What Clean Consulting does

Clean Consulting is a student-led, pro-bono consulting organization founded in 2018 and housed at the University of California, Los Angeles. It is organized as a 509(a)(2) Public Charity and a Certified California Green Business, and delivers all services at no cost to clients. The organization fields 11-50 rotating UCLA student members, recruited twice yearly, and is led by a President, Internal and External Vice Presidents, and functional Directors covering Client Relations, Recruitment, Events, Professional Development, Marketing, and Finance.

Clean Consulting's service portfolio is structured around three core pillars: Strategy & Growth Consulting (market research, competitive analysis, go-to-market, brand strategy), Operational Excellence Consulting (process optimization, cost efficiency, supply chain analysis), and Sustainability & Social Impact Consulting (ESG strategy, carbon footprint reduction, impact reporting). These are supported by specialized sub-products including Waste Audits and Zero Waste Strategy, Decarbonization Services (Scope 1/2/3 modeling), Life Cycle Analysis, Market Analysis, LEED and TRUE Certification Services, ESG Strategy Development and Implementation, and Profitability Analysis. All consultants are LEED Green Associates or TRUE Advisors, and the organization is an official partner of the U.S. Green Building Council and the TRUE certification program.

Client engagement is acquired through a dedicated Client Relations function and project teams of one Project Manager, one Executive Advisor, and four-to-five consultants running 10-15 week engagements. The customer base spans Fortune 500 enterprises (Volvo Trucks, Amsted Industries), large non-profits (the largest non-profit hospital in the western U.S.), entertainment companies (Air Productions), NGOs, and startups across healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and entertainment. All work is delivered pro-bono; the organization is sustained through UCLA student-organization status rather than fee revenue or external funding, and no funding rounds, parent company, or commercial revenue stream have been disclosed.

Name

Clean Consulting

Legal name

Clean Consulting

Website

https://cleanconsulting.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clean Consulting is a student-led, pro-bono consulting organization at UCLA, founded in 2018, that delivers sustainability, strategy, and operational excellence services to Fortune 500 firms, non-profits, and startups, with all work performed by LEED- and TRUE-certified UCLA student teams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH), Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

Keywords

• Sustainability consulting
• ESG strategy services
• Decarbonization consulting
• LEED certification support
• Waste management advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pro-bono Consulting Services: Clean Consulting is a student-led, pro-bono consulting organization. All consulting services are provided at no cost to clients, operating as a 509(a)(2) Public Charity and Certified California Green Business. The organization is sustained through its official UCLA student organization status.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clean Consulting is a student-led, pro-bono consulting organization at UCLA that delivers strategic, operational, and sustainability consulting to organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to NGOs and startups. Services are organized around three pillars—Strategy & Growth, Operational Excellence, and Sustainability & Social Impact—and are delivered using a Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit) framework. Specialized offerings include waste audits, decarbonization modeling, Life Cycle Assessments, LEED and TRUE certification support, ESG strategy, and market analysis, all staffed by UCLA student consultants including LEED Green Associates and TRUE Advisors.

Product overview

Clean Consulting is a student-led, pro-bono consulting organization offering a unified suite of strategic, operational, and sustainability consulting services. Its core offering is organized across three service pillars: Strategy & Growth Consulting (market research, competitive analysis, go-to-market, brand strategy), Operational Excellence Consulting (process optimization, cost efficiency, supply chain), and Sustainability & Social Impact Consulting (ESG strategy, carbon reduction, impact reporting). These core offerings are supplemented by specialized sub-products including Waste Audits and Zero Waste Strategy, Decarbonization Services, Life Cycle Analysis, Market Analysis, LEED and TRUE Certification Services, ESG Strategy Development and Implementation, and Profitability Analysis. The ROOTS Program is a quarter-long training and mentorship offering for incoming members. All services are delivered by interdisciplinary teams of UCLA students, primarily via pro-bono engagements with Fortune 500 companies, startups, nonprofits, and mission-driven enterprises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy & Growth Consulting Consulting services covering market research, competitive analysis, expansion and go-to-market strategies, business model evaluation, and product positioning and brand strategy.
• Operational Excellence Consulting Consulting services covering process optimization, workflow automation, cost efficiency, financial modeling, supply chain and logistics analysis, and organizational effectiveness.
• Sustainability & Social Impact Consulting ESG strategy, corporate responsibility, carbon footprint reduction, impact measurement, reporting, and sustainable business model innovation services delivered under a Triple Bottom Line framework.
• Decarbonization Services Analysis of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, identification of priority decarbonization levers, and modeling to project emissions reductions, cost savings, and Net Zero potential for industrial and corporate settings.
• Waste Audits and Zero Waste Strategy On-site waste audits to identify problem areas and opportunities for zero waste and circularity in facility operations.
• Life Cycle Analysis Life Cycle Assessments of products or activities to identify hotspots and intersectional impacts, conducted comparatively or for new products.
• LEED and TRUE Certification Services Guidance for clients pursuing LEED Green Building or TRUE Zero Waste certification, delivered by LEED Green Associates and TRUE Advisors in partnership with USGBC.
• Market Analysis Services Research and data collection to identify opportunities for market entry, market expansion, mergers, and revamping marketing strategies.
• ESG Strategy Development and Implementation Research and guidance on top-down intersectional internal sustainability initiatives ranging from mission statements to employee training.
• Profitability Analysis Research and analysis of opportunities for increasing product profitability, from optimizing production processes to increasing market shares.
• ROOTS Program Quarter-long training and mentorship program for new members covering consulting fundamentals, real project experience, sustainability consulting overview, and professional development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% reduction in emissions achieved for Amsted Industries through adaptable decarbonization model
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Consulting is a proud partner of USGBC. Their team includes LEED Green Associates and TRUE Advisors who work with clients to achieve LEED or TRUE certification. The partnership enables Clean Consulting to provide official certification support and leverage USGBC resources for client sustainability achievements.
• CotopaximinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization with similar sustainability-focused missions. Cotopaxi is an outdoor gear company known for sustainable manufacturing practices.
• UCLA Farmers MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-campus partnership for community engagement events. Clean Consulting participates in UCLA Farmers Market as part of their community outreach and visibility efforts.
• TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs TRUE Advisors, Clean Consulting partners with TRUE certification program to help clients achieve Zero Waste certification and circularity in facility operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Taproot Foundation: Non-profit that organizes pro-bono consulting engagements for other non-profits via skilled volunteers. Same pro-bono consulting model and similar non-profit/NGO client base.
• Net Impact: Student and professional network focused on sustainability and social impact careers, often running pro-bono consulting chapters at universities including UCLA. Overlaps directly on mission, talent pipeline, and pro-bono engagement model.
• 180 Degrees Consulting: Global student-led pro-bono consulting network serving non-profits and social enterprises. Closest peer — same student-driven, no-fee model and same horizontal segmentation across multiple universities.
• Catchafire: Skills-based volunteering platform matching professionals to non-profits for consulting deliverables. Same pro-bono, project-based consulting delivery model.
• MovingWorlds: Platform connecting skilled professionals with social impact organizations for pro-bono, project-based engagements. Comparable in skills-based volunteering model and enterprise social impact focus.

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Global professional services firm with a major sustainability, climate, and ESG advisory practice. Competes on decarbonization and built-environment sustainability mandates.
• Sphera: Enterprise ESG, EHS, and sustainability software-and-services firm offering LCA, carbon, and risk management. Comparable on LCA and decarbonization service lines, but at commercial scale.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with deep sustainability, built environment, and ESG practices (and a listed Clean Consulting alumni employer). Competes for the same LEED, decarbonization, and circular-economy engagements at enterprise scale.
• Ramboll: Global engineering and sustainability consultancy with strong built environment and decarbonization practices. Comparable on LEED-adjacent building sustainability and industrial decarbonization.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Largest pure-play sustainability and environmental consulting firm. Overlaps on ESG strategy, climate, and circularity engagements for Fortune 500 clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cleanconsultingucla

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Clean Consulting