Advance Humanity

What Advance Humanity does

Advance Humanity is a privately held humanitarian consulting agency founded by Travis Hellstrom in 2013 following his Peace Corps service, headquartered in Woodstock, United States. The firm operates with 1–10 employees and is structured as a professional-services practice rather than a software platform; there is no proprietary technology stack, and no AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. Its core offering is consulting to help companies navigate Certified B Corporation certification, a credential the firm itself holds as one of the founding B Corps in New England alongside King Arthur Flour, Seventh Generation, and Ben & Jerry's. Advance Humanity also donates 10% of its time to pro-bono work for nonprofits and teaches in graduate programs to develop changemakers.

The business model is fee-for-service consulting, with revenue derived from B Corp certification engagements, nonprofit advisory work (largely pro-bono), and graduate-level teaching. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and appears quote-based per engagement. Go-to-market relies on direct sales, personal networks built through Peace Corps alumni ties, and a Fellows Program that mentors humanitarian workers across Tibet, Mongolia, Iraq, Nicaragua, Myanmar, Azerbaijan, and the United States. Customer evidence is limited to three named individual clients (Amy, Heath, Alex), with no enterprise logos or recurring contract indicators. The firm is also a member of 1% for the Planet, committing 1% of sales to environmental causes. Public materials use past-tense framing, and there are no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or recent growth signals, suggesting the firm operates as a small, founder-led social-enterprise consultancy rather than a scaling business.

Name

Advance Humanity

Website

https://advancehumanity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Advance Humanity is a privately held humanitarian consulting agency founded in 2013 by Travis Hellstrom, providing B Corporation certification consulting, pro-bono nonprofit advisory, and graduate education to social entrepreneurs across multiple continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Support Services (611710), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)

Keywords

• Humanitarian consulting
• B corp certification
• Sustainability advisory
• Nonprofit consulting
• Social impact advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodstock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. B Corp Certification Consulting: Consulting fees charged to companies seeking Certified B Corporation status. The firm provided consulting to help companies become Certified B Corporations, including the first one in Asia over a decade of operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Advance Humanity is a humanitarian consulting agency that advises companies on Certified B Corporation certification (including the first B Corp in Asia), provides pro-bono strategic consulting to nonprofits making significant social impact, teaches in graduate programs to develop changemakers and social entrepreneurs, and runs a Fellows mentorship program supporting humanitarian workers globally.

Product overview

Advance Humanity is a humanitarian consulting agency that offers a portfolio of services focused on social impact and sustainable business practices. The core offerings include B Corporation certification consulting, pro-bono nonprofit advisory services, and graduate education programs for changemakers. The company also operates a Fellows Program that provides mentoring and support to humanitarian workers globally. The company is structured as a consulting services firm rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• B Corporation Certification Consulting Consulting engagement that guides for-profit companies, nonprofits, and educational institutions through the Certified B Corporation assessment and certification process; includes the firm's milestone of supporting the first B Corp in Asia.

Quantifiable outcome

• First B Corp in Asia certified with firm's support
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• B Lab (B Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvance Humanity is a Certified B Corporation and founding member of the B Corp community in New England. The firm provided consulting to help companies become Certified B Corporations, including the first one in Asia, maintaining a decade-long strategic relationship with B Lab's certification framework.
• 1% for the PlanetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvance Humanity is a member of 1% for the Planet, committing to environmental giving and sustainable business practices. This partnership aligns with the company's humanitarian mission and minimal environmental impact approach.
• Peace CorpsminorOthersFounder Travis Hellstrom's prior service in the Peace Corps shaped the company's humanitarian mission. Multiple Fellows in the program are Peace Corps Volunteers. The relationship is rooted in founder's service history rather than formal partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• FSG: A global impact strategy consulting firm that advises foundations, corporations, and nonprofits on social impact strategy. Comparable as a broader social-impact advisory, though much larger and more established than Advance Humanity.
• Arabella Advisors: An impact advisory firm that works with philanthropists, nonprofits, and companies to design and manage social impact strategies. Comparable as a mission-driven consulting peer, though much larger and more diversified.
• SustainAbility: A sustainability strategy and advisory firm that helps companies integrate environmental and social considerations. Comparable as a mission-aligned management consultancy, though operating at a broader scale and scope.
• BSR: A global business sustainability and corporate social responsibility consultancy working with large enterprises on ESG and impact strategy. Comparable as a sustainability/mission-driven consulting peer, but at a much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Net Impact: A professional community of students and leaders driving social and environmental impact in business. Comparable to Advance Humanity's graduate education and changemaker development activities, though structured as a membership network.
• Echoing Green: A social entrepreneurship fellowship and leadership organization supporting emerging leaders. Comparable to Advance Humanity's Fellows program and changemaker development mission.
• Impact Hub: A global network of co-working spaces, incubators, and communities for social entrepreneurs and changemakers. Comparable to Advance Humanity's Fellows program as a community-anchored platform for humanitarian and social-impact actors.

Direct peers

• B Lab: The non-profit organization that administers the Certified B Corporation standard. It is the most directly comparable entity in terms of B Corp ecosystem involvement and is the standard-setter whose process Advance Humanity consults on.
• B Impact Group: A B Corp certification and impact consulting firm that helps companies through the B Impact Assessment. Directly comparable to Advance Humanity's core B Corp certification consulting service.
• B Corp Coach: A consulting firm that helps companies navigate the Certified B Corporation process. Comparable as a direct B Corp certification services peer with similar value proposition and customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advance-humanity
• Xx.com/advancehumanity

Compliance2 records

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 Advance Humanity