Cypress Mandela, Inc.

What Cypress Mandela, Inc. does

Cypress Mandela Training Center, Inc. is a California-based 501(c)-style non-profit founded in 1993 and headquartered at 977 66th Avenue, Oakland, that delivers a free, 16-week pre-apprenticeship construction training program to underserved Bay Area adults aged 18 and older. The curriculum combines classroom instruction with hands-on training across green construction, cement work, framing, steel/ironwork, blueprint reading, electrical/plumbing fundamentals, operating engineers, solar/electrification, and life-skills content including financial literacy, time management, and entrepreneurship. Participants attend Monday through Friday from 6:30am to 3:30pm and progress through scheduled orientations that include interviews and physical agility testing before cohort entry.

The organization's core product is the unified Pre-Apprenticeship Green Construction Training program, supplemented by four add-on credentialing modules: an EPA-funded 8-week Environmental Health & Safety certification, a UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health & Safety Program certification, the PG&E Power Pathway Program (gas operations and pole/tower climbing), and the BART Pathway Training Program (track and structure worker roles). Underlying technical assets are the curriculum itself, in-kind construction materials donated by businesses and individuals, and volunteer tradespeople (carpenters, ironworkers, cement masons) who assist with instruction. There is no proprietary software, app, or digital platform product; the digital presence is a Squarespace website with application and donation (via Square) functionality plus an email newsletter.

Cypress Mandela's revenue model is non-tuition, donation-based. Funding sources include tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations (processed online via Square, by mail, or by phone), in-kind donations of construction materials and equipment, and volunteer services. All training is provided free of charge to participants, with costs covered through donations and grants. The go-to-market is community-based, relying on in-person orientations, community outreach, and word-of-mouth referrals to recruit students, alongside an annual fundraising event (the Russell Bouligny Golf Tournament) and recurring Spring/Fall cohort graduations for donor cultivation. Customer concentration on the placement side is anchored to a small set of institutional partners - PG&E, BART, the EPA, UC Berkeley, and Bay Area Building Trade Unions - while the participant base is concentrated in a single metropolitan labor market.

Name

Cypress Mandela, Inc.

Legal name

Cypress Mandela Training Center, Inc.

Website

https://cypressmandela.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cypress Mandela Training Center is a 1993-founded Oakland, California non-profit that delivers a free, 16-week pre-apprenticeship construction training program to underserved Bay Area adults aged 18+, preparing graduates for livable-wage skilled trades careers and union apprenticeships via partnerships with PG&E, BART, UC Berkeley, and the EPA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development / Construction Trades Training

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO), Construction, Engineering & Skilled Trades Licensure Prep (EDAAANAL)

Keywords

• Pre-apprenticeship construction training
• Skilled trades workforce development
• Green construction education
• Construction career pathways
• Building trades apprenticeship

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland, California

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations supporting workforce development programs for underserved communities. Donations may be made online via Square, by mail, or through construction materials and volunteer time.
2. Construction Materials Donations: In-kind donations of construction materials including lumber, tools, office equipment, and furniture from individuals and businesses.
3. Volunteer Services: Skilled tradespeople (carpenters, ironworkers, cement masons) and recent graduates volunteer their time to support training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cypress Mandela Training Center provides a free 16-week pre-apprenticeship training program (Monday–Friday, 6:30am–3:30pm) preparing underserved Bay Area adults ages 18+ for skilled trades careers in the construction industry. Curriculum combines hands-on and classroom training in green construction, solar/weatherization, cement work, framing, steel/ironwork, electrical/plumbing fundamentals, operating engineers, blueprint reading, and job safety, alongside life skills in financial literacy, time management, and entrepreneurship. Graduates receive EPA, UC Berkeley, PG&E, and BART pathway certifications and direct entry into Building Trade Unions of choice.

Product overview

Cypress Mandela Training Center offers a single unified program centered on its Pre-Apprenticeship Green Construction Training as the core offering. This 16-week training program serves as the foundation, with supplemental certification modules including EPA Environmental Health & Safety (8-week), UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health & Safety Program Certification, PG&E Power Pathway Program (gas and electric operations), and BART Pathway Training Program (track and structure workers). All programs share the mission of preparing underserved Bay Area residents for livable-wage careers ($54,000–$120,000 annually) in construction trades through free job training and placement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Apprenticeship Green Construction Training A no-tuition 16-week pre-apprenticeship program (Monday–Friday, 6:30am–3:30pm) that provides hands-on and classroom training to prepare Bay Area men and women ages 18+ for skilled trades careers in today's construction industry. Curriculum includes environmental training, cement work, framing, steel/ironwork, job safety, blueprint reading, electrical/plumbing fundamentals, operating engineers, and solar/electrification. The program also covers life skills including time management, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and job survival skills.
• EPA Environmental Health & Safety Certification An 8-week certification program providing environmental health and safety training, funded by the EPA, equipping students with skills and credentials for green construction careers.
• UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health & Safety Program Certification Certification program offered in partnership with UC Berkeley's Labor Occupational Health & Safety Program, providing graduates with occupational health and safety credentials recognized in the construction industry.
• PG&E Power Pathway Program Advanced training program providing entry pathways to PG&E Gas Operations (Gas Utility Worker School) and Electric Operations (Pole and Tower Climbing), enabling graduates to enter utility careers with Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
• BART Pathway Training Program Training program providing specialized pathways to Track Worker and Structure Worker positions at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), creating direct employment pathways into BART operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates enter careers with salary range of $54,000 - $120,000 annually

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PG&E Power Pathway ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvanced training partnership providing entry pathways to Gas Operations (Gas Utility Worker School) and Electric Operations (Pole and Tower Climbing). Program enables graduates to enter utility careers with Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
• Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBART Pathway Training Program provides specialized training for Track Worker and Structure Worker positions, creating direct employment pathways into BART operations.
• UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health & Safety ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertification program partnership providing graduates with occupational health and safety credentials from UC Berkeley, enhancing employability in the construction industry.
• Building Trade UnionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Building Trade Unions provides program graduates with direct entry pathways to union membership and apprenticeship programs upon completion of Cypress Mandela training.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Home Builders Institute: A nonprofit workforce-training organization that provides pre-apprenticeship and job-placement programs in residential construction and building trades. It is a direct analogue to Cypress Mandela's free, hands-on construction pathway and employer and union connections.
• Tradeswomen, Inc. A nonprofit focused on recruiting, training, and supporting women in skilled trades and construction careers, with strong Bay Area relevance. It overlaps Cypress Mandela's underserved-adult recruitment, trade curriculum, and job-placement model.
• YouthBuild USA: A national nonprofit network that combines education, leadership development, and construction training for opportunity youth. It is directly comparable in mission, hands-on construction training, and pathways into work.
• Helmets to Hardhats: A nonprofit career-transition program that connects military veterans and transitioning service members with registered apprenticeships and construction jobs. It shares the direct bridge from training to union and trade employment, although it targets a different participant segment.

Emerging players

• Per Scholas: A nonprofit that provides tuition-free technology training and employer partnerships for adults seeking sustainable careers. It is an adjacent workforce peer because it uses a no-cost, employer-linked model for underserved adults, but its trade is technology rather than construction.
• Year Up United: A nonprofit workforce program that combines professional training, supports, and employer internships for young adults. It is relevant to Cypress Mandela's free training, employer relationships, and job-transition mission, though it spans a broader set of occupations.
• STRIVE: A nonprofit workforce-development organization that trains and places people facing barriers to employment through employer-linked programs. It is an adjacent comparator for the free-access, no-tuition, outcomes-oriented model.

Broad incumbents

• Job Corps: A federally administered career-training program that offers construction and other technical training to young people and populations facing barriers to employment. It is a broader incumbent comparator for career-focused training and placement.
• Goodwill Industries International: A large nonprofit workforce-development network providing job training, employment services, and placement across occupations. It is a broad incumbent comparator for training underserved populations and connecting participants to employers, but it is not construction-specific.

Others

• National Center for Construction Education and Research: A construction-education and credentialing organization that provides standardized curricula, assessments, and certifications for craft trades. It is an ecosystem peer because its credentials and training standards overlap the construction skills and employer pathways Cypress Mandela teaches.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cypressmandela

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 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 Cypress Mandela, Inc.