Bethesda Green

What Bethesda Green does

Bethesda Green is a 501(c)(3) non-profit incubator and community sustainability organization founded in 2008 and headquartered at 4825 Cordell Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland, with 1-10 employees. The organization operates across three pillars — Be Green Business (innovation hub for sustainable entrepreneurs), Be Green Living (community environmental programs), and Be Green for B Corp (impact benchmarking and certification advisory). Its core service offering is the Be Green Innovation Lab incubator, which provides mentorship, workshops, pitch practice, impact benchmarking, and non-equity-linked financial awards to mission-driven green startups; portfolio evidence includes climate tech (Climate Decision), water tech (AQUEES), community solar (Neighborhood Sun), and clean tech (Savenia Labs) companies. The business model blends recurring coworking and conference room rental revenue (memberships $40-$1,600/month, conference rooms $30-$420/event), episodic certification and consulting fees from Green Business Certification and B Corp advisory, episodic grant funding (Chesapeake Bay Trust, Montgomery County DEP, U.S. Department of Energy, totaling at least $312,000 disclosed), and corporate sponsorship through tiered recycling-bin sponsorships ($500-$15,000+) and donations. Community programs — including stormwater management (18,517 sq ft conservation garden at Glen Waye Gardens), pollinator gardens, a 61-bin street-level recycling program, the Teen Science Café, and the Environmental Leaders youth mentorship program — extend the organization's footprint beyond incubation into grassroots environmental stewardship across Montgomery County. In May 2026, Bethesda Green joined the NEXUS coalition with three other Maryland incubators to coordinate statewide innovation infrastructure.

Name

Bethesda Green

Legal name

Bethesda Green

Website

https://bethesdagreen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bethesda Green is a Bethesda, Maryland-based non-profit incubator founded in 2008 that runs the Be Green Innovation Lab for sustainable startups, Green Business Certification and B Corp advisory, an Impact Coworking Space, and Montgomery County community environmental programs including stormwater management, recycling, and pollinator gardens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Incubator Services

SIC

Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

Keywords

• Sustainability incubator
• Green business certification
• Impact coworking space
• Environmental community programs
• Green entrepreneurship support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Coworking Space Rentals: Monthly memberships for open desks, dedicated desks, private offices, and virtual office services. Provides revenue from startups and green businesses using the Impact Coworking Space.
2. Conference Room Rentals: Hourly, 4-hour, 8-hour, and full-day rental of conference rooms for meetings, events, lectures, and seminars. Non-profit rates are discounted 20%.
3. Green Business Certification Services: Be Green Business program certifying local businesses in Montgomery County for environmental sustainability practices. Supports businesses through B-Corps certification advisory.
4. Grants and Funding: Grant funding from Chesapeake Bay Trust, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, and Montgomery County Water Quality Protection Fund supports community projects.
5. Recycling Bin Sponsorship: Corporate and individual sponsorship of street-level recycling bins in downtown Bethesda, with sponsorship tiers ranging from $500 to $15,000+.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Bethesda Green is a nonprofit sustainable urban ecosystem organization that operates a green-business incubator (Be Green Innovation Lab) for mission-driven sustainable startups, provides Green Business Certification and B Corp consulting to local companies, and runs an Impact Coworking Space. It also executes community environmental programs including stormwater management, pollinator gardens, street-level recycling, youth environmental education (Environmental Leaders, Teen Science Café), and environmental events for Montgomery County residents and businesses.

Product overview

Bethesda Green is a sustainable urban ecosystem organization that functions as a community hub rather than a traditional tech product company. Its offerings center around the Be Green Innovation Lab incubator program, which supports green entrepreneurs through mentorship and workspace, complemented by Green Business Certification and B Corp Consulting services. The organization also operates community-facing programs including Environmental Leaders (youth development), Teen Science Café (STEM education), Stormwater Management Projects, Pollinator Gardens, Street-Level Recycling, and Carbon Garden Project. Physical offerings include an Impact Coworking Space and Conference Room Rental. These programs collectively work to advance sustainability, environmental education, and green business development in the Bethesda, Maryland region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Be Green Business: Home of the Innovation Lab, supporting eco-entrepreneurs and green business development with incubation services, mentorship, and B-Corp certification support.
• Be Green Living
• Be Green Innovation Lab
• Be Green for B Corp
• Environmental Leaders Program
• Teen Science Café
• Bethesda Recycles

Products and services

• Be Green Innovation Lab Incubator An incubator program supporting mission-driven entrepreneurs building sustainable and socially impactful for-profit businesses through mentorship, workshops, pitch practice, and a collaborative community. Provides non-equity-linked financial awards and impact benchmarking tools.
• Green Business Certification A certification program for businesses demonstrating environmental responsibility, helping companies adopt sustainable practices and earn recognition for green operations in Montgomery County.
• B Corp Consulting Advisory services helping existing local businesses achieve B-Corp certification, focusing on best practices for sound governance, worker support, and environmental sustainability. Includes the Be Green for B Corps Program with tools and workshop series to benchmark triple-bottom-line impact.
• Impact Coworking Space A coworking space for startups and businesses prioritizing environmental sustainability and positive social impact, offering open-spaced areas, dedicated offices, virtual offices, educational resources, and networking opportunities. Monthly memberships range from $40 (virtual) to $1,600 (private office).
• Environmental Leaders Program A youth development program enabling high school students to have professional mentors guide them through environmental science projects, cultivating the next generation of environmental leaders.
• Teen Science Café A free program for teens to engage in conversations with STEM experts about environmental issues, run by and for high school students ages 14-19, featuring informal speaker sessions on advances in environmental science.
• Stormwater Management Projects Community-based environmental projects that install rain gardens, cisterns, and conservation landscapes to help manage stormwater runoff and protect local waterways including the Chesapeake Bay and Anacostia River.
• Pollinator Gardens Planting and maintenance of three pollinator gardens that provide nectar and resources supporting native pollinators such as butterflies, honeybees, bumblebees, and hummingbirds in the Bethesda area.
• Street-Level Recycling Program A community recycling initiative that installs and maintains 61 street-level recycling bins throughout downtown Bethesda to increase proper recycling and reduce waste going to landfills.
• Conference Room Rental A rentable conference room available for meetings, events, lectures, and seminars, seating up to 40 people with audio-visual equipment and high-speed internet. Pricing: $30-$65/hour, $100-$420/full-day based on duration and timing.
• Carbon Garden Project An educational project demonstrating carbon sequestration through a planted garden, showing how biological carbon sequestration can help fight climate change.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,028 cubic feet of stormwater treated per one-inch rainstorm at Glen Waye Gardens (18,517 sq ft conservation garden)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NEXUS Coalition (bwtech@UMBC, Frederick Innovative Technology Center, The Maryland Innovation Center)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Four Maryland business incubators formed the NEXUS coalition to create a coordinated statewide innovation infrastructure. The coalition aims to share resources, pursue grant funding, expand access to capital, and better support startups across cybersecurity, biotechnology, sustainability, advanced technology, health innovation, with potential expansion into water technologies, food and agriculture, and climate innovation sectors.
• Chesapeake Bay TrustcoreOthersPrimary funder for Glen Waye Gardens stormwater reduction project. Awarded $32,000 grant in 2015 and $80,000 grant in 2018 through Montgomery County Water Quality Protection Fund administered by Montgomery County DEP.
• Montgomery County Department of Environmental ProtectioncoreOthersAdministered the Montgomery County Water Quality Protection Fund grants to Bethesda Green for Glen Waye Gardens project. Partner on Downtown Bethesda Raingarden Project and other stormwater initiatives.
• Glen Waye Gardens CondominiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on stormwater management and conservation landscape installation at a 214-unit condominium complex draining into the Anacostia River. Installed 18,517 sq ft conservation garden, 17 cisterns, and 60+ trees.
• Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Downtown Bethesda Raingarden Project (installing raingardens in medians) and maintenance of street-level recycling bins in downtown Bethesda.
• Montgomery County Shades of Green Program / Casey TreesminorOthersContracted Casey Trees to plant 96 native trees at Glen Waye Gardens from 2013-2015 as part of the Montgomery County Shades of Green Program.
• TEDCOminorOthersMaryland Technology Development Corporation referenced as a resource and program available to incubator companies. Bethesda Green incubator alumni introduced to TEDCO programs for additional startup support.
• Kensington Mews Homeowners AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Kensington Mews Community Restoration Project to restore a communal space using best stormwater management practices and native plant species.
• Montgomery County Solid Waste Transfer Station / Shady Grove Processing FacilityminorOthersCounty facility where collected recyclables are inspected, sorted, packaged, and shipped for repurposing. Yard trim composted at Montgomery County Yard Trim Compost Facility.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• B Lab Global: The global nonprofit behind B Corp Certification. Bethesda Green's Be Green for B Corps Program provides B Corp consulting and triple-bottom-line benchmarking tools, putting both organizations in the same nonprofit-to-business sustainability certification niche.
• Net Impact: A nonprofit membership organization mobilizing professionals and students around sustainability. Bethesda Green operates in the same nonprofit / sustainability / community-engagement space, with overlapping programming around green careers and community environmental action.
• Greentown Labs: A cleantech incubator and coworking space supporting startups working on climate and sustainability. Greentown Labs is the closest direct analog to Bethesda Green's Be Green Innovation Lab in mission, structure, and target founder.
• Echoing Green: A nonprofit that funds and supports emerging social-impact leaders. Echoing Green's fellowship and leadership-development model parallels Bethesda Green's Environmental Leaders and incubator programming for mission-driven entrepreneurs.
• Groundwork USA: A national network of local environmental nonprofits delivering community-based greening projects (urban gardens, stormwater, tree planting). Bethesda Green's Be Green Living programs (stormwater, pollinator gardens, recycling) closely mirror Groundwork's community environmental model.
• Second Nature: A nonprofit focused on climate leadership in higher education and K-12 environmental education. Second Nature's youth and educator programming is structurally similar to Bethesda Green's Teen Science Café and Environmental Leaders youth programs.
• bwtech@UMBC: A Maryland research-park business incubator and cybersecurity/biotech hub, and a NEXUS coalition co-member alongside Bethesda Green. Both operate as regional incubator facilities supporting early-stage ventures and shared grant/government funding channels.

Broad incumbents

• Impact Hub: A global network of impact-focused coworking and incubation spaces. Both Impact Hub and Bethesda Green run coworking + startup-incubation models explicitly aligned with social and environmental impact.
• Keep America Beautiful: The national nonprofit known for its recycling-bin infrastructure and community litter/recycling programs. Bethesda Green's Street-Level Recycling program with sponsored downtown bins is a direct local analog of KAB's public-recycling infrastructure work.

Emerging players

• Elemental Excelerator: A climate-tech equity-focused accelerator deploying non-dilutive capital to startups. Elemental's climate-innovation thesis and non-equity-linked funding model closely mirror Bethesda Green's incubator approach for sustainability founders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BethesdaGreen
• Xx.com/bethesdagreen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Bethesda Green