Sustainable Systems

What Sustainable Systems does

Sustainable Systems Inc is a privately held, Oakland-based consulting firm founded in 1995 by James Hurd Nixon and Joe Gross. The firm operates two interrelated service lines for values-aligned businesses and not-for-profits: sustainable economic development consulting and digital marketing services. The consulting practice develops and implements sustainable economic development strategies for cities, counties, regions, and states, drawing on proprietary conceptual frameworks — the Three Forms of Capital and the Four Greens — and a five-phase sustainable economic development methodology. The digital marketing arm (marketed at digital.sustainablesystemsinc.net) delivers website design and maintenance, HubSpot-certified CRM support, Shopify-based e-commerce, social media management across Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and online advertising via Google AdWords and Bing, and is also extended to select technology companies.

The company's revenue model is professional-services-based, with custom project pricing and free initial consultations rather than standardized or SaaS pricing; no public pricing exists. Distribution is direct, through founder-led client engagement rather than resellers or marketplaces. Sustainable Systems' most significant historical engagements include serving as Lead Consultant for the Bay Area Family of Funds — comprising Bay Area Smart Growth Fund I ($66M, first close 2001) and Bay Area Equity Fund I ($75M) — and as Lead Consultant for the East Bay Broadband Consortium and California Emerging Technology Fund's California Community Investment Initiative. The firm is founder-owned, has 1-10 employees, and shows no evidence of external institutional investment, acquisitions, or active expansion since the early 2010s.

Name

Sustainable Systems

Legal name

Sustainable Systems Inc

Website

https://sustainablesystemsinc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sustainable Systems is an Oakland-based, founder-owned consulting firm that delivers sustainable economic development strategy and digital marketing services to values-aligned businesses, not-for-profits, cities, and select technology companies using its proprietary Three Forms of Capital and Four Greens frameworks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Development Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB), ESG Governance, Sustainability Reporting & Assurance Advisory (BPAHAFAJ)

Keywords

• Sustainable economic development
• Digital marketing services
• Triple bottom line investment
• Organizational strategy consulting
• Clean tech cluster development

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sustainable Economic Development Consulting: Formulating and implementing strategies to accelerate organizational growth and impact for values-aligned businesses and not-for-profits.
2. Digital Marketing Services: Provides digital marketing services including websites, CRM support, e-commerce, social media management, and advertising (Google AdWords, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn). Services are available to select technology companies.
3. Web Strategy Consulting: Web strategy consulting services for various clients including Planetary Philosophy, Spice Monkey Restaurant, FLAVORS Catering, and political campaigns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sustainable Systems is a consulting firm that collaborates with values-aligned businesses, not-for-profits, and select technology companies to formulate and implement strategies that accelerate organizational growth and impact, and to tell their stories more effectively through digital marketing. Its work spans sustainable economic development advisory (including the Three Forms of Capital and Four Greens frameworks) and full-stack digital marketing services such as website development, HubSpot CRM support, Shopify e-commerce, social media management, and paid online advertising.

Product overview

Sustainable Systems offers a portfolio of professional services organized around digital marketing and sustainable economic development consulting. The core offering includes Digital Marketing Services for values-aligned ventures, encompassing website development, CRM support (HubSpot certified), e-commerce (Shopify), social media management (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram), and online advertising (Google AdWords, Bing). Additionally, the company provides Sustainable Economic Development Consulting including organizational growth strategies, the Three Forms of Capital framework, The Four Greens framework, and SED Strategy methodology for cities and regions. These services are delivered as consulting engagements rather than a unified SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Marketing Services End-to-end digital marketing services for values-aligned ventures and select technology companies, including website design and maintenance, HubSpot CRM setup and email campaign management, Shopify e-commerce setup, social media management across Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and paid online advertising on Google AdWords, Bing, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
• Sustainable Economic Development Consulting Consulting services helping cities, counties, regions, and states develop and implement sustainable economic development strategies, including the Four Greens framework, business cluster development, and clean tech initiatives.
• Organizational Growth Strategy Services Strategy formulation and implementation services to accelerate organizational growth and impact for values-aligned businesses and not-for-profits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bay Area Equity Fund I produced 15,000 net new jobs against a target of 1,500 (10x target achievement)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Progressive Asset ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable Systems was incubated at Progressive Asset Management offices. Founder James Nixon joined Progressive Asset Management after obtaining Series 7 securities registration. Joe Gross and James Nixon partnered on all Sustainable Systems projects.
• Business Cluster DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to create Communication Technology Cluster, a communications technology business incubator in downtown Oakland.
• Earth Day New YorkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-coordinated the 'Building the Sustainable Economy' conference at the World Trade Center.
• American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to co-sponsor 'Construyendo una Economia Sostenible' conference in Havana, Cuba in 1998.
• Centro Felix VarelamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCuban NGO that co-sponsored the Havana conference. Established to explore intersection of civil society, ethics, and sustainable development.
• Bay Area CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area Council initiated the Bay Area Family of Funds. Sustainable Systems served as Lead Consultant for the funds. Also partnered on East Bay Broadband Consortium.
• Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder group representing Economy, Environment, and social Equity plus government. Completed work on Compact for a Sustainable Bay Area.
• Pacific Coast Capital PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFund manager for Bay Area Smart Growth Fund I. Executed Vallejo Plaza investment that achieved full occupancy and above-target returns.
• Economic Innovation InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracted as Fund Builder along with Belden Daniels for the Bay Area Family of Funds.
• California Emerging Technology FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable Systems serves as Lead Consultant for establishment of California Community Investment Initiative to coordinate $1 billion in private sector investment in low income California neighborhoods.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SustainSystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainablesystemsinc

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 Sustainable Systems