What ECOLIFE Conservation does

ECOLIFE Conservation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 by Eric Hallstein and William Toone, headquartered in Carlsbad, California with field operations in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. The organization operates two integrated program lines: community-based conservation through fuel-efficient Patsari stoves distributed to families living within and around the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, and sustainable agriculture through patented aquaponics systems deployed in US classrooms, homes, and the Aquaponics Innovation Center. The Patsari stove is a brick combustion stove with prefabricated chimneys that eliminates approximately 90% of indoor smoke and reduces firewood consumption by 50-60%, addressing deforestation of monarch habitat and indoor air pollution simultaneously. The aquaponics portfolio includes the patented ECO-Cycle kit for homes and classrooms, the M.A.R.K. (Modular Aquaponics Response Kit) for scalable off-grid food production, and K-12 STEM curriculum aligned to NGSS standards, together reaching 1,000+ classrooms and 150,000+ students.

The organization's revenue model combines individual donations and stove sponsorships ($250 per build, $50 per repair) processed through GiveButter, Gold Standard-certified voluntary carbon credit sales (140,000 metric tons of CO2 reduction to date), ECO-Cycle and merchandise product sales, corporate partnerships (40+ named partners including Trader Joe's, SDG&E, Disney Conservation Fund, and Cox Charities), foundation grants, and an annual Starry Night Gala as the flagship fundraising event. Go-to-market combines community-led implementation by local promoters and masons in Mexico, direct-to-consumer donation and carbon offset e-commerce, school district partnerships in San Diego County, and event-driven fundraising. ECOLIFE has built 15,000+ stoves benefiting 75,000+ people, achieved Gold Standard carbon certification in 2021, earned a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency, and received the AARP Purpose Prize in 2023 and a 60 Minutes feature in April 2025. Leadership transitioned in January 2025 with Connor Leone appointed CEO after Anne Middleton's departure; founder Bill Toone remains active on the board. The board covers 100% of organizational overhead, channeling donations directly to field programs.

Name

ECOLIFE Conservation

Legal name

ECOLIFE Conservation

Website

https://ecolifeconservation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ECOLIFE Conservation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that distributes fuel-efficient Patsari stoves to families in Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and delivers patented aquaponics education programs to US classrooms, funded through donations, Gold Standard carbon credits, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Services

NAICS

Aquaculture (1125)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD), Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) / Vertical Farming (Indoor LED Farms) (AFAGAHAJ), Sustainable Agriculture, Food Systems & Land Management (BPADALAG)

Keywords

• Clean cooking stoves
• Aquaponics systems
• Carbon credit programs
• Monarch butterfly conservation
• Community-based conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlsbad, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: Primary revenue stream from individual donations, stove sponsorship programs, and corporate partnerships. Board covers overhead costs so donations go directly to programs. $250 builds a Patsari stove, $50 repairs a stove.
2. Carbon Credits: Gold Standard certified carbon credit program. Verified emission reductions sold on voluntary market to organizations committed to reducing carbon footprint. Income provides sustainable revenue model allowing program scaling.
3. Product Sales: Sale of ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Kits, merchandise (t-shirts, water bottles, bandanas), and Bill Toone's book 'On the Wings of the Condor'.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ECOLIFE Conservation operates two interconnected programs: (1) building culturally appropriate, fuel-efficient Patsari stoves for families living near Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve to reduce deforestation and indoor air pollution, and (2) developing and deploying aquaponics systems (the patented ECO-Cycle kit for homes/classrooms and the solar-powered M.A.R.K. for scalable food production) for sustainable agriculture and STEM education. The organization also monetizes Gold Standard-certified carbon credits generated through the stove program.

Product overview

ECOLIFE Conservation offers a portfolio of conservation products and programs centered on two core initiatives: sustainable agriculture through aquaponics systems and community-based conservation via fuel-efficient stoves. The product line includes the patented ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Kit for homes and classrooms, the Modular Aquaponics Response Kit (M.A.R.K.) for scalable food production, and the Patsari Stove for clean cooking. These products work together to address habitat loss, deforestation, and food insecurity while empowering communities with sustainable technologies. Additionally, ECOLIFE offers Gold Standard-certified carbon credits generated through its stove program, and operates the Aquaponics Innovation Center as a demonstration and research facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• M.A.R.K. (Modular Aquaponics Response Kit): A modular aquaponics system designed to establish localized sustainable food systems and provide economic opportunities to underserved communities across the world
• Patsari Stove
• ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Kit

Products and services

• Patsari Stove
• Modular Aquaponics Response Kit (M.A.R.K.)
• ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Kit
• Carbon Credits
• Aquaponics Innovation Center (AIC)
• K-12 STEM Aquaponics Curriculum

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% less water and land needed compared to conventional agriculture
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• GreentrippercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for individual carbon offset sales. Greentripper provides carbon footprint calculator allowing individuals to calculate emissions and purchase ECOLIFE carbon credits directly.
• La Monarca BakerymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCause-related marketing partnership. Ricardo Cervantes, CEO of La Monarca Bakeries, serves on ECOLIFE's Emeritus Board. Active supporter of ECOLIFE mission.
• Trader Joe'ssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter of ECOLIFE conservation programs.
• Viejas Band of Kumeyaay IndiansmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with San Diego Foundation grant for sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty initiative.
• Gold StandardcoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational certification body for carbon reduction projects. ECOLIFE Patsari stove program certified under Gold Standard for Global Goals, enabling generation and sale of verified emission reductions on voluntary market.
• 1% for the PlanetsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerECOLIFE offers 1% for People + Ecosystems program allowing businesses to send 1% of profits to support conservation efforts worldwide.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Heifer International: Heifer International works to end hunger and poverty through sustainable livestock and agriculture programs in developing countries. It is comparable to ECOLIFE as a similarly structured international NGO tackling food insecurity, sustainable livelihoods, and community-led rural development.
• Back to the Roots: Back to the Roots sells home and classroom aquaponics and mushroom growing kits through retail and education channels. Its product category directly mirrors ECOLIFE's patented ECO-Cycle Aquaponics Kit, making it the closest commercial comparator for the aquaponics-kit portion of ECOLIFE's business.
• Trees for the Future: Trees for the Future is a nonprofit that trains communities in sustainable agroforestry and has planted hundreds of millions of trees across Africa and Latin America. It is directly comparable to ECOLIFE as a similarly sized NGO operating at the intersection of habitat restoration, sustainable agriculture, and community-led training in developing regions.
• Clean Cooking Alliance: Clean Cooking Alliance (formerly Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves) is the leading global initiative to increase adoption of clean cooking solutions. ECOLIFE's Patsari stove program targets the same household air pollution / deforestation problem with the same cookstove-plus-community-promoter model.
• Whole Planet Foundation: Whole Planet Foundation funds poverty alleviation through microenterprise in developing countries, with corporate philanthropy at its core. It is directly comparable to ECOLIFE as a similarly structured nonprofit leveraging corporate partnerships (Whole Foods' parent ecosystem parallels Trader Joe's/SDGE partnerships) to fund grassroots international development.
• Pachamama Alliance: Pachamama Alliance partners with indigenous communities in the Amazon to protect rainforests while building sustainable local economies. It is directly comparable to ECOLIFE as a similarly mission-aligned nonprofit linking biodiversity protection, indigenous community empowerment, and donor-funded program delivery.
• Solar Cookers International: Solar Cookers International promotes solar and clean cooking technologies for underserved communities worldwide. It is directly comparable to ECOLIFE in mission, target beneficiary (off-grid families reliant on biomass), and carbon-credit-linked clean cooking interventions.

Emerging players

• Plenty: Plenty is a vertical farming / controlled environment agriculture company building indoor farms for fresh produce. It represents the commercial scale-up of aquaponics-adjacent CEA technology that ECOLIFE deploys in its M.A.R.K. and ECO-Cycle kits, making it a relevant emerging player in ECOLIFE's adjacent market.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is the world's largest conservation NGO, with programs in habitat protection, climate, and sustainable agriculture across 70+ countries. It is comparable to ECOLIFE as a broader, larger incumbent operating in the same conservation-and-sustainable-agriculture space.
• World Wildlife Fund: WWF is a global conservation organization focused on wildlife and habitat protection, with significant Mexico monarch butterfly programs. It overlaps ECOLIFE's monarch habitat narrative as a much larger established incumbent in the same species-conservation space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/17841401408460998
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecolifeconservation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 ECOLIFE Conservation