Biomimicry for Social Innovation

What Biomimicry for Social Innovation does

Biomimicry for Social Innovation (BSI) is a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based 501c3 nonprofit founded by Toby Herzlich that applies biomimicry methodology to the human side of change-making — leadership development, organizational transformation, trust-building, and collective action — rather than to product or engineering design. Its core technology is a portfolio of proprietary frameworks developed through years of field testing, including the Nature of Trust Toolkit and CoLab (a 10-week online course grounded in two years of biological research on trust in living systems), the BIOS (Biologically-Inspired Organizational Strategies) consulting methodology, the Living Systems Leadership curriculum, and the Life's Principles Leadership Cards produced with Biomimicry 3.8. The organization is governed by a board chaired by Adelma Aurora Power Hnasko, with a small management team (1-10 employees) led by founder Toby Herzlich and Managing Director Gina LaMotte.

BSI monetizes across five streams: educational programs (online courses priced $249-$2,350 and week-long immersions such as the Living Systems Leadership Retreat and Discover Nature's Genius), 1:1 executive coaching and BIOS-based consulting for organizations, physical products (Leadership Cards at $20 per deck, Biomimicry Resource Handbook $45 digital / $95 hardcopy via Biomimicry 3.8), a twice-weekly Nature Positive Practices subscription with enterprise packages, and tax-deductible donations under a current $50,000 matching campaign. Customer segments span individual change agents, women and non-binary leaders, certified biomimicry professionals, ASU M.Sc. students, and organizations across nonprofit, philanthropic, and enterprise contexts; named clients include Sierra Club, Agroecology Fund (a 7+ year engagement), Canopy, n'Rhythm, Bioneers, and the New Mexico School for the Arts. Distribution runs through a Squarespace storefront, Beehiiv-powered email, Instagram, YouTube, Bioneers conference presence, and a global BSI Practitioners Network spanning the USA, Canada, Germany, India, Colombia, and New Zealand. Core strategic alliances are with Biomimicry 3.8, the Biomimicry Institute, and Arizona State University, which together anchor BSI inside the dominant global biomimicry credentialing ecosystem.

Name

Biomimicry for Social Innovation

Legal name

Biomimicry for Social Innovation

Website

https://bio-sis.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Biomimicry for Social Innovation is a Santa Fe-based 501c3 nonprofit that translates biomimicry into leadership development, organizational consulting, and trust-building for change agents, enterprises, and certified biomimicry professionals globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organizational Development Consulting

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Wellness Program Design & Accountability Coaching (HSADAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workplace Wellness & Wellbeing Education (EDAAAHAN), Behavior Change & Motivational Coaching (HSADAGAF), Leadership, Character Education & Values Development (EDAMAIAG), Growth Mindset, Motivation & Goal-Setting Programs (EDAMAIAE)

Keywords

• Biomimicry leadership consulting
• Organizational development training
• Executive coaching services
• Nature-inspired leadership programs
• Regenerative strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Programs and Courses: Revenue from online courses such as Introduction to Biomimicry for Social Innovation ($349 per person) and the Nature of Trust CoLab 10-week course ($1,950-$2,350 individual; $1,350-$1,850 group pricing). Also includes week-long immersion workshops at various locations.
2. Coaching and Consulting Services: 1:1 executive coaching and organizational consulting engagements with individuals, organizations, and companies. Toby Herzlich offers ICF-certified coaching; the team provides strategic consulting using BIOS methodology.
3. Product Sales: Sale of Life's Principles Leadership Cards at $20 per deck, along with Biomimicry Resource Handbook (digital $45, hardcopy $95) through partnership with Biomimicry 3.8.
4. Nature Positive Practices Subscription: Newsletter subscription service delivering nature's wisdom twice weekly to subscribers' inboxes. Includes enterprise packages for teams and organizations.
5. Donations and Grants: As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, BSI receives tax-deductible donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. Currently running a matching donation campaign up to $50,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Biomimicry for Social Innovation (BSI) applies biomimicry methodologies to leadership development, organizational transformation, and social innovation. Its core offerings include in-person and online training programs (e.g., Living Systems Leadership Retreat, Discover Nature's Genius, Introduction to Biomimicry), 1:1 and group coaching, organizational consulting using the proprietary BIOS (Biologically-Inspired Organizational Strategies) methodology, a twice-weekly Nature Positive Practices email subscription, the Nature of Trust CoLab 10-week course, and the Life's Principles Leadership Cards physical product.

Product overview

Biomimicry for Social Innovation (BSI) offers a portfolio of educational and advisory services centered on applying nature's intelligence to social innovation, leadership, and organizational change. The core offerings include in-person and online training programs (Training & Retreats, Coaching, Consulting), a structured 10-week online course (Nature of Trust CoLab), a twice-weekly email subscription (Nature Positive Practices), and a physical product (Life's Principles Leadership Cards). The offerings are unified by the application of biomimicry — emulating nature's strategies — to the human side of change-making, connecting a network of leaders inspired by nature dedicated to a regenerative future.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Life's Principles Leadership Cards: A deck of 52 cards introducing natural mentors embodying Life's Principles, offering guidance for leadership development. Produced in collaboration with Biomimicry 3.8.

Products and services

• Training & Retreats Immersive workshops and online programs that teach participants to learn from nature and apply ecological insights and strategies to how they live and work. Offerings include the Living Systems Leadership Retreat for Women, Discover Nature's Genius for Social Innovation immersion, and the Introduction to Biomimicry for Social Innovation online course.
• Coaching One-on-one or group coaching support for leaders to reach their highest capacity, grounded in nature-based wisdom and delivered by Founder Toby Herzlich, who integrates ICF Coaching accreditation and Brain-Based Coaching Certification.
• Consulting Organizational consulting services that apply BIOS (Biologically-Inspired Organizational Strategies) to help teams, organizations, and networks design transformative and regenerative structures, systems, and practices.
• Nature of Trust CoLab An immersive 10-week online course exploring trust through living systems, based on over two years of biological research. Participants learn eight principles of trust-affirming behaviors observed across living systems and gain practical tools for building trust in teams, organizations, and communities.
• Nature Positive Practices A twice-weekly email subscription service distilling essential leadership strategies from the natural world. Subscribers receive biological deep dives, tools, strategies, reflection prompts, and case studies to support a regular practice of applying nature's genius to their life and work. Also offered as customizable Enterprise Packages for teams, organizations, and classrooms.
• Life's Principles Leadership Cards A deck of 52 cards introducing natural mentors who embody Life's Principles, offering guidance for leadership development. Each card illuminates a Life's Principle through a natural organism, paired with a thought-provoking leadership question. Produced in collaboration with Biomimicry 3.8. Priced at $20 per deck.

Quantifiable outcome

• Seventh iteration of Discover Nature's Genius workshop; six years of Living Systems Leadership Retreat
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Biomimicry 3.8coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundational partnership with the B-Corp social enterprise founded by Janine Benyus and Dayna Baumeister. Co-develops and co-teaches programs including the Discover Nature's Genius immersion workshops and Nature of Trust CoLab. Jointly produces the Life's Principles Leadership Cards. BSI faculty serve as key instructors in Biomimicry 3.8's Professional Certification Program.
• The Biomimicry InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of a growing global network alongside the Institute and Biomimicry 3.8. The three organizations work collaboratively to translate biological knowledge into practices that transform leadership and societal change.
• B-Bar RanchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Discover Nature's Genius immersion workshops in Montana. The ranch offers expansive prairie vistas and regenerative practices that serve as a living blueprint for participants.
• Ocamora Retreat CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Living Systems Leadership Retreat for Women in Northern New Mexico. Founded in 1981, the 265-acre sanctuary at 7,500 ft in the Sangre de Cristo mountains provides immersive high-desert ecosystem experience.
• n'RhythmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for post-pandemic revitalization consulting. Tre' Cates, Managing Director of n'Rhythm, works closely with BSI team on organizational consulting engagements.
• Arizona State University (ASU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSI workshops count toward Biomimicry Specialist Certification in ASU's Graduate Certificate in Biomimicry program. Karen Allen serves as faculty in ASU's M.Sc. in Biomimicry program. BSI collaborates on academic credibility and certification pathways.
• BioneersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual conference presence where BSI leads sessions such as 'Biomimicry and Justice' and interactive workshops on becoming a Nature Positive Leader. Co-marketing through conference programming.
• Sierra ClubminorOthersClient engagement: Toby Herzlich consults with Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign, integrating regenerative practices for team dynamics and organizational resilience.
• Agroecology FundminorOthersSeven-year consulting relationship providing strategic planning, participatory program assessment, and organizational development for this global network of philanthropists, scientists, and practitioners.
• Canopy (Rainforest Protection NGO)minorOthersCanadian-based client for strategic consulting inquiry into how nature maintains win-win collaborative partnerships; developed 'Nature's Four Key Criteria for Enduring Partnerships.'

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Regenerative Design Institute: Organization applying living-systems and Permaculture principles to design and education. Comparable nature-based framework methodology with overlap on the regenerative-practice audience.

Direct peers

• EcoRise: Nonprofit founded by Gina LaMotte (BSI's Managing Director) advancing climate action and sustainability in K-12 schools. Closely adjacent operating model and audience, with shared leadership.
• Bioneers: Annual conference and media organization focused on regenerative culture and social innovation. BSI co-sponsors conference sessions and shares the same audience of changemakers and sustainability practitioners.
• Biomimicry 3.8: B-Corp social enterprise founded by Janine Benyus and Dayna Baumeister. The closest peer: co-develops workshops, co-produces the Leadership Cards, and shares the biomimicry training market. BSI faculty instruct in Biomimicry 3.8's Professional Certification Program.
• Rockwood Leadership Institute: Leadership development organization serving social-change leaders. Founder Toby Herzlich is a Senior Trainer there for 18 years; methodologies overlap on leadership development for changemakers.
• Pachamama Alliance: Nonprofit offering leadership programs rooted in Indigenous wisdom and regenerative principles. Direct overlap with BSI's nature-inspired leadership development for changemakers.
• The Biomimicry Institute: Sibling nonprofit in the global biomimicry ecosystem. Collaborates with BSI on translating biological knowledge into practice; shares practitioner community and advocacy mission.
• Presencing Institute (Otto Scharmer): Theory U and systems-change leadership programs for transformational change. Comparable audience and methodology category — applying contemplative/emergent frameworks to leadership and social innovation.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Creative Leadership: Large, established leadership development institution. Comparable customer base (organizational leaders) but much broader portfolio; BSI occupies the nature-inspired niche within a wider leadership-development market.
• The Natural Step: Sustainability framework and consulting organization with broader systems-thinking methodology. Comparable sustainability/regenerative-practice positioning though not biomimicry-specific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/biomimicrysi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBiomimicryforSocialInnovation
• Facebookfacebook.com/bsi.social.innovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biomimicrysocialinnovation
• Instagraminstagram.com/bsi_social

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 Biomimicry for Social Innovation