Sustainable Brands

What Sustainable Brands does

Sustainable Brands, PBC is a female-founded Public Benefit Corporation established in 2006 and headquartered in San Francisco, operating as a B2B media, events, and membership community for corporate sustainability and brand leaders. The company's core asset is a digital publishing platform that distributes daily editorial content across 17 topic channels, augmented by a twice-weekly newsletter, video library, podcast series (New Global Mind), and active presence on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram, and YouTube. On top of this content base, SB runs an international conference circuit with flagship and regional events in San Diego, Tokyo, Christchurch, Türkiye, and Kuala Lumpur, and the SB Member Network — a peer-learning community serving sustainability officers at 30+ named enterprise brands including Walmart, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Target, Estée Lauder, Clorox, General Mills, REI, Visa, MGM Resorts, and Warner Music Group.

The product portfolio also includes proprietary research and frameworks that function as monetizable IP: the annual SB Socio-Cultural Trends Research (co-produced with Ipsos), the SB Brand Transformation Roadmap, the SB Nine Sustainable Behaviors framework, and Excellence in Execution Playbooks, as well as working groups such as the SB Go Circular Collaborative. Underlying technology is a standard digital publishing/community platform with no disclosed AI/ML components.

Revenue is generated through four streams: corporate membership fees (subscription/recurring), conference and event registration and sponsorship (transactional), digital advertising and sponsored content (web banners, newsletter placements, Brand Voice Channels, Community Voice Series), and webinar sponsorships with named partners including ClimeCo, Valutus, and Eastman. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market combines a community-led peer engagement model with an enterprise sales motion targeting sustainability, brand, and marketing executives at large corporations, supported by an event-driven acquisition funnel. The company operates with approximately 15-20 staff and no disclosed institutional funding or parent company.

Name

Sustainable Brands

Legal name

Sustainable Brands, PBC

Website

https://sustainablebrands.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sustainable Brands, PBC is a B2B media and membership community that publishes sustainability content, runs international conferences, and operates a peer-learning network for enterprise brand sustainability leaders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Media & Events

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Cause/Sustainability & Purpose-Driven Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & Purpose Brand Design (ESG Narrative, Impact Branding) (MPAAAEAL), Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling) (BPAGALAF)

Keywords

• Sustainability media platform
• Corporate membership network
• Sustainability conferences
• Consumer trends research
• Sponsored content advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Corporate membership program providing access to exclusive events, research reports, playbooks, member forums, and networking opportunities
2. Conference and Event Revenue: Registration fees for international and regional conferences including SB'26 San Diego, SB'26 Tokyo, SB'26 Christchurch, and regional events in Türkiye, Kuala Lumpur, and other locations
3. Webinar Sponsorships: Sponsored webinar partnerships with companies including ClimeCo, Valutus, Eastman, and others
4. Digital Advertising and Sponsored Content: Website advertising, newsletter placements, branded content articles, Brand Voice Channels, and Community Voice Series offerings

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sustainable Brands is a media and community company serving corporate brand and sustainability leaders. It operates a digital publishing platform, a corporate membership network, international conferences, proprietary consumer research, and strategic tools/playbooks focused on brand-led sustainability transformation.

Product overview

Sustainable Brands operates as a multi-faceted media and community platform built around a digital publishing core, supplemented by events, research products, and strategic tools. The core product is the Sustainable Brands Digital Platform (news, expert voices, videos) which distributes sustainability-focused content to brand leaders. This platform is augmented by the SB Member Network for peer learning and networking, and Sustainable Brands Conferences (major global and regional events). Research capabilities are provided through the SB Socio-Cultural Trends Research (annual consumer behavior study with Ipsos). Strategic tools include the SB Brand Transformation Roadmap and Excellence in Execution Playbooks for organizational implementation. Additional offerings include the Nine Sustainable Behaviors framework, the ROI of Sustainability Masterclass Series educational program, the SB Go Circular Collaborative working group, Expert Voice Channels for thought leadership content, and Digital Advertising and Content Services for brand amplification. The SB Video Library provides on-demand access to recorded sessions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sustainable Brands Digital Platform A digital media and content platform publishing sustainability-focused news, expert voices, videos, and research for corporate brand leaders driving sustainable business innovation.
• SB Member Network A peer-to-peer learning and networking membership group supporting brands in meeting sustainability goals, offering exclusive forums, research access, and leadership programs. Members include Clorox, Walmart, Target, Unilever, and others.
• Sustainable Brands Conferences Internationally known conferences and regional events for brand and sustainability leaders, including SB'26 San Diego, SB'26 Tokyo, SB'26 Christchurch, and SB Türkiye'26.
• Webinars Live and on-demand webinar series covering sustainability topics including the ROI of Sustainability masterclass series and sector-specific presentations.
• SB Socio-Cultural Trends Research Annual consumer research conducted in partnership with Ipsos tracking changing drivers and behaviors around brands and sustainable living, sold to brands seeking consumer behavior insights.
• SB Brand Transformation Roadmap A proprietary strategic planning tool helping brands develop and implement sustainability transformation strategies.
• Excellence in Execution Playbooks Actionable resources providing practical guidance for implementing sustainability initiatives across organizations.
• ROI of Sustainability Masterclass Series A three-part masterclass series helping practitioners demonstrate the business value of sustainability initiatives and secure organizational buy-in.
• SB Go Circular Collaborative A collaborative working group of leading brands (AB InBev, CHEP, Eastman, General Mills, REI, Visa, Walmart) co-creating resources to drive consumer behavior change toward circular economy practices, including published playbooks.
• Digital Advertising and Content Services Integrated content, webinars, and digital advertising services including Brand Voice Channels, Community Voice Series, website and newsletter advertising for brand visibility and lead generation, sold to sponsors and solution providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50% of Gen Zs and Millennials have switched brands in the past six months for one more environmentally or socially responsible
• +2 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SB Go Circular Collaborative MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2024Collaborative working group including AB InBev, CHEP, Eastman, General Mills, Primo Brands, REI, Ulta, Visa, and Walmart co-creating resources to advance circular economy transition, including the SB Circularity Communications Playbook and Consumer Behavior Design Playbook.
• IpsoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership conducting the SB Socio-Cultural Trends Research tracking consumer attitudes toward brands and sustainable living. Research provides data on Gen Z and Millennial brand-switching behavior, consumer segments like 'Discerning Realists', and demand for brand transparency.
• The Passion InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on thought leadership content including the New Global Mind podcast series featuring conversations on systems thinking, leadership, and sustainability transition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Trellis Group (formerly GreenBiz): Sustainability-focused media, research, and events company (GreenBiz/VERGE conferences) serving corporate sustainability leaders; nearly identical business model to Sustainable Brands.
• 3BL Media / TriplePundit: Distributes corporate responsibility news and sponsored sustainability content to brands, overlapping directly with SB's digital publishing and sponsored-content revenue.
• Reuters Events Sustainability: Runs large corporate sustainability conferences and content for the same enterprise CSO audience SB targets globally.
• Ethical Corporation: Sustainable business intelligence, events, and reports for corporate responsibility professionals, competing for the same sponsors and members.

Regional players

• edie: UK-focused sustainable business media and events brand with comparable content-plus-events model, primarily serving a European audience.

Emerging players

• Corporate Knights: Sustainable business media and research firm publishing rankings and content for corporate audiences, overlapping with SB's research and media offering.
• Environmental Leader: Digital publisher covering corporate environmental and sustainability news with sponsored content, overlapping SB's editorial and advertising model.
• Conscious Company Media: Media and events company focused on purpose-driven and sustainable business, targeting a similar values-led corporate audience.

Others

• Ceres: Nonprofit sustainability network convening companies and investors; overlaps in community-building around corporate sustainability but is mission-driven rather than commercial media/events.
• B Lab: Nonprofit certifying B Corps and convening purpose-driven companies; adjacent ecosystem player engaging the same sustainability-minded brand community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/sustainablebrands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainablebrands
• Instagraminstagram.com/sustainablebrands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Sustainable Brands