Black Girl Environmentalist

What Black Girl Environmentalist does

Black Girl Environmentalist (BGE) is a US-based organization founded in 2021 by Wawa Gatheru, dedicated to addressing the pathway and retention gap for Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people in the climate movement. It describes itself as the largest Black youth-led climate organization in the United States and operates a suite of programs: the Hazel M. Johnson Fellowship (a 10-week paid internship pipeline placing early-career participants at host nonprofits with a $5,000 stipend and minimum $18/hour wage), the HUB Program (place-based monthly convenings across 14 US cities), the College Mentorship Program (six-month mentor matching with a $650 stipend), Get in Your Career Bag (including Climate Pathways conference funding and the BIPOC Green Career Summit), and the Climate N' Culture Campaign (narrative-change events at convenings like NYC Climate Week and Essence Fest).

BGE serves two primary customer segments. The first is a free member base of 45,000 digital community members and 4,300+ served since inception, who access events, networking, and resources at no cost. The second is a B2B employer and institutional segment — 55 corporate and nonprofit partners — that pays for program sponsorships (starting at $2,500), job board postings ($100/month reaching 45,000 BGEs), recruitment support events ($1,500+), consultation and workshops ($3,000+), and speaking engagements. Revenue is supplemented by donations accepted via the ActBlue platform.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its digital infrastructure is a Squarespace-hosted website, Instagram, LinkedIn, email newsletter, and a member-authored blog. Headcount is 1-10 employees with a lean management team including a Director of Programs and a Fellowships & Community Manager. BGE has been recognized in Vogue, the New York Times, NPR, Forbes, Essence, Teen Vogue, Axios, and by the Sierra Club, and its founder received $20,000 from the Tom's of Maine Incubator in 2023.

Name

Black Girl Environmentalist

Legal name

Black Girl Environmentalist

Website

https://blackgirlenvironmentalist.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Girl Environmentalist is a US nonprofit organization founded in 2021 that runs paid fellowships, mentorship, and a 14-city HUB network to address the pathway and retention gap for Black women and gender-expansive people in the climate movement, serving 4,300+ members and 55 employer partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Workforce Development and Climate Advocacy

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL), Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

Keywords

• Climate workforce development
• Environmental justice advocacy
• Climate fellowship program
• Green career placement
• Community mentorship network

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Sponsorships: Corporate and organizational sponsors fund specific programs like the Mentorship Program, Hazel M. Johnson Fellowship, and Get in Your Career Bag Program. Sponsors receive logo placement, verbal acknowledgment, and inclusion in outreach materials.
2. Job Board Posting: Companies pay $100/month to post single job listings reaching 45,000 BGEs across Instagram, LinkedIn, and newsletter. Recurring subscription packages available via email inquiry.
3. Recruitment Support: In-person and virtual recruiting events and speaking opportunities to help companies recruit applicants of color for jobs, fellowships, and internships. Services start at $1,500 per event.
4. Consultation & Workshops: Customized strategies for companies to attract, develop, and retain next-generation sustainability leaders of color. Services start at $3,000.
5. Speaking Engagements: Panel discussions and keynotes featuring BGE team members to uplift contributions of Black women and gender-expansive folks in climate work.
6. Donations: Free membership model with voluntary donations accepted through ActBlue platform. Donations support operational funding and program delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Black Girl Environmentalist is a national nonprofit that builds a pipeline for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people to enter and thrive in climate and environmental fields. Its core offerings include a paid climate fellowship, a free member-based HUB community network across 14 U.S. cities, a college mentorship program, narrative campaigns, and career development programs, complemented by employer-facing recruitment services, a climate-focused job board, speaking engagements, and consultation.

Product overview

Black Girl Environmentalist is a national nonprofit organization (not a traditional technology product company) that operates as a platform of interconnected climate justice programs. The core offering is a suite of workforce development and community empowerment programs including the Hazel M. Johnson Fellowship (10-week climate internship with stipends and mentorship), the HUB Program (14-city place-based network), the College Mentorship Program (6-month mentor matching), Get in Your Career Bag (career development with conference funding and green career summit), and the Climate N' Culture Campaign (movement building at cultural events). Additional revenue services include paid job board posting ($100/month), recruitment support ($1,500+), consultation workshops ($3,000+), and speaking engagements. The organization's primary digital presence is its website, which also hosts a member-contributed blog. All programs are focused on addressing the pathway and retention issue in the climate movement for Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hazel M. Johnson Fellowship: A first-of-its-kind climate internship pipeline program for early career Black Girl Environmentalists (rising juniors, rising seniors, and recent graduates). Over 10 weeks, interns gain a network of peers, professional development, and industry experience.
• HUB Program
• College Mentorship Program
• Climate N' Culture Campaign
• Get in Your Career Bag

Products and services

• Hazel M. Johnson Fellowship Program A paid fellowship program for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people that runs for 10 weeks at approximately 32 hours per week, offering a total stipend of $5,600 and providing cohort-based training and project work as a pipeline into climate and environmental careers.
• HUB Program (BGE HUB Community) A free, member-based local community network organized into 14 HUB cities across the United States (including Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, the Bay Area, Philadelphia, Raleigh, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.) for individuals aged 15 and up who are interested in climate and environmental work.
• College Mentorship Program A mentorship program that pairs college students with mentors who work in climate and environmental fields, supported by a Network of College Campus Ambassadors to extend reach on campuses.
• Get in Your Career Bag (Career Development Program) A career development program for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people that supports job readiness, resume and interview preparation, career navigation, and advancement into climate and environmental roles.
• Climate N' Culture Campaign A narrative campaign program run by BGE that centers on reshaping climate culture for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people through storytelling and community narrative change.
• Employer Recruitment and Job Board Services An employer-facing service combining the BGE Job Board for climate jobs, internships, and fellowships with paid recruitment support that helps climate, environmental, and sustainability employers reach BGE's curated candidate community.
• Consultation Services Paid consultation services that BGE offers to climate, environmental, and sustainability organizations needing subject-matter expertise related to Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people in the climate space.
• Speaking Engagements Paid speaking engagements delivered for events, conferences, and partner organizations on topics related to climate justice, BGE's mission, and the underrepresentation of Black women in climate and environmental fields.
• Organizational Sponsorships Sponsorship packages offered to companies, institutions, and organizations that fund BGE's programs, fellowships, HUB operations, and campaigns in exchange for partnership and brand association.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,300+ BGEs served since inception
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Air Alliance HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow for a 10-week summer internship placement. Fellow receives $5,000 living wage stipend, minimum $18/hour wage, and mentorship. Air Alliance Houston is an environmental health nonprofit.
• Healthy GulfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental advocacy nonprofit hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow for hands-on climate work. Part of the fellowship's 2026 cohort placement network.
• RARE ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow for conservation initiatives and behavior change programs.
• CollectrifycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental justice organization hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow for programming focused on equity in environmental work.
• Root to Flourish CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood systems organization hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow for work related to sustainable food and land stewardship.
• Solar StewardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenewable energy organization hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow to advance solar energy adoption and stewardship.
• Black Heritage Tree ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental education organization hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow for tree heritage and environmental learning initiatives.
• Kinetic Communities ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy equity consulting firm (certified M/WBE B-corp) hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow as Energy Equity Fellow working on NYC building infrastructure upgrades.
• The Climate TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate solutions nonprofit hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow for climate mitigation and adaptation work.
• New England Environmental Justice HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental justice hub hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow for frontline community climate work in New England.
• Acadia CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental policy organization hosting Hazel M. Johnson Fellow for climate and environmental policy advocacy work.
• Support + FeedflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerYear-long partnership with BGE and Pharrell's Something in the Water Festival facilitating community conversations around food security, climate resiliency, and culture in Virginia Beach. Includes panels with local activists, celebrities, and restaurant owners connecting plant-based food with climate resilience.
• Something in the Water FestivalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharrell's festival partnering with BGE and Support + Feed for year-long community engagement around food security, climate resiliency, and culture in Virginia Beach area.
• RebundleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable braiding hair brand co-hosting Climate Women Mixer during NYC Climate Week 2024. Rebundle focuses on reducing plastic waste from synthetic braiding hair.
• Green Jobs BoardflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of BIPOC Green Career Summit alongside BGE and Black Oak Collective. Green Jobs Board focuses on creating accessible pathways between job seekers and employers in the green economy.
• Black Oak CollectiveflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of BIPOC Green Career Summit alongside BGE and Green Jobs Board during NEST Climate Campus and NYC Climate Week 2024.
• EarthJusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental law nonprofit partnered with BGE to sponsor transportation costs for 17 Black Girl Environmentalists to visit Washington D.C. for advocacy fly-in on Capitol Hill. Included training on lobbying and meetings with congressional staffers.
• Elemental ExceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner requiring host organizations in Hazel M. Johnson Fellowship to agree to EDICT (Empowering Diverse Climate Talent) Pledge, ensuring fellows are placed in inclusive, diverse, and equity-centered spaces.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Elemental Excelerator: BGE partner that operates climate funding and incubation programs and requires host organizations in the Hazel M. Johnson Fellowship to adopt the EDICT Pledge. Functions as an ecosystem enabler that channels talent pipeline standards into BGE's placement network.

Broad incumbents

• Earthjustice: Large environmental law nonprofit and BGE partner via the Capitol Hill fly-in sponsorship. Operates at much larger scale with adjacent environmental justice and talent development work, representing the incumbent that BGE partners with rather than competes against.
• Sunrise Movement: National youth-led climate movement organization with extensive hub network, fellowship pipelines, and narrative change campaigns. Substantially larger scale than BGE but operates a directly comparable youth-led movement-building architecture and climate talent pipeline orientation.
• NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program: Established civil rights organization's environmental justice portfolio covering EJ advocacy, workforce, and narrative change in Black communities. Overlaps with BGE on constituency and mission but operates at a much larger institutional scale.

Direct peers

• WE ACT for Environmental Justice: Northern Manhattan-based environmental justice organization with national EJ fellowship and workforce development programs serving communities of color in climate careers. Operates adjacent fellowship-style programming for EJ leaders with comparable funding and convening model.
• Outdoor Afro: National nonprofit connecting Black communities to nature and outdoor recreation while developing Black leadership in conservation. Directly comparable community-building model targeting Black participation in environmental spaces.
• Hip Hop Caucus: National nonpartisan nonprofit mobilizing communities of color around climate, environmental justice, and civic engagement. Comparable in mission overlap (BIPOC communities in climate), programmatic model (civic engagement and narrative change), and constituency to BGE.
• Moms Clean Air Force: National climate and clean air advocacy organization mobilizing mothers around environmental justice. Operates a comparable model of identity-based community building, narrative change campaigns, and corporate accountability work that targets a related but distinct constituency.
• Black Oak Collective: Co-host of BIPOC Green Career Summit during NYC Climate Week 2024. A Black-led climate organization running parallel workforce development and convening programming for the same demographic and corporate partner base as BGE.
• Green Jobs Board: Co-host of the BIPOC Green Career Summit with BGE. Directly operates a green-economy job marketplace overlapping BGE's $100/month job board posting service, with overlapping audiences of climate-interested job seekers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackgirlenvironmentalist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-girl-environmentalist
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackgirlenvironmentalist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Black Girl Environmentalist