Slow Factory

What Slow Factory does

Slow Factory is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2012 and headquartered in New York City, operating as a knowledge lab and climate school at the intersection of climate justice, fashion sustainability, and Global Majority empowerment. It runs a multi-program ecosystem anchored by Open Edu (a free open-source education platform with 23,000+ students across 46 countries, of whom 85%+ self-identify as women), the independent media platform 'Everything is Political,' the Slow Journal editorial imprint, and a portfolio of applied sustainability programs including Garment to Garment (circular design), One X One (fashion & science incubator), and Landfills as Museums (waste-led design education originally funded by adidas). Underlying capabilities span open-source curriculum development, life cycle assessment (LCA) research, supply chain analysis, and a content/media production stack that has accumulated 150M+ media impressions and reaches 10M+ people daily.

The organization monetizes through three streams: equity-driven monthly memberships (suggested guideline of 0.1% of donor income, with tax-deductible contributions), brand and foundation grants tied to specific programs (e.g., adidas/Landfills as Museums, Stand.earth/SupplyChange, Natura/Floresta em Pé), and merchandise sales via a Shopify storefront. Distribution runs through owned digital platforms (Instagram, Twitter/X, Slack Open Education Group, newsletter), cultural institution residencies (MoMA PS1, New York Live Arts, Toronto Biennial, SXSW), and experiential events (Planet Justice festival series, Study Hall conferences). Primary customer segments are people of the Global Majority seeking climate and anti-colonial education, fashion/consumer brands pursuing supply chain transformation, and climate justice activists — with research outputs like the SupplyChange campaign (covering 100+ fashion brands including Nike, Coach, Gap, and LVMH) providing the consulting credibility layer.

Name

Slow Factory

Legal name

Slow Factory

Website

https://slowfactory.earth

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Slow Factory is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2012, operating as a knowledge lab and open education platform at the intersection of climate justice, fashion sustainability, and Global Majority empowerment, serving 23,000+ students across 46 countries via curricula, media, events, and supply chain research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Justice Education and Advocacy

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios) (EDAMADAC)

Keywords

• Climate justice education
• Open educational resources
• Sustainable fashion research
• Regenerative design consulting
• Nonprofit climate advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Contributions: As a 501c3 nonprofit, Slow Factory's primary revenue comes from monthly membership contributions (equity-driven, any amount meaningful to the donor, with a guideline of 0.1% of income) and one-time donations from the public. Membership benefits include quarterly community assemblies, exclusive event access, and for contributions over $50/month, a physical copy of the monthly printed journal 'Everything is Political'.
2. Program- and Brand-Specific Project Funding: Slow Factory receives grants and project-specific funding from brands and foundations for particular programs. The organization works with companies to change their systems and supply chains. Examples include adidas funding the Landfills as Museums initiative and Stand.earth collaborating on supply chain research.
3. Merchandise Sales: Revenue from the sale of published products including books (e.g., 'A Woman is a School' memoir by Céline Semaan, Planet Justice textbook) and merchandise via the Shopify storefront at shop.slowfactory.earth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Slow Factory is a 501c3 nonprofit knowledge lab founded in 2012 that delivers open education on climate justice, sustainability literacy, and social equity to the Global Majority. It operates the free Open Edu platform (with 23,000+ students across 46 countries), publishes independent media including the 'Everything is Political' print journal and the Slow Journal editorial platform, runs experiential events such as the Planet Justice festival and Study Hall conference, and conducts regenerative design and supply chain research and consulting for fashion and consumer brands.

Product overview

Slow Factory is an award-winning movement organization and knowledge lab that operates as a multi-platform ecosystem rather than a single product. The core offerings include Open Edu (a free education program for the Global Majority with 23,000+ students), Everything is Political (independent media platform with printed journal), Slow Journal (editorial platform), and Planet Justice (experiential event series). Supporting programs include Study Hall (conference series), Landfills as Museums (educational initiative on circular systems), One X One (fashion & science incubator), Garment to Garment (circular design program), and the Slow Factory Center for Collective Healing & Liberation (physical space/climate school). Additional offerings include I Really Love This Song (digital art project), Toolkits & Campaigns, Media Justice initiatives, the Superfund for Lebanon and Creative Space Beirut campaigns, Fellowships, and Deep Ecology programs. The organization also publishes books including 'A Woman is a School' memoir. These programs interconnect through shared frameworks of collective liberation, climate justice, and anti-colonial education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Edu Free and accessible education program by and for the Global Majority, offering classes on climate justice, sustainability literacy, fashion, and systemic change. Has served over 23,000 students from 46 countries. Live broadcasts are gated to monthly supporters, with recordings made publicly available later.
• Everything is Political Independent media platform for climate, culture, design, art, and resistance from the Global South, featuring editorial content and a printed journal. Monthly supporters contributing over $50/month receive a physical copy of the printed journal.
• Slow Journal Editorial platform for independent research, essays, interviews, and other content that shifts cultural narratives on climate and social justice.
• Landfills as Museums Educational initiative that challenges recognition of landfills as sites of cultural importance, demonstrating how waste can be incorporated into product design to build sustainable circular systems. Developed with support from adidas, featuring immersive visits to active landfills in the New York City area.
• A Woman is a School First memoir by Slow Factory founder Céline Semaan, following the tradition of the hakawati storytellers of the Levant. Sold via the Slow Factory Shopify storefront at shop.slowfactory.earth.
• Planet Justice: Art for Liberation Nomadic experiential event bridging music, performance, dance, food, speaking, and community care to heal and inspire climate justice advocates. Co-curated with New York Live Arts / Bill T. Jones for the Live Ideas 2023 festival edition.
• Supply Chain Consulting Systems design consulting services for brands and organizations aimed at transforming supply chains toward environmental sustainability and human rights compliance. Includes supply chain research, life cycle assessment, and circular systems design work for fashion and consumer brands such as adidas, Natura, and brands studied in the Stand.earth SupplyChange campaign.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 23,000 students from 46 countries participate in equity-focused education programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ben & Jerry'scoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 October 2025Ben & Jerry's hosted a 'Party for Protest Rights' event in New York City featuring Slow Factory alongside the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Amnesty International USA. The event promoted free speech and activism with music, workshops, and community resource sharing. Slow Factory contributed activism tools and programming as part of the event focused on First Amendment rights and empowering young activists. Additional events are planned for 2026.
• Stand.earthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStand.earth collaborated with Slow Factory to publish the SupplyChange research campaign exposing over 100 fashion brands' ties to Amazon deforestation through leather supply chains. The research was co-produced and published in November 2021, with Slow Factory contributing supply chain expertise and Stand.earth providing environmental campaigning infrastructure.
• adidasminorGTM or Marketing Partneradidas provided support for the Landfills as Museums educational initiative, an immersive program by Slow Factory in which groups of designers, students, and activists were taken to active landfills in the New York City area. adidas Runners NYC team captain Shiara Robinson was featured in the program's promotional materials.
• New York Live Arts / Bill T. JonescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlow Factory was invited to co-curate Live Ideas, the annual arts and culture festival from Bill T. Jones' New York Live Arts. The 2023 edition titled 'PLANET JUSTICE: are you here for it?' explored climate justice rooted in social justice, anti-colonialism, and human rights. The five-day festival featured performances, installations, workshops, an outdoor festival, and symposium.
• MoMA PS1coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlow Factory conducted an exhibition residency at MoMA PS1's homeroom with 'The Revolution is a School' program, bringing climate and social justice education to a major art institution.
• Toronto BiennialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlow Factory participates in the Toronto Biennial of Art as part of its Arts & Education programming, contributing to international art and cultural discourse.
• Creative Reaction LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlow Factory collaborated with Creative Reaction Lab (founded by Antionette Carroll) for a Special Edition Open Edu class on 'Designing for Social & Environmental Justice,' diving into Equity-Centered Community Design principles.
• Progressive InternationalcoreOthersFounder Céline Semaan sits on Progressive International's Council alongside Noam Chomsky and Arundhati Roy, positioning Slow Factory within a global progressive thought leadership network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Climate Reality Project: Global climate education and advocacy organization founded by Al Gore, training climate leaders and running large-scale narrative change campaigns. Comparable to Slow Factory's Open Edu platform, Fellowships, and mass-reach media justice work.
• Carbon Trust: International sustainability consultancy advising businesses and governments on carbon footprinting, LCA, and circular economy strategies. Comparable to Slow Factory's LCA research and supply chain work targeting fashion brands and consumer goods companies.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Global nonprofit sustainability consultancy working with enterprises on supply chain transformation, human rights, and climate strategy. Comparable to Slow Factory's supply chain consulting and Life Cycle Assessment research, though operating at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• Fashion Revolution: Global nonprofit focused on fashion industry transparency, supply chain accountability, and sustainability education. Directly comparable to Slow Factory's Fashion and Consumer Brands segment, including the Stand.earth-style supply chain research and Global Majority–centered narrative change work.
• Closed Loop Partners: Investment firm and platform advancing the circular economy through funds, consulting, and the Center for the Circular Economy. Comparable to Slow Factory's Garment to Garment circular design program, One X One incubator, and brand-facing circular systems consulting.
• Textile Exchange: Nonprofit driving sustainable fiber and materials adoption across the fashion and textile industry, with member companies, LCA standards, and circular materials research. Overlaps directly with Slow Factory's One X One incubator, Garment to Garment circular design program, and supply chain consulting.
• Creative Reaction Lab: Equity-centered community design nonprofit founded by Antionette Carroll, focused on building inclusive, anti-racist creative ecosystems. Direct peer and existing Slow Factory collaborator on the 'Designing for Social & Environmental Justice' Open Edu class, sharing Global Majority–centered pedagogy and creative activism audiences.
• Stand.earth: Environmental advocacy nonprofit conducting brand-campaigning research on deforestation, fossil fuels, and supply chain accountability. Direct peer and active collaborator with Slow Factory on SupplyChange research covering 100+ fashion brands, including joint Nike, Coach, Gap, LVMH exposure work.

Broad incumbents

• RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute): Independent nonprofit think tank working on clean energy, sustainable industry, and climate solutions with deep research and consulting capacity. Overlaps with Slow Factory's systemic change frameworks, materials innovation research, and corporate supply chain advisory work, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Global nonprofit running the leading environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, and investors on climate, water, and forests. Comparable to Slow Factory's LCA and supply chain reporting on fashion brands, but at significantly greater scale and standardization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/slowfactory_
• Instagraminstagram.com/theslowfactory
• Facebookfacebook.com/Slowfactory
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/slow-factory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Slow Factory