The Chain Collaborative
The Chain Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs an 18-month Community-Led Development Incubator for local leaders in coffee-growing regions, complemented by SCA-certified sustainability coursework, consulting services, and a Coffee Sustainability Fellowship program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersAstoria, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Chain Collaborative does
The Chain Collaborative is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 by Nora Burkey, operating a community-led development (CLD) model anchored in coffee-growing regions. Its core product is the CLD Incubator, an 18-month structured program that builds relationships with local leaders, cultivates their project design and management skills, and supports the development of farming enterprises; the Incubator is complemented by a TCC Alumni Network and a 10-month Coffee Sustainability Fellowship. To date the Incubator has supported 22 participants across 10+ countries (Ethiopia, Guatemala, Uganda, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Rwanda, Colombia, Kenya, Peru, Honduras, with Mexico appearing in operating geographies), with $330K deployed into community-designed projects impacting 13,735 community members.
The organization's commercial surface extends beyond philanthropy into two revenue-bearing lines. First, an education business delivered in partnership with the Specialty Coffee Association, in which TCC operates as an Authorized SCA Trainer for the Coffee Sustainability Program (Foundation, Climate & Coffee, Coffee Economics, and Compliance, Governance & Reporting courses), plus a self-paced Sustainability Reporting course co-developed with Coffee Knowledge Hub. Second, a consulting practice offering Sustainability Assessment, Sustainability Reporting, Supply Chain Research, Program Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation, and Grant Writing packages to impact-driven organizations. Course fees range from $300-$450 per SCA course (paid to Authorized SCA Trainers plus SCA enrollment fees) to €99 for the on-demand reporting course; consulting pricing is not publicly disclosed.
The go-to-market is mission-driven and multi-channel: direct field engagement with grassroots partner organizations, online self-serve and live-virtual coursework, consulting inquiries via website contact flows, partner referrals (notably Digital Coffee Future and 1% for the Planet), and a monthly donor initiative with quarterly updates. The organization is governed by an 8-member board, with a distributed staff of roughly 11-50 employees across the U.S. (Denver/Astoria HQ), Ecuador, Spain, Switzerland, and Oklahoma City, plus a rotating cohort of Coffee Sustainability Fellows.
The Chain Collaborative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Chain Collaborative
- Legal name
- The Chain Collaborative
- Website
- https://thechaincollaborative.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Chain Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs an 18-month Community-Led Development Incubator for local leaders in coffee-growing regions, complemented by SCA-certified sustainability coursework, consulting services, and a Coffee Sustainability Fellowship program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Chain Collaborative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Coffee Sustainability Development Services
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable & Responsible Supply Chain (ESG, Scope 3) (BPAHAHAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)
Keywords
Where The Chain Collaborative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Astoria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Chain Collaborative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Educational Course Fees: Revenue from SCA Coffee Sustainability Program courses (Foundation, Climate & Coffee, Coffee Economics, Compliance Governance & Reporting) and Sustainability Reporting course with Coffee Knowledge Hub. Fees paid to Authorized SCA Trainers plus SCA enrollment fees.
- Consulting Services: Consulting packages including Sustainability Assessment, Sustainability Reporting, Supply Chain Research, Program/Project Planning, Development and Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Grant Writing and Fundraising services for impact-driven organizations.
- Donations and Grants: Individual donations, monthly donor initiative, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, and support for the CLD Incubator and Alumni Network programs. Organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN 47-1643022.
- Fellowship Program: 10-month Coffee Sustainability Fellowship where participants work alongside TCC team while completing SCA coursework at no cost, contributing to community-led development programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | SCA Coffee Sustainability Foundation Course |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | SCA Climate & Coffee Course |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | SCA Coffee Economics Course |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | SCA Compliance, Governance & Reporting Course |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Sustainability Reporting Course with Coffee Knowledge Hub |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Consulting Services Packages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Chain Collaborative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Chain Collaborative operates an 18-month Community-Led Development (CLD) Incubator program for local leaders in coffee-growing regions, delivers the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Coffee Sustainability Program and a standalone Sustainability Reporting Course, and provides consulting packages covering sustainability assessment, reporting, supply chain research, program/project planning, monitoring and evaluation, and grant writing for impact-driven organizations.
Product overview
The Chain Collaborative offers a portfolio of programs centered on community-led development in the coffee sector. The core offering is the CLD Incubator, an 18-month program with an associated Alumni Network for ongoing alumni engagement. Education offerings include the SCA Coffee Sustainability Program (with four courses: Foundation, Climate & Coffee, Coffee Economics, and Compliance, Governance & Reporting) and a Sustainability Reporting Course developed with Coffee Knowledge Hub. Consulting services provide sustainability assessment, reporting support, and grant writing to impact-driven organizations. The Coffee Sustainability Fellowship is a 10-month program combining hands-on work with coursework completion. The organization also maintains partnerships with Now Africa Initiative and Karama Education Center in Uganda.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CLD Incubator An 18-month Community-Led Development (CLD) Incubator program that builds relationships with local leaders in coffee-growing regions, cultivates their project design and management skills, and fosters the development of their farming enterprises to combat intergenerational poverty and marginalization.
- SCA Coffee Sustainability Program An online, virtual coursework program for coffee professionals and enthusiasts worldwide, delivered in partnership with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) as an Authorized SCA Trainer. Includes four sequential courses: Foundation, Climate & Coffee, Coffee Economics, and Compliance, Governance & Reporting.
- Coffee Sustainability Foundation Course An 8-hour foundational course exploring sustainability fundamentals, climate change impacts, coffee economics, and social challenges in the sector. Prerequisite for all other SCA Coffee Sustainability Program courses; delivered through four live 2-hour online class sessions.
- Climate & Coffee Course A 16-hour course exploring environmental sustainability in the coffee sector, covering climate change impacts, greenhouse gas emissions, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainability legislation; delivered through eight live 2-hour online class sessions.
- Coffee Economics Course A 16-hour course examining coffee pricing dynamics, C market prices, futures contracts, value creation and capture, and alternative economic models including direct trade and cooperativism; delivered through eight live 2-hour online class sessions.
- Compliance, Governance & Reporting Course A 12-hour course exploring policy, power, and practice in the coffee industry, covering mandatory due diligence legislation, voluntary sustainability standards, compliance models, and governance structures; delivered through six live 2-hour online class sessions.
- Sustainability Reporting Course An on-demand, self-paced course developed with Coffee Knowledge Hub that teaches coffee professionals how to develop strategies for improving sustainability, impact, or transparency reporting at their organizations; provides access to 20+ pre-recorded lessons.
- Sustainability Assessment Package Consulting package providing comprehensive analysis of an organization's sustainability strategy, including kick-off meeting, review of existing documentation, stakeholder conversations, and recommendations with an action plan.
- Sustainability Reporting Package Consulting package supporting companies and organizations with annual or transparency reporting processes, helping categorize and indicate activities to demonstrate efficacy and impact.
- Grant Writing and Fundraising Package Consulting package developing and authoring competitive grant proposals for non-profit organizations, with options for a la carte writing services or comprehensive learning components.
- Coffee Sustainability Fellowship A 10-month fellowship program where participants work alongside TCC staff, complete the four SCA Coffee Sustainability Program courses at no cost, and receive training in community-led development. Fellows commit 8-10 hours weekly.
Quantifiable outcome
- 22 CLD Incubator participants implemented projects impacting 13,735 community members
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Chain Collaborative
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Chain Collaborative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Chain Collaborative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Coop CoffeesminorParticipated in 3-year Carbon, Coffee, and Climate project (2020-2023) applying Cool Farm Tool on coffee farms across Peru, Guatemala, and Honduras.
- Root CapitalminorCollaborated on 3-year Carbon, Coffee, and Climate project (2020-2023) applying Cool Farm Tool on coffee farms. Root Capital led the project with technical report published in September 2023.
- Sustainable Food LabminorCollaborated on 3-year Carbon, Coffee, and Climate project (2020-2023) applying Cool Farm Tool on coffee farms.
- Now Africa Initiative (NAI)coreLongest-standing Community-Led Development partnership with grassroots farmer organization in Nyamigoye parish, Kanyantorogo sub-county, Kanungu District, Southwestern Uganda. Founded by Denis Twinamatsiko, NAI focuses on socio-economic transformation through sustainable agricultural development and educational improvements. Over 1000 smallholder coffee farmers benefit from partnership. Partnership includes support for Karama Education Center founded by NAI in 2017.
- Karama Education CentercorePrimary school founded in 2017 by Now Africa Initiative with TCC support, located in rural area outside Kihiihi in Southwestern Uganda. Serves children of NAI coffee farmers with enrollment over 400 students. Manages scholarship programs and educational initiatives.
- Digital Coffee FuturecoreDedicated to making digital tool implementation easy and effective for all coffee value stream actors. TCC has collaborated with DCF by sharing Fellows, partnering on consulting projects, and contributing to their strategic development. TCC is an avid promoter of their work.
- Specialty Coffee Association (SCA)coreTCC delivers the SCA Coffee Sustainability Program through Authorized SCA Trainers. Nora Burkey is part of the Creator's Group for the Coffee Sustainability Program and is an Authorized SCA Trainer. Emma Griffin Warren is also an Authorized SCA Trainer for the program.
- Coffee Knowledge HubcorePartnership for Sustainability Reporting course delivery through Coffee Knowledge Hub platform. Course provides on-demand access to 20+ pre-recorded lessons for coffee professionals.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Chain Collaborative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Fairtrade International: Global certifier and advocacy organization focused on fair-trade coffee supply chains. Comparable because it operates in the same producer-support and coffee-sustainability narrative space, albeit at significantly larger scale and as a standards body.
- Heifer International: Large international nonprofit focused on ending hunger and poverty through agriculture and community development. Comparable because TCC's Incubator projects (livestock, agricultural inputs, women-led income diversification) follow a Heifer-style model of community development in coffee-growing geographies.
- TechnoServe: Large international nonprofit focused on economic development in coffee and other agricultural value chains in developing countries. Comparable because it operates at greater scale but pursues the same community-led economic development model in coffee-growing regions.
- Specialty Coffee Association (SCA): Global trade association that sets the Coffee Sustainability Program curriculum TCC delivers. Comparable because it owns the educational framework TCC commercializes and represents both an upstream partner and a broader incumbent in coffee education.
Direct peers
- Coffee Quality Institute: Nonprofit focused on coffee quality education and Q grading. Comparable because TCC's Impact Lead is pursuing the CQI Assistant Instructor Program, and CQI plays an adjacent role in coffee professional education and producer capacity building.
- Root Capital: Nonprofit agricultural lender active in the coffee sector that also invests in farmer cooperative capacity building. Comparable because Root Capital collaborates with TCC on multi-country coffee sustainability projects and targets the same producer organization segment.
- Coop Coffees: Fair-trade specialty coffee cooperative of roasters operating across Latin America and Africa. Comparable because Coop Coffees partnered with TCC on the Carbon, Coffee, and Climate project and shares the smallholder producer focus.
- Sustainable Food Lab: Nonprofit multi-stakeholder organization that works on sustainable supply chains in coffee and other commodities. Comparable because they co-executed the 2020–2023 Carbon, Coffee, and Climate initiative with TCC and provide consulting-style advisory services to corporate coffee buyers.
Emerging players
- Cool Farm Alliance: Nonprofit that maintains the Cool Farm Tool used by TCC in coffee farm carbon measurement projects. Comparable because it is a technology/standards provider in the coffee sustainability ecosystem where TCC operates its programs.
- Digital Coffee Future: Organization focused on digital tool adoption across the coffee value chain. Comparable because TCC's Programs & Evaluation Lead also works for Digital Coffee Future and the two organizations share Fellows and partner on consulting projects.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Chain Collaborative social profiles
Digital presenceThe Chain Collaborative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Chain Collaborative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Chain Collaborative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Chain Collaborative 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 The Chain Collaborative
What does The Chain Collaborative do?
The Chain Collaborative operates an 18-month Community-Led Development (CLD) Incubator program for local leaders in coffee-growing regions, delivers the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Coffee Sustainability Program and a standalone Sustainability Reporting Course, and provides consulting packages covering sustainability assessment, reporting, supply chain research, program/project planning, monitoring and evaluation, and grant writing for impact-driven organizations.
Is The Chain Collaborative a public or private company?
The Chain Collaborative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Chain Collaborative founded?
The Chain Collaborative was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Chain Collaborative based?
The Chain Collaborative is headquartered in Astoria, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Chain Collaborative make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Educational Course Fees are the primary driver. The others are consulting Services, donations and Grants and fellowship Program.
Who are The Chain Collaborative's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Fairtrade International, Heifer International, TechnoServe and Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). Direct peers are Coffee Quality Institute, Root Capital, Coop Coffees and Sustainable Food Lab. Emerging players are Cool Farm Alliance and Digital Coffee Future.
Does The Chain Collaborative have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Chain Collaborative.
What industry is The Chain Collaborative in?
The Chain Collaborative's product category is Coffee Sustainability Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAHAM, Sustainable & Responsible Supply Chain (ESG, Scope 3), with a secondary code of BPAGALAC, Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts). Its NAICS code is 31192 and its SIC code is 2080.