Roots of hawaii
Roots of Change is a nonprofit program of the Public Health Institute that operates as a California food system "think and do tank," combining policy advocacy, coalition building, and nutrition incentive programs serving policymakers, farmers, and food-insecure families.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersOakland Mills, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Roots of hawaii does
Roots of Change is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as a program of the Public Health Institute, headquartered in Oakland, California. Founded approximately in 2000 and now in its third decade of operation, the organization functions as a California-focused "think and do tank" on food and agriculture systems, combining policy advocacy with direct program implementation. Its stakeholder base spans state and local policymakers, farmers and ranchers, anti-hunger and nutrition advocates, low-income consumers, and philanthropic funders.
The organization's core programmatic assets include the Flipping The Table Podcast, the Pulse of the Food Movement Newsletter, the Vote for Your Food Campaign (a civic engagement initiative), and the Market Match Nutrition Incentive Program, which doubles SNAP benefits at participating California farmers markets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Roots of Change scaled Market Match into the Let's Feed LA initiative, distributing $21.7 million in nutrition benefits to 29,500 Los Angeles families. The organization also operates newer initiatives including the San Joaquin Valley Heat project (SJV Heat) and a USDA-funded Growing GRASS program, indicating expansion into climate-resilient agriculture and farm viability work.
The business model is nonprofit: revenue is generated through donations, foundation grants, corporate partnerships (notably Whole Foods Market's 5% Day), and government funding from agencies including the USDA and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The organization does not charge for its media products and does not sell the Market Match program as a commercial service; it operates as a convening and grant-recipient intermediary. Leadership is provided by President Michael R. Dimock, and Roots of Change maintains institutional partnerships with the Public Health Institute, Wholesome Wave, and the LA Food Policy Council, among others.
Roots of hawaii firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Roots of hawaii
- Legal name
- Roots of Change
- Website
- https://rootsofchange.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Roots of Change is a nonprofit program of the Public Health Institute that operates as a California food system "think and do tank," combining policy advocacy, coalition building, and nutrition incentive programs serving policymakers, farmers, and food-insecure families.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Roots of hawaii industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food Policy Advocacy
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Community Food Services (624210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC), Community Health, Health Promotion & Behavior Change (SBCC) (BPADAIAL)
Keywords
Where Roots of hawaii is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland Mills
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Roots of hawaii business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization under the Public Health Institute, Roots of Change relies on donations and grants to fund its operations. The organization accepts tax-deductible contributions and has received support from partners like Whole Foods Market's 5% Day program.
- Whole Foods Market 5% Day Partnership: Whole Foods Market's quarterly Community Giving Day Program donates 5% of net sales to support Roots of Change's Healthy California Campaign and programs improving healthy food access.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Roots of hawaii product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Roots of Change is a nonprofit think and do tank that advances food system transformation in California through policy advocacy, coalition building, and program implementation. Its core offerings include the Flipping The Table podcast, the Pulse of the Food Movement newsletter, the Market Match Nutrition Incentive Program that makes fresh produce affordable for low-income families, and strategic planning consultation services for organizations developing food system strategies.
Product overview
Roots of Change is a nonprofit think-and-do tank that offers a portfolio of advocacy programs, communications platforms, and policy services focused on transforming California's food system. Core offerings include the Flipping The Table podcast (a long-running interview series on food and farming topics), the Pulse of the Food Movement newsletter, and the Vote for Your Food advocacy campaign. The organization also provides food system policy research and strategic planning consultation services, and created the Market Match Nutrition Incentive Program to improve access to fresh produce for low-income families.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Flipping The Table Podcast: A podcast about the future of food and farming, hosted by Michael R. Dimock and Coco Sanabria
Products and services
- Flipping The Table Podcast
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivered $21.7 million in nutrition benefits to 29,500 families during COVID-19 pandemic response
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Roots of hawaii
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Roots of hawaii technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Roots of hawaii partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wholesome WavecoreROC partnered with Wholesome Wave to bring nutrition incentive technology to under-resourced families in Los Angeles and Sacramento counties. Together they implemented the Let's Feed LA emergency food access program during COVID-19.
- Center for Wellness and NutritioncoreROC partnered with the Center for Wellness and Nutrition (a PHI colleague) to undertake a major CARES Act funded COVID emergency food access program delivering $21.7 million in nutrition benefits.
- Whole Foods MarketminorWhole Foods Market selected Roots of Change as beneficiary of their 5% Day quarterly Community Giving Day Program. The funds support ROC's Healthy California Campaign improving healthy food access and economic opportunities for small-scale organic producers.
- Public Health InstitutecoreRoots of Change is a program of the Public Health Institute (PHI), one of the largest global public health organizations, founded in 1964. PHI oversees projects ranging from individual grants to large multi-year, multi-site programs with national and international impact.
- Los Angeles Food Policy CouncilcoreROC was a close ally during the founding of the LA Food Policy Council in 2009-10, facilitating meetings and helping define the vision. ROC hosted the kickoff celebration and continues collaborative work.
- California Food Policy CouncilcoreROC supports and collaborates with the California Food Policy Council which released reports evaluating California's legislative record related to food and farming.
- California Department of Food and AgriculturecoreROC leads the Resilient Food System Infrastructure Project in collaboration with CDFA to strengthen California's food system infrastructure.
- San Joaquin Valley CollaborativecoreROC leads the San Joaquin Valley Collaborative to Protect Vulnerable Workers and Families from Extreme Heat Events (SJV Heat), addressing climate impacts on farmworkers.
- California Food Policy CouncilcoreROC co-hosts the annual Food & Farm Scorecard release with the California Food & Farming Network, tracking legislative voting records and honoring policy champions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Roots of hawaii competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ReFED: Data and policy nonprofit focused on food waste reduction and food system transformation; partial overlap with ROC's broader food system transformation remit, particularly around policy and coalition building.
Broad incumbents
- Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI): Long-established consumer advocacy and food policy nonprofit operating at national scale. Overlaps with ROC's policy and advocacy remit but at much broader scope and with longer operational history.
- Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Major environmental advocacy organisation with significant work on sustainable agriculture, food waste, and climate-smart farming. Comparable to ROC's regenerative agriculture and food system agenda but at global scale and institutional depth.
Direct peers
- Center for Good Food Purchasing: Operates institutional food procurement standards used by schools, hospitals, and municipalities — closely aligned with ROC's policy-driven approach to transforming food systems from the institutional buyer side.
- Food Tank: A food policy-focused think tank that combines policy research with content and convening, mirroring ROC's 'think and do tank' positioning and long-form thought leadership content model.
- Fair Food Network: National nonprofit that operates the Double Up Food Bucks nutrition incentive programme, structurally analogous to ROC's Market Match programme, with both organisations working on SNAP produce incentives and federal nutrition policy.
- Wholesome Wave: Direct partner of ROC on Let's Feed LA and nutrition incentive technology delivery; Wholesome Wave operates similar produce incentive programmes nationally, making it a directly comparable nutrition access nonprofit.
- The Food Trust: Established food access nonprofit combining nutrition incentives, federal advocacy, and on-the-ground programmes; directly comparable mission scope on healthy food access with multi-state reach.
Regional players
- LA Food Policy Council: Regional food policy council co-founded with ROC's support that operates convening and policy advocacy functions in Los Angeles County — comparable niche player with overlapping stakeholder base.
- California Food and Farming Network: Coalition organisation co-hosting the Food & Farm Scorecard with ROC; provides comparable California-focused food policy convening and legislative accountability.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Roots of hawaii social profiles
Digital presenceRoots of hawaii financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Roots of hawaii leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Roots of hawaii funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Roots of hawaii 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 Roots of hawaii
What does Roots of hawaii do?
Roots of Change is a nonprofit think and do tank that advances food system transformation in California through policy advocacy, coalition building, and program implementation. Its core offerings include the Flipping The Table podcast, the Pulse of the Food Movement newsletter, the Market Match Nutrition Incentive Program that makes fresh produce affordable for low-income families, and strategic planning consultation services for organizations developing food system strategies.
Is Roots of hawaii a public or private company?
Roots of hawaii is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Roots of hawaii founded?
Roots of hawaii was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Roots of hawaii based?
Roots of hawaii is headquartered in Oakland Mills, United States, in the North America region.
How does Roots of hawaii make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are whole Foods Market 5% Day Partnership.
Who are Roots of hawaii's main competitors?
ReFED is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Direct peers are Center for Good Food Purchasing, Food Tank, Fair Food Network, Wholesome Wave and The Food Trust. Regional players are LA Food Policy Council and California Food and Farming Network.
Does Roots of hawaii have an API?
No public API is recorded for Roots of hawaii.
What industry is Roots of hawaii in?
Roots of hawaii's product category is Food Policy Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAD, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative), with a secondary code of BPAHAGAC, Change Management & Transformation Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54172.