Elso

What Elso does

ELSO Inc. is a community-based nonprofit organization that delivers environmental and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education to children from underrepresented communities, using the natural world as the primary instructional medium. The organization operates direct, in-person programming at two regional locations — Portland, Oregon (headquartered administratively at the Black United Fund of Oregon, 2828 NE Alberta St.) and Southeast Texas — serving children who otherwise have limited access to STEAM learning and exposure to environmental and STEM career pathways. Its stated functional purpose is to address gaps in STEAM access, connection to nature, and underrepresentation in STEM fields for its target beneficiary cohort.

ELSO is structured as a single-purpose nonprofit rather than a product company; there are no disclosed commercial products, software modules, APIs, or proprietary technology platforms in the source material, and the organization does not maintain a mobile app. Its technology footprint is limited to a Squarespace-hosted informational website (elsoinc.org) used for newsletter signups, an employee portal, and basic program and justice statement content. There is no AI/ML capability, no integrations, and no patents or trademarks disclosed.

The business model is that of a small community nonprofit: revenue is generated through donations, grants, and likely government or institutional funding rather than priced services, and there are no disclosed pricing tiers, contracts, or customer logos. Distribution is direct community engagement through in-person programming in its two geographies, with marketing conducted primarily via an email newsletter and the organizational website. The organization appears operational based on active website presence, newsletter functionality, and contact information, but no funding rounds, headcount, financial figures, or management team are disclosed in the available source material.

Name

Elso

Legal name

ELSO Inc.

Website

https://elsoinc.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ELSO Inc. is a community-based nonprofit that delivers in-person environmental and STEAM education to children from underrepresented communities at its Portland, OR and Southeast Texas locations, using the natural world as the instructional medium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization, ELSO likely generates revenue through charitable donations, grants, and potentially government funding to support environmental education programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

ELSO Inc. is a nonprofit organization that delivers community-based environmental and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education programs to underrepresented youth. Programs are operated directly in Portland, Oregon and Southeast Texas communities, using the natural world as a learning medium to engage children in hands-on science, nature, and creative education.

Product overview

ELSO Inc. is a community-based environmental education nonprofit organization that uses the natural world to connect children from underrepresented communities to STEAM. The organization operates as a single-purpose nonprofit entity rather than a product company, offering educational programs and community engagement activities. No distinct commercial products, modules, or named service offerings are detailed in the available source material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Black United Fund of OregonsupportingOthersELSO Inc. is hosted at the Black United Fund of Oregon office location at 2828 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR 97211. This appears to be an administrative hosting relationship rather than a formal strategic partnership.

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• NatureBridge: National nonprofit that delivers residential and outdoor science education programs for K-12 youth at multiple field campuses. Comparable in delivering environmental science education for young audiences, though much larger and more established.
• The Greening Youth Foundation: Nonprofit that engages underrepresented youth in environmental and conservation careers through programming and mentorship. Closely mirrors ELSO's focus on underrepresented youth and STEAM-career pathway exposure.
• Soul River Inc. Nonprofit founded to connect underrepresented youth to nature through fly fishing and stewardship programming. Comparable in delivering environmental education and outdoor connection to underrepresented youth communities.
• Black Outside, Inc. San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit delivering outdoor education experiences for Black youth and families. Closely comparable target demographic, environmental learning modality, and small community-led operating model.
• Outdoor Afro: Nonprofit that reconnects Black communities to nature through outdoor experiences, education, and stewardship. Highly comparable mission, target demographic, and nature-based delivery model to ELSO's environmental STEAM programs.
• MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences): Nonprofit society supporting underrepresented students pursuing careers in agriculture, natural resources, and environmental sciences. Strong overlap with ELSO's STEAM-career exposure thesis for underrepresented youth.

Broad incumbents

• Million Girls Moonshot: Initiative dedicated to increasing girls' and underrepresented students' participation in STEM, including environmental science. Comparable mission focus on diversifying STEM participation, though delivered through a network model rather than direct community programming.
• Children & Nature Network: Nonprofit that advocates and builds capacity for connecting children to nature, with an explicit equity lens. Operates in a similar conceptual space to ELSO, though as a network/advocacy organization rather than a direct service provider.
• Audubon Society (National Audubon Society): Large national nonprofit that delivers environmental education, conservation programming, and youth engagement across many chapters. Overlaps with ELSO in nature-based learning but operates at much greater scale and geographic breadth.

Regional players

• GreenWorks / Cool School Challenge and similar place-based learning nonprofits: Place-based environmental and sustainability education nonprofit operating predominantly in the Pacific Northwest. Adjacent to ELSO's environmental STEAM approach but differs on demographic focus and direct community programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camp-elso-incorporated

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Elso