What Sustainable Startups does

Sustainable Startups is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2013 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that supports early-stage entrepreneurs in building sustainable businesses. The organization runs a downtown co-working space alongside an incubator program, a youth entrepreneurship program (the Idea Factory) operated in partnership with the Sorenson Unity Center, and a slate of community events that includes the Sustainable Startup Series, Sustainable Soirees, and E4 All. Programming is delivered using a curriculum built on Quatere's Foundry model, with engagement from roughly 80+ entrepreneurs and reported creation of 28 jobs among participants in the local community.

The organization is led by a small team of 1–10 employees. Rather than developing proprietary technology, Sustainable Startups operates as a community-driven support and convening entity whose stated ecosystem-level outcome is $1.9M in revenue generated by the entrepreneurs it serves — a metric of participant activity, not the organization's own revenue. Marketing and outreach have been supported by a partnership with Airtable, and the organization received U.S. Small Business Administration Growth Accelerator recognition in both 2014 and 2015, signaling credibility within the federal small-business support ecosystem.

The business model is that of a small non-profit: revenue is generated through co-working memberships, event fees, grants, and donations, with some participants on scholarship. There are no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or M&A activity. The customer base is composed of early-stage entrepreneurs, youth program participants, and community event attendees, supplemented by institutional funders and partners. The structure is deliberately lean and mission-driven, with no AI/ML capability, no proprietary platform, and no disclosed annual revenue.

Name

Sustainable Startups

Legal name

Sustainable Startups

Website

https://sustainablestartups.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sustainable Startups is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2013 in Salt Lake City that supports early-stage entrepreneurs through co-working, an incubator, a youth program, and community events, serving roughly 80+ entrepreneurs in its local ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship support programs
• Startup incubator services
• Co-working space memberships
• Youth entrepreneurship programs
• Community entrepreneurship initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Non-profit funding and program services: Sustainable Startups operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Revenue appears to come from grants, donations, membership fees for co-working space, and partnership support rather than traditional product sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sustainable Startups is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports aspiring entrepreneurs through a portfolio of programs, including a downtown Salt Lake City co-working space, a 12-week peer-mentorship incubator based on Quatere's Foundry model, a youth entrepreneurship program in partnership with the Sorenson Unity Center, and recurring community events. Its services target sustainability-focused and social-innovation entrepreneurs, with a particular emphasis on underserved and underrepresented communities. The organization provides tools, training, mentorship, and workspace access to help individuals validate business concepts and launch sustainable enterprises.

Product overview

Sustainable Startups is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in downtown Salt Lake City that provides a portfolio of entrepreneurship support programs rather than a unified software product. The organization operates through six interconnected programs: a Co-working Space that offers physical workspace and collaboration opportunities; the 12-week Entrepreneurship Incubator based on Quatere's Foundry model for concept validation and lean startup methodology; Idea Factory for youth entrepreneurship through high school partnerships; the Sustainable Startup Series for community-building around triple bottom-line principles; Entrepreneurship 4 All as a grassroots community engagement program; and Sustainable Soirees as a monthly networking event for women entrepreneurs. The programs collectively aim to support entrepreneurs from underserved communities, provide tools, training, mentorship, and workspace, and foster innovation in sustainability-focused startups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Co-working Space A collaborative workspace in downtown Salt Lake City for sustainability-focused entrepreneurs, featuring shared common workspaces, private offices, an events venue, conference room, wireless internet, and parking. Scholarship memberships are available for entrepreneurs unable to afford standard fees and those from disadvantaged populations.
• Entrepreneurship Incubator A 12-week incubator program built on Quatere's Foundry model of peer mentorship that helps both for-profit and non-profit entrepreneurs validate their concepts and learn the lean startup framework, with emphasis on sustainable business mindset and impact-driven value creation.
• Idea Factory: Youth Entrepreneurship A youth entrepreneurship program delivered in partnership with the Sorenson Unity Center that helps high school students launch their own social enterprises and provides a structured jumpstart into entrepreneurship for the next generation of community-oriented entrepreneurs.
• Sustainable Startup Series An interactive discussion series featuring established local companies dedicated to growing sustainable businesses, designed to grow community around triple bottom-line principles and inspire early-stage entrepreneurs.
• Entrepreneurship 4 All (E4 All) A grassroots entrepreneurship program designed to bring people off the sidelines and engage them in using entrepreneurship as a tool for community change, providing access to resources, mentors, training, community partners, capital sources, and local resources for underserved and underrepresented entrepreneurs.
• Sustainable Soirees A monthly meetup at Sustainable Startups for women to develop community and support authenticity in pursuing their passions and achieving their entrepreneurial goals.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.9 million in direct revenue generated by 80+ entrepreneurs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sorenson Unity CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Sorenson Unity Center to deliver the Idea Factory youth entrepreneurship program. Works with high school students to launch their own social enterprises, giving them a jumpstart into entrepreneurship.
• AirtableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAirtable provides support to help further the mission of nurturing and empowering entrepreneurs to create sustainable startups that drive positive social, economic, and environmental change.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Village Capital: Nonprofit that runs peer-review based accelerator programs for impact-driven entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to Sustainable Startups' peer mentorship model and focus on under-resourced founders.
• Echoing Green: Nonprofit identifying and supporting social entrepreneurs through fellowships and seed funding. Comparable in focus on social innovation entrepreneurs and underrepresented change-makers.
• SCORE: Nonprofit resource partner of the SBA providing free mentorship, workshops, and tools to entrepreneurs. Comparable in SBA-aligned positioning and small business support services.
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): National nonprofit delivering youth entrepreneurship curricula and programs to underserved high school students. Highly comparable to Sustainable Startups' Idea Factory program and overall mission of using entrepreneurship as a tool for community uplift.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global nonprofit supporting social entrepreneurs through fellowships and a network. Comparable in focus on social innovation entrepreneurship and ecosystem-building for changemakers.
• Goodwill Industries International: Large nonprofit network with workforce development, job training, and entrepreneurship programs for underserved populations. Comparable in mission to lift low-to-moderate income individuals through economic opportunity.
• Junior Achievement: Large-scale nonprofit providing youth entrepreneurship, work-readiness, and financial literacy programs. Operates broadly across the U.S. with comparable youth-focused entrepreneurship programming.
• Kauffman Foundation: Philanthropic foundation focused on entrepreneurship education and research. Comparable as a foundation supporting entrepreneurship ecosystems and underserved founders.

Emerging players

• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused co-working and incubation spaces. Comparable in combining physical co-working with entrepreneurship programming for social impact ventures.
• Quatere (Foundry Model origin): Source of the peer mentorship / Foundry model that Sustainable Startups' incubator is built on. Comparable as the originating methodology provider for sustainable business entrepreneurship support.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SustainStartups
• Facebookfacebook.com/sustainablestartups
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-startups

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Startups