Yes SF
Yes SF is a San Francisco Chamber of Commerce initiative that supports sustainable startups through the Urban Sustainability Challenge, Top Innovator Program (with WEF/Uplink), Sustainable Innovators Network, and a coworking/event headquarters at 220 Montgomery Street.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Yes SF does
Yes SF is a place-based innovation initiative operating under the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, focused on supporting sustainable startups and revitalizing downtown San Francisco through challenges, mentorship, and community programming. Founded in 2023, it runs three core programs: the Urban Sustainability Challenge (an annual competition selecting standout sustainable solutions), the Top Innovator Program (delivered in collaboration with the World Economic Forum's Uplink initiative and providing mentorship, funding visibility, and scaling support), and the Sustainable Innovators Network (sponsored by Docusign.org, supporting a cohort of nonprofits). Across two cohorts the initiative has selected 26 startups from over 350 applicants and supported 5 nonprofit innovators, and its coalition has grown to 50+ supporting organizations including Deloitte, Salesforce, NVIDIA, IKEA, Gensler, Climatebase, Swissnex, and the APEC Innovation Zone at City Hall.
The core "technology" is a community-and-physical-space platform rather than a software product. On September 12, 2024, Yes SF opened its headquarters at 220 Montgomery Street in downtown San Francisco — a ground-floor coworking and event space featuring communal seating, eight hot desks, a soundproofed conference room with video conferencing for up to eight people, and an embedded Red Bay Coffee location. Internet service is provided by Comcast as connectivity partner, and desk/event bookings are managed through the Skedda platform. The initiative complements the physical space with regular programming including panel discussions, workshops, networking events (Builders Brew), civic engagement forums (City Hall Check-Ins), and topical dialogues on climate action and green workforce development.
Revenue mechanics are nonprofit and diversified across three streams: corporate sponsorships and grants (Deloitte, Salesforce, Docusign.org, NVIDIA, and others), individual donations supporting free public programming, and coworking/event space rentals at HQ. The team is small (2–10 employees, led by Director Jenny Feinberg and Program Manager Samantha Wong), and the organization has no disclosed funding rounds, equity investors, or traditional venture backing. Distribution is primarily through the SF Chamber of Commerce network, the WEF/Uplink channel, ecosystem partner referrals, email newsletter, social media (Instagram), and earned media coverage in SF Chronicle, SF Examiner, KTVU, and SF Business Times.
Yes SF firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yes SF
- Legal name
- Yes SF
- Website
- https://yessf.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Yes SF is a San Francisco Chamber of Commerce initiative that supports sustainable startups through the Urban Sustainability Challenge, Top Innovator Program (with WEF/Uplink), Sustainable Innovators Network, and a coworking/event headquarters at 220 Montgomery Street.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Yes SF industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Sustainability Innovation Support
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
Keywords
Where Yes SF is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Yes SF business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Yes SF accepts donations to support free public programming for San Franciscans, startups, and small businesses. The organization operates as a coalition supported by ecosystem partners and appears to receive grant funding from partners like Deloitte, Salesforce, and the World Economic Forum.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors can directly support Yes SF programming or fund Top Innovators. Contact for corporate sponsorship: [email protected]
- Coworking and Event Space Rental: Revenue generated from booking coworking desks and conference rooms at Yes SF Headquarters. The space includes private coworking areas, communal seating, eight hot desks, and a soundproofed conference room with video conferencing capabilities (up to 8 people). Internet provided by Comcast as connectivity partner.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Coworking desk booking via Skedda platform |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Yes SF product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yes SF is a nonprofit community initiative that supports sustainable startups and nonprofits through competitive innovation challenges, mentorship programs, and a physical community coworking and event space in downtown San Francisco. The organization runs the Urban Sustainability Challenge and Top Innovator Program (in collaboration with World Economic Forum's Uplink), the Sustainable Innovators Network (sponsored by Docusign.org), and operates a community coworking space featuring Red Bay Coffee at 220 Montgomery Street.
Product overview
Yes SF is a collective initiative focused on urban transformation and sustainability in San Francisco, consisting of multiple interconnected programs: the Urban Sustainability Challenge (a competitive program selecting top innovators), the Top Innovator Program (run with Uplink/World Economic Forum providing mentorship and funding), and the Sustainable Innovators Network (connecting startups and nonprofits deploying sustainable solutions). The organization also operates a physical community coworking space at 220 Montgomery Street featuring hot desks, conference rooms, and Red Bay Coffee, offering event hosting capabilities. Additional services include Startup Resources (workshops, panel discussions, office hours) and Community Events programming on climate action and green workforce development. The first challenge selected 14 Top Innovators from over 150 applicants, and the second challenge selected 12 Top Innovators from 200 applicants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Top Innovator Program: Program run in collaboration with Uplink (World Economic Forum initiative) that recognizes and supports standout startups developing sustainable solutions with mentorship, funding opportunities, and visibility.
- Sustainable Innovators Network
- Urban Sustainability Challenge
Quantifiable outcome
- 14 Top Innovators selected from 150+ applicants in first challenge
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Yes SF
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Yes SF technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Yes SF partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DeloittecoreDeloitte collaborated with Salesforce and World Economic Forum to launch the Yes San Francisco Urban Sustainability Challenge in 2023, calling for sustainable solutions to revitalize downtown San Francisco.
- SalesforcecoreSalesforce partnered with Deloitte and World Economic Forum to launch the Urban Sustainability Challenge, supporting the initiative to identify and support sustainable innovators for San Francisco.
- World Economic Forum (Uplink)coreThe Top Innovator Program is run in collaboration with Uplink, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. This partnership provides global credibility and network access for selected Top Innovators.
- San Francisco Chamber of CommercecoreYes SF is an initiative of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber runs the Sustainable Innovators Network and provides organizational backbone and access to business community.
- ComcastminorComcast serves as Connectivity Partner, providing high-speed internet for all coworking spaces at Yes SF Headquarters.
- Red Bay CoffeeminorRed Bay Coffee is located at Yes SF Headquarters, creating an integrated community space combining coworking with specialty coffee.
- GenslerminorArchitecture and design firm Gensler is listed as ecosystem supporter contributing to Yes SF's sustainability ecosystem.
- IKEAminorRetail furniture company IKEA listed as ecosystem supporter for Yes SF's sustainability initiatives.
- ClimatebaseminorClimatebase is listed as ecosystem supporter, contributing to the sustainability and climate-focused network.
- SwissnexminorSwissnex network is listed as ecosystem supporter, connecting Yes SF with global innovation network.
- APEC Innovation Zone at City HallminorPartnership with APEC Innovation Zone at City Hall for innovation programming and events supporting San Francisco's sustainability goals.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Yes SF competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Climatebase: Climate-focused community platform connecting professionals, jobs, events, and resources in the climate ecosystem. Already listed as a Yes SF ecosystem supporter; overlaps in serving SF-based climate founders and professionals through community and event programming.
- New Energy Nexus: Global nonprofit supporting clean energy startups through accelerators, funding, and ecosystem building across multiple countries. Comparable mission and target founder profile (sustainability innovators), with a stronger focus on clean energy specifically and a more distributed geographic footprint.
- Activate: Nonprofit fellowship supporting entrepreneurial scientists and engineers working on climate solutions through a two-year residential program with funding and mentorship. Comparable in selecting and supporting mission-driven sustainability innovators, though with a fellowship model rather than a city-based hub.
Direct peers
- Newlab: Innovation hub operating physical campuses that bring together startups, corporates, and researchers around frontier technology including climate and urban sustainability. Operates a similar venue-plus-community-plus-corporate-partner model as Yes SF.
- Greentown Labs: North America's largest climate-tech incubator providing lab space, prototyping facilities, and a community of hardware-focused cleantech startups. Comparable to Yes SF in serving urban sustainability founders through a physical hub, but with deeper hardware and prototyping resources.
- Elemental Impact (formerly Elemental Excelerator): Nonprofit climate innovation accelerator deploying capital, mentorship, and ecosystem support to startups addressing climate change. Directly comparable to Yes SF's Top Innovator Program as a mission-aligned climate startup accelerator, though with a longer track record and capital deployment.
- Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused innovation hubs offering coworking space, programming, and community for mission-driven entrepreneurs. Yes SF's physical HQ with coworking, events, and a curated innovator network mirrors Impact Hub's place-based community model at a city scale.
Broad incumbents
- Plug and Play: Large global innovation platform running vertical-specific accelerator programs (including sustainability and smart cities) with corporate partner activation. Overlaps with Yes SF in connecting startups to corporate sponsors and running cohort-based programs, but operates at much greater scale across multiple verticals.
- MassChallenge: Global nonprofit accelerator running equity-free programs for impact-driven startups, including sustainability tracks. Comparable in nonprofit, cohort-based support for early-stage innovators, but operates globally with more structured mentorship and a larger alumni network.
Others
- Echoing Green: Nonprofit fellowship and leadership network supporting social innovators with seed funding and community. Adjacent in mission (supporting mission-driven founders) and structure (fellowship-style selection + network), though focused on social innovation broadly rather than urban sustainability specifically.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Yes SF social profiles
Digital presenceYes SF financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yes SF leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Yes SF funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yes SF 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 Yes SF
What does Yes SF do?
Yes SF is a nonprofit community initiative that supports sustainable startups and nonprofits through competitive innovation challenges, mentorship programs, and a physical community coworking and event space in downtown San Francisco. The organization runs the Urban Sustainability Challenge and Top Innovator Program (in collaboration with World Economic Forum's Uplink), the Sustainable Innovators Network (sponsored by Docusign.org), and operates a community coworking space featuring Red Bay Coffee at 220 Montgomery Street.
Is Yes SF a public or private company?
Yes SF is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Yes SF founded?
Yes SF was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Yes SF based?
Yes SF is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Yes SF make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships and coworking and Event Space Rental.
Who are Yes SF's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Climatebase, New Energy Nexus and Activate. Direct peers are Newlab, Greentown Labs, Elemental Impact (formerly Elemental Excelerator) and Impact Hub. Broad incumbents are Plug and Play and MassChallenge. Echoing Green is listed as an others.
Does Yes SF have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yes SF.
What industry is Yes SF in?
Yes SF's product category is Community Sustainability Innovation Support. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAO, Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement, with a secondary code of BPADALAL, Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure. Its NAICS code is 813312.