Nzilani Glass Conservation
Nzilani Glass Conservation is an Oakland-based stained glass conservation firm providing museum-quality preservation, restoration, and fabrication of architectural art glass for churches, museums, historic landmarks, and private residences, primarily in the Bay Area with select national projects.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Nzilani Glass Conservation does
Nzilani Glass Conservation is a privately held, Oakland-based stained glass conservation and fabrication firm founded in 2003 by Ariana Makau. The company specializes in museum-quality preservation, restoration, and new fabrication of architectural art glass, serving three primary customer segments: churches and religious institutions (Grace Cathedral, Resurrection Oakland Church, Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Swedenborgian Church), museums and cultural institutions (Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art), and private residences with historic leaded-glass windows. The firm is recognized as the only BIPOC-owned stained glass studio in the United States according to the Stained Glass Association of America and is led by the first woman and second person in the world to hold a Master's Degree in Stained Glass Conservation from the Royal College of Art in London.
The company's underlying technical capability spans structural assessment, lead came fabrication, re-leading, protective glazing installation, and reinstallation of historic stained glass windows and domes. Differentiated technical assets include a custom-built solder fume evacuation system with articulated hood holders developed in consultation with industrial hygienist Karen Gunderson, an underwater window-dismantling process with multi-stage water filtration to prevent lead-dust volatility, specialized Tiffany plated-glass conservation techniques, and a comprehensive employee blood lead level monitoring program. All employees are certified lead and asbestos workers, allowing in-house hazardous-materials handling.
Nzilani operates a project-based professional services revenue model with quote-based, non-publicly-disclosed pricing. Free initial consultations feed into detailed condition surveys and multi-phase conservation contracts; project values range from approximately $25,000 for a four-month residential Victorian window restoration to multi-year, multi-hundred-thousand-dollar monumental church and museum engagements. The firm is headquartered in a West Oakland studio at 3246 Ettie Street, operates primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area, and extends services nationally to clients in Texas, Ohio, Washington D.C., and Arkansas. Distribution runs through direct consultation, website booking, and subcontractor relationships with general contractors, architects, and specialty trades. The company has earned three California Preservation Design Awards (2018, 2020, 2025) and has received no external equity funding beyond a $10,000 Comcast RISE grant in 2021.
Nzilani Glass Conservation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nzilani Glass Conservation
- Legal name
- Nzilani Glass Conservation
- Website
- https://nzilani.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Nzilani Glass Conservation is an Oakland-based stained glass conservation firm providing museum-quality preservation, restoration, and fabrication of architectural art glass for churches, museums, historic landmarks, and private residences, primarily in the Bay Area with select national projects.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nzilani Glass Conservation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Art Glass Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Glass and Glazing Contractors (23815), Glass and Glazing Contractors (238150)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Glass & Glazing Repair (Single-pane, Insulated Glass Unit replacement) (HSAGAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Historic Home Renovation & Preservation (HSAPAEAG)
Keywords
Where Nzilani Glass Conservation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Nzilani Glass Conservation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Stained Glass Conservation Services: Project-based conservation and preservation services for stained glass windows, domes, and architectural art glass. Services include structural assessment, documentation, glass stabilization, re-leading, protective glazing installation, and reinstallation. Revenue is generated through consulting fees and project contracts ranging from small residential repairs to multi-year monumental historic preservation projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Consultation and Assessment Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Nzilani Glass Conservation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nzilani Glass Conservation provides museum-quality architectural art glass conservation, restoration, and custom fabrication services for historic stained glass windows, domes, and leaded glass assemblies. Services span condition surveys, lead-safe removal and reinstall, structural stabilization, re-leading, protective glazing installation, and documentation, with additional new custom stained glass fabrication for residential and commercial clients.
Product overview
Nzilani Glass Conservation is an award-winning stained glass preservation, design, and fabrication company offering both conservation/restoration services and new art-glass fabrication. Its core services span residential and commercial conservation, including survey and condition assessment, lead-safe removal and reinstall, structural stabilization, re-leading, and protective glazing installation. The company also fabricates new custom stained glass windows and decorative panels. Recent notable projects include the conservation of a 118-year-old inverted stained glass dome at Resurrection Oakland Church (earning a 2020 CPF Preservation Design Award), a Louis Comfort Tiffany Stained Glass Rose Window at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church Berkeley (2025 Preservation Design Award winner), and Grace Cathedral's Old and New Testament windows (2018 California Preservation Award). The firm works across private residences, churches, museums, and monumental historic buildings, capable of completing projects in-house from start to finish.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stained Glass Conservation and Restoration Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 118-year-old inverted stained glass dome successfully conserved and returned to structural integrity
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Nzilani Glass Conservation
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Nzilani Glass Conservation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Nzilani Glass Conservation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Unique Scaffolding (Jamey Knight)coreSpecialty scaffolding contractor providing unique solutions for challenging site access requirements, including scaffolding for inverted domes and monumental stained glass projects at historic buildings.
- Marchetti Group (Matthew Morrone)coreSpecialty contractor providing services for historic preservation projects requiring masonry and structural work alongside stained glass conservation.
- Ecobay Services, Inc. (Trent Michels)coreEnvironmental and specialty services contractor for historic building projects requiring coordination with stained glass conservation efforts.
- Cascade MetalsminorPartnership for lead safety video production and studio safety content, sharing easy lead safety steps for stained glass studios of any size.
- Karen Gunderson (Certified Industrial Hygienist)coreCertified Industrial Hygienist and Certified Hazardous Materials Manager with MPH from UC Berkeley who works with Nzilani to implement and customize OSHA compliance training and health safety protocols specific to stained glass conservation.
- National Trust for Historic PreservationcoreHOPE (Hands-On Preservation Experience) Crew program partnership where Ariana Makau led the first all-female-led project and majority-female cohort in the program's history at Odd Fellows building in Astoria, OR.
- Destination CrenshawcoreAriana Makau serves as Interim Collections C.A.R.E. Director, assessing conservation needs of public artworks along the Crenshaw Boulevard corridor, developing collections care training program, and recruiting local talent for workforce development in arts services.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Nzilani Glass Conservation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Beyer Studios: Historic stained glass conservation and restoration studio founded in 1877 and headquartered in Paterson, NJ. Directly comparable as a multi-decade specialty studio serving churches, museums, and historic buildings across the U.S., with similar monumental stained glass capabilities.
- Conrad Schmitt Studios: Wisconsin-based stained glass design, fabrication, and restoration firm founded in 1889. Competes for the same church and institutional stained glass conservation contracts as Nzilani, with comparable restoration, re-leading, and protective glazing capabilities.
- Willet Hauser Architectural Glass: Philadelphia-based stained glass conservation and creation studio dating to 1898. Closest direct peer in monumental stained glass restoration, museum-quality conservation standards, and a similar relationship to historic ecclesiastical and institutional clients.
- Rambusch Decorating Company: New Jersey-based decorative arts and stained glass firm founded in 1898. Competes directly for ecclesiastical and institutional stained glass conservation projects, with overlapping lead came fabrication and restoration services.
- Hyder Studios: Specialty stained glass studio serving churches and historic buildings in the eastern United States. Directly comparable niche conservation practice with similar project-based, monumental-window engagements.
- Stained Glass Inc. Texas-based stained glass fabrication and restoration company serving residential, religious, and commercial clients. Comparable in offering both new fabrication and conservation services to a multi-state client base.
- J & R Lamb Studios: Historic New York stained glass studio (founded 1857) with active conservation and restoration practice. Comparable in serving cathedrals, museums, and historic buildings and competing for similar monumental-stained-glass preservation projects.
Others
- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Bentonville, AR art museum that is a customer of Nzilani for the Root Memorial Window conservation project. Listed as a buyer/customer context rather than a competitor; relevant ecosystem relationship in the museum conservation market.
- National Trust for Historic Preservation: U.S. heritage preservation nonprofit operating the HOPE Crew program in which Nzilani has led hands-on stained glass restoration projects. Adjacent enabling organization that channels preservation-trained workforce and project referrals.
Regional players
- Building Conservation Associates: New York-based architectural and stained glass conservation firm serving institutional and ecclesiastical clients on the U.S. East Coast. Adjacent specialty conservator with similar museum and church clientele, though operating primarily outside Nzilani's West Coast base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nzilani Glass Conservation social profiles
Digital presenceNzilani Glass Conservation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nzilani Glass Conservation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Nzilani Glass Conservation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nzilani Glass Conservation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nzilani Glass Conservation
What does Nzilani Glass Conservation do?
Nzilani Glass Conservation provides museum-quality architectural art glass conservation, restoration, and custom fabrication services for historic stained glass windows, domes, and leaded glass assemblies. Services span condition surveys, lead-safe removal and reinstall, structural stabilization, re-leading, protective glazing installation, and documentation, with additional new custom stained glass fabrication for residential and commercial clients.
Is Nzilani Glass Conservation a public or private company?
Nzilani Glass Conservation is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Nzilani Glass Conservation founded?
Nzilani Glass Conservation was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Nzilani Glass Conservation based?
Nzilani Glass Conservation is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Nzilani Glass Conservation make money?
One revenue line is on record: stained Glass Conservation Services.
Who are Nzilani Glass Conservation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Beyer Studios, Conrad Schmitt Studios, Willet Hauser Architectural Glass, Rambusch Decorating Company, Hyder Studios, Stained Glass Inc. and J & R Lamb Studios. Others are Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and National Trust for Historic Preservation. Building Conservation Associates is listed as a regional player.
Does Nzilani Glass Conservation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nzilani Glass Conservation.
What industry is Nzilani Glass Conservation in?
Nzilani Glass Conservation's product category is Architectural Art Glass Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAGAEAD, Glass & Glazing Repair (Single-pane, Insulated Glass Unit replacement), with a secondary code of HSAPAEAG, Historic Home Renovation & Preservation. Its NAICS code is 23815.