Cream City Conservation
Cream City Conservation is a Milwaukee-based, founder-owned Certified B Corporation that delivers DEI and climate-equity consulting, a digital J.E.D.I. learning program, and international Reset Lab retreats to government, nonprofit, and corporate clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersMilwaukee, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Cream City Conservation does
Cream City Conservation is a Milwaukee-based, founder-owned social enterprise and Certified B Corporation established in 2016 by August M. Ball, operating as Wisconsin's first Black-owned B Corp. The company runs two business lines: an active DEI and climate-equity consulting practice serving government, nonprofit, and corporate clients, and a C4 Conservation Corps program that was paused in 2025 after federal funding cuts. The consulting practice delivers strategy, employee-engagement, and climate-equity advisory work, alongside a digital J.E.D.I. Learning Program offered as a cohort-based four-week course at $349 and The Reset Lab, an experiential retreat product priced at $1,679–$3,379 per attendee and operated in international locations including Tulum, Mexico and the Philippines. The company has also deployed AskAugust GPT, a custom chatbot built on OpenAI's platform to extend the founder's advisory voice at low marginal cost.
The business model is a mix of project-based consulting engagements, cohort digital learning, and high-ticket retreat revenue. The company is bootstrapped with no outside funding raised and is pursuing WBE (Women's Business Enterprise) certification alongside its existing B Corp status (achieved 2022). Long-tenured partnerships include the U.S. Forest Service (since 2016), Wisconsin DNR, and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (since 2018), with additional corporate clients including SC Johnson, Jacobs, Associated Bank, Versiti, and Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Operations are founder-led, and the recent strategic posture reflects a deliberate shift from subsidized conservation programming toward more scalable, higher-margin consulting and productized experiences.
Cream City Conservation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cream City Conservation
- Legal name
- Cream City Conservation
- Website
- https://creamcityconservation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cream City Conservation is a Milwaukee-based, founder-owned Certified B Corporation that delivers DEI and climate-equity consulting, a digital J.E.D.I. learning program, and international Reset Lab retreats to government, nonprofit, and corporate clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cream City Conservation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting (DEI/J.E.D.I.)
- NAICS
- Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), Landscaping Services (561730)
- SIC
- Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Urban Renewal, Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reuse (BPAIANAI), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)
Keywords
Where Cream City Conservation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milwaukee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cream City Conservation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Workplace Culture Consulting: People and culture educational programs offered to private companies, non-profit organizations, and government institutions globally. Includes customized DEI training, strategy development, culture and equity audits, keynote presentations, and organizational assessments. Profits from consulting fund the conservation corps program.
- Retreat Programs: The Reset Lab restorative retreats for changemakers. Single private accommodations at $3,379 or shared accommodations at $1,679. All-inclusive pricing covers lodging, meals, transportation, activities, and retreat materials. Flights not included.
- 1% for the Planet Donation: Gives 1% of annual sales directly to other environmental organizations as part of their commitment to environmental stewardship.
- Conservation Corps Fee-for-Service Projects: Fresh Coast Ambassador crew completes annual fee-for-service projects with partners like UWM Office of Sustainability to support operational costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Single Private King or Queen Bed + Ensuite - Full privacy accommodation |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Shared Accommodations - Shared room + Separate Beds + Ensuite |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Customized Consulting and Training Services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Cream City Conservation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cream City Conservation provides customized DEI/J.E.D.I. consulting, organizational culture assessments, equity audits, and roadmap creation for private companies, nonprofits, and government institutions. The firm also runs The Reset Lab, a restorative retreat program for changemakers held in Tulum, Mexico, and previously operated a C4 Conservation Corps for paid environmental stewardship projects.
Product overview
Cream City Conservation is a two-pronged social enterprise combining a consulting practice with a conservation corps program (currently paused). The consulting arm, Cream City Consulting, provides people and culture educational programs — including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training, organizational culture assessments, and roadmap creation — to private companies, non-profit organizations, and government institutions globally. The Digital J.E.D.I. Learning Program is a virtual cohort-based offering that delivers these workshops in a structured three-phase format (assessment, workshops, roadmap) for organizations of 100 or fewer employees. The Conservation Corps (C4) previously employed Milwaukee teens for public land stewardship, funded by consulting profits. Separately, The Reset Lab is an all-inclusive restorative retreat experience in Tulum, Mexico for burnt-out change-makers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Reset Lab: A restorative retreat program for burnt-out change-makers, held in Tulum, Mexico. The retreat offers 4-5 nights all-inclusive experiences including nervous system reset, guided rituals, ceremony, healing, and rest for frontline leaders and justice seekers.
- Digital J.E.D.I Learning Program
- Fresh Coast Ambassador Program
Products and services
- Cream City Consulting (Workplace Culture & J.E.D.I. Consulting) Customized workplace culture consulting, organizational culture assessments, equity audits, policy and procedure reviews, and strategy roadmaps for private companies, nonprofits, and government institutions seeking to advance J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) outcomes.
- Walking the Walk Workshop
Quantifiable outcome
- Top 5% BCorp score in Workers Impact area
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cream City Conservation
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cream City Conservation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Cream City Conservation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Milwaukee Environmental Youth CollaborativecoreCream City Conservation continues its stewardship commitment through direct partnership with the Milwaukee Environmental Youth Collaborative, supporting youth environmental education and workforce development in Milwaukee.
- 1% for the PlanetminorCream City Conservation is a member of 1% for the Planet, committing to give 1% of annual sales directly to other environmental organizations.
- Milwaukee County ParkscoreC4 Summer Conservation Corps operates in partnership with Milwaukee County Parks and various Friends of the Parks groups. Teens complete public land stewardship projects around Milwaukee County including trail construction, invasive species removal, and tree planting.
- U.S. Forest ServicecoreSince 2016, C4 has been recognized as a 21st Century Corps program. Every summer, C4 sends a crew of up to 10 Milwaukee teens to Chequamegon Nicollete to job shadow USFS forestry professionals for two weeks.
- Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)coreIn 2018, C4 and MMSD partnered to create the Fresh Coast Ambassador program. Crew of 12 works on water course projects, wetland restoration, water quality management, and green infrastructure primarily around the KK River Parkway and 30th Street Corridor.
- UWM Office of SustainabilityminorFresh Coast Ambassador crew completes annual fee-for-service projects with the UWM Office of Sustainability, maintaining their onsite green infrastructure to support program costs.
- TransCenter for YouthcoreIn partnership with TransCenter for Youth, Cream City Conservation Corps partners with local high schools to provide paid learning experiences where students combine classroom education with ecological restoration on public lands.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cream City Conservation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Winters Group: A boutique DEI and racial equity consulting firm serving corporations, governments, and nonprofits. Closely comparable to Cream City Consulting's focus on culture assessments, DEI strategy, and customized training engagements.
- Student Conservation Association: A national nonprofit placing young people into conservation service roles on public lands. Directly comparable to Cream City Conservation Corps' youth employment, public-land stewardship, and partnership model with the U.S. Forest Service.
- Groundwork USA: A national network of urban environmental justice organizations running youth conservation corps in underinvested urban areas. Closely comparable to Cream City's Milwaukee-based urban conservation, green infrastructure, and youth workforce mission.
- Racial Equity Institute: Provides racial equity training, workshops, and organizational consulting. Comparable to Cream City's J.E.D.I. workshop suite, culture assessments, and organizational equity roadmap offerings.
- Paradigm Strategy: A DEI strategy and consulting firm serving corporations and nonprofits. Comparable to Cream City Consulting's culture assessment, DEI training, and strategic advisory service lines for mission-driven organizations.
Broad incumbents
- The Corps Network: National membership association of over 130 Service and Conservation Corps. Comparable as a broader institutional counterparty and potential partner/incumbent for the youth corps programming Cream City historically ran.
- Heidrick & Struggles: A global leadership advisory and executive search firm with a dedicated DE&I practice. Comparable as a much larger incumbent offering overlapping DEI strategy, culture assessment, and leadership advisory services to enterprise clients.
- Korn Ferry: A global organizational consulting firm with DEI, culture, and talent solutions. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise culture and DEI consulting budgets.
Regional players
- Urban Ecology Center: Milwaukee-based nonprofit operating urban environmental education and stewardship programs. Listed as a Cream City partner, with overlapping mission of urban environmental education and conservation programming in the same metro.
Emerging players
- Earthwatch Institute: An environmental nonprofit engaging citizens in conservation fieldwork and youth programs. Adjacent comparable to Cream City's youth outdoor employment and conservation mission, with overlap in environmental stewardship programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cream City Conservation social profiles
Digital presenceCream City Conservation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Cream City Conservation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cream City Conservation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cream City Conservation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cream City Conservation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cream City Conservation
What does Cream City Conservation do?
Cream City Conservation provides customized DEI/J.E.D.I. consulting, organizational culture assessments, equity audits, and roadmap creation for private companies, nonprofits, and government institutions. The firm also runs The Reset Lab, a restorative retreat program for changemakers held in Tulum, Mexico, and previously operated a C4 Conservation Corps for paid environmental stewardship projects.
Is Cream City Conservation a public or private company?
Cream City Conservation is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cream City Conservation founded?
Cream City Conservation was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cream City Conservation based?
Cream City Conservation is headquartered in Milwaukee, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cream City Conservation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Workplace Culture Consulting is the primary driver. The others are retreat Programs, 1% for the Planet Donation and conservation Corps Fee-for-Service Projects.
Who are Cream City Conservation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Winters Group, Student Conservation Association, Groundwork USA, Racial Equity Institute and Paradigm Strategy. Broad incumbents are The Corps Network, Heidrick & Struggles and Korn Ferry. Urban Ecology Center is listed as a regional player. Earthwatch Institute is listed as an emerging player.
Does Cream City Conservation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cream City Conservation.
What industry is Cream City Conservation in?
Cream City Conservation's product category is Management Consulting (DEI/J.E.D.I.). Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAMACAL, Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting, with a secondary code of BPAIANAI, Urban Renewal, Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reuse. Its NAICS code is 5629 and its SIC code is 4950.