RippleWorks
RippleWorks is a nonprofit foundation that pairs social impact ventures worldwide with senior executive volunteers, provides free expert-led advisory projects, learning programs, and catalytic capital ($1M-$3M) to help them scale operations across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the US.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersCalifornia City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RippleWorks does
RippleWorks Foundation is a California-based nonprofit organization founded in 2015 by Chris Larsen (co-founder of Ripple, E-LOAN, and Prosper) and Doug Galen (former eBay, Shutterfly, and Shopkick executive). It was one of the first cryptocurrency-endowed foundations, capitalized through contributions from Larsen and Ripple. The organization provides practical, free support to social impact ventures worldwide, operating through four core programs: Projects (2-4 month advisory engagements pairing ventures with senior executives), Expert Office Hours (one-on-one 60-minute consultations), Leaders Studio (expert-led cohort learning programs), and Capital ($1M-$3M flexible catalytic funding in the form of grants for nonprofits and debt for for-profits). All programs are delivered free of charge to qualifying ventures. Supporting infrastructure includes a 300+ expert network, a Resource Library, and a Getro-powered job board (careers.rippleworks.org) curating 200+ social impact roles.
RippleWorks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RippleWorks
- Legal name
- Rippleworks Foundation
- Website
- https://rippleworks.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RippleWorks is a nonprofit foundation that pairs social impact ventures worldwide with senior executive volunteers, provides free expert-led advisory projects, learning programs, and catalytic capital ($1M-$3M) to help them scale operations across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the US.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RippleWorks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Impact Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)
Keywords
Where RippleWorks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- California City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
RippleWorks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation/Nonprofit Funding: RippleWorks operates as a nonprofit foundation endowed through cryptocurrency from co-founder Chris Larsen and Ripple. The organization receives funding from donors and impact-focused foundations to provide free programs to social ventures. Programs include Projects (advisory), Capital (grants and loans), and Leaders Studio (learning programs), all offered at no cost to qualifying social ventures.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free programs for portfolio ventures |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
RippleWorks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RippleWorks delivers four interconnected programs to social impact organizations: Projects (2-4 month high-impact advisory engagements pairing ventures with industry experts), Expert Office Hours (one-on-one 60-minute problem-solving sessions with senior executives), Leaders Studio (expert-led cohort-based learning programs for venture leaders), and Capital (flexible catalytic grants and loans in the $1M-$3M range). All programs are provided free of charge to qualifying social ventures, supported by a network of 300+ C-suite, VP, and Senior Director-level experts.
Product overview
RippleWorks is a nonprofit organization that provides practical support to help social impact organizations scale faster and improve more lives. The organization operates four interconnected core programs: Projects (high-impact advisory engagements pairing ventures with industry experts), Expert Office Hours (one-on-one 60-minute consulting sessions), Leaders Studio (expert-led learning and development programs), and Capital (flexible catalytic funding in the $1M-$3M range). Supporting these programs are the Expert Network (300+ senior executives available for engagements), Resource Library (practical tools and insights), and Portfolio (showcase of supported ventures). The organization also operates a Job Board as a talent platform for portfolio organizations. RippleWorks functions as a service-based organization rather than a technology product company, with all programs designed to directly support social ventures in areas including access to education, healthcare, environmental resilience, and community development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Projects High-impact, short-term advisory projects (2-4 months) that pair social impact organizations with industry experts to tackle critical operational challenges including hiring, marketing, product development, and operations. Available free of charge to qualifying social ventures.
- Expert Office Hours One-on-one 60-minute problem-solving sessions connecting social impact organizations with senior global executives for focused guidance on pressing business challenges. Available free of charge to qualifying social ventures.
- Leaders Studio Expert-led interactive learning programs (cohort-based workshops) for social venture leaders to build critical skills needed to grow and lead their teams. Available free of charge to qualifying social ventures.
- Capital Flexible, catalytic funding for high-impact social impact organizations, including grants for nonprofits and flexible debt for for-profit ventures in the $1M-$3M range, tailored to each venture's unique needs. Provided at no cost to qualifying social ventures.
- Expert Network A community of 300+ C-suite, VP, and Senior Director-level executives across various business functions who volunteer as player-coaches and facilitators in high-impact RippleWorks engagements.
Companies that use RippleWorks
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
RippleWorks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RippleWorks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- McKinsey & CompanycoreLed global research initiative with McKinsey and Omidyar Network to publish the report 'How Social Enterprises Can Find The Talent to Scale.' Research was published and released at the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
- Omidyar NetworkcoreEarly supporter and partner in research initiative with McKinsey. Provided support for launch of first 5 projects in 2015. Co-published the Human Capital Crisis report in 2016.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RippleWorks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Acumen: Acumen is a nonprofit impact investor that deploys patient capital and leadership development programs to social enterprises tackling poverty across Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. It is a direct peer to RippleWorks in combining patient capital ($1M+ tickets) with advisory and leadership support for social ventures in similar geographies.
- Echoing Green: Echoing Green is a nonprofit that provides fellowships, seed funding, and leadership development to emerging social entrepreneurs. It is comparable to RippleWorks in supporting early- to growth-stage social ventures with both capital and capacity-building services, though focused more on fellowship-stage founders.
- Mulago Foundation: Mulago Foundation is a philanthropic foundation that invests in and supports high-impact social enterprises serving the global poor. It is comparable to RippleWorks in providing both grants and active capacity-building support to a portfolio of social ventures tackling poverty and global challenges.
- Endeavor: Endeavor is a nonprofit that supports high-impact entrepreneurs through mentorship, networking, and access to capital. It is comparable to RippleWorks in providing multi-modal support (mentorship, talent, capital) to growth-stage entrepreneurs in emerging markets, though with a private-sector focus. A RippleWorks Capital Manager previously worked at Endeavor.
- PYXERA Global: PYXERA Global is a nonprofit that designs pro bono and corporate volunteer programs connecting skilled professionals with social enterprises and nonprofits internationally. It is the closest direct peer to RippleWorks' Projects and Expert Office Hours model of pairing senior experts with social ventures for defined engagements. Multiple RippleWorks team alumni came from PYXERA Global.
- Kiva: Kiva is a nonprofit crowdfunding platform providing 0% interest loans to underserved entrepreneurs globally, including high-growth social enterprises. RippleWorks' Capital program (debt component) and Kiva's social enterprise lending program serve overlapping venture populations in emerging markets, making them direct peers in social enterprise debt financing.
Broad incumbents
- Omidyar Network: Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm that supports social impact ventures through grants, impact investments, and ecosystem building. It co-published the 2016 Human Capital Crisis report with RippleWorks and McKinsey, and is a core strategic partner, making it a close comparable in mission and approach.
- Ashoka: Ashoka is the largest global network of leading social entrepreneurs, providing stipends, peer connections, and ecosystem support. It is comparable to RippleWorks in targeting high-impact social entrepreneurs globally, though Ashoka focuses earlier-stage (fellowship model) versus RippleWorks' growth-stage advisory model.
- Skoll Foundation: The Skoll Foundation is a major social entrepreneurship foundation that deploys catalytic capital and operates programs like Skoll Awards and TED Prize partnerships. It is the most direct incumbent comparable to RippleWorks given overlapping scope of supporting high-impact social entrepreneurs with both capital and ecosystem connections. Several RippleWorks team members previously worked at Skoll Foundation.
Emerging players
- NetHope: NetHope is a nonprofit consortium that builds technology capacity for international NGOs and social impact organizations. While its focus is on digital transformation rather than broad advisory+capital support, it overlaps with RippleWorks' goal of strengthening operational capacity of social impact organizations and serves a similar global NGO customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RippleWorks social profiles
Digital presenceRippleWorks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RippleWorks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles27 records
RippleWorks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RippleWorks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RippleWorks
What does RippleWorks do?
RippleWorks delivers four interconnected programs to social impact organizations: Projects (2-4 month high-impact advisory engagements pairing ventures with industry experts), Expert Office Hours (one-on-one 60-minute problem-solving sessions with senior executives), Leaders Studio (expert-led cohort-based learning programs for venture leaders), and Capital (flexible catalytic grants and loans in the $1M-$3M range). All programs are provided free of charge to qualifying social ventures, supported by a network of 300+ C-suite, VP, and Senior Director-level experts.
Is RippleWorks a public or private company?
RippleWorks is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was RippleWorks founded?
RippleWorks was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RippleWorks based?
RippleWorks is headquartered in California City, United States, in the North America region.
How does RippleWorks make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation/Nonprofit Funding.
Who are RippleWorks's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Acumen, Echoing Green, Mulago Foundation, Endeavor, PYXERA Global and Kiva. Broad incumbents are Omidyar Network, Ashoka and Skoll Foundation. NetHope is listed as an emerging player.
Does RippleWorks have an API?
No public API is recorded for RippleWorks.
What industry is RippleWorks in?
RippleWorks's product category is Social Impact Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries, with a secondary code of BPADABAF, Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8742.