admin@elev8villages.org
(888)76-ELEV8
(888)763-5388
Contact Us
100 Powell Place #1817
Nashville, TN 37204
Elev8 Didn’t Start as a Project.
It Started With a Promise.
We promised we wouldn't look away.
Not from the 18-year-old sleeping on a park bench.
Not from the young person applying for jobs with no address.
Not from the pain of youth who aged out of foster care.
Alone.
Elev8 Villages was born from a simple but radical belief:
Every young person deserves a place to belong,
and the tools to build a future.
We are reimagining what “home” means.
Not as a structure… but as a system of care, connection, and opportunity.
Fueled by Faith
Powered with Purpose
"I didn't have a roadmap or blueprint.
Just a calling, a vision and unwavering passion."
- Melissa Kaye, founder of Elev8 Villages
The Road to Elev8
Elev8 Villages was founded by Melissa Kaye, a former foster mom, business strategist, and lifelong mentor who said yes to a dream long before she had the resources to build it.
After witnessing firsthand how youth aging out of foster care were being left behind, Melissa made a decision:
She would devote everything to building a new way forward.
For over two years, she lived a nomadic life, house-sitting and dog-sitting across the country.
That season became her classroom.
She used it to research housing models, learn from community builders, listen to foster youth, and develop a blueprint for something bold and new.
Armed with a laptop, a calling, and her dog named Munchkin riding shotgun, she laid the foundation for Elev8 Villages.
Now, the blueprint is becoming a reality.
With Phase 1 complete, Melissa is launching the official national tour, connecting with partners, donors, and cities ready to welcome the first Elev8 Village.
Phase 2 is just beginning:
Find the land. Build the village. Elevate a generation.
We’re Not a Shelter.
We’re Not Transitional Housing.
We're a Village.
At Elev8 Villages, young adults step into more than a tiny home. They step into:
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A supportive, intergenerational community
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Employment through on-site village-run businesses
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Life skills and mentorship for lasting independence
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A healing-centered culture rooted in compassion and responsibility
And over time… they become leaders. Business owners. Mentors.
They help build the next village.
WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE
“We’re not here to rescue youth. We’re here to recognize their brilliance.”
Designed to do more than shelter
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We Build Community, Not Control
Residents co-lead, co-create, and co-own the experience. -
We Elevate Strength, Not Stigma
These youth aren’t broken, they’re brilliant. We make space for them to shine. -
We Blend Housing + Employment
Our village industries are job creators and financial engines for sustainability. -
We Prepare for Legacy
Our youth help build future villages. This is built to multiply.
This is how we build a village.
"We’re not building shelters. We’re building legacy.
And we’re doing it the only way that truly works --
Brick by brick
Heart by heart,
Yes by yes.
Come build with us."
— Melissa Kaye
Elev8 Villages started with a woman, a dog named Munchkin, and a calling to do things differently.
Today, we're a small but growing team, driven by faith, lived experience, and the belief that foster youth deserve more than a survival plan.
They deserve a place to belong.
We’re not a polished machine. We’re a movement in motion.
And if you’re reading this, it means you’re part of it.
Whether you give, share, or simply believe, there’s room for you in this village.
© Copyright 2025. Elev8 Villages is a US registered not-for-profit, section 501(c)(3) EIN#93-3149114