What Urban Rivers does

Urban Rivers is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Illinois (EIN 47-5528536) and founded in 2015 with a staff of 1-10 employees. The organization's mission is to transform degraded urban waterways into wildlife sanctuaries and reconnect residents with nature, executed primarily through the Wild Mile — an in-progress, mile-long floating eco-park on the North Branch Canal of the Chicago River between Chicago Avenue and North Avenue, claimed as the first fully floating eco-park in the world. The technical core is modular floating garden platforms integrated with public walkways, kayak docks, and scientifically-designed wildlife habitat structures, supported by a River Rangers volunteer program (1-2 hours of weekly kayaking) that performs maintenance, wildlife monitoring, and citizen science data collection.

The business model is donation-driven with no product sales, contracts, or priced tiers. Revenue streams include one-time individual donations, recurring donations (which gate Wildlife Camera Club content), appreciated stock transfers, IRA qualified charitable distributions up to $100,000 for donors aged 70½ and older, and material/in-kind gifts. Partnerships with the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Shedd Aquarium, 11th Hour Racing, and Prologis provide regulatory integration, scientific research, conservation network access, and project support. Governance is led by co-founders Zachary Damato (Board Member) and Joshua Yellin (Chairman).

Customer segments are split between Chicago-area residents and the general public (primary, served through free park access, events, and education) and educational institutions and researchers (secondary, served through the Research Program and Shedd Aquarium partnership). Marketing is community-led, relying on volunteer recruitment, monthly newsletter, organic social media, and community events such as Wild Mile Yoga and River Ranger Socials. The product surface extends beyond Wild Mile to include Bubbly Creek restoration, a Prologis-partner project, River Park, and an Education Program, alongside media channels (podcast, video, newsletters) and a merchandise store.

Name

Urban Rivers

Legal name

Urban Rivers Inc.

Website

https://urbanriv.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Urban Rivers is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds floating eco-parks on urban rivers, led by the Wild Mile — claimed as the world's first fully floating eco-park — serving Chicago residents, volunteers, and partner institutions like Shedd Aquarium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Ecological Restoration and Environmental Conservation

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquatic Family Entertainment Centers (Splash Pads, Aquatic Playgrounds, Swim Parks) (THAJAEAL)

Keywords

• Urban waterway restoration
• Floating eco-park
• Ecological restoration
• Wildlife habitat construction
• Environmental nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Urban Rivers generates revenue primarily through charitable donations from individuals. The organization accepts one-time donations, recurring donations (which provide donors access to Wildlife Camera Club exclusive content), appreciated stock transfers, IRA qualified charitable distributions (up to $100,000 directly from IRA for those 70½ or older), and material donations including kayak gear, tools, and larger items like vehicles. All donations are tax-deductible under EIN 47-5528536.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Urban Rivers builds and operates floating eco-park infrastructure on urban waterways, with the Wild Mile flagship project delivering modular floating gardens, public walkways, and kayak docks on the Chicago River as wetland habitat and public recreation space. The organization also runs volunteer-driven wildlife monitoring (River Rangers), educational programming, scientific research in partnership with Shedd Aquarium, and supplementary river restoration projects including Bubbly Creek and River Park.

Product overview

Urban Rivers is a non-profit organization that transforms urban waterways into wildlife sanctuaries through ecological restoration projects. The core product is the Wild Mile, the world's first floating eco-park on the Chicago River, which serves as a public park, open-air museum, botanical garden, kayaker destination, and wildlife habitat. This flagship initiative is supported by complementary programs including the Bubbly Creek and River Park restoration projects, as well as education, volunteer, research, and events programs. The organization also provides media content through newsletters, podcasts, and videos, and operates a merchandise store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wild Mile: Urban Rivers' flagship project - the first-ever fully floating eco-park in the world. An in-progress, mile-long floating park located on the North Branch Canal of the Chicago River, featuring floating gardens with public walkways and kayak docks.

Products and services

• Wild Mile Floating Eco-Park In-progress mile-long floating park on the North Branch Canal of the Chicago River featuring floating gardens with public walkways and kayak docks; functions as a public park, open-air museum, botanical garden, kayaker destination, classroom, and native wildlife habitat.
• Bubbly Creek Restoration Project River restoration project focused on Bubbly Creek, a tributary of the Chicago River, supporting Urban Rivers' mission of transforming urban waterways into wildlife sanctuaries.
• River Park Restoration Project A river restoration project under the River Park initiative, expanding Urban Rivers' urban waterway restoration footprint beyond the Wild Mile.
• Prologis Partnership Project Urban waterway restoration project executed in partnership with Prologis, supporting Urban Rivers' mission to transform urban rivers into wildlife sanctuaries.
• Education Program Educational initiatives connecting communities to the Chicago River through hands-on learning experiences, supporting Urban Rivers' community engagement and environmental literacy goals.
• Volunteer Program (River Rangers) Community volunteer program including River Rangers who kayak through the Chicago River to monitor wildlife, maintain the Wild Mile, and collect citizen science data; includes safety and citizen science training.
• Research Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Transformed industrial urban waterway into thriving wildlife habitat with public access
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 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, supporting and minor.

• City of Chicago Department of Planning and DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial government partnership ensuring thoughtful planning and acceptance of the Wild Mile as a long-term asset. The city department works with Urban Rivers to integrate the floating eco-park into Chicago's urban planning and development initiatives.
• Shedd AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific research partnership with Shedd Aquarium informing ecological restoration decisions. The partnership provides scientific expertise for the floating habitat installations and ongoing ecosystem monitoring, contributing to the scalability goals of the project.
• 11th Hour RacingsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerReferenced as a partner organization on the website. The partnership supports awareness of Urban Rivers' mission and connects the organization to broader marine and waterway conservation networks.
• PrologisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrologis is referenced as a project partner with a dedicated section on the Urban Rivers website, suggesting involvement in one of the organization's urban waterway restoration initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Openlands: Chicago-area conservation nonprofit protecting natural spaces and waterways. Comparable as a regional conservation organization working on land/water protection with public access and community engagement programs.
• Friends of the Chicago River: Chicago-based nonprofit focused on improving the health of the Chicago River and its communities. Most directly comparable peer — same city, same waterway system, overlapping mission of ecological restoration and public engagement.
• Clearwater (Hudson River Sloop): Hudson River-based environmental organization using a sailing vessel for education and advocacy. Comparable as a river-focused nonprofit combining public programming, environmental education, and habitat advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• Riverkeeper: Established waterway protection nonprofit focused on the Hudson River and broader clean water advocacy. Comparable as a large-scale river conservation organization with citizen-science and watchdog programs analogous to Urban Rivers' River Rangers.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that creates parks and protects land for public use. Comparable as a larger, established organization working at the intersection of conservation, public park creation, and city-level partnerships.
• Surfrider Foundation: National nonprofit protecting oceans and beaches through grassroots activism and science. Comparable as a donor-funded water conservation nonprofit using volunteer chapters for monitoring and advocacy.
• Waterkeeper Alliance: Global nonprofit umbrella for community-based waterway protection groups. Comparable as a broader waterway conservation network with citizen-science volunteer programs analogous to River Rangers.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit working at the intersection of conservation, economic development, and public access. Comparable as a larger conservation organization with corporate and government partnership models.

Regional players

• Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy: Nonprofit partner of Brooklyn Bridge Park, a waterfront public park with ecological restoration elements. Comparable as a nonprofit stewarding an urban waterfront park that combines public recreation with habitat.

Others

• Shedd Aquarium: Scientific and educational partner of Urban Rivers. Included as an adjacent enabling partner rather than a competitor — overlapping only in aquatic education and research, not park operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Urban Rivers