EarthLight Foundation

What EarthLight Foundation does

EarthLight Foundation is a volunteer-run, donation-supported nonprofit organization founded by space industry figure Rick Tumlinson and headquartered in Austin, Texas. It positions itself as a movement built on three guiding principles: Protect & Expand the Domain of Life, Honor & Evolve Human Civilization, and Explore & Experience the Universe, framing its work as a belief system for humanity's relationship with Earth and space. The organization has no proprietary technology platform or software products; its operational core is advocacy, community building, and event programming.

Its core products and programs are community- and event-based rather than technology-based. These include the annual New Worlds Conference and Faire plus the Space Cowboy Ball (held at the AT&T Conference Center, University of Texas at Austin), the recurring EarthSpace Earth Day webinar, Project DreamScopes (supported by Space Cowboy Ball proceeds), and the SPACE4 Ukraine initiative launched in November 2025 to fund STEAM education (astronomy clubs, robotics, model rocketry, space science) for Ukrainian students affected by war. An EarthLight/New Worlds branded merchandise storefront operates on Shopify, and membership is free with donations welcomed on a pass-through basis (approximately 75% of donations are directed to end-users per the organization's claims).

EarthLight Foundation's revenue model combines donations, event ticket sales, and merchandise sales. The go-to-market motion is event-driven, anchored by the annual New Worlds Conference and Space Cowboy Ball, supplemented by community-led membership, crowdfunding campaigns (including Givebutter and cryptocurrency via The Giving Block for SPACE4 Ukraine), and organic social, email, and content marketing. Primary audiences are space-enthusiast community members, space industry professionals, and — through SPACE4 Ukraine — Ukrainian STEAM educators and students; the organization does not serve enterprise customers or operate a traditional sales motion.

Name

EarthLight Foundation

Legal name

EarthLight Foundation

Website

https://earthlightfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EarthLight Foundation is a volunteer-run, Austin-based nonprofit founded by Rick Tumlinson that runs space-advocacy events (New Worlds Conference, Space Cowboy Ball, EarthSpace webinar) and STEAM education programs, funded by donations, event tickets, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space Advocacy Nonprofit

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Space & Astronomy Programs (EDAMABAE)

Keywords

• Space advocacy
• Nonprofit foundation
• STEAM education
• Space events
• Community movement

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: EarthLight Foundation operates primarily through donations. The organization applies approximately 75% of all donations to end-users for programs like SPACE4 Ukraine. Membership is free, and the organization welcomes financial contributions while emphasizing that passion, ideas, and volunteer effort are the primary desired contributions.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates an e-commerce storefront through Shopify selling EarthLight/New Worlds branded merchandise including apparel and accessories.
3. Event Ticket Sales: The New Worlds Conference and Space Cowboy Ball event generates revenue through ticket sales, with proceeds supporting Project DreamScopes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EarthLight Foundation is a nonprofit advocacy organization that promotes a philosophical belief system centered on space exploration, the expansion of life beyond Earth, and the evolution of human civilization. It delivers its mission through free membership, annual space conferences (New Worlds), awards/fundraising events (Space Cowboy Ball), Earth Day webinars (EarthSpace), STEAM education programs for students in conflict zones (SPACE4 Ukraine), and a branded merchandise storefront.

Product overview

EarthLight Foundation is a nonprofit organization operating as a movement built on ideas related to space exploration and human civilization advancement. The organization offers a portfolio of programs and events including SPACE4 Ukraine (STEM education initiative), Project DreamScopes, annual EarthSpace webinars, the New Worlds Conference and Faire, and the Space Cowboy Ball awards ceremony. Membership is free and the organization maintains an e-commerce merchandise store. These programs and events support the foundation's three guiding principles: protecting and expanding the domain of life, honoring and evolving human civilization, and exploring the universe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SPACE4 Ukraine A program supporting STEM education in Ukraine by funding astronomy clubs, robotics programs, model rocketry, and space science projects for students whose education has been disrupted by war.
• Project DreamScopes A project focused on dream-related space experiences, with proceeds from the Space Cowboy Ball supporting this initiative.
• New Worlds Conference and Faire Annual space conference featuring speakers from astronauts to artists, engineers to entrepreneurs, covering current space topics and future space exploration.
• Space Cowboy Ball An awards ceremony, banquet, costume and dance party event celebrating space achievements, where proceeds support Project DreamScopes.
• EarthSpace Annual Webinar An annual Earth Day webinar bringing together leaders, thinkers, and builders to explore the intersection of Earth's future and space's future.
• EarthLight/New Worlds Merch Store Branded merchandise store offering products related to EarthLight Foundation and New Worlds events.
• EarthLight Membership Free membership program inviting supporters to join the EarthLight movement, providing updates, events, and opportunities to get involved.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Project DreamScopescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject DreamScopes is supported by proceeds from the Space Cowboy Ball. The organization appears to be a related initiative focused on astronomical experiences and dreams, aligned with EarthLight's mission to explore the universe.
• New WorldscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Worlds (newworlds.org) is the events arm of EarthLight Foundation, organizing the annual New Worlds Conference and Space Cowboy Ball. The website hosts event registration and serves as the primary platform for the space community gatherings.
• SPACE4 Ukraine Educators and OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarthLight Foundation supports existing STEAM initiatives in Ukraine including astronomy clubs, robotics programs, model rocketry groups, and space science educators who continue programs during wartime conditions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Space Society: A long-standing space advocacy nonprofit promoting human spaceflight and settlement. Comparable in mission and member-driven model, with a larger organizational footprint, paid leadership, and an established annual International Space Development Conference.
• The Planetary Society: The largest nonprofit space advocacy organization, with a similar mission of advancing space exploration and humanity's future in space. Highly comparable in advocacy and educational programming, but operates at materially larger scale with paid staff, an endowment, and global membership.

Direct peers

• Space Frontier Foundation: A space advocacy nonprofit co-founded by Rick Tumlinson, sharing EarthLight's founder lineage, commercial-space orientation, and conference-driven engagement model. Direct peer in both mission (opening the space frontier) and operational approach (movement-style, donor-funded).
• Mars Society: A volunteer-driven space advocacy nonprofit focused on Mars exploration and settlement, with a similar event-and-conference model (annual convention) and grassroots, member-supported structure.
• Astronomical Society of the Pacific: A nonprofit astronomy and space science education organization with a long history of public outreach and educational programming. Comparable on the education-and-outreach axis, but more science-focused and less oriented toward commercial space advocacy.
• Secure World Foundation: A nonprofit focused on the sustainable and peaceful use of outer space, sharing EarthLight's space-environmental orientation. Comparable in mission scope, but operates with a small professional staff and grant-funded programs rather than a volunteer model.
• Space For Humanity: A nonprofit advocating for broad access to space and a spacefaring civilization. Closely comparable to EarthLight's 'expanding life beyond Earth' and 'space for all' framing, with overlapping donor pools in the space-advocacy community.

Emerging players

• For All Moonkind: A smaller, niche nonprofit focused on preserving lunar heritage sites. Comparable as a specialized space advocacy organization, but narrower in scope and absent the broader 'belief system' framing EarthLight employs.
• Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS): A student-led space advocacy organization with chapters at universities worldwide. Overlaps with EarthLight on STEAM engagement (e.g., astronomy clubs, rocketry), but operates at a younger, university-affiliated demographic and lacks an event-conference arm.
• The Brooke Owens Fellowship: A nonprofit fellowship program for women in aerospace, sharing EarthLight's space-community-building orientation. Comparable in inspirational, mission-driven framing, but more narrowly focused on talent pipeline development rather than philosophical movement-building.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/EarthLightSpace
• Facebookfacebook.com/EarthLightFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/newworldsspace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 EarthLight Foundation