Pros
The original mission of the organization was to service the African-American Church at a time when many other Christian Education publishers neglected to speak to black culture. The founder started out of the trunk of his car and its admirable to see what he (with God's favor) built from the ground up. Providing African-Americans with biblical content that spoke to their experience was both innovative and necessary. Another great pro: The employees are a joy to work with and be around.
Cons
The cons could be summed up in two words: Mission Drift. The founder slowly pulled back from day-to-day operations, allowing a new leader to take over the organization. The new leader has all but run the organization into the ground. And it's mostly because he's failed to keep the main thing the main thing (namely, reaching people with the truth of the Gospel). Missed production deadlines, false promises to employees, hiring and firing without rhyme or reason, the pursuit of executive's personal goals, and the lack of execution, has led UMI to a point of no return. The business model the company employs is unsustainable, yet the CEO continues to lead in a direction that will eventually lead to the dissolution of the business. CEO uses a passive-aggressive management style and has cultivated a culture of fear with unorthodox firing practices. Although the organization is Christian, as an employee you'll quickly learn it's in name only. UMI is run like a cutthroat business that doesn't invest in (nor care for) employee development or wellness. After leaving UMI on pretty good terms, I wanted to write an honest review to make sure others knew what they were getting themselves into. I hope this helps as you explore this organization as a career option.