Blu Skye

What Blu Skye does

Blu Skye is a boutique sustainability strategy consulting firm founded in 2003 by Jib Ellison and headquartered in Healdsburg, California. The firm serves the world's largest corporations, industry associations, nonprofits, foundations, family offices, and government agencies, helping them translate sustainability from defensive compliance into a source of competitive advantage. Its named client roster spans Walmart, Microsoft, Hilton, Sony Pictures, J.Crew, Staples, Alcoa, Dairy Management Inc., Patagonia, and Tompkins Conservation, with several engagements lasting more than a decade.

Blu Skye's core 'technology' is a proprietary consulting methodology rather than software. It integrates the Natural Step System Conditions (four science-based principles for sustaining life on Earth) with traditional management consulting and organizational development, drawing on Appreciative Inquiry to facilitate stakeholder alignment. The firm developed and institutionalized methodologies including Sustainable Value Networks (SVNs) for embedding sustainability into corporate culture, multi-stakeholder summit facilitation, and the Sustainability Index framework that underpinned Walmart's sustainability program and evolved into the Sustainability Consortium and THESIS platform used by 1,700+ manufacturers representing nearly USD 1 trillion in consumer product sales.

The firm operates as a high-touch professional services business, generating revenue exclusively through custom-scoped, multi-year enterprise engagements priced on a relationship basis rather than published rate cards. Its go-to-market is driven by direct C-suite relationships, thought leadership placements (Harvard Business Review, Organization Development Journal), the annual Blu Skye Confluence executive retreat, and the 22nd Century Leadership podcast. The current core team consists of a small group of principals and consultants (under 10 on the firmographic record, with a broader network under 30 named individuals) supported by an advisor bench that includes Paul Hawken, Kristine Tompkins, Peter Seligmann, William McDonough, and Rick Ridgeway, providing differentiated access and credibility in the sustainability ecosystem.

Name

Blu Skye

Legal name

Blu Skye

Website

https://bluskye.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blu Skye is a boutique sustainability strategy consulting firm founded in 2003 that helps Fortune 500 corporations, industry associations, nonprofits, foundations, family offices, and governments embed regenerative sustainability into business strategy through multi-stakeholder facilitation and long-term enterprise engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH), ESG Governance, Sustainability Reporting & Assurance Advisory (BPAHAFAJ)

Keywords

• Sustainability consulting
• ESG strategy advisory
• Climate strategy consulting
• Corporate sustainability services
• Environmental advisory

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

Revenue model

1. Sustainability Strategy Consulting: Blu Skye generates revenue exclusively through professional services engagements. The firm charges fees for strategic consulting engagements including sustainability strategy development, organizational design and change management, multi-stakeholder facilitation, and implementation support. Engagements are long-term and relationship-based, typically spanning multiple years with large enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Blu Skye is a boutique sustainability consulting firm that advises Fortune 500 companies, industry associations, nonprofits, foundations, family offices, and governments on sustainability strategy. The firm was founded in 2003 and operates as a focused advisory practice providing high-level strategy and stakeholder engagement services rather than commodity consulting or implementation services.

Product overview

Blu Skye is a sustainability strategy consulting firm, not a software product company. They offer a portfolio of consulting services including sustainability strategy development, multi-stakeholder collaboration facilitation, organization development, and frameworks for measuring environmental impact. Their core offerings include advisory engagements to help Fortune 500 companies develop and execute sustainability strategies, facilitated summits to align diverse stakeholders, and methodologies like Sustainable Value Networks (SVNs) for embedding sustainability into corporate culture. The firm works across industries including retail, food, energy, CPG, hospitality, entertainment, finance, and waste.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sustainability Strategy Advisory

Quantifiable outcome

• Created the Sustainable Apparel Coalition representing nearly $1 trillion in annual revenues across 250+ global members
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Paulson Institute (CEO Council for Sustainable Urbanization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014The Paulson Institute, in partnership with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), launched the CEO Council for Sustainable Urbanization. Blu Skye participated in the formation of this bilateral CEO-led group to advance sustainable urbanization in China. The 16 founding companies (8 Chinese, 8 Western) had combined annual revenues of USD 1.4 trillion. Blu Skye's involvement positioned it at the intersection of Chinese and Western corporate sustainability leadership.
• Sustainable Apparel CoalitionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlu Skye was instrumental in conceiving and launching the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the world's largest apparel, footwear, and home textile trade organization. As SAC's first employee, Jason Kibbey worked intimately with the Blu Skye team to stand up the organization. Blu Skye brought facilitation, project management, stakeholder engagement, governance, and content expertise essential for any multi-stakeholder initiative. The SAC launched the Apparel Sustainability Index (which became the Higg Index) and now represents nearly a trillion dollars in annual revenues across more than 250 global members. SAC has become a world-changing effort in standardizing supply chain sustainability measurement.
• The Sustainability ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlu Skye helped transform the Walmart Sustainability Index into The Sustainability Consortium (TSC), a global non-governmental organization co-managed by the University of Arizona and University of Arkansas. TSC now has over 100 members representing corporations, non-profits, and academic institutions. TSC developed the Sustainability Insight System (THESIS), which uses science to identify hotspots, improvement opportunities, and KPIs for consumer products. In 2020, over 1,700 manufacturers representing nearly $1 trillion in annual consumer product sales used THESIS for sustainability assessment.
• Science Based Targets Network (SBTN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErin Billman, formerly a Principal at Blu Skye, is now Executive Director of the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), leading global communications and strategic initiatives. SBTN provides companies with methodologies and guidance for setting science-based environmental targets beyond climate (covering nature and biodiversity). This ongoing relationship connects Blu Skye's consulting methodology with SBTN's global standard-setting work.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Futerra: Futerra is a sustainability strategy and communications agency advising major brands on sustainability positioning, narrative, and stakeholder engagement — comparable to Blu Skye's thought-leadership and stakeholder facilitation work, though more focused on communications and branding.
• Anthesis Group: Anthesis is a sustainability consultancy offering strategy, advisory, and implementation services to large corporations — a direct competitor in the enterprise sustainability strategy space, though larger and with a broader global delivery footprint than Blu Skye.
• South Pole Group: South Pole is a climate strategy and sustainability solutions provider serving large corporates on net-zero pathways and ESG advisory — directly comparable to Blu Skye's enterprise sustainability strategy work, particularly for clients pursuing climate-related transformation.
• Pure Strategies: Pure Strategies is a sustainability consulting firm helping CPG, food, and retail companies embed sustainability into strategy and supply chains — a direct peer to Blu Skye's CPG and retail sustainability work, particularly on packaging, supply chain, and product sustainability.
• Forum for the Future: Forum for the Future is a nonprofit sustainability advisory that helps leading organizations embed sustainability into strategy and operations — comparable to Blu Skye's systems-change, multi-stakeholder facilitation approach, with similarly deep relationships to multinational corporates.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): BSR is a global nonprofit consulting network that helps member companies integrate sustainability into strategy and operations — directly comparable to Blu Skye's enterprise sustainability advisory model, with a similarly long-tenured Fortune 500 client base and multi-stakeholder facilitation focus.

Emerging players

• Metabolic: Metabolic is a sustainability consulting and venture-building firm advising corporates and governments on circular economy and regenerative systems — comparable to Blu Skye's systems-change methodology, though more focused on circular economy and with a European base.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey Sustainability: McKinsey's Sustainability practice advises Fortune 500 CEOs on climate strategy, ESG, and organizational transformation — the scaled incumbent whose enterprise C-suite sustainability advisory work increasingly competes with Blu Skye's boutique engagements on multi-year corporate transformation mandates.
• GreenOrder (now ERM): GreenOrder was historically a boutique sustainability strategy consultancy closely comparable to Blu Skye (founded 2000s, served Fortune 500 clients, deep advisory network) before being acquired by ERM — illustrates both the boutique sustainability strategy model Blu Skye occupies and the consolidation path such firms often face.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is the world's largest pure-play sustainability and environmental consulting firm, serving Fortune 500 clients across strategy, EHS, and climate advisory — a broad incumbent whose sustainability strategy practice directly overlaps Blu Skye's offering but at much greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Blu Skye