brings them together โ our community helps them thrive โก๏ธ
February is for the love of the game ๐๐
A full week of basketball, leadership, and community โ open to all children across the Bay Area. Whether youโre new or familiar, this clinic is about having fun, learning, and growing together.
Join us February 17โ20 and come be part of something special. Sign up with the link in bio ๐
Join our #teamLEADERS ๐โก๏ธ
These tryouts are for young athletes who want to grow โ not just in skill, but in confidence, character, and leadership. Our development team are about intentional growth, strong mentorship, and learning how to show up as a teammate and a leader.
๐๏ธ Girls Open Tryout: Tues, Jan 20
๐๏ธ Boys 2-Day Open Tryout: Jan 24โ25
โก๏ธ Friends are welcome.
Are you #builtdifferent? Register via the links in our bio/story!
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