Rootwork Herbals
Rootwork Herbals is a small, mission-driven community herbalism organization in Ithaca, NY that offers decolonial herbal education, mentorship, and a BIPOC community garden serving BIPOC and QT learners globally through sliding-scale tuition and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersIthaca, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Rootwork Herbals does
Rootwork Herbals is a privately held, mission-driven liberatory community herbalism organization founded in 2002 by herbalist Amanda David in Ithaca, New York. Operating with a six-person team, the organization delivers herbal education grounded in a decolonial framework explicitly centered on BIPOC and queer/trans (QT) communities, alongside a physical community garden and a pay-what-you-can apothecary.
The core product is the People's Medicine School (PMS), a six-month herbal certificate program offered in three tiers (Content, Core, and Connection), with the BIPOC-only Connection tier including live sessions and twice-monthly guest facilitators. Adjacent offerings include the We Care For Us (WCFU) four-month mentorship for PMS alumni, seasonal in-person immersion weekends at the Jane Minor BIPOC Community Medicine Garden, the "Woke Without the Work" workshop for non-BIPOC herbalists, and a pay-what-you-can apothecary selling herbal products priced around $25. All educational programs are delivered via a Squarespace website and online course platform, with optional in-person components at the Ithaca garden. The organization reports having taught 1,000+ students globally over 20+ years.
Revenue is sourced from sliding-scale tuition ($900-$2,200 per PMS cohort), mentorship fees ($650-$860), immersion fees ($150-$400 sliding scale), apothecary sales, and donation-based contributions to the Reclamation Fund, which subsidizes free access for BIPOC participants. The organization is not venture-backed, does not disclose financials, and operates as a mutual-aid entity rather than a profit-maximizing business. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, alumni referrals, email newsletters, and social media rather than paid advertising.
Rootwork Herbals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rootwork Herbals
- Legal name
- Rootwork Herbals
- Website
- https://rootworkherbals.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rootwork Herbals is a small, mission-driven community herbalism organization in Ithaca, NY that offers decolonial herbal education, mentorship, and a BIPOC community garden serving BIPOC and QT learners globally through sliding-scale tuition and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rootwork Herbals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Herbal Education & Community Wellness
- NAICS
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners (6213)
- SIC
- Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Holistic & Integrative Wellness Education (Ayurveda, Traditional Practices) (EDAAAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Botanical & Herbal Extracts (Adaptogens, Polyphenols, Essential Oils, Standardized Extracts) (AFAJAKAD)
Keywords
Where Rootwork Herbals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ithaca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Rootwork Herbals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Educational Programs Tuition: Revenue from three-tiered People's Medicine School certificate programs (Content, Core, Connection) with varying levels of live sessions, guest facilitator access, and in-person intensives. Additional revenue from We Care For Us mentorship program for alumni.
- Apothecary Product Sales: Sale of herbal products including tree essences, herb-infused items, and educational materials. Products offered free for Black folks and pay-what-you-can for non-Black folks.
- Donations and Contributions: Monthly subscriptions and one-time donations from community supporters via the Reclamation Fund, which funds BIPOC scholarships and free community access to medicine and education.
- Course Extensions and Applications: Application fees for PMS Connection curriculum ($50) and immersion applications ($10), plus extension fees ($200) for students needing additional time for certification.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | PMS Content - Self-paced online herbal certificate program |
| Subscription | Monthly | PMS Core - Live session access with in-person options |
| Subscription | Monthly | PMS Connection - BIPOC-only intensive with guest facilitators |
| Subscription | Monthly | We Care For Us Mentorship - 4-month online mentorship for PMS alumni |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | In-Person Weekend Immersion - Mugwort Cultivating Liberated Dreamscapes |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Harriet's Spruce Cemetery Tree Essence |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Rootwork Herbals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rootwork Herbals delivers liberatory community herbalism education through its flagship People's Medicine School (a multi-tier certificate program) along with apothecary products, mentorship, and BIPOC community healing programming. Offerings are sold primarily to individuals interested in herbalism, plant medicine, and community wellness, with pricing structured around accessibility rather than market-rate tuition.
Product overview
Rootwork Herbals offers a multi-tiered educational ecosystem centered on liberatory community herbalism. The core offering is the People's Medicine School (PMS), a 6-month herbal certificate program available in three tiers: Content (self-paced), Core (self-paced + live sessions), and Connection (BIPOC-only intensive with guest facilitators). Additional offerings include the We Care For Us Mentorship for PMS alumni, Woke Without the Work workshop for Non-BIPOC herbalists, in-person immersion weekends, and virtual guest facilitator sessions. The organization also operates the Jane Minor BIPOC Community Medicine Garden and maintains a pay-what-you-can apothecary. All offerings are supported through the Reclamation Fund which provides scholarships and free access to BIPOC community members.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- People's Medicine School (PMS): A dynamic 6-month herbal certificate program offering students the chance to learn the foundations of herbalism from a decolonial framework which centers BIPOC and QT experiences. Available in three curriculum options: Content, Core, and Connection.
- We Care For Us
- Jane Minor BIPOC Community Medicine Garden
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,000+ students taught from across the globe
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Rootwork Herbals
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rootwork Herbals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rootwork Herbals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rootwork Herbals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Herbal Academy: Large online herbal education platform offering introductory to advanced herbalist certificate programs. Competes for the same herbalism-student segment with a more mainstream positioning.
- CommonWealth Center for Holistic Herbalism: Holistic herbal education school offering online and in-person programs. Comparable educational format and student demographic to Rootwork's certificate programs.
- East West School of Planetary Herbology: Online herbal certification school combining Western and Eastern herbal traditions. Competes in the same professional herbalist education space with comparable pricing tier structure.
- Evolutionary Herbalism (Sajah Popham): Online herbalism education platform founded by Sajah Popham offering courses, apprenticeships, and certification. Competes for the same online herbal student with similar curriculum depth.
- Ancestral Apothecary: Oakland-based BIPOC-focused herbal school and apothecary offering community herbalism courses and clinical training. Highly comparable mission, customer base, and educational offerings to Rootwork's People's Medicine School.
- Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine: Online herbal medicine school offering multi-tier certificate programs and plant medicine courses. Direct competitor in the online herbal education space with similar pricing tier structure.
- Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine: Botanical medicine school offering herbalist training programs in Texas with online and in-person formats. Comparable herbal education offerings targeting similar students.
- Sage Mountain Herb Center: Long-established herbal school offering in-person and online programs in botanical medicine and herbalism. Comparable educational offerings and longevity in the herbalism education market.
Broad incumbents
- Herb Pharm: Established herbal extract and tincture manufacturer with educational content and a broad product portfolio. Operates in the same herbal medicine category but at commercial scale and as a product company rather than education-first.
- Traditional Medicinals: Major branded herbal tea company with educational resources and herb sourcing programs. Adjacent incumbent in the consumer herbal products space that influences public herbalism awareness.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rootwork Herbals social profiles
Digital presenceRootwork Herbals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rootwork Herbals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Rootwork Herbals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rootwork Herbals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rootwork Herbals
What does Rootwork Herbals do?
Rootwork Herbals delivers liberatory community herbalism education through its flagship People's Medicine School (a multi-tier certificate program) along with apothecary products, mentorship, and BIPOC community healing programming. Offerings are sold primarily to individuals interested in herbalism, plant medicine, and community wellness, with pricing structured around accessibility rather than market-rate tuition.
Is Rootwork Herbals a public or private company?
Rootwork Herbals is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rootwork Herbals founded?
Rootwork Herbals was founded in 2002. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rootwork Herbals based?
Rootwork Herbals is headquartered in Ithaca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rootwork Herbals make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Educational Programs Tuition is the primary driver. The others are apothecary Product Sales, donations and Contributions and course Extensions and Applications.
Who are Rootwork Herbals's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Herbal Academy, CommonWealth Center for Holistic Herbalism, East West School of Planetary Herbology, Evolutionary Herbalism (Sajah Popham), Ancestral Apothecary, Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine and Sage Mountain Herb Center. Broad incumbents are Herb Pharm and Traditional Medicinals.
Does Rootwork Herbals have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rootwork Herbals.
What industry is Rootwork Herbals in?
Rootwork Herbals's product category is Herbal Education & Community Wellness. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAHAH, Holistic & Integrative Wellness Education (Ayurveda, Traditional Practices), with a secondary code of AFAJAKAD, Botanical & Herbal Extracts (Adaptogens, Polyphenols, Essential Oils, Standardized Extracts). Its NAICS code is 6213 and its SIC code is 2833.