Oldways

What Oldways does

Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 by K. Dun Gifford to promote traditional, culturally-rooted foodways as a roadmap to healthy eating. Its core intellectual property is a portfolio of Heritage Diet Pyramids (Mediterranean, African Heritage, Asian, Latin American, and Vegetarian/Vegan) created in partnership with scientific institutions including Harvard School of Public Health, supported by evidence-based cooking and nutrition curricula such as A Taste of African Heritage (included in the USDA SNAP-Ed Toolkit), A Taste of Latin American Heritage, and the newly launched A Taste of the Mediterranean. Oldways also operates the Whole Grains Council, which licenses the Whole Grain Stamp — a packaging mark now appearing on 13,000+ products in 60+ countries — and the Oldways Cheese Coalition, an advocacy initiative for traditional and raw-milk cheeses.

The organization serves a diversified set of customers: individual health-conscious consumers (DTC e-commerce for books, curricula, and meal plans priced from free to $69.99), registered dietitians and health professionals (free/sponsored CPEU webinars and professional bundles), food industry partners (Whole Grain Stamp licensing, co-branding, and corporate sponsorships), hospitals and food service directors (Plant Forward Plates Healthcare Toolkit), and educators/SNAP-Ed programs. Go-to-market mixes direct e-commerce, B2B enterprise partnerships, community-based teaching through a trained instructor network, and event-driven culinary travel through the Culinarias program (guided tours to Mediterranean and global destinations).

The technology layer is conventional rather than proprietary: an e-commerce storefront, webinar delivery, a Thinkific-based learning management system, email marketing, and social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest). Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model — product sales, licensing royalties, corporate sponsorships, culinary travel fees, and individual/corporate donations and grants — with no outside equity, parent company, or venture funding. The organization is led by President Sara Baer-Sinnott and operates with approximately 11 staff, most working remotely.

Name

Oldways

Legal name

Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust

Website

https://oldwayspt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oldways is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes cultural food traditions through heritage diet pyramids, evidence-based cooking curricula, the Whole Grain Stamp certification (13,000+ products in 60+ countries), CPEU webinars for dietitians, and culinary travel tours.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutrition Education

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

Keywords

• Nutrition education programs
• Heritage diet pyramids
• Whole grain certification
• Culinary travel tours
• Mediterranean diet resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Materials and Product Sales: Sales of books, e-books, curricula, brochures, posters, and other educational materials through the Oldways online store. Includes products like the Make Every Day Mediterranean book ($19.99), Heritage Cooking For One ($24.99), and various curricula and teaching materials.
2. Culinary Travel (Culinarias): Fees from culinary tours to destinations around the world. Customized food travel experiences led by chefs and food experts. Includes registration fees for educational culinary travel experiences.
3. Continuing Education Programs: CPEU webinars for registered dietitians and dietetic technicians. Professional education programs including webinars with CPEU credit for nutrition professionals.
4. Licensing and Co-branding: Licensing of heritage diet curricula and use of Mediterranean Diet Pyramid and other pyramids. Co-branding opportunities where partners can put their logo on Oldways books and resources.
5. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships for events, webinars, and programs. Partnership programs for food industry companies to reach dietitians and health professionals.
6. Donations and Grants: Individual and corporate donations, foundation grants, and charitable contributions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Oldways is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates and disseminates heritage diet educational resources, cooking curricula, books, and the Whole Grain Stamp certification, while operating culinary travel tours, CPEU webinars for dietitians, and the Plant Forward Plates healthcare toolkit. Its portfolio serves health professionals, individual consumers, food industry partners, and hospital food service operators with culturally-rooted nutrition guidance based on Mediterranean, African, Asian, Latin American, and Vegetarian/Vegan eating traditions.

Product overview

Oldways is a food and nutrition education nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs and products focused on cultural food traditions. The organization provides heritage diet pyramids (Mediterranean, African Heritage, Asian, Latin American, Vegetarian/Vegan), educational cooking curricula (A Taste of African Heritage, A Taste of Latin American Heritage, A Taste of the Mediterranean, A Children's Taste of African Heritage), the Whole Grains Council with its Whole Grain Stamp certification program, culinary travel experiences through Culinaria Tours, the Oldways Cheese Coalition advocacy program, Plant Forward Plates healthcare toolkit, and various publications including the Make Every Day Mediterranean 4-Week Menu Plan book and Heritage Cooking For One cookbook. The organization also offers CPEU webinars for continuing professional education for dietitians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Oldways Whole Grains Council: A consumer advocacy program of Oldways helping consumers find whole grains, understand their health benefits, and working with manufacturers to create whole grain products. Introduced the Whole Grain Stamp in 2005.
• Oldways Culinaria Tours
• Oldways Cheese Coalition
• Plant Forward Plates
• Heritage Diets
• Health Through Heritage
• Whole Grains Council

Quantifiable outcome

• Whole Grain Stamp appears on 13,000+ products in 60+ countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USDA SNAP-EdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022A Taste of African Heritage cooking and nutrition program was accepted into the USDA SNAP-Ed Toolkit in 2022. The curriculum is also in the SNAP-Ed Library.
• Coalition for Plant-Based Foods in HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOldways is a member of the Coalition for Plant-Based Foods in Hospitals, together with Meatless Mondays, the Humane Society of the United States, PCRM, and Greener by Default. The coalition helps hospitals and healthcare facilities offer delicious, healthy, plant-based meals.
• International Whole Grain InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOldways Whole Grains Council is a founding member of the International Whole Grain Initiative (since 2017) and chairs one of the five working groups (Communications and Partnerships) and sits on the governing board.
• The Charlie Cart ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOldways partnered with The Charlie Cart Project to launch two Special Edition African and Latin American Heritage Diet Curriculum Supplements for Charlie Cart users.
• American Heart AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOldways collaborated with the American Heart Association to create an infographic featuring heart-healthy cooking tips and recipes inspired by Asian Heritage food traditions.
• Artisan Grain CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Whole Grains Council collaborated with the Artisan Grain Collaborative to create a Local Grain Survey Report.
• Harvard School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal partnership in 1993 to develop the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid with Harvard School of Public Health. The collaboration established Oldways' scientific credibility.
• Chefs CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1993 by Oldways, the Chefs Collaborative focuses on sustainability, local and seasonal food, and bringing chefs together to advocate for change.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves17 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• True Health Initiative: A nonprofit coalition of health professionals promoting evidence-based lifestyle and nutrition principles. Comparable to Oldways as a science-anchored nutrition advocacy nonprofit that produces educational content and engages clinicians and consumers around healthy eating patterns.
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The largest professional organization for registered dietitians in the U.S., offering continuing education, evidence-based nutrition resources, and patient-facing materials. Directly comparable to Oldways because both serve dietitians with CPEU content and act as authoritative voices on culturally relevant and clinical nutrition guidance.
• International Food Information Council (IFIC): A nonprofit that communicates food safety and nutrition science to health professionals, consumers, and food industry stakeholders. Comparable to Oldways as a science-based nutrition communicator that monetizes through food industry sponsorship while educating dietitians and consumers.
• Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI): A consumer advocacy nonprofit focused on nutrition, food safety, and dietary policy through education, official comments, and media campaigns. Comparable to Oldways because both engage in policy advocacy (FDA/USDA comments), produce consumer education, and operate as nonprofit food system watchdogs.

Others

• The Good Food Institute (GFI): A nonprofit accelerating alternative protein and plant-based food systems through science, policy, and corporate engagement. Comparable to Oldways as a food-system-focused nonprofit shaping institutional and corporate food choices, though GFI's protein-substitution focus is adjacent rather than directly overlapping with Oldways' heritage diet education.
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Department of Nutrition: Academic institution that co-created the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid with Oldways in 1993. Comparable as a strategic partner and adjacent authority on evidence-based dietary patterns, though as an academic institution rather than a programmatic nonprofit it operates more as an enabler/collaborator than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• American Heart Association: A large health-focused nonprofit with established dietary guidance programs, including heart-healthy cooking resources and co-branded content (Oldways has collaborated with AHA on Asian Heritage content). Comparable because both shape consumer dietary behavior through brand authority, dietitian partnerships, and food industry co-branding.

Regional players

• Mediterranean Diet Foundation: A foundation promoting the Mediterranean Diet primarily in Spain and internationally. Comparable to Oldways as a heritage-diet-focused nonprofit educator, but with primarily Spanish/Mediterranean regional focus rather than the multi-cultural (African, Asian, Latin American, Mediterranean) U.S.-anchored portfolio Oldways operates.

Emerging players

• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM): A nonprofit advocating plant-based nutrition through clinical research, dietitian engagement, and policy work, and a fellow Coalition for Plant-Based Foods in Hospitals member with Oldways. Comparable because both promote plant-forward dietary patterns to health professionals and institutional food service and share a coalition partner ecosystem.
• Environmental Working Group (EWG): A nonprofit advocacy organization publishing consumer-facing food and health guides (e.g., Dirty Dozen, Food Scores). Comparable to Oldways as a nonprofit that influences consumer food choices through authoritative content, dietary guidance, and policy engagement, though EWG's focus is food safety and chemicals rather than cultural eating patterns.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oldwayspt
• Facebookfacebook.com/oldwayspt
• Instagraminstagram.com/oldways_pt
• TikToktiktok.com/@oldways_pt
• Pinterestpinterest.com/oldways

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Oldways