Atowi

What Atowi does

Atowi is a nonprofit community initiative based in Brattleboro, Vermont, dedicated to affirming Western Abenaki relationships with the Land and fostering inclusion between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Its work centers on Vermont's four state-recognized Abenaki tribes — Elnu Abenaki, Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, Koasek Abenaki, and Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi — and serves both tribal members and the broader Vermont public through cultural events, storytelling sessions, guided trail walks, workshops, and educational resources such as the Awikhigan blog and Indigenous Basics materials. The organization also engages in advocacy on tribal recognition, land acknowledgements, Indigenous Peoples' Day, and conservation policy.

Atowi does not sell commercial products or services. Its operations are funded through individual donations collected via its website and Donorbox, alongside modest grants and program support — including an approximately $37,000 National Park Service Underrepresented Communities Grant for the Kchi Pôntegok Petroglyph Project and event support from Vermont Humanities. Programming is offered free of charge or by donation, with events held at venues such as the Wantastegok Cultural Center, Retreat Farm, and other community locations across Vermont.

The initiative is led by director Rich Holschuh, who concurrently serves as chair of the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Elnu Abenaki Tribe. This positioning enables Atowi to operate at the intersection of tribal councils, state agencies, academic institutions including the University of Vermont, and corporate counterparties such as FirstLight Power in cultural resource negotiations. The organization has no disclosed headcount, no commercial revenue lines, and no technology platform; its distribution is limited to a Squarespace-hosted website, email newsletter, earned media coverage, in-person events, and Facebook.

Name

Atowi

Legal name

Atowi

Website

https://atowi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Atowi is a Brattleboro, Vermont-based nonprofit community initiative that supports Vermont's four state-recognized Western Abenaki tribes through cultural programming, education, and advocacy, serving Indigenous communities and allied Vermont residents via free events, grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Cultural Advocacy and Community Education

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (921150), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous/Tribal Education Authorities & Boards (EDADABAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM)

Keywords

• Indigenous advocacy
• Cultural preservation
• Community education
• Land stewardship
• Nonprofit programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Brattleboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts donations to support its mission of affirming relationships with the Land, raising Native voices, and fostering inclusion with understanding. Donations are solicited through their website to support free programming and community events.
2. Grant Funding: Atowi receives grant funding for specific projects such as the Kchi Pôntegok Petroglyph Project, which was funded by a National Park Service Underrepresented Communities Grant of approximately $37,000.
3. Event Support: Events such as Winter Storytelling with Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan are supported in part by Vermont Humanities as well as donor generosity, with donations solicited via Donorbox.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Atowi is a community-based nonprofit initiative that delivers free public programming, workshops, and events focused on Western Abenaki cultural preservation and Indigenous advocacy in Vermont. Its work centers on elevating Indigenous voices, supporting land stewardship, and fostering inclusion across the broader community, funded primarily through donations and grants.

Product overview

Atowi is a community initiative focused on affirming relationships with the Land and Indigenous communities, raising Native voices, and fostering inclusion and understanding. The organization does not offer commercial technology products or services; rather, it provides educational resources, community events, press coverage, and advocacy content related to Abenaki and Indigenous peoples in Vermont.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Cultural Events and Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• Vermont became the third state to make Indigenous Peoples' Day a permanent official holiday in 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs (VCNAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtowi director Rich Holschuh serves as chair of the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs. VCNAA collaborates with Atowi on initiatives including land acknowledgements, Abenaki recognition efforts, and educational programming about Indigenous communities in Vermont.
• Vermont Abenaki AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vermont Abenaki Alliance is a coalition of the four Vermont state-recognized Abenaki tribes. Atowi works closely with this alliance on advocacy, press events, and community initiatives to defend tribal recognition and promote understanding.
• Elnu Abenaki TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtowi collaborates with the Elnu Abenaki Tribe on various projects including the Kchi Pôntegok Petroglyph Project, cultural programming, and the tribal center at 350 Putney Rd in Brattleboro. Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan co-hosts events with Atowi.
• Vermont HumanitiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVermont Humanities provides support for free programming such as Winter Storytelling with Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan and guided trail walks. The organization helps fund cultural and educational events organized by Atowi.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Park Service awarded an Underrepresented Communities Grant of approximately $37,000 to the Town of Rockingham and Elnu Abenaki Tribe for the Kchi Pôntegok Petroglyph Project. Atowi director Rich Holschuh co-directs this project focused on documenting and preserving Indigenous rock carvings at Bellows Falls.
• FirstLight PowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstLight Power signed an understanding with local tribal agents including Elnu Abenaki (represented by Atowi's Rich Holschuh as Tribal Historic Preservation Officer) regarding traditional cultural resources along the Connecticut River during relicensing negotiations. The agreement addresses remediation of flooded cultural sites and access for ceremonial purposes.
• Retreat FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtowi co-hosts events with Retreat Farm including guided trail walks, Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrations, and Winter Storytelling sessions. The Farm provides venue space and programming support for community cultural events.
• Wantastegok Cultural CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wantastegok Cultural Center at 350 Putney Rd in Brattleboro serves as a location for Atowi-organized events including workshops and presentations. The Elnu Abenaki Tribe owns this property.
• University of Vermont (UVM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUVM has collaborated with Vermont Abenaki tribes on land acknowledgements, educational panels, and research partnerships. Atowi is connected to these efforts through director Rich Holschuh's involvement with VCNAA and tribal affairs.
• Nolumbeka ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nolumbeka Project, a local Native advocacy organization, participates in cultural resource discussions with FirstLight Power alongside Elnu Abenaki representatives. The organization advocates for Native interests in the region.
• Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck IndiansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented by tribal historic preservation officer Liz Coldwind Santana-Kiser, this tribe participates in FirstLight Power relicensing negotiations on cultural resources along the Connecticut River.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Indian Education Association (NIEA): National organization advocating for Indigenous education rights, culturally-based education, and student support. Aligns with Atowi's education-and-advocacy mission around Indigenous representation and learning, but operates federally and at a much larger scale.
• Cultural Survival: International Indigenous rights organization supporting Indigenous communities worldwide through advocacy, grantmaking, and media. Comparable mission around Indigenous cultural preservation and rights advocacy, but operates at global scale rather than region-specific focus.
• First Peoples Fund: National nonprofit supporting Indigenous artists, culture-bearers, and community development through grants and programming. Comparable focus on Indigenous cultural continuity and community empowerment, but at a national programmatic scale.
• Heard Museum: Phoenix-based museum featuring Indigenous art and culture with extensive educational and public programs. Parallels Atowi's cultural-preservation and education mission, but operates as a major museum institution with much larger resources.
• American Indian College Fund: National nonprofit providing scholarships and programming for Indigenous students and communities. Comparable as an Indigenous-focused educational and advocacy organization, but its programmatic scope (scholarships, higher-ed) differs from Atowi's place-based community-cultural focus.
• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: Major federally-supported museum and educational institution dedicated to Native peoples' knowledge and representation. Comparable in cultural preservation and Indigenous education mission, though at institutional scale vastly larger than Atowi.

Regional players

• Abbe Museum: Maine-based museum dedicated to Wabanaki peoples' history and culture with educational programming and exhibits. Comparable as a New England Indigenous-focused cultural institution, though operates a museum model rather than a community-initiative structure.

Direct peers

• Vermont Abenaki Alliance: Coalition of the four Vermont state-recognized Abenaki tribes formed to defend recognition and promote community understanding. Directly comparable given shared leadership (Rich Holschuh works with both organizations) and joint advocacy on tribal recognition and Abenaki cultural preservation.
• Nolumbeka Project: Nonprofit advocating for Native American interests, cultural resources, and historic preservation in the Connecticut River Valley. Directly comparable as a regional Indigenous advocacy organization partnered with Atowi on the FirstLight Power relicensing negotiations around cultural sites.
• Indigenous Education Institute (IEI): Educational nonprofit advancing Indigenous knowledge, science, and culture through community-based programs and publications. Mirrors Atowi's place-based educational programming, workshop offerings, and cultural-preservation content strategy at an established organizational scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AtowiProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atowi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Atowi