What Geoversity does

Geoversity is a Panama-based nonprofit organization (operating as US 501(c)(3) Geoversity Foundation and Panamanian Fundación Geoversity) that delivers experiential education, conservation, and applied research programs grounded in biocultural leadership. Founded in 1990 as Earth Train and rebranded around 2017, it runs a portfolio of programs targeted at K-12 and university students, senior executives, indigenous and youth leaders, scientific researchers, and volunteers. Core delivery occurs on physical campuses — the 1,000-acre Centro Mamoní science center in the upper Mamoní Valley watershed, the Urban Forest Campus, and (since 2023) the Geoversity Ocean Centre at Seahorse Point on Bastimentos Island, Bocas del Toro — within the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity hotspot.

The organization's technical stack centers on biocultural design, natural construction using locally grown Guadua bamboo, and off-grid infrastructure (micro-hydroelectric and solar power). Its field-science methodology uses GIS land-use mapping and satellite/drone imagery through an in-house "Eyes in the Sky – Feet on the Ground" monitoring system, developed in partnership with the University of Redlands Center for Spatial Studies and STRI. Programs are co-developed with indigenous authorities under formal agreements (notably the Guna General Congress) and delivered through 40+ institutional collaborators including Smithsonian STRI, Biomimicry Institute, Harvard TECH, and Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots.

Geoversity generates revenue from five streams: tax-deductible charitable donations (primary stream), fee-based Life Changer educational programs ($1,999 per student for 10-day immersions), volunteer and research station fees ($10–$45/day), bamboo-based flight carbon offsets ($5 per cluster), and Guna Art book sales ($50 per copy). Distribution is direct: institutional clients engage through the program director, while individual donations, offset purchases, and book sales are processed via geoversity.org. Customers are acquired through partner referrals, global events (COP26, Harvard summits), and peer networks within youth, indigenous, and executive communities.

Name

Geoversity

Legal name

Geoversity Foundation

Website

https://geoversity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Geoversity is a Panama-based nonprofit that delivers experiential biocultural leadership education, rainforest and marine conservation, and applied research through its Centro Mamoní campus and Ocean Centre, serving students, executives, youth leaders, researchers, and volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Education Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife & Animal Care Volunteering (EDAIAGAE), Rainforest & Jungle Ecotourism Tours (THAAAEAF), Environmental Interpretation & Ranger-Led Education Programs (Visitor Education) (THAAAOAJ)

Keywords

• Conservation education
• Biocultural research
• Volunteer expeditions
• Carbon offset services
• Executive retreats

Headquarters

HQ city

Panama City

HQ country

Panama

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Geoversity operates primarily as a nonprofit, generating revenue through donations to Geoversity Foundation (US 501(c)(3), EIN: 94-3107635) and Fundación Geoversity (Panamanian not-for-profit). Donations support specific projects including the Bamboo Ark, School for Biocultural Leadership, and Centro Mamoní infrastructure. Donations qualify for US tax deductions.
2. Experiential Learning Programs (Life Changer Programs): Revenue generated from fee-based educational programs including school trips, one-month biocultural immersions, nature learning camps, and custom institutional programs. Pricing is $1,999 per student for 10-day programs (15-22 students), with discounts for siblings.
3. Book Sales – Guna Art Book: Sale of the Kuna Art Guna Art book at $50 per copy in the US, Canada, and Panama (with free pickup in Panama). Net proceeds support repatriation of indigenous Guna art to Panama. Volume discount of 10% for 10+ copies in Panama.
4. Carbon Offset Programs: Geoversity offers flight carbon offset programs through bamboo reforestation (carbon benefit) and non-carbon benefit projects including satellite forest monitoring, indigenous conservation initiatives, and community development. Offset calculator-based pricing at $5 per bamboo cluster.
5. Volunteer and Research Station Fees: Volunteers pay $10/day (50% discount for Panamanian students) with a minimum 7-day stay. Researchers pay $45/day for access to the off-grid research station including meals, Wi-Fi, pool, and facilities. Additional fees for private cabanas, transportation, guides, and eco-adventures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Geoversity is a nonprofit biocultural leadership organization that operates an immersive learning campus (Centro Mamoní) in Panama's Mamoní Valley, delivering field-based conservation education, volunteer expeditions, and research programs. It sells nature learning camps for families, custom educational programs for schools and universities, executive retreats, and carbon-offset rainforest conservation services, funded through donations, program fees, and sponsorships.

Product overview

Geoversity is Nature's University, a biocultural leadership organization offering a portfolio of interconnected experiential learning and conservation programs. The core offerings include Life Changer Programs (educational programs, expeditions, nature learning camps, and retreats), Conservation Communities (rainforest and ecosystem protection), and Applied Research and Design services. Supporting offerings include the Kuna Art Guna Art Book publication, Carbon Offset Program, Tropical Research opportunities, and Volunteer Programs. The main campus is Centro Mamoní in Panama's Mamoní Valley, with additional facilities including the Borrego Institute for Living Design in California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Life Changer Programs: Experiential learning programs combining science, community development, and biocultural leadership for students and executives.
• School for Biocultural Leadership (GeoSchool)
• Centro Mamoní
• Bamboo Ark Campaign

Products and services

• Centro Mamoní Immersive Campus A rainforest learning campus with dorms, kitchen facilities, meeting rooms, and laboratories used to host visiting student groups, families, executives, researchers, and volunteers for field-based programs in Panama.
• Nature Learning Camps Multi-day family camp experiences hosted at Centro Mamoní for parents and children to learn about rainforest ecology, wildlife, and sustainability together.
• Custom Educational Programs for Schools and Universities Curriculum-linked immersive programs offered to K-12 schools, universities, and other educational institutions on a custom itinerary basis, typically lasting one to two weeks and tailored to learning objectives.
• Volunteer Expedition Programs Service-learning trips for adult volunteers, including corporate groups and faith-based groups, who support reforestation, biodiversity monitoring, and other conservation initiatives in the Mamoní Valley.
• Executive Retreats Forest-based leadership retreats for senior executives and entrepreneurial organizations developed with input from co-founder Verne Harnish, teaching scaling, strategy, and leadership principles.
• Carbon Offset Conservation Program Reforestation and forest-protection work in the Mamoní Valley marketed as carbon offsets to corporate and individual sponsors, linking climate contributions to on-the-ground conservation outcomes.
• Research and Residency Programs Academic and independent research residencies hosted on-site, supporting GIS-based mapping, drone surveys, biodiversity studies, and other scholarly projects related to the Mamoní Valley ecosystem.
• Geoversity / Earth Train Books and Publications Books and educational materials authored by Geoversity staff and sold via Amazon, the on-site gift shop, and other retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% of upper Mamoní Valley watershed (4,837 hectares) protected as part of the Mamoní Valley Preserve as of 2021
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeoversity partners with STRI on the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project for reintroduction of endangered species at the Mamoní Valley Preserve. STRI conducts ongoing field research at MVP, contributing scientific rigor to conservation outcomes.
• Biomimicry InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Biomimicry Institute supports Geoversity's natural design and biomimicry curriculum and design workshops. Michelle Graves of the Institute presented at The Power of Nature Forum in 2020.
• Harvard Technology and Entrepreneurship Center (TECH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard TECH, led by Dr. David S. Ricketts, partners with Geoversity on The Nature of Business Executive Programs and hosted the Power of Nature Summit at Harvard in November 2019. Harvard affiliates have also conducted natural history research and design workshops.
• Jane Goodall's Roots & ShootscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeoversity has collaborated with Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots since 2008, hosting the first Latin America/Caribbean Rainforest Leadership Conference for the network in Panama and receiving multiple visits from Dr. Jane Goodall herself.
• Guna General Congress (Congreso General Guna)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal cooperation agreement with the Guna General Congress for protection and regeneration of ecosystems adjacent to the Diammayala ridge. The Congress co-governs the Diammayala Alliance and Geoversity supports the Congress's security outpost in Gunayala.
• Euroclima+ (European Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeoversity was selected by the EU's EUROCLIMA+ program to define how the UNFCCC non-carbon benefits mechanism under the Paris Agreement can work. Euroclima+ also funds MVP and Emberá non-carbon benefits pilot projects.
• Mamoní Valley Preserve (MVP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMVP is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to acquiring, restoring, and holding lands for ecological conservation in the upper Mamoní River watershed. Geoversity works in close partnership with MVP, which holds the land for conservation.
• Forest FinanceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGerman forestry company that became a member of MVP and took over management of the native species tree plantation in 2011. Manages commercial forestry aspects of the reforestation program.
• CityKids FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner since the 1990s Earth Train campaigns. CityKids Foundation co-produced the inaugural Earth Train journey across the US and continues to collaborate on youth empowerment programs.
• Panama Tourism Authority (ATP)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá collaborates with Geoversity on events including the Ocean-to-Ocean Panama Expedition 2021 and tourism promotion, providing institutional legitimacy and marketing support.
• KaminandominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPanamanian jaguar research organization conducting density and landscape behavior studies in the Mamoní Valley. Has identified seven resident jaguars on MVP properties.
• Borrego Institute for Living DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary ecotone where art, design, mystical storytelling, and evolutionary processes connect diverse minds. Works with Geoversity on biocultural design education and paradigm-shift facilitation.
• BiomuseominorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrank Gehry-designed museum in Panama City. Geoversity held the first public event in the Biomuseo and conducts bamboo design workshops and events at the venue, co-hosting the Junglewood concert series.
• The Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard (TECH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard TECH, led by Dr. David S. Ricketts, partners with Geoversity on The Nature of Business Executive Programs and hosted the Power of Nature Summit at Harvard in November 2019.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Conservation International is a major global NGO working on biodiversity protection, climate, and sustainable development across hotspots including the Tumbes-Choc\u00f3-Magdalena. Comparable in conservation mission and hotspot focus to Geoversity but at far greater scale and without an experiential-education business model.
• Rainforest Alliance: Rainforest Alliance is a large international NGO focused on biodiversity conservation and sustainable land use across the tropics. Comparable to Geoversity's Conservation Communities and Mamoni Valley Preserve work, but operates globally and at far larger scale with certification rather than immersive education as its core model.

Direct peers

• Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots: Roots & Shoots is a global youth-led community action program for people, animals, and the environment. Directly comparable to Geoversity's youth leadership programs (Geo2030, Guna Youth Congress), and an active partner organization since 2008.
• Biomimicry Institute: Biomimicry Institute promotes nature-inspired design through education, workshops, and consultancy. Directly comparable to Geoversity's Applied Research and Design offering including bamboo design workshops and biomimicry curriculum, and a core strategic partner.
• Global Vision International (GVI): GVI offers volunteer and internship programs in conservation and education across multiple continents. Directly comparable to Geoversity's volunteer placement program ($10/day) and field research station model, with a similar focus on experiential learning paired with conservation work.
• Outward Bound: Outward Bound runs experiential outdoor education and character development programs worldwide. Directly comparable to Geoversity's Life Changer programs focused on personal transformation through wilderness challenges and service learning.
• Earthwatch Institute: Earthwatch runs fee-based citizen-science expeditions and volunteer field research at global biodiversity sites. Directly comparable to Geoversity's Tropical Research station and volunteer programs, both combining immersive biodiversity research with conservation outcomes.
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): NOLS delivers wilderness education, expeditions, and leadership training with a strong field-based pedagogy. Directly comparable to Geoversity's nature learning camps, expeditions (Cordillera-Arrecife, Cerro Brewster), and wilderness-certified guides for youth and adults.
• The School for Field Studies (SFS): SFS runs field-based environmental and conservation study abroad programs at its own research stations worldwide. Directly comparable to Geoversity's Life Changer educational programs that deliver immersive conservation learning through physical campuses and field research infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI): STRI is a leading tropical biology research institute based in Panama operating field stations including on Barro Colorado Island. Comparable to Geoversity's Tropical Research station at Mamoni for academic biodiversity research, and an active research partner (Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/geoversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/Geoversity
• Instagraminstagram.com/geoversity
• Xx.com/geoversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/geoversity

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Geoversity