Nature Unplugged

What Nature Unplugged does

Nature Unplugged is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 and headquartered in Encinitas, California. The organization focuses on preventative mental health through a combination of digital wellness education and structured nature-based experiences, delivering programming aimed at reducing excessive screen time and rebuilding connection to outdoor environments. It serves a diversified set of end users, including K-12 and higher-education institutions, employers, individual adults, and community leaders.

Its core offerings include the Advocate Workshop (training community leaders), Educator Training (preparing teachers to deliver digital wellness curricula), Wellness Coaching, Employee Wellness Programs, the Hike-A-Thon, a 28 Day Challenge, Community Hikes, a Resource Kit, and Speaker Services. Underpinning these is a proprietary framework referred to as the "ENU Method," which standardizes the curriculum and program design. Since founding, the organization states it has reached more than 150,000 people and trained over 3,500 advocates, though these are reach metrics rather than active-customer counts.

As a nonprofit, the business model combines program fees, corporate contracts (notably Employee Wellness Programs), individual donations, grants, and partnership sponsorships. Go-to-market relies on workshop-based delivery, co-branded community events with consumer brands (Rivian, Fjällräven), and institutional partnerships with mission-aligned organizations (AARP California, Suicide Prevention Council San Diego). Customer concentration is dispersed across multiple segments, and no single customer or contract is disclosed as material to revenue.

Name

Nature Unplugged

Legal name

Experience Nature Unplugged

Website

https://natureunplugged.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nature Unplugged is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that delivers preventative mental health programming by combining digital wellness education with structured nature-based experiences, serving educators, employers, community leaders, and individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health and Wellness Education

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor, Adventure & Recreational Wellness Education (Hiking, Breathwork in Nature) (EDAAAHAO), Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Recreation Therapy, Stress Management & Mindfulness Programs (EDALAFAO)

Keywords

• Preventative mental health
• Digital wellness education
• Nature-based wellness
• Corporate wellness workshops
• Educator training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Encinitas

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. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Nature Unplugged relies on donations to support their mission of promoting mental health and wellness in the digital age.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates an e-commerce store selling apparel, accessories, and educational materials. 100% of proceeds support mental health programming.
3. Workshop and Training Fees: Revenue generated from paid workshops, educator training programs, and coaching services delivered to individuals, schools, and organizations.
4. Corporate Wellness Programs: Employee wellness workshops and programs delivered to organizations seeking to improve team well-being and reduce digital overload.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Nature Unplugged is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers preventative mental health education and digital wellness training through nature-based experiences. The organization sells workshops (90-minute Advocate Certification, Educator Training), personalized coaching, corporate employee wellness programs, community hikes, and challenges, supplemented by an online merchandise and digital resource store whose proceeds support its programming.

Product overview

Nature Unplugged is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 that provides education and training to promote preventative mental health and inspire wellness in the digital age. The organization operates as a service-based nonprofit offering a portfolio of in-person and virtual programs: the Advocate Certification Workshop (90-minute introductory certification), Educator Training Workshop (comprehensive train-the-trainer program), Wellness Coaching (personalized 1-on-1 'walk and talk' coaching), and Employee Wellness Programs (workplace workshops including a 60-minute Foundations Workshop). These core services are supplemented by community programming including the annual Hike-A-Thon, the 28 Day Challenge, and monthly Community Hikes in San Diego. The organization also offers a Nature Unplugged Resource Kit (digital PDF product), Speaker Services, and merchandise through its online store. All offerings are designed to help individuals, educators, and organizations cultivate healthier relationships with technology and deeper connections with nature.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advocate Certification Workshop

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,500+ Advocates and Educators Trained
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Suicide Prevention Council (SPC) San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2024Co-facilitation of ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) workshops. Founder Sebastian Slovin co-facilitated 2-day suicide first aid training at Marina Village Conference Center.
• RivianminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 August 2024Co-hosted community hike at Rivian's new San Diego Space near Seaport Village. The partnership included an urban hike along the waterfront, Rivian demo drives, and complimentary refreshments provided by Nékter Juice Bar.
• Nékter Juice BarminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 August 2024Provided complimentary refreshments at Rivian + Nature Unplugged community hike event.
• AARP CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2024Let's Take It Outside partnership featuring outdoor activities, guided hiking, birding, gentle yoga, and nature-based wellness programming for seniors. Multiple events co-hosted including Sweetwater Trail Loop partnership in January 2026.
• Young Professionals (San Diego)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2024Co-hosted Beachside Networking event with Young Professionals San Diego - an evening of casual networking and outdoor beach activities to foster professional relationships away from technology.
• Board & BrewminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2024Provided food sponsorship for Beachside Networking event co-hosted with Young Professionals San Diego.
• FjällrävenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 July 2024Nature Unplugged participated as community partner for Fjällräven Classic USA 2024, a 3-day/2-night backpacking event through Colorado Rockies. 49km/30.5 miles of trekking through Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest.
• SchoolscoreOthersPartnerships with K-12 schools to bring preventative mental health programming and digital wellness education to students and educators.
• NonprofitscoreOthersCollaborations with nonprofit organizations to promote mental health and well-being in the digital age through community events and programming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• GirlTrek: Nonprofit mobilizing Black women and girls to walk for health and wellbeing. Highly comparable community-led, walk-based model with strong mental health framing, and overlapping employer/organizational wellness narrative.

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health America: Largest community-based nonprofit addressing mental health, with prevention, education, and workplace wellness programming. Comparable in mission (preventative mental health) and B2B wellness channel, though with much broader clinical scope.
• Common Sense Media: Established nonprofit providing research, ratings, and curricula on kids' use of media and technology. Direct overlap with Nature Unplugged's school-channel digital wellness offering and youth mental health framing, with significantly greater scale and brand recognition.
• American Hiking Society: Established nonprofit advocacy and community organization for hikers. Comparable in operating community hikes, national scope, and outdoor-wellness narrative, though more focused on trail advocacy than mental health programming.

Direct peers

• Outdoor Afro: Nonprofit reconnecting Black communities with nature through hikes, outdoor education, and wellness programming. Operates a community-led model very similar to Nature Unplugged's community hikes and train-the-trainer approach, though with a distinct cultural mission.
• Wilderness Inquiry: Nonprofit delivering outdoor adventure and wilderness education experiences for youth, adults, and families. Comparable field-based learning model and target audience (schools, community groups, individuals) to Nature Unplugged's community hikes and programs.
• Center for Humane Technology: Nonprofit focused on the societal and personal impacts of digital technology, including attention, mental health, and screen time. Highly comparable to Nature Unplugged's digital-wellness positioning, though it leans more on policy, advocacy, and media than field-based programs.
• Children & Nature Network: A national nonprofit whose mission — reconnecting children and families with nature — closely mirrors Nature Unplugged's outdoor education and preventative mental health focus. Operates in the same nature-education nonprofit category and shares the school-and-family target market.
• Big City Mountaineers: Nonprofit that uses outdoor wilderness experiences to support youth mental health and wellbeing, very similar programming model to Nature Unplugged's community hikes and youth-focused nature interventions.

Others

• Leave No Trace: Nonprofit delivering outdoor education and training programs. Comparable train-the-trainer model (Leave No Trace Trainer courses) and nature-based education niche, though focused on stewardship ethics rather than mental health.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/natureunplugged
• Facebookfacebook.com/NatureUnplugged
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nature-unplugged

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Nature Unplugged