PowerCorpsPHL
PowerCorpsPHL is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit founded in 2011 that connects young adults aged 18-24 to career pathways in environmental stewardship, water infrastructure, urban forestry, skilled trades, and youth development through paid 4-24 month training programs, and has expanded nationally via technical assistance to affiliate programs in Boston, Reading, Buffalo, and the Delaware River Watershed.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What PowerCorpsPHL does
PowerCorpsPHL is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit workforce development organization founded in 2011 that connects young adults aged 18-24 to career pathways through paid service programs spanning 4 to 24 months. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs beginning with the Foundations program, a 4-month full-time environmental stewardship service term, and advancing through four specialized Industry Academies: Water Infrastructure, Urban Forestry, Skilled Trades, and Youth Development. Additional programs include TRUST (The Road to an Ultimate Successful Transition), an urban-farm-based healing initiative exclusively for justice-involved young adults, and the Philadelphia Reforestation Hub, a public-private partnership providing sawmill operations training and sustainable revenue generation. The organization's core technology consists of proprietary trauma-informed and culturally competent workforce development frameworks developed over a decade of serving vulnerable populations, delivered through a combination of on-the-job environmental stewardship work, classroom-based career readiness training, and wraparound supportive services. Cumulative impact includes 1,297 individuals engaged, 892,072 hours of service, 11,941 trees planted, and 517 project sites served.
The business model is a hybrid nonprofit structure with multiple revenue streams. Core funding comes from AmeriCorps grants and government/foundation grants supporting member stipends. Fee-for-service technical assistance is provided to cities and organizations nationwide seeking to replicate the PowerCorpsPHL model, with affiliate or partner programs now operating in Boston (PowerCorpsBOS), Reading PA (Reading Climate Corps), Buffalo NY (Environmental Justice Corps), and across four states in the Delaware River Watershed. The organization also operates a small social enterprise Shop selling handcrafted wood products (birdhouses, cutlery sets, block sets priced $25-$65) and accepts individual donations through the GoFundMe platform. Participants join programs free of charge and receive stipends, with rolling enrollment enabling same-day employment.
Go-to-market is hybrid: a sales-led approach engages employers, municipal agencies, and other cities seeking workforce development solutions or model replication, while community-led outreach engages young adult participants through AmeriCorps programs, word-of-mouth referrals, and partnerships with criminal justice entities, schools, and community organizations. The organization is headquartered at 2300 Master St, Philadelphia, with 11-50 employees led by Co-founder and Executive Director Julia Hillengas. Key institutional partners include Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Eastern State Penitentiary, Rebuild, CareerLink, trade unions, and urban farms, with reported outcomes of 85% graduate employment transition and 90% of members with no new records for one year.
PowerCorpsPHL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PowerCorpsPHL
- Legal name
- PowerCorpsPHL
- Website
- https://powercorpsphl.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PowerCorpsPHL is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit founded in 2011 that connects young adults aged 18-24 to career pathways in environmental stewardship, water infrastructure, urban forestry, skilled trades, and youth development through paid 4-24 month training programs, and has expanded nationally via technical assistance to affiliate programs in Boston, Reading, Buffalo, and the Delaware River Watershed.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PowerCorpsPHL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)
Keywords
Where PowerCorpsPHL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PowerCorpsPHL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- AmeriCorps Grants and Funding: Government and foundation grants to support AmeriCorps programming and member stipends
- Technical Assistance Services: Fee-for-service technical assistance provided to cities nationwide seeking to replicate the PowerCorpsPHL model
- Product Sales (Shop): Sale of handcrafted wood products including birdhouses, nesting boxes, and wooden cutlery sets made by program participants
- Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through GoFundMe platform and other fundraising activities
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Handcrafted Wood Products - Birdhouses |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Handcrafted Wood Products - Cutlery Sets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Handcrafted Wood Products - Games |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
PowerCorpsPHL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PowerCorpsPHL is a nonprofit workforce development organization that connects young Philadelphians (ages 18-24) to paid career training in environmental stewardship and skilled trades. The organization delivers paid service terms (4-24 months) that combine hands-on conservation work, urban agriculture, stormwater infrastructure maintenance, and classroom-based career readiness, with advanced tracks through Industry Academies. Additional programs include TRUST (trauma-informed support for justice-involved youth) and the Philadelphia Reforestation Hub (urban sawmill operations).
Product overview
PowerCorpsPHL is a workforce development organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs spanning 4 to 24 months. The core pathway begins with the Foundations program, a 4-month environmental stewardship service term, followed by Industry Academies providing advanced career-specific training in Water Infrastructure, Urban Forestry, Skilled Trades, and Youth Development. Additional programs include TRUST for justice-involved youth and the Philadelphia Reforestation Hub for sawmill operations training. The organization also operates a social enterprise Shop selling handcrafted wood products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Foundations A 4-month full-time service program for young adults in Philadelphia offering hands-on environmental stewardship skills including natural lands care, urban agriculture, stormwater infrastructure maintenance, park maintenance, and trail creation. Includes classroom-based career readiness training and wraparound supportive services with the goal of transitioning graduates into career-specific training or entry-level employment.
- Industry Academies Advanced training tracks combining on-the-job and classroom training designed to transition graduates to career-track employment. Includes Water Infrastructure, Urban Forestry, Skilled Trades, and Youth Development academies. Designed in collaboration with employers and industry partners. Ideal applicants are graduates of the PCPHL Foundations program and external applicants with 6 months to 1 year of prior industry experience or equivalent workforce development, trade, or vocational training.
- TRUST (The Road to an Ultimate Successful Transition)
- Philadelphia Reforestation Hub
- Shop
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% of graduates transitioned to employment
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use PowerCorpsPHL
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PowerCorpsPHL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
PowerCorpsPHL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.
- Reading Climate CorpscoreAffiliate organization in Reading, PA launched in 2022 with full support from local government and community organizations. Received commendation from City Council.
- Philadelphia Water Department (PWD)coreCollaborative development of the Stormwater Infrastructure Industry Academy in 2017, creating career pathways connecting to in-demand positions accessible at entry-level with moderate on-the-job training.
- Philadelphia Parks & RecreationcoreOngoing partnership for park maintenance, tree planting, and environmental stewardship projects. PowerCorps crews regularly support Love Your Park events and ongoing park care.
- Eastern State PenitentiarysecondaryPartnership to develop Masonry and Carpentry Academies, providing direct pathways to full-time employment and union apprenticeships through a 6-week intensive program.
- RebuildsecondaryCollaborative partner in developing Masonry and Carpentry Academies alongside Eastern State Penitentiary, CareerLink, and trade unions.
- CareerLinksecondaryWorkforce development partner involved in developing Masonry and Carpentry Academies with trade union pathways.
- PowerCorpsBOS (Boston)coreAffiliate organization in Boston, MA. PowerCorpsPHL provided technical assistance for launch. In first 3 years, graduated three cohorts, engaged 150 young adults, and developed three industry academies.
- Environmental Justice Corps (Buffalo, NY)secondaryPartner organization in Buffalo, NY. PowerCorpsPHL partnered with Buffalo Sewer Authority to design the first two of seven planned industry academies.
- Delaware River Climate Corps (DRCC)secondaryPowerCorpsPHL served on the technical assistance team supporting 12 corps across four states in the Delaware River Watershed, providing program strategy and trauma-informed practice support.
- Trade UnionssecondaryPartnership with trade unions for Masonry and Carpentry Academies providing direct pathways to union apprenticeships upon program completion.
- Concourse LakeminorEnvironmental project partnership where PowerCorps crews worked to improve aesthetics, sightlines, trail accessibility, and remove invasive species.
- Riverfront North PennypackminorEnvironmental stewardship partnership tackling invasive overgrowth, planting native trees for erosion control, and remediating meadows to improve wildlife habitat.
- Novick Urban FarmsecondaryUrban farm partner that has worked with several PowerCorps cohorts for farm establishment and maintenance support.
- FarmerJawnsecondaryUrban farming business collaborating with PowerCorpsPHL on training next generation of farmers and horticulturalists.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PowerCorpsPHL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit serving young adults 18–24 with career training, employer partnerships, and earn-while-you-learn models. Highly comparable population, mission, and partnership-driven employer model, though Year Up focuses on IT/financial services rather than environmental stewardship.
- Roca: Massachusetts-based nonprofit focused on justice-involved young adults using trauma-informed, intensive workforce development. Closely comparable to PowerCorpsPHL's TRUST program in target population, methodology, and outcome focus (recidivism reduction).
- Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology workforce training to adults from low-income communities. Comparable in mission structure (employer-aligned training, no-cost for participants, outcome-driven) though focused on tech rather than environmental/trade sectors.
- Green City Force: NYC AmeriCorps program that trains young adults from low-income communities for careers in environmental stewardship and urban agriculture. Directly mirrors PowerCorpsPHL's mission, target demographic, and AmeriCorps funding model.
- Civicorps: Oakland-based nonprofit combining paid workforce development with conservation and environmental stewardship for young adults. Highly comparable to PowerCorpsPHL's Foundations + Urban Forestry model — same youth corps + green jobs structure.
- Conservation Legacy: National network of AmeriCorps conservation corps programs for young adults. Comparable in service corps structure, environmental stewardship focus, and AmeriCorps funding mechanics, though primarily rural/western rather than urban.
- Urban Alliance: Washington DC-based nonprofit providing workforce development for youth from under-resourced communities through paid internships and job training. Comparable in youth population, employer-driven model, and outcome measurement.
Emerging players
- Groundwork USA: National network of independent urban environmental nonprofits (Groundwork Trusts) working on environmental stewardship, job training, and community revitalization in urban areas. Adjacent to PowerCorpsPHL's urban forestry and environmental stewardship work and a potential peer organization or affiliate network.
Regional players
- Hopeworks: Camden, NJ-based nonprofit combining trauma-informed workforce development with technology training for young adults. Comparable in mission and regional geography (greater Philadelphia area), though specializing in software/web development pathways rather than environmental/trades.
Broad incumbents
- The Corps Network: National membership association of more than 130 Service and Conservation Corps. PowerCorpsPHL operates within this broader ecosystem; comparable as a connector/distributor of the corps model and potential channel for technical assistance expansion.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PowerCorpsPHL social profiles
Digital presencePowerCorpsPHL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PowerCorpsPHL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
PowerCorpsPHL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PowerCorpsPHL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PowerCorpsPHL
What does PowerCorpsPHL do?
PowerCorpsPHL is a nonprofit workforce development organization that connects young Philadelphians (ages 18-24) to paid career training in environmental stewardship and skilled trades. The organization delivers paid service terms (4-24 months) that combine hands-on conservation work, urban agriculture, stormwater infrastructure maintenance, and classroom-based career readiness, with advanced tracks through Industry Academies. Additional programs include TRUST (trauma-informed support for justice-involved youth) and the Philadelphia Reforestation Hub (urban sawmill operations).
Is PowerCorpsPHL a public or private company?
PowerCorpsPHL is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was PowerCorpsPHL founded?
PowerCorpsPHL was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PowerCorpsPHL based?
PowerCorpsPHL is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does PowerCorpsPHL make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. AmeriCorps Grants and Funding is the primary driver. The others are technical Assistance Services, product Sales (Shop) and donations and Fundraising.
Who are PowerCorpsPHL's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Year Up, Roca, Per Scholas, Green City Force, Civicorps, Conservation Legacy and Urban Alliance. Groundwork USA is listed as an emerging player. Hopeworks is listed as a regional player. The Corps Network is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does PowerCorpsPHL have an API?
No public API is recorded for PowerCorpsPHL.
What industry is PowerCorpsPHL in?
PowerCorpsPHL's product category is Workforce Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAF, Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAFAMAN, Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.