What Daisa Enterprises does

DAISA Enterprises, LLC is a privately held, South Hadley, Massachusetts-based consulting firm founded by Daniel Ross in 2015. The firm operates as a national team of consultants and organizers working to advance equity at the intersection of food, culture, and health, serving philanthropic foundations (including the Kresge Foundation, Wholesome Wave, and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation), government agencies, and social enterprises engaged in community food systems and health equity work. Core service offerings include Strategy Assistance Services (business planning, nonprofit sustainability, grant strategy drawing from Lean Startup methodology), Cohort Management and National Program Office Services (convening facilitation, capacity building, and evaluation protocols for grantee cohorts), Field Scan Research and Evaluation (national research studies such as the Produce Prescription Programs US Field Scan 2010-2020), and DAISA Capital, an investment and venture-building arm making equity investments in sustainable food and agriculture companies (with Young Mountain Tea as its first portfolio investment in May 2021).

The firm employs between 11 and 50 people and operates with a distributed, values-driven organizational model that includes a 4-day workweek and practices inspired by Holacracy and cooperative models. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services engagements (no public rate cards or pricing tiers) supplemented by returns from DAISA Capital's small investment portfolio. Go-to-market is sales-led and driven by thought leadership: publications, the Rooted & Rising webinar series (co-hosted with the Food Systems Leadership Network), a 5-episode Duke World Food Policy Center podcast series, conference presentations, and a national network of relationships with Community Accountable Organizations (CAOs), the EFOD Collaborative, and BIPOC-led food systems organizations. There are no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, parent companies, or proprietary technology platforms; the firm's defensible assets are its proprietary consulting frameworks (DAISA Decision-Making Principles, DAISA Reciprocity Framework, Social Business Model Canvas) and its position within the equitable food-oriented development ecosystem.

Name

Daisa Enterprises

Legal name

DAISA Enterprises, LLC

Website

https://daisaenterprises.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DAISA Enterprises is a national consulting firm specializing in food systems, health equity, and community development. It provides strategy consulting, cohort management as a National Program Office, field scan research, and equity investments via DAISA Capital to foundations, government agencies, and social enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting Services

NAICS

Management of Companies and Enterprises (55)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

Keywords

• Food systems consulting
• Health equity consulting
• Cohort management services
• Nonprofit strategy consulting
• Community development advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

South Hadley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategy Consulting Services: DAISA provides strategy consulting, initiative design and management, and impact evaluation services to foundations, government agencies, and social enterprises working in community food systems, health, and community development.
2. National Program Office Services: DAISA serves as National Program Office for initiatives like FreshLo (Kresge Foundation), providing strategic guidance, operations, convening facilitation, and capacity building for grantee cohorts.
3. Research and Field Scan Services: DAISA conducts national field scan research on food systems topics, including the Produce Prescription Programs field scan for Wholesome Wave and arts/culture integration research for ArtPlace America.
4. DAISA Capital Investment Returns: Through DAISA Capital, the firm makes equity investments in food system ventures like Young Mountain Tea, seeking returns alongside impact.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DAISA Enterprises is a national consulting firm that provides strategic assistance, cohort management, operational support, and impact evaluation services to foundations, government agencies, and social enterprises working at the intersection of food systems, health equity, and community development. It also runs DAISA Capital, an investment arm making equity investments in sustainable food and agriculture ventures.

Product overview

DAISA Enterprises is a consulting company offering a portfolio of professional services focused on advancing equity at the intersection of food, culture, and health. The core offerings include Strategy Assistance Services (using Lean Startup methodology for business plans and sustainability planning), Cohort Management & National Program Office Services (building Learning Communities and providing convening facilitation for grant cohorts), DAISA Capital (venture building and equity investment in sustainable food companies), and Field Scan Research & Evaluation (national research services for foundations and government agencies). Supporting offerings include the Rooted & Rising Webinar Series and published field research reports including the Cultivating Creativity field scan and Produce Prescription Programs Field Scan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DAISA Capital: A branch of DAISA Enterprises focused on equity investment and venture building partnerships for sustainable food and agriculture companies.

Products and services

• Strategy Assistance Services Consulting services that help foundations, social enterprises, and nonprofits improve effectiveness and impact through business plans, entrepreneurial pilot design, sustainability planning, and grant strategy. Draws on Lean Startup methodology and rapid customer-centric learning.
• Cohort Management and National Program Office Services Building and supporting Learning Communities among grantees, including convening facilitation, capacity building, strategic guidance, operations, and evaluation protocols. Delivered as National Program Office services for multi-year funding initiatives such as the Kresge Foundation's FreshLo initiative with 26 grantee partners.
• Field Scan Research and Evaluation National field scan research and impact evaluation services for foundations, government agencies, and social enterprises working in community food systems, health, and community development. Includes research deliverables such as the Produce Prescription Programs US Field Scan 2010-2020 and the Cultivating Creativity field scan for ArtPlace America.
• DAISA Capital Venture building and equity investment arm that makes non-extractive investments in high-impact food and agriculture companies. Seeks to support a small portfolio of companies forging opportunities through healthy foods and value chains.

Quantifiable outcome

• 550 grant proposals reviewed for FreshLo initiative
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Wholesome WavecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020DAISA was engaged by Wholesome Wave in 2020 to conduct national field scan research on Produce Prescription Programs (2010-2020). DAISA also partnered with Wholesome Wave on a technology solutions report for the PRx field, exploring equity considerations in program IT.
• ArtPlace AmericasecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018ArtPlace America engaged DAISA in 2018 to conduct field scan research on the community development sector of food & agriculture integrating arts & culture. This resulted in the 'Cultivating Creativity' report and continued collaboration on dissemination.
• Kresge FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015DAISA served as National Program Office for Kresge Foundation's Fresh, Local, & Equitable (FreshLo) initiative from 2015-2020, providing strategic guidance, operations, convening facilitation, and capacity building for a cohort of 26 grantee partners.
• Equitable Food Oriented Development (EFOD) CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAISA Enterprises served as the facilitator of the National EFOD Collaborative, a network of BIPOC organization leaders using food to create economic opportunities and build community assets. DAISA supported the creation of the FED Collective within this ecosystem and co-produced the EFOD white paper.
• Food Systems Leadership Network (FSLN)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of the Rooted & Rising webinar series, a multi-part series creating space for collective learning, reflection, and strategic action for leaders on the frontlines of food justice and equity.
• Duke World Food Policy CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the 'Leading Voices in Food' podcast series featuring EFOD Collaborative, spanning 5 episodes released starting October 2020.
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAISA provided multi-year design and capacity-building for evaluation of the Healthy Food Fund, working with 25 grantees across four states.
• Fidelity, Equity, Dignity (FED) CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAISA supported the creation of the FED Collective to unite BIPOC-led CAOs in the Food as Medicine field, connecting local work to national policy initiatives, shifting field narratives, and promoting peer knowledge exchange.
• Fresh, Local, & Equitable (FreshLo) InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAISA served as National Program Office for this 5-year Kresge Foundation funding initiative, during which 23 CAOs from around the country utilized cultural strategies and food systems enterprises to make their communities healthier.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Third Sector Capital Partners: Third Sector advises foundations, governments, and nonprofits on Pay for Success and catalytic-capital strategies that align capital with equity outcomes — closely paralleling DAISA's DAISA Capital arm and blended-finance advisory work.
• FSG: FSG is a global social-impact consulting firm that advises foundations, corporations, and nonprofits on strategy, evaluation, and systems change — directly comparable to DAISA's National Program Office and strategy assistance services for philanthropic funders.
• TCC Group: TCC Group is a national consulting firm that provides strategy, evaluation, and capacity-building services to foundations and nonprofits, mirroring DAISA's mix of cohort management, field scan research, and grantee support work.
• Health Resources in Action (HRiA): HRiA is a nonprofit public-health consulting organization that designs, manages, and evaluates health-focused programs and grantmaking initiatives, closely paralleling DAISA's health-equity and produce-prescription program work.
• ChangeLab Solutions: ChangeLab Solutions is a national nonprofit that works with foundations and government agencies on equitable policy and program design in health and food systems, overlapping with DAISA's equity-centered strategy and evaluation engagements.
• TSNE (The NonProfit Center / TSNE MissionWorks): TSNE provides consulting, fiscal sponsorship, and capacity-building services to a national network of nonprofits and foundations, comparable to DAISA's cohort management and equity framework advisory offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Bridgespan Group: Bridgespan is a large, established social-sector strategy consulting firm advising foundations and nonprofits on strategy, philanthropy, and impact — a scaled incumbent in the same space as DAISA with broader service offerings and global reach.

Others

• The Food Trust: The Food Trust is a national nonprofit focused on food access, policy, and healthy-food financing — adjacent to DAISA's food-systems consulting rather than directly competing, with overlapping funder and government clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/daisa-enterprises-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/daisa_stories
• Xx.com/DAISA_STORIES

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Daisa Enterprises