What Sustainability Makers does

Sustainability Makers – the professional network is an Italian non-profit association (Ente del Terzo Settore) founded in 2006 and headquartered at Viale Bianca Maria 24, Milan, that unites corporate professionals dedicated to defining and executing sustainability strategies in enterprises and other organizations. It operates as a membership-based community of practice, serving sustainability managers, ESG leads, and C-suite stakeholders through a portfolio of services: reserved and public webinars, in-person workshops, Deep Dive sessions (capped at 15 participants), Tavoli di Lavoro (structured working groups), High-Level Training Courses, and a free 8-session SME training path. Complementary offerings include a Regulatory Helpdesk interpreting EU sustainability regulation (CSRD, CSDDD, EUDR, Omnibus I) and original research publications such as the Sustainability Career Compass and the 2006-2026 Impact Assessment, produced in collaboration with the Scientific Director Prof. Matteo Pedrini of ALTIS Università Cattolica.

The association is governed by a 9-member Board of Directors elected for three-year terms; in June 2026 Isabella Manfredi (Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer of Feralpi) succeeded Marisa Parmigiani as President. Revenue is generated primarily through annual membership subscriptions, supplemented by paid training, executive courses (in partnership with ALTIS), and event participation. Sustainability Makers founded the European Association of Sustainability Professionals (EASP) in 2016 and maintains partnerships with WBCSD, Salone della CSR (alongside Bocconi, ASviS, Global Compact Network Italia), Bureau Veritas, Forum per la Finanza Sostenibile, Assobenefit, Fondazione Giulia Cecchettin, and the UN One Planet Network. As of 2026 the organization represents 350+ member organizations across Italian and multinational companies and has a staff of 42.

The technology footprint is human-curated content and events rather than a software platform; the reserved area on sustainability-makers.it hosts member-only documents, webinar recordings, and event registration. AI appears in the offering as a research subject (an AI and Sustainability maturity study) and as a topic of Think Tanks, not as a deployed proprietary capability. The organization does not have publicly disclosed financials, parent company, or external shareholders, consistent with its non-profit structure.

Name

Sustainability Makers

Legal name

SUSTAINABILITY MAKERS – the professional network

Website

https://sustainability-makers.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sustainability Makers is an Italian non-profit association founded in 2006 that serves as the professional network for corporate sustainability managers, offering membership, training, research, and regulatory guidance to ESG professionals across 350+ member organizations in Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Sustainability training programs
• Corporate ESG advisory
• Professional networking events
• Sustainability research publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Sustainability Makers generates revenue through annual membership subscriptions from sustainability professionals. Members pay fees to access exclusive content, webinars, workshops, training programs, and the professional community network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sustainability Makers is an Italian non-profit professional association (Ente del Terzo Settore) that unites sustainability professionals working in companies and organizations. It sells annual membership subscriptions that grant access to reserved webinars, public workshops, deep-dive sessions, working groups, high-level training courses, and a regulatory helpdesk, complemented by original research publications and a free SME training program.

Product overview

Sustainability Makers is a professional association (Ente del Terzo Settore) that operates as a membership network for sustainability professionals in Italy. The organization offers a portfolio of services including reserved webinars, public workshops, Deep Dive sessions, Working Groups (Tavoli di Lavoro), and High-Level Training Courses (Corsi di Alta Formazione). Additional offerings include a Regulatory Helpdesk service for EU sustainability compliance questions, a free SME Training Path (Percorso PMI) for small businesses, and research publications including the Sustainability Career Compass and Impact Assessment studies. The association organizes events, provides networking opportunities, and supports members through educational programs developed in collaboration with ALTIS Università Cattolica. The organization celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Network Professional association membership bringing together sustainability professionals in Italy, providing networking, training, exclusive content, and resources to members for career development and knowledge sharing.
• Webinar Riservati (Reserved Webinars) Exclusive webinars reserved for association members covering topics such as ESG risk management, CSRD reporting, carbon footprint, and regulatory compliance.
• Workshop Pubblici (Public Workshops) Public workshop events on sustainability topics open to a broader audience, covering sustainable finance, supply chain management, and ESG integration.
• Deep Dive Sessions In-person single-topic deep-dive sessions with experts, limited to a maximum of 15 participants to facilitate discussion and networking on topics such as greenwashing, double materiality, and regenerative marketing.
• Tavoli di Lavoro (Working Groups) Structured two-session in-person working groups on specific themes with a maximum of 15 participants, producing published outputs for association members.
• Corsi di Alta Formazione (High-Level Training Courses) In-depth training programmes on circular economy, reporting, impact measurement, and strategic dialogue skills, combining online introduction sessions with in-person workshop sessions in Milan and Rome.
• Help Desk Normativo (Regulatory Helpdesk) Service for members providing FAQ answers on EU sustainability regulations including Omnibus I modifications, EUDR, PPWR, and the greenwashing directive.
• Percorso PMI (SME Training Path) Free 8-session streaming training programme for small and medium enterprises with fewer than 250 employees, covering certifications, reporting, circularity, legal aspects, and communication.
• Advanced Executive Courses with ALTIS Executive education courses in partnership with ALTIS Università Cattolica covering stakeholder engagement, ESG financial valuation, and due diligence tools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 out of 5 PMI training participants initiated at least one change in their organization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ALTIS Università CattolicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Long-standing collaboration with ALTIS Graduate School of Sustainable Management, a leading Italian and European institution on sustainability. The partnership expresses itself through the Scientific Director (Prof. Matteo Pedrini), joint research (AI and sustainability study), high-format training courses, and executive programs with exclusive discounts for members.
• Fondazione Giulia CecchettincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Collaboration launched in May 2026 with the foundation established by Gino Cecchettin for inclusion and fighting gender-based violence. The partnership includes a training cycle for SM members on awareness and cultural change regarding gender-based violence in corporate contexts.
• WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial supporter/partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, demonstrating international recognition and alignment with global sustainability frameworks.
• EASP (European Association of Sustainability Professionals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEASP was founded by Sustainability Makers in 2016 and is now an international association. SM maintains close ties through joint research initiatives like the European Corporate Sustainability Maturity Study.
• AssobenefitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration with the association that brings together Italian Società Benefit (benefit corporations), promoting sustainable economy models that prioritize common benefit.
• Oscar di BilanciominorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner of the Oscar di Bilancio, the most authoritative Italian recognition for quality economic and sustainability reporting. SM participates as a partner organization.
• Salone della CSR e dell'Innovazione SocialecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-promoter of Italy's main sustainability event alongside Università Bocconi, Global Compact Network Italia, ASviS, Fondazione Sodalitas, Unioncamere and Koinètica. SM has been involved since the first editions.
• CSRnativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint promotion of the Premio Valore Giovani award with CSRnatives, Italy's first and only network of young CSR professionals and students (600+ members), to recognize organizations' projects benefiting youth.
• UN One Planet NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability Makers supports the UN One Planet program, which provides authoritative resources for product sustainability communication. SM promotes the Product Sustainability Information Hub.
• Green&Blue FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerContent partner of the Green&Blue Festival organized by Repubblica/Gedi, participating with speakers in main sessions and hosting Think Tanks on AI and sustainability topics.
• Bureau VeritasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner for executive training programs on sustainability topics including carbon neutrality standards (ISO 14068) and social responsibility certifications.
• Forum per la Finanza SostenibileminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in executive programs covering sustainable finance topics and facilitating engagement between banks, investors and enterprises.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Fondazione Sodalitas: Italian sustainability foundation that brings together companies for CSR and sustainability programs. Operates in the same Italian corporate sustainability community as SM, with a foundation rather than association structure.
• Forum per la Finanza Sostenibile: Italian multistakeholder forum promoting sustainable finance. SM is a partner; the Forum serves a narrower finance-focused community of sustainability professionals, but addresses the same Italian ESG ecosystem.
• ASviS (Alleanza Italiana per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile): Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development comprising 300+ member organizations working on the SDGs. Operates as a domestic convening body parallel to SM, with stronger policy focus and a broader stakeholder set that includes civil society.
• Salone della CSR e dell'Innovazione Sociale: Italy's main CSR and social innovation event, co-promoted by SM alongside Bocconi, Global Compact Network Italia and others. Comparable as an Italian sustainability community/touchpoint, but event-driven rather than membership-driven.

Direct peers

• Ceres: US nonprofit sustainability advocacy organization mobilizing corporate sustainability leadership through networks, research and policy engagement. Highly comparable to SM in mission (advancing the sustainability profession) and member-driven model.
• IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment): UK-based professional body for sustainability and environmental practitioners, offering membership, training, and qualifications. Closest comparable to Sustainability Makers as a national professional association serving the same ESG/sustainability manager persona, just in a different geography.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Global business network that convenes member companies around sustainability strategy and consulting. Comparable to SM in its community-led GTM targeting sustainability professionals inside corporates, but operates at global scale with broader consulting offerings.

Broad incumbents

• WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development): Global CEO-led organization representing over 200 forward-thinking businesses on sustainability. SM is an official partner/supporter of WBCSD, and the two share a sustainability professional/member-company ecosystem, but WBCSD operates at a much larger international scale.
• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): International standards organization for sustainability reporting. While not a professional association, GRI shapes the regulatory and reporting landscape SM helps members navigate, making it a structural incumbent peer in SM's content and training domains.
• UN Global Compact Network Italia: Italian local network of the UN Global Compact, convening Italian companies around the Ten Principles. Co-promoter of the Salone della CSR with SM; addresses overlapping members but is anchored to a global UN framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClLxvDSDEwtBXjKAVITv9PA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainability-makers-professional-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Sustainability Makers