Roots & Routes IC

What Roots & Routes IC does

Roots & Routes Intercultural Collaborations (Roots & Routes IC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2018-2019 and headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, with a 21-person team distributed across the United States, Ecuador, and Guatemala. The organization facilitates intercultural knowledge exchange and environmental justice advocacy centered on Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in Ecuador's Chocó rainforest, including the Awá, Karanki, and Chachi peoples, as well as the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band in California. Its core programmatic surface is organized under the 'Pluriversity' framework with four thematic branches: Re-storying, Restoring, Revindicating, and Reciprocating.

The organization delivers programs through a web-based platform (Squarespace-hosted) combined with on-the-ground community engagement. Key offerings include the Youth Visionary Collective (a global virtual internship connecting 20-30 youth per season across 27 countries), the documentary 'Hope & Struggle in the Ecuadorian Chocó Rainforest' produced with Selvas Producciones, support for the world's first constitutionally-based Rights of Nature lawsuit (filed July 23, 2010), the Hacienda House Intercultural Center rehabilitation project in San Clemente, Ecuador, audiovisual film workshops, and intercultural exchanges such as the Karanki-Amah Mutsun and Awá-Karanki exchanges. Marketing and distribution rely on bilingual (English/Spanish) digital channels including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, a bi-weekly podcast, YouTube, and a seasonal newsletter.

The revenue model is exclusively donations and grants from individuals, foundations, and corporate donors — the organization does not charge fees for any programs. Documented 2021 revenue was $58,927.65, with the Peaceful World Foundation as the primary anchor funder and additional support from Amazon Watch, Rainforest Action Network, The Cultural Conservancy, Hidden Leaf Foundation, Lush Charity Pot, and Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots. Go-to-market is community-led: direct partnerships with Indigenous communities, grassroots organizing, and virtual engagement through the YVC connecting youth globally.

Name

Roots & Routes IC

Legal name

Roots & Routes Intercultural Collaborations

Website

https://rootsroutes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Roots & Routes IC is a California-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that facilitates intercultural exchange, youth leadership, and environmental justice advocacy in partnership with Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in Ecuador's Chocó rainforest, through programs including the Youth Visionary Collective, Rights of Nature legal advocacy, and documentary production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous-Led Non-Profit Educational and Environmental Advocacy Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Adjustment & Integration Services (intercultural programs, community connection) (EDALANAD), Structured Gap Year Programs (Multi-Sector & Rotational) (EDAIAGAJ)

Keywords

• Intercultural education programs
• Indigenous rights advocacy
• Environmental justice initiatives
• Youth community organizing
• Rights of nature litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Cruz

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit funded entirely through donations and grants from individuals, foundations, and corporate donors. Revenue comes from general donations, campaign-specific sponsorships, and foundation grants. No fees are charged for programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Roots & Routes IC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that facilitates intercultural exchanges, decolonial education, and environmental justice advocacy between Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities (primarily in Ecuador's Chocó rainforest) and global youth. Its deliverables include a global virtual youth internship (Youth Visionary Collective), co-produced documentaries, the Hacienda House Intercultural Center in San Clemente, Ecuador, Rights of Nature legal advocacy, audiovisual film workshops, and community-led educational immersions organized through four programmatic branches: Re-storying, Restoring, Revindicating, and Reciprocating.

Product overview

Roots & Routes IC is a non-profit organization operating as a unified educational platform centered on its Pluriversity concept. The organization offers interconnected programs including the Youth Visionary Collective (global youth internship), documentary production (Together for Water), Rights of Nature legal advocacy, the Hacienda House Intercultural Center, audiovisual film workshops, community-led education, intercultural exchanges, and cultural-based sustainability initiatives. These programs are organized through four thematic branches: Re-storying, Restoring, Revindicating, and Reciprocating, working together to facilitate Indigenous-led knowledge sharing and environmental justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Youth Visionary Collective (YVC): A global virtual platform connecting youth with Indigenous and place-based community organizers for intercultural learning experiences. Interns work in six teams including Steering Committee, Podcast, Pluriversity, Social Media, Blog & Newsletter, and Rights of Nature.

Products and services

• Youth Visionary Collective (YVC) Free virtual global internship program for youth (late teens to early 30s), delivered across seasonal cohorts with 20-30 interns per season working in six teams (Steering Committee, Podcast, Pluriversity, Social Media, Blog & Newsletter, Rights of Nature). Participants gain intercultural collaboration skills, organizational building experience, and environmental project engagement.
• Together for Water Documentary ("Hope & Struggle in the Ecuadorian Chocó Rainforest") Documentary co-produced with Afro-descendant and Indigenous youth, documenting the impact of oil palm companies on water sources and territories in Ecuador's Chocó Rainforest. Co-produced with Selvas Producciones (Eriberto Gualinga / Traya from Sarayaku).
• Rights of Nature Lawsuit Support Program Legal advocacy and accompaniment supporting the world's first constitutionally-based Rights of Nature lawsuit filed by the La Chiquita and Guadualito communities against oil palm companies on July 23, 2010, for contaminating rivers and destroying the Santiago-Cayapas Watershed.
• Hacienda House Intercultural Center Multi-purpose community space rehabilitation project in San Clemente, Ecuador (home of the Karanki people), aimed at promoting intercultural exchanges, cultural restoration, and energy self-sufficiency for community-led education and gatherings.
• Pluriversity Platform Online and in-person experiential education platform celebrating diverse cultural ways of knowing and ancestral sciences, organized through four branches: Re-storying, Restoring, Revindicating, and Reciprocating.
• Audiovisual Film School Workshop Program teaching Indigenous and Afro-descendant youth filmmaking skills to document environmental injustices and cultural knowledge; led by Eriberto Gualinga of Selvas Producciones.
• Community-Led Education Programs Educational immersions and programs in which community members teach one another and external learners about Indigenous knowledge and sustainable practices, hosted on-site in partner communities.
• Intercultural Exchanges Programs facilitating knowledge-sharing exchanges between Indigenous communities, including the Karanki-Amah Mutsun Youth Exchange and the Awá-Karanki Exchanges (El Reencuentro, December 15-16, 2018).

Quantifiable outcome

• World's first constitutionally-based Rights of Nature lawsuit filed in 2010
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Altropico FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2018Co-sponsored the first official Roots & Routes project (Awá-Karanki Intercultural Exchanges) and has worked with Awá communities for over 25 years. Provides ongoing support for environmental and Indigenous rights work in Ecuador's Chocó region.
• Selvas ProduccionescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm production company led by Eriberto Gualinga (Traya) from Sarayaku. Co-producer of documentary 'Hope & Struggle in the Ecuadorian Chocó Rainforest' and leads audiovisual workshops with Indigenous and Afro-descendant youth.
• Pluriversidad Amawtay WasicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlternative university in Ecuador focused on Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural sciences. Co-founded by Luis Fernando Sarango Macas, who serves on the Roots & Routes Board. Aligned mission around celebrating diverse ways of knowing.
• Amah Mutsun Tribal BandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Indigenous tribe working on restoring cultural land stewardship practices. Board member Valentin Lopez serves as Tribal Chairman. Roots & Routes acknowledges Amah Mutsun homelands in Santa Cruz, California.
• DESGUA (Desarrollo Sostenible para Guatemala)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassroots organization working with Mayan communities on basic necessities and multilingual informational media. Roots & Routes has supported their Indigenous Resilience Network GoFundMe campaign.
• Tradiciones San ClementeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity-based tourism organization in San Clemente that hosted the Awá-Karanki exchange event and provides cultural integration experiences.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pluriversidad Amawtay Wasi: Alternative Ecuadorian university celebrating Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural sciences. Co-founded by a Roots & Routes board member; aligned educational mission around diverse ways of knowing, and a direct Pluriversity-model peer.
• Amazon Conservation Team: Indigenous-led conservation NGO working in Amazonia with Indigenous partners. Comparable in pairing Indigenous community accompaniment with biocultural preservation, though operates at larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• Cultural Survival: Indigenous-led nonprofit focused on Indigenous peoples' rights, self-determination, and cultural preservation globally. Highly comparable mission to Roots & Routes, including media production, advocacy, and community capacity-building.
• Indigenous Environmental Network: Indigenous-led environmental and climate-justice organization with North American focus. Comparable in Indigenous-led environmental advocacy structure, though Roots & Routes is more focused on Ecuador/Central America and educational exchanges.
• Pachamama Alliance: Indigenous-led organization combining Amazon rainforest preservation with experiential education programs for global audiences. Strongly comparable in pairing Indigenous community accompaniment with Western-learner educational offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Watch: A larger, established Indigenous-rights and rainforest-protection organization. It is one of Roots & Routes' existing funders and operates with a much wider portfolio across the Amazon basin, making it the most directly comparable peer in the Indigenous-environmental advocacy space.
• Rainforest Action Network: A well-established environmental advocacy nonprofit focused on forests, Indigenous rights, and corporate accountability. It is also an existing Roots & Routes donor; both organizations engage in campaigns against extractive industries harming rainforest communities.
• Survival International: A larger global Indigenous rights organization supporting tribal peoples' rights to land and self-determination. Comparable in advocacy and rights-based mission, though operating at significantly larger scale across many geographies.

Emerging players

• Amazon Aid Foundation: Environmental nonprofit using media, education, and advocacy to protect the Amazon and support Indigenous communities. Comparable in combining documentary production with Indigenous-led environmental education.
• Tebtebba Foundation: Indigenous-led organization focused on Indigenous knowledge systems, climate justice, and policy advocacy. Comparable in elevating Indigenous epistemologies, though primarily policy-focused rather than community-based educational exchanges.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rootsroutesic
• Facebookfacebook.com/rootsroutesic
• Instagraminstagram.com/rootsroutesic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roots-routes-ic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Roots & Routes IC