NELIS Global

What NELIS Global does

NELIS Global (legally Next Leaders Initiative for Sustainability) is a Japan-based non-profit organization founded in 2015 that operates as a platform-plus-programs model for sustainability leadership development. Its core product portfolio includes: (1) the 4Revs co-creative ecosystem, which documents and showcases real-life sustainability projects addressing four survival challenges — food, water, resources, and climate/energy — and runs an annual Innovation Challenge with Socialab Colombia; (2) the One Million Leaders (OML) Fellowship Program, launched in 2020 with regional cohorts in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and MENA; (3) NLU (Next Leaders University), a video micro-training platform targeting corporate staff; and (4) annual Leadership Summits held globally and regionally. The organization also runs specialized programs such as the Every Available Space Eco Hub for urban food sustainability, the Japan-focused JAFAS food-system initiative, and the Blueprint for a Better Tomorrow narrative document capturing inputs from 1,000+ young people.

The underlying technology stack is thin and non-proprietary: NELIS discloses no core AI/ML or platform technology, relying instead on its website (nelisglobal.org), a Sheet2Site-powered OML Digital Project Dashboard, newsletter subscriptions, and social channels for digital distribution, supplemented by in-person summits. The business model is donation- and grant-funded via the GlobalGiving platform; there are no fee-based pricing plans for fellows or participants. NELIS serves young sustainability leaders aged roughly 18-40 across 100+ countries as the primary beneficiary segment, with secondary constituencies of corporations seeking sustainability talent and grassroots innovation, and on-the-ground sustainability practitioners seeking peer visibility. Operations are federated through locally registered non-profits and chapters in Latin America, Africa, Europe, MENA, and Asia, with headquarters in Musashino-shi, Tokyo, Japan.

Name

NELIS Global

Legal name

Next Leaders Initiative for Sustainability

Website

https://nelisglobal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Japan-based non-profit founded in 2015 that connects, inspires, and empowers young sustainability leaders across 100+ countries through fellowship programs, regional summits, a 4Revs case-study ecosystem, and corporate partnership initiatives funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Leadership Development

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs (EDADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual/Hybrid International Short-Term Academic Programs (EDAIAIAL), Environment, Climate & Sustainable Development IGOs (BPADAAAI)

Keywords

• Sustainability leadership
• Non-profit fellowship
• Social innovation network
• Sustainability case studies
• Global changemaker programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: NELIS operates as a registered non-profit and raises funds through donations (via GlobalGiving platform) and grant programs to fund its fellowship, summit, and chapter activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NELIS Global is a non-profit that operates a fellowship, summit, and case-study platform for young sustainability leaders. It recruits and trains fellows through the One Million Leaders (OML) program across Africa, Asia, LATAM, and MENA, publishes curated sustainability innovation case studies through the 4Revs ecosystem, and delivers corporate sustainability training via Next Leaders University (NLU) and the Sustainability Innovation School (SIS). Locally registered chapters in five regions run regional summits and grassroots sustainability projects.

Product overview

NELIS Global is a non-profit organization that operates as a platform-plus-programs model, connecting, inspiring, and empowering social innovators, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs across the globe. The core offerings include: (1) the 4Revs ecosystem—a research and case study platform documenting revolutionary innovations in food, water, resources, and energy; (2) the One Million Leaders (OML) Fellowship Program—a leadership training and empowerment initiative with regional chapters in Africa, Asia, LATAM, and MENA; (3) NLU (Next Leaders University)—a micro-training platform delivering video content for corporate sustainability education; and (4) annual Leadership Summits facilitating global networking. The organization also administers specialized programs including the Blueprint for a Better Tomorrow initiative, Every Available Space Eco Hub for urban food sustainability, JAFAS for sustainable food systems in Japan, and the OML Digital Project Dashboard for tracking fellowship project outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 615 tons of food recovered in 2023 through the Milan Food Policy neighborhood hubs (referenced as part of the 4Revs ecosystem showcasing urban sustainability solutions).
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Waseda UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020NELIS Global Summit 2020 was planned in collaboration with Waseda University, to be held in Tokyo or virtual format.
• Sophia UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaborated with Sophia University to host the Next Leaders' Summit 2018 in Tokyo, with over 500 participants over two days. Sponsored by more than 20 Japanese corporations.
• Local Chapters (Latin America, Africa, Europe, MENA, Asia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015NELIS has locally registered non-profits and chapters in five regions (Latin America, Africa, Europe, MENA, and Asia) that serve as the primary implementation arms for fellowship programs and regional summits.
• Gakken PlusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGakken Plus x NELIS partnership began studying commercialization of human resources development committed to SDGs. An internship accelerating corporate transformation for young intrapreneurs.
• Socialab ColombiamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-created the 4Revs Innovation Challenge with Socialab Colombia to identify and showcase innovative and scalable sustainability solutions from around the world contributing to the four survival challenges.
• GlobalGivingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNELIS partners with GlobalGiving to process donations for the One Million Leaders program, enabling global donors to support the fellowship and empowerment initiatives.
• 100+ Countries Network (Corporations, Ventures, Practitioners, Educators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 4Revs co-creative ecosystem links social innovators worldwide to corporations, social ventures, sustainability practitioners and entrepreneurs, educators, public and civil organizations, and creative minds on all six continents.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Points of Light: Points of Light is a global non-profit mobilizing volunteers for community impact, thematically aligned with NELIS's grassroots sustainability leadership mission though focused more on volunteer mobilization than leadership fellowships.
• Global Citizen: Global Citizen is a global advocacy platform mobilizing young people around sustainability and poverty issues; it overlaps thematically with NELIS's youth sustainability focus but operates as a digital advocacy platform rather than a fellowship program.

Direct peers

• Skoll Foundation: Skoll Foundation invests in and supports social entrepreneurs addressing global challenges, paralleling NELIS's 4Revs ecosystem and grant-making for sustainability initiatives like the Every Available Space Eco Hub.
• Ashoka: Ashoka is a global network identifying and supporting leading social entrepreneurs, paralleling NELIS's mission to connect and empower sustainability innovators across multiple regions with fellowship-style programming.
• Echoing Green: Echoing Green provides fellowships and support for emerging social leaders and social entrepreneurs, directly comparable to NELIS's One Million Leaders fellowship targeting young sustainability leaders.
• World Economic Forum Global Shapers: WEF Global Shapers operates a network of city-based hubs of young leaders driving local impact, closely analogous to NELIS's locally-registered chapters and OML Digital Project Dashboard.
• One Young World: One Young World operates global and regional summits for young leaders on social impact themes, very closely mirroring NELIS's Next Leaders' Summits and One Million Leaders fellowship model, including similar target demographics (ages 18-30) and corporate sponsorship structures.
• AIESEC: AIESEC is the world's largest youth-led organization running global leadership and cross-cultural exchange programs, with similar fellowship cohorts and regional chapter structures spanning100+ countries.
• Net Impact: Net Impact is a global community of sustainability professionals and students, comparable to NELIS's NLU micro-trainings and corporate sustainability education offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Clinton Global Initiative: CGI convenes global leaders around commitments to action, a broader incumbent that overlaps with NELIS's leadership summits and corporate changemaker programming but operates at a much larger scale and policy level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCL5dHCcCx7dbS0Me835NBMQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Global.Nelis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nelis-global
• Instagraminstagram.com/nelisglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 NELIS Global