Kounkuey Design Initiative

What Kounkuey Design Initiative does

Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) is a community development and design nonprofit founded in 2006 with headquarters in Los Angeles and operational offices in Nairobi, Stockholm, and Coachella. The organization partners with under-resourced communities — primarily in informal settlements in Kenya and underserved neighborhoods in California — to design and build "Productive Public Spaces" that integrate basic infrastructure (sanitation, flood protection), open space, and programming (income generation, recreation, childcare). KDI works across four service areas: Design + Build, Plan + Program, Research + Test, and Advocate + Educate, deploying an interdisciplinary team of landscape architects, urban planners, civil engineers, architects, community organizers, and researchers.

The organization's underlying methodology combines participatory co-design with technical engineering. Notable technology components include the WATSAN Portal (a GIS-based water-and-sanitation mapping and decision-making tool co-developed with Spatial Collective and Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company), participatory flood modeling with Buro Happold, and qualitative GIS methodologies developed with King's College London. KDI's productized outputs also extend to publications such as the World Bank Handbook for Gender-Inclusive Urban Planning and Design.

KDI's revenue model is grant- and contract-driven rather than product-sales-based. Revenue streams include foundation grants (Rockefeller, Knight, Swiss Re, California Endowment, California Wellness, Welthungerhilfe), government contracts at municipal, county, state, and international levels (notably California's Prop 68 Statewide Park Program, with cumulative funding secured exceeding $56M across 18 municipalities and individual project wins including $35M for Watts and $6.8M Active Transportation Funding), and individual/organizational donations through the Donorbox platform. The organization monetizes through project-based fees, cost-reimbursement contracts, and programmatic grants rather than fee-for-service pricing.

Name

Kounkuey Design Initiative

Legal name

Kounkuey Design Initiative

Website

https://kounkuey.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kounkuey Design Initiative is a nonprofit design and community development organization that partners with under-resourced communities in Kenya and the United States to design, build, and advocate for productive public spaces integrating infrastructure, open space, and programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development and Urban Design Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Community development design
• Productive public spaces
• Participatory urban planning
• Informal settlement infrastructure
• Equitable landscape architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Rockefeller Foundation, Knight Foundation, Swiss Re Foundation, The California Endowment, The California Wellness Foundation, Welthungerhilfe
2. Government Contracts: Contracts and grants from government agencies at local, county, state, and international levels for planning, design, and implementation projects
3. Donations: Individual donations through donorbox platform; organizational donations

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kounkuey Design Initiative is a nonprofit community development and design studio that partners with under-resourced communities to design and build Productive Public Spaces integrating basic infrastructure, open space, and programming. The organization delivers services across four areas — Design + Build, Plan + Program, Research + Test, and Advocate + Educate — for residents of informal settlements and underserved neighborhoods, primarily in Kenya and California. Revenue is generated through foundation grants, government contracts, and donations rather than product sales.

Product overview

Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) is a community development and design nonprofit organization, not a software or technology product company. KDI offers professional services across four integrated service areas: Design + Build (transforming unsafe and under-used sites into Productive Public Spaces), Plan + Program (community-led planning and income-generating program development), Research + Test (action research projects in partnership with communities), and Advocate + Educate (policy influence and teaching). The organization's offerings are service-based consulting and project delivery, not packaged software products or digital platforms. Key initiatives include the Kibera Public Space Project network in Nairobi, Kenya (spanning multiple phases from 2006 to present), the Eastern Coachella Valley Public Space Network in California, and various publications and toolkits including the World Bank Handbook for Gender-Inclusive Urban Planning and Design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design + Build Service Line Core service line transforming unsafe and under-used sites into Productive Public Spaces that integrate basic infrastructure, open space, and programming to meet social, economic, and environmental needs for under-resourced communities.
• Plan + Program Service Line Service line helping residents create long-term visions for equitable communities through co-designed plans and income-generating programs including savings and loans programs, women's craft cooperatives, and compost businesses.
• Research + Test Service Line Action-research service line developed in partnership with academic institutions including King's College London, Stockholm University, UCLA, and Harvard GSD to fill knowledge gaps and create a basis for effective and equitable development.
• Advocate + Educate Service Line Service line leveraging built work, networks, and research to shape policy alongside communities, governments, and universities while promoting community-driven design through teaching, talks, and publications.
• WATSAN Portal: Kibera Online GIS-based mapping and decision-making tool for water and sanitation projects in informal settlements, enabling community groups, NGOs, and government agencies to plan and implement projects.
• Kibera Public Space Project (KPSP) Network Multi-site network of Productive Public Spaces in Kibera, Nairobi, integrating basic infrastructure (sanitation, flood protection), open space, and income-generating programming such as savings and loans programs, women's craft cooperatives, and childcare programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Secured over $56M in state funding for parks in low-income California communities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• New Nairobi Dam Community (NNDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization established to manage KPSP01 site operations, programs and maintenance. Long-term partnership since 2006 for community-led public space management in Kibera.
• Riverside Usafi Group (RUG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization managing KPSP02 sanitation center, kiosks, and savings and loans program. Partnership for income-generating public space operations.
• Buro HappoldmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering consultancy partner for Building Urban Flood Resilience project, providing hydrological and hydraulic modeling expertise for Kibera flood analysis.
• World BankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Gender Inclusive Public Spaces project and Handbook for Gender-Inclusive Urban Planning and Design. Joint development of gender-inclusive planning guidelines.
• Harvard Graduate School of DesignmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for gender-inclusive public spaces studio and planning education. Student involvement in design projects.
• King's College LondonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner on WhyDAR (Why We Disagree About Resilience) and EMoRF (Expressive Mapping of Resilient Futures) projects for qualitative GIS methodology development.
• Spatial CollectivemajorTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for WATSAN Portal Kibera, developing GIS-based mapping and decision-making tools.
• Nairobi City Water and Sewerage CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for WATSAN Portal project, providing water and sanitation infrastructure data and implementation pathways.
• Los Angeles Department of TransportationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Changing Lanes: A Gender Equity Transportation Study, providing research partnership on gender equity in transportation.
• Desert Recreation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner for Eastern Coachella Valley projects including Oasis Productive Public Space and parks network development.
• Grant Housing & Economic Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in Watts Re:Imagined initiative for sustainable development in Watts, Los Angeles.
• Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Go Human campaign to design and implement pop-up events promoting safe active transportation across six Southern California cities.
• National Resources Defense CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Watts Re:Imagined initiative through Urban Solutions program for sustainable development.
• Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-designed carpentry training academy curriculum covering bamboo utilization and sustainable carpentry practices.
• Engineers Without Borders UKmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain partner for 2017-2018 Engineering for People Design Challenge, advancing design challenges for Kibera settlements.
• Public Health AdvocatesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Complete Parks Campaign and Expanding Park Access in California, providing advocacy and policy expertise.
• UCLAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner on ECV Heat Impact Study and Changing Lanes project, providing academic research support.
• Alianza Coachella ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner for Salton Sea projects including Voices of the Salton Sea and Salton Sea Recreation Area Vision Plan.
• SymbioCitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for redesign of public markets and community parks in Meru, Kakamega, and Kisumu counties in Kenya.
• Leadership Counsel for Justice and AccountabilitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Eastern Coachella Valley Mobility Plans, providing community advocacy and policy expertise.
• ArupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Bridges over the Ngong River project in Kibera, providing engineering expertise.
• LightBox AfricamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partner for 'We Have a Life in Kibera' documentary film, winning Rockefeller Storytelling Award.
• International AlertmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Building Urban Flood Resilience project for community engagement and risk reduction.
• Stockholm UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner on Building Urban Flood Resilience project for research methodology.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MASS Design Group: Nonprofit architecture and design firm focused on building projects that serve vulnerable communities, with integrated research and advocacy. Directly comparable to KDI's design+build+research model and community-centered approach.
• Project for Public Spaces: Nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and sustaining public spaces that build communities. Shares KDI's focus on participatory public space design and community placemaking methodology.
• Gehl: Urban design consultancy applying people-centered design to public spaces globally. Comparable to KDI's public space and urban planning practice with strong methodology around human-scale design.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Community Partners: Large nonprofit focused on affordable housing and community development, working with governments and communities to create equitable places. Comparable to KDI's community development work but at much larger scale.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Major national community development nonprofit that invests in housing, health, and economic opportunity in distressed communities. Comparable mission and government/foundation funding model to KDI.
• PolicyLink: National research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity, with focus on equitable development. Shares KDI's equity-centered advocacy and research practice.
• Urban Land Institute: Global nonprofit real estate and land use research organization with focus on responsible land use and community development. Comparable research/policy influence work to KDI's advocacy.
• Habitat for Humanity: Global nonprofit housing organization building affordable housing with and for low-income families. Comparable community-led development model and international footprint to KDI.
• Sasaki Associates: International design firm integrating architecture, planning, landscape, and urban design with a focus on creating lasting impact. Comparable interdisciplinary design practice to KDI.

Emerging players

• PUSH Green: Community development organization combining affordable housing development, advocacy, and green jobs in underserved neighborhoods. Comparable community-led model to KDI's Productive Public Spaces approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/kounkuey
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kounkuey
• Instagraminstagram.com/kounkuey
• Xx.com/Kounkuey
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2287481

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kounkuey Design Initiative