RETI Center

What RETI Center does

RETI Center (The Resilience Education Training and Innovation Center) is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 in the wake of Superstorm Sandy by the Red Hook community. The organization educates, trains, and collaborates with local youth, industry experts, and community members to advance equity, ecology, and economy in adapting waterfront communities to climate change. Its primary programs are the no-cost Green Jobs Training Program (Roof RETI) preparing participants for solar installation, building electrification, and clean energy careers; the Local Power community solar subscription program; the BlueBlock Floating Gardens and Floating Reef nature-based infrastructure projects; the floating Field Station at GBX~ Gowanus Bay Terminal; the BlueCity urban ocean stewardship initiative; sugar kelp marine aquaculture with LaGuardia College and Lazy Point Farms; and K–12 and college education programs. RETI also runs the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) for paid youth internships and a workforce mentorship program placing industry mentors with graduates.

RETI's underlying technology is non-software and centered on physical coastal-resilience infrastructure: modular floating structures built from salvaged and reclaimed materials (including recycled cork beds), a living floating bio-habitat integrating a solar-powered greenhouse, mussel/oyster lines, and kelp cultivation, an expanding sensor network for water-quality and weather monitoring in collaboration with NOAA, small-scale plastic recycling via a Filabot reclaimer producing 100% recycled 3D-printer filament and algae-based bioplastics, and sugar kelp marine farming. BlueBlock Floating Gardens has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. The organization operates in the New York metropolitan area, with active cohorts in Brooklyn (Red Hook) and the Bronx and a 2025 expansion into Newburgh via a NYSERDA co-sponsored community solar launch.

RETI's business model is nonprofit and diversified across donations and individual fundraising (including an NYC Marathon team with a $3,000 per-runner minimum), corporate support and paid corporate volunteer team-building engagements at the floating field station, government and foundation grants (NYSCA, Architectural League, NYSERDA, Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses), and recurring community solar subscription revenue from Local Power. Workforce training is delivered at no cost to participants, with paid internships providing the income path. The organization is led by Executive Director Jinean Robinson (since July 2025) and Founder/Board Chair Gita Nandan, with a 1–10 person staff and a broader network of board members, science and industry advisors, consultants, and a 750+ volunteer base.

Name

RETI Center

Legal name

The Resilience Education Training and Innovation Center

Website

https://reticenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RETI Center is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that trains historically marginalized youth for green jobs, delivers community solar subscriptions, and builds nature-based coastal infrastructure including Floating Gardens and a Floating Reef bio-habitat at its Gowanus Bay Field Station.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clean Energy Workforce Development and Community Solar

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Roofing Contractors (23816), Facilities Support Services (561210)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC Installation & Service (Residential & Commercial) (EDAOACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ), Water Reuse & Reclamation Infrastructure Construction (Recycled Water Systems) (IMAFAGAH), Alternative Education & Dropout Prevention / Re-Engagement Programs (EDANAJAF)

Keywords

• Clean energy training
• Community solar programs
• Workforce development
• Environmental education
• Coastal resilience

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through the support page, fundraising events like marathon team participation ($3,000 minimum commitment per runner), and annual fundraiser events.
2. Corporate Support: Corporate partnerships funding youth education programs, workforce training initiatives, and public programs. Includes corporate volunteering programs where companies pay for team building activities on the floating barge.
3. Government and Foundation Grants: Grant funding from organizations like NYSCA and Architectural League (2022 Architecture and Design Independent Projects Grant). Funding supports capital campaigns like the Floating Reef.
4. Community Solar Subscriptions: Local Power community solar program connects subscribers to solar energy systems on commercial buildings, reducing energy costs while supporting clean energy infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RETI Center educates, trains, and collaborates with local youth and historically marginalized residents on clean energy workforce skills, community solar access, and urban coastal ecosystem restoration. It runs no-cost green jobs training (Roof RETI), coordinates the Local Power community solar program, and operates a floating Field Station laboratory featuring BlueBlock Floating Gardens and the Floating Reef bio-habitat.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Local Power: Community solar program brand that lets community members cut energy costs by subscribing to large-scale solar energy systems on commercial buildings.
• Roof RETI
• BlueCity

Products and services

• Local Power Community Solar A community solar program enabling NYC residents to subscribe to large-scale solar energy systems hosted on commercial buildings, reducing energy costs without requiring rooftop installation on their own property.
• Roof RETI Solar Installation Training (Green Job Training) No-cost intensive solar installation training (3-week format) covering safety protocols, permitting, OSHA certification, and GPRO certification, preparing trainees for careers in solar installation and other clean energy trades.
• BlueBlock Floating Gardens Modular floating structure system inspired by lilypads, built entirely from salvaged and reclaimed materials on recycled cork beds, designed to restore aquatic ecosystems along NYC's coastal edges.
• Floating Reef A living, floating bio-habitat supporting marine life from sea floor to surface, featuring a solar-powered greenhouse for year-round aquatic plant growth, hanging mussel ropes and oyster baskets for water cleansing, and kelp lines surrounding a concrete hull.
• Field Station A floating experimental learning site on Gowanus Bay hosting water science research, sustainable construction projects, waste reduction initiatives, and ecosystem restoration programs for education, training, and public engagement.
• Youth Education Programs Field trips, research groups (plastic recycling/bioplastics, water quality monitoring), internships, and custom curricula for schools covering sustainable design, water science, and green energy topics.
• BlueCity A waterfront development initiative at GBX~ Gowanus Bay Terminal creating a model for how coastal cities can combine environmental justice, social responsibility, and innovative design to adapt to climate change.
• Sugar Kelp Cultivation Program Marine aquaculture initiative cultivating sugar kelp in NY Harbor for water quality improvement and carbon sequestration, in partnership with LaGuardia College and Lazy Point Farms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ graduates placed into green careers through Local Power workforce training
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• NYSERDAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2025Co-sponsored the SolaElectric Renaissance event in Newburgh, celebrating the launch of Solarize Newburgh and first building-powered public EV charging stations.
• NYC 2030 DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2023Co-hosted Climate Week info sessions with RETI Center for building owners and property managers interested in hosting Community Solar systems.
• Dutch ConsulatemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2022Co-hosted the Urban Ocean Stewardship half-day conference and workshop focused on expanding floating infrastructure for ecologically sustainable water-borne uses around NYC's coastal edge.
• GBX~ Gowanus Bay TerminalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts RETI Center's floating Field Station at 701 Columbia Street. Provides berthing and operational support for the barge-based learning laboratory. Supports team building activities and events for corporate volunteers.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on water quality monitoring program. Weekly monitoring of Gowanus Bay for harmful algal bloom detection. Expanding to include sensor network for weather and nutrient monitoring.
• LaGuardia CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on sugar kelp marine farm creation, part of urban ocean stewardship initiatives at the field station.
• Lazy Point FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on sugar kelp marine farm creation, supporting urban ocean stewardship and water quality improvement.
• thread collectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign collaboration partner for BlueBlock Floating Gardens, an innovative and evolving design project created in partnership and exhibited at the Venice Biennale of Architecture.
• Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreates custom paid internships for local youth combining sustainable construction skills and STEM education to support job readiness.
• Waterfront AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored City of Water Day workshop at RETI Field Station, part of broader efforts to raise awareness about sea level rise and climate change.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Solar United Neighbors: Nonprofit expanding community solar access through education, group purchasing, and advocacy — overlapping mission on community solar subscription models and energy equity.
• GRID Alternatives: National nonprofit installing solar for low-income communities and training workforce entrants — the closest national analog to RETI's combined solar training + community solar + environmental justice model.
• Solar Energy International (SEI): Nonprofit solar training provider offering workforce certifications and installer pathways — comparable vocational clean energy training mission, though operating nationally rather than locally.
• Billion Oyster Project: NYC nonprofit restoring urban harbor ecosystems via oyster reefs and community engagement — directly comparable waterfront restoration mission and NYC operating geography.
• Groundwork USA: Federation of local Trusts running environmental education and green workforce programs in underserved urban communities — directly comparable hyperlocal environmental justice + youth training approach.

Broad incumbents

• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing no-cost technology and green infrastructure training to underserved adults — comparable free workforce training model with multi-city scale that RETI would need to match.
• Habitat for Humanity NYC and Westchester: Larger established nonprofit combining affordable housing construction with workforce training for underserved residents — overlaps on the training-plus-built-environment mission serving NYC communities.

Regional players

• NYC Environmental Justice Alliance: NYC coalition advocating for environmental justice communities in climate policy — overlapping target population and NYC geographic focus with RETI's mission.
• The Waterfront Alliance: NYC-based waterfront resilience coalition already partnering with RETI on City of Water Day — operates as a peer convener in the same NYC climate adaptation ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Greenworker Cooperatives: South Bronx-based nonprofit incubating worker-owned green businesses — comparable local green economy and environmental justice orientation in an adjacent NYC geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/reti_center
• Xx.com/reticenterbk

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 RETI Center