David Brower Center
The David Brower Center is a Berkeley-based nonprofit founded in 2009 that operates a LEED Platinum building housing 20+ environmental nonprofits, hosting 300+ events annually, and running the Art/Act exhibition series serving 45,000+ visitors per year.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What David Brower Center does
The David Brower Center is a Berkeley, California-based nonprofit organization founded in 2009 that serves as a physical convening hub for the environmental and social justice movement. The Center operates a LEED Platinum-rated building at 2150 Allston Way, Suite 100 in Downtown Berkeley, incorporating photovoltaic panels, energy-saving technologies, and recycled building materials. It serves four overlapping constituencies: (1) 20+ environmental and social justice nonprofit tenants (including Earth Island Institute, Center for Ecoliteracy, MapLight, New Energy Nexus, and Golden Gate Bird Alliance) who lease collaborative office space; (2) event clients — both nonprofit and private businesses — who rent five configurable venue spaces (Hazel Wolf Gallery with 200 standing capacity, Goldman Theater with 178 seats, Tamalpais Room, Terrace, and Kinzie Room) for conferences, receptions, film screenings, lectures, and performances, with the Center hosting 300+ events annually under green-event requirements; (3) the general public, served through free gallery admissions and museum-quality exhibitions; and (4) youth and educators via the Art/Act: Educate program (2017-2023) and annual Art/Act: Youth exhibitions showcasing 100-200+ student artworks.
The Center's programmatic engine is the Art/Act exhibition series, which runs three annual shows — Art/Act: Youth (spring, student work), Art/Act: Local (summer, juried Northern California artists), and Art/Act: Award (fall, established environmental artist) — supported by an in-house gallery curator and exhibitions installation team. The Center is governed by a Board of Directors including Adam Berman (President), David Phillips (Treasurer), Sumona Majumdar (Secretary), Kenneth David Brower, Carlos Duarte, Hadley Hartshore, and Alexa Norstad, with Maria Schell Hassid serving as Executive Director following the April 2026 passing of founder Peter K. Buckley.
The revenue model combines earned income (venue rentals, office leases) with contributed income (donations, planned gifts, corporate contributions via the Future Fund and Operating Support funds). Institutional funders include the Alameda County Arts Commission, California Humanities, East Bay Municipal Utility District, National Endowment for the Humanities, Berkeley Civic Arts Commission, and Beneficial State Bank. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with discounts available for nonprofit, education, and government clients. Distribution is regional (San Francisco Bay Area / East Bay) and supported by a curated network of in-house restaurant Gather Restaurant, certified-green caterers, florists, a videography partner (Maze Productions), and preferred hotel partners (Doubletree Berkeley Marina, Hotel Shattuck Plaza).
David Brower Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- David Brower Center
- Legal name
- David Brower Center
- Website
- https://browercenter.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The David Brower Center is a Berkeley-based nonprofit founded in 2009 that operates a LEED Platinum building housing 20+ environmental nonprofits, hosting 300+ events annually, and running the Art/Act exhibition series serving 45,000+ visitors per year.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
David Brower Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Event Center
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Environmental & Sustainability Events (Earth Day, Clean-Up Festivals) (MPAGAEAO), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD), Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)
Keywords
Where David Brower Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
David Brower Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Venue Rental: The center hosts 300+ events annually for nonprofit and private businesses through its low-waste conference center, generating revenue from venue space rentals including the Hazel Wolf Gallery, Goldman Theater, Tamalpais Room, Terrace, and Kinzie Room.
- Donations and Contributions: The center accepts donations, stock donations, planned gifts, and corporate contributions to support exhibitions and programs. Donors can give to the Future Fund or Operating Support.
- Office Space Lease: The center houses 20+ nonprofit and social enterprises as resident organizations, providing collaborative office space and generating revenue through commercial office leases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Venue rental with discounts for nonprofits |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
David Brower Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The David Brower Center operates a LEED Platinum certified sustainable building in downtown Berkeley that provides bookable event venues, hosts the Art/Act environmental art exhibition series, and houses 20+ resident nonprofit organizations in collaborative office space. It also runs the Art/Act: Educate national youth environmental education program and convenes the environmental movement through events, conferences, and community programming.
Product overview
The David Brower Center is a physical community center and event venue rather than a software product. Its offerings include museum-quality gallery exhibitions through the Art/Act exhibition series (featuring Art/Act: Youth, Art/Act: Local, and Art/Act: Award exhibitions annually), venue rental spaces for events (including the Hazel Wolf Gallery, Richard & Rhoda Goldman Theater, Tamalpais Room, The Terrace, and Kinzie Room), collaborative office space for resident organizations, a low-waste conference center hosting 300+ events annually, and the Art/Act: Educate program providing environmental art curriculum resources for educators and students.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ART/Act: Annual exhibition series celebrating art and environmental activism through three main exhibitions per year: Art/Act: Youth (spring), Art/Act: Local (summer), and Art/Act: Award (fall).
- ART/Act: Educate
- Hazel Wolf Gallery
Products and services
- Hazel Wolf Gallery The Hazel Wolf Gallery is the David Brower Center's flagship museum-quality exhibition space, hosting the Art/Act exhibition series and available for private event rentals. It is open free to the public and serves environmental art programming.
- Richard & Rhoda Goldman Theater The Richard & Rhoda Goldman Theater is a flexible auditorium-style event space within the David Brower Center, available for screenings, lectures, panels, and presentations for up to several hundred guests.
- Tamalpais Room The Tamalpais Room is a mid-size meeting and reception space inside the David Brower Center, suited for board meetings, receptions, and breakout sessions.
- The Terrace The Terrace is an outdoor event space at the David Brower Center overlooking downtown Berkeley, used for receptions, ceremonies, and outdoor programming.
- Kinzie Room The Kinzie Room is a small meeting and breakout space inside the David Brower Center, suitable for smaller gatherings, working sessions, and committee meetings.
- Art/Act: Youth Exhibition Art/Act: Youth is the David Brower Center's annual juried exhibition showcasing environmental art by high school students, tied to the Art/Act: Educate national program.
- Art/Act: Local Exhibition Art/Act: Local is a recurring exhibition in the Hazel Wolf Gallery featuring Bay Area artists whose work engages environmental and social-justice themes.
- Art/Act: Award Exhibition Art/Act: Award is a juried environmental art competition and exhibition hosted in the Hazel Wolf Gallery, recognizing established artists whose work addresses environmental and social-justice themes.
- Art/Act: Educate Art/Act: Educate is the David Brower Center's national environmental art education program offering lesson plans, classroom toolkits, and the annual Art/Act: Youth exhibition to high schools across the United States.
- Resident Organizations Program The Resident Organizations Program provides long-term office leases to 20+ mission-aligned environmental and social-justice nonprofits, along with shared back-office resources and convening opportunities at the David Brower Center.
Quantifiable outcome
- 45,000-50,000 annual visitors engage with the center's programs and exhibitions
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use David Brower Center
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
David Brower Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
David Brower Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of Nebraska-LincolncorePartner in the Art/Act: Educate program, creating a cross-country teacher exchange between Skyline High School in Oakland, California and North Platte High School in North Platte, Nebraska. The partnership supported curriculum development around climate conversations, change making, and art.
- Gather RestaurantcoreIn-house restaurant partner located onsite at the Brower Center. Gather is a vibrant community hub with organic food, craft drinks, market goods, custom catering and inspiring events. With the deepest sourcing commitments going beyond organic, Gather's catering offers global flavors with a refined, natural design aesthetic.
- The Mixing Bowl CateringminorFull service and drop-off catering with sustainable practices. Part of UC Berkeley Eat Well Program and Certified Green Business. Fresh, seasonally-inspired food using local and organic ingredients.
- ACT CateringminorCatering partner serving well-prepared fresh food from sustainable farms and high-quality organic ingredients. Participates in UC Berkeley Eat Well Program.
- Hugh Groman GroupminorIncludes Hugh Groman Catering (full service with chefs cooking on site) and Greenleaf Platters (drop off). Part of UC Berkeley Eat Well Program.
- La Bonne CateringminorLGBT-run company serving the Bay Area for over 20 years with sustainably-sourced world fusion cuisine presented in unique ways.
- The Table CateringminorBoutique Berkeley husband-and-wife catering team offering sustainable and organic seasonal buffet platters with professional chef services.
- Aurora CateringminorLocal company using fresh, seasonal ingredients with strong flavors of France and Spain, accommodating vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets.
- Doubletree by Hilton Berkeley MarinaminorPreferred hotel partner offering discounted rates for Brower Center event attendees and visitors.
- Hotel Shattuck PlazaminorPreferred hotel partner offering discounted rates for Brower Center clients and event attendees.
- Gorgeous and GreenminorCertified Green Business providing small production, locally-grown floral and greenery design using reclaimed materials.
- Bluma Flower FarmminorGrows Certified Organic flowers in three local locations for event florals.
- Maze ProductionsminorLocal full service videography and editing partner offering live streaming and photography services for events.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
David Brower Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- The Contemporary Jewish Museum: San Francisco museum and event venue combining exhibitions, educational programming, and private/corporate event rentals in a sustainably designed building. Comparable on the Brower Center's hybrid museum/event-venue operating model and Bay Area geography.
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: San Francisco nonprofit arts and event venue hosting exhibitions, performances, and conferences with a focus on contemporary social issues. Comparable on venue-rental, exhibition-programming, and nonprofit event-hosting model within the Bay Area.
Broad incumbents
- Natural Resources Defense Council: Major U.S. environmental advocacy organization combining legal, policy, and public engagement work. Broadly comparable on environmental advocacy and outreach mission, though NRDC operates at substantially larger scale and national scope.
- Sierra Club: National environmental organization where David Brower served as first executive director (1952–1969) and where the Brower Center draws its namesake. Broadly comparable as the foundational U.S. environmental movement institution, though much larger in scale and scope.
- Friends of the Earth: International environmental advocacy network founded by David Brower in 1969, now active in 52 countries. Broadly comparable on environmental mission and historical lineage to the Brower Center, though operating at international scale.
Direct peers
- The Ecology Center: Berkeley-based environmental education and community-engagement nonprofit offering workshops, events, and sustainability programming. Directly comparable as a Bay Area environmental education organization serving overlapping community audiences with similar advocacy and programming.
- Earth Island Institute: Environmental nonprofit incubator founded by David Brower in 1982, currently a resident organization of the Brower Center and represented on the Center's Board of Directors (CEO Sumona Majumdar serves as Secretary; Executive Director Emeritus David Phillips serves as Treasurer). Most directly comparable given shared mission, shared physical space, and overlapping board.
- Urban Adamah: West Berkeley community farm and environmental education center founded by Adam Berman, who currently serves as President of the Brower Center Board. Directly comparable on environmental education programming, Berkeley geography, and leadership overlap.
- Center for Ecoliteracy: Environmental education nonprofit co-founded by Peter K. Buckley in 1995, currently a resident organization at the Brower Center, with Executive Director Alexa Norstad sitting on the Center's Board. Directly comparable on mission (education for sustainability) and on shared space and governance.
- Headlands Center for the Arts: Bay Area artist residency and environmental arts organization offering exhibitions, residencies, and public programs with strong environmental themes. Comparable on art-meets-environment programming model and Bay Area regional footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
David Brower Center social profiles
Digital presenceDavid Brower Center compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
David Brower Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
David Brower Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
David Brower Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
David Brower Center 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 David Brower Center
What does David Brower Center do?
The David Brower Center operates a LEED Platinum certified sustainable building in downtown Berkeley that provides bookable event venues, hosts the Art/Act environmental art exhibition series, and houses 20+ resident nonprofit organizations in collaborative office space. It also runs the Art/Act: Educate national youth environmental education program and convenes the environmental movement through events, conferences, and community programming.
Is David Brower Center a public or private company?
David Brower Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was David Brower Center founded?
David Brower Center was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is David Brower Center based?
David Brower Center is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does David Brower Center make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Venue Rental is the primary driver. The others are donations and Contributions and office Space Lease.
Who are David Brower Center's main competitors?
Regional players on record are The Contemporary Jewish Museum and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Broad incumbents are Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth. Direct peers are The Ecology Center, Earth Island Institute, Urban Adamah, Center for Ecoliteracy and Headlands Center for the Arts.
Does David Brower Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for David Brower Center.
What industry is David Brower Center in?
David Brower Center's product category is Community Event Center. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAH, Environmental Education & Outreach, with a secondary code of MPAGAEAO, Community Environmental & Sustainability Events (Earth Day, Clean-Up Festivals). Its NAICS code is 813312.