all hands boatworks

What all hands boatworks does

All Hands Boatworks (AHB) is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit organization founded in 2013 that delivers hands-on wooden boatbuilding and on-water programming as a vehicle for youth and community development. AHB operates from an 8,600 sq. ft. boat shop at 621 S 12th St, Milwaukee, WI, and reaches participants across the Milwaukee area through twelve distinct programs spanning youth (ages 8-24) and adult community segments. Programs are guided by Swedish Sloyd Education Theory, which links handcrafts to cognitive, social-emotional, and skills development, and are influenced by Outward Bound-style experiential education. Signature offerings include the Introductory Boatbuilding course (students build and launch a 12-foot Bevin's Skiff), the RAFT after-school program, STEM2STERN semester classes, TradeWorks apprenticeships, free summer camps for ages 10-15, and the On-The-Water Skills & Jobs program launched in spring 2024. AHB has served more than 5,500 youth and completed 145+ boatbuilding projects since inception, supported by named school partners (El Puente, Academy of Excellence, Craig Montessori, Pathways, Notre Dame School of Milwaukee, MQS) and youth development organizations (Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Big Brothers Big Sisters).

AHB's operating model is intentionally low-tech: traditional woodworking tools, handcraft methodology, and physical access to Milwaukee's rivers and Great Lakes via the Emmber Lane boatyard and a partnership with the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center. There is no proprietary software, AI/ML capability, mobile app, or digital product surface; the organization's principal "technology" is a pedagogical framework combined with hands-on craft know-how. Distribution is delivered through three channels: on-site at the Milwaukee boat shop, off-site at partner schools, and through community rowing/paddling events. Programs are led by a small team (Executive Director/ Founder William Nimke; Job Skills Director & Senior Boatbuilder Will Francis; RAFT Coordinator Libbey Hartzler; Shop Manager Tom Frank Sr.; Lead Program Instructor Claire Oliphant; and several others) supplemented by volunteer instructors and board members.

AHB's business model is donation-dependent. The organization is a Wisconsin-incorporated nonprofit (EIN 80-0927982) whose primary revenue stream is charitable giving, channeled through a Network for Good donation portal, supplemented by minor earned revenue from $10-$15 shop tours and a student-run Etsy shop selling student-built merchandise. Pricing for youth programming is overwhelmingly freemium — summer camps are free for ages 10-15, and most school-based programs appear to be grant- or partner-funded. Sponsorships from PPG Paints, Harken, Indeed Brewing, Mortenson, GRAEF, Komelon, and the Bucks Foundation provide in-kind and cash support, while strategic workforce partners include Employ Milwaukee, the Southeast Wisconsin Carpenter's Union, and Journey House. AHB was recognized as BizTimes' Small Nonprofit Organization of the Year in 2024, reflecting its community standing rather than financial scale.

Name

all hands boatworks

Legal name

All Hands Boatworks, Inc.

Website

https://allhandsboatworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

All Hands Boatworks is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit founded in 2013 that teaches wooden boatbuilding and leads on-water programming for Milwaukee-area youth and adults using Swedish Sloyd Education Theory, serving 5,500+ participants across twelve programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Experiential Education Services

NAICS

Boat Building (336612)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs (THAKAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB)

Keywords

• Youth boatbuilding education
• Experiential woodworking programs
• Maritime career training
• Community boatbuilding workshops
• Hands-on Sloyd curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a nonprofit organization, All Hands Boatworks relies on donations from individuals and organizations. The website features a donation portal through Network for Good.
2. Program Fees: Some programs charge participant fees (approximately $10-$15 per participant for hands-on shop tours). Summer camps are described as free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

All Hands Boatworks is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit that delivers hands-on wooden boatbuilding, woodworking, and on-water programs to youth (ages 8-24) and community members. Programming is guided by Swedish Sloyd Education Theory, which links handcrafts with cognitive, social-emotional, and workforce development outcomes. The organization runs after-school, summer camp, semester-long, internship, apprenticeship-style, and community workshop formats delivered at its 8,600 sq. ft. boat shop, at partner schools, and on Milwaukee waterways.

Product overview

All Hands Boatworks is a nonprofit educational organization offering a portfolio of hands-on boatbuilding and maritime programs. The core offering consists of youth programs (RAFT after-school mentoring, Summer Camps, STEM2STERN, TradeWorks, Summer Internships, On-The-Water Skills & Jobs, Introductory Boatbuilding, Intro to Woodworking, and Hands-On Shop Tours) and community programs (Free Community Rowing, Women's Boatbuilding, and Intergenerational Boat Building). These programs collectively serve youth ages 8-24 and community members, teaching wooden boatbuilding, woodworking skills, and on-water activities through experiential education guided by Swedish Sloyd Education Theory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RAFT (Responsibility, Achievement, Fellowship, Teamwork)

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,500+ Milwaukee-area youth inspired and taught
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Milwaukee Community Sailing Center (MCSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of 10th Anniversary celebration. Partner for sailing and docking activities in On-The-Water Skills program. Students visit MCSC for team rowing and sailing experiences.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development partner providing boatbuilding and on-water opportunities to club members.
• Teaching With Small Boats AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance focused on educational boatbuilding programs. AHB participates in sharing best practices and curriculum development.
• Milwaukee Irish Currach ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaritime heritage partner supporting traditional boatbuilding knowledge and community connection.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of MilwaukeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth mentorship partner providing boatbuilding activities for matched pairs.
• Employ MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce development partner supporting job skills and career readiness programs including TradeWorks.
• Southeast Wisconsin Carpenter's Union / Journey HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkilled trades training partners supporting workforce preparation through apprenticeship-style learning.
• PEAK InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development initiative partner providing additional programming opportunities.
• PPG PaintsminorOthersMaterials sponsor providing paint products for boatbuilding projects.
• HarkenminorOthersMaritime equipment company providing hardware and equipment for boat projects.
• Indeed Brewing Co.minorOthersLocal brewery providing event support and community engagement.
• MortensonminorOthersConstruction company providing business and community support.
• GRAEFminorOthersEngineering firm providing business and community support.
• KomelonminorOthersTool manufacturer providing measuring and marking tools for woodworking programs.
• Bucks FoundationminorOthersLocal sports team foundation providing grant support for youth programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Center for Wooden Boats: The Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle is a nonprofit offering hands-on wooden boatbuilding classes, community rowing, sailing, and maritime education to youth and adults — the closest direct peer to All Hands Boatworks in combining craft-based boatbuilding instruction with community programming.
• Rocking the Boat: Rocking the Boat is a New York City nonprofit that uses wooden boatbuilding, on-water rowing, and sailing to serve underserved youth with education and workforce pathways — a directly comparable youth-focused boatbuilding education nonprofit.
• The Apprenticeshop: The Apprenticeshop in Rockland, Maine runs traditional wooden boatbuilding programs for teens and adults alongside community sailing, paralleling AHB's mix of craft education and on-water programming for youth.
• WoodenBoat School: WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine offers hands-on wooden boatbuilding courses for adults and families, with an overlapping craft-and-woodworking instructional model to AHB's boatbuilding programs.
• Northwest Maritime Center: The Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, Washington operates a wooden boatbuilding school and chandlery, plus maritime education programs — a regional nonprofit peer with similar boatbuilding-education offerings.
• Community Boating Inc. Community Boating in Boston is the oldest public sailing organization, offering free/low-cost sailing and on-water skills programs to the public — closely paralleling AHB's free community rowing and On-The-Water Skills programming for underserved participants.

Broad incumbents

• Mystic Seaport Museum: Mystic Seaport Museum is a large maritime education and cultural institution in Connecticut operating wooden boatbuilding demonstrations, youth programs, and a major collections operation — a broader incumbent in maritime education where AHB operates as a smaller, more focused community nonprofit.
• Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is an established regional museum with hands-on boatbuilding programs, education, and preservation activities, comparable to AHB's craft-education mission at a much larger institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/allhandsboatworks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/all-hands-boatworks-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/allhandsboatworks/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 all hands boatworks