named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Apprentice Sailor’s Handbook
Training resource under development covering sailmaking, cargo handling, boatbuilding, traditional rigging, and climate-adapted port design
CliMax Ship Development
Researches and engineers climate-optimized merchant vessels, including 39’ schooners, 80’ canal/river/coastal vessels, solar-electric barges, and 200’ ocean-going sailing cargo schooners
Pallet Container Project
Designs open-source, intermodal cargo containers compatible with sailing vessels, electric cargo bikes, and light electric vehicles; payload of 180 kgs, lift-on/lift-off capable, made from sustainable materials
Sail Freight Business Handbook
Provides entrepreneurs with business models, financial analysis, and route selection tools to launch near-zero-emission short sea shipping operations in the Northeast U.S.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Recreational Boating and Sailing Programs 1 activity
- Capacity building through training and workshopsOffers practical training programs and workshops in partnership with organizations, covering skills such as sailmaking, cargo handling, boatbuilding, and climate-adapted port design, with delivery planned starting in 2024.
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Climate Finance Advisory & Research 1 activity
- Consulting for sustainable businessesConducts consulting practicum projects with sustainable businesses in Vermont, the U.S., and internationally to support post-carbon logistics.
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Clean Transportation Adoption & Infrastructure 1 activity
- Development of open-source, zero-emission transport infrastructureDesigns and prototypes intermodal cargo containers for regional zero-emission transport, including a pallet-based prototype developed with University of Vermont engineering students, with plans to release the design as an open-source hardware standard under a Creative Commons license for global adaptation.
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Professional Networking Events 1 activity
- Hosting conferences for knowledge exchangeOrganizes regional, national, and international conferences focused on sustainable logistics, traditional skills, and sail freight to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing.
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Museum-Based Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Support for maritime education and public exhibitsProvides technical and financial support for maritime education initiatives and public exhibits, including assistance to the Hudson River Maritime Museum’s "The New Age of Sail" exhibit and the Schooner Apollonia’s 2024 cargo voyage.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Advocacy for working waterfrontsAdvocates for the preservation and development of working waterfronts in small to mid-sized ports across the Hudson Valley, NY Harbor, Canals, and the Atlantic Coast.
- Research on sustainable maritime transportConducts and publishes research to advance near-zero-emission coastal maritime trade, including the Sail Freight Business Handbook and peer-reviewed papers on green shipping presented at the SISDO Conference.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$151K
Contributions & grants$151K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$115K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$53K
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$121K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$121K
2 years on record · 2024–2025 · YoY revenue +5.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Willner | Executive Director | 30 | $22K |
board members · 6
- Elliot Stevenson — Trustee
- Geoffrey Uttmark — Trustee
- Helen Atkinson — Trustee
- Melissa Everett — Trustee
- Molly Albrecht — Trustee
- Rik van Hemmen — Trustee
relationships · 7
Who they work with
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Government — AACSB is the accrediting body for the Sustainable Innovation MBA program.
- Hudson River Maritime Museum Partner — Collaborated on the "New Age of Sail" exhibit and co-hosted the Conference on Small Scale Inland and Coastal Sail Freight.
- International Windship Association Network — Contributed to the Small Windships Publication and is assisting in developing the second edition.
- Schooner Apollonia Partner — Provided financial and public awareness support for a 2024 cargo voyage.
- University of Vermont Partner — Collaborates on engineering projects including the pallet-based intermodal container and the Sail Freight Business Handbook.
- University of Vermont Grossman School of Business Partner — Collaborated with SI-MBA graduates to compile the Sail Freight Business Handbook
- University of Vermont Grossman School of Business Partner — Partnered with Sustainable Innovation MBA graduates to research and write the Sail Freight Business Handbook.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Accelerated Program Delivery for Workforce Impactmethodology: accelerated_program_deliveryBy delivering a one-year accelerated sustainability leadership program, the organization increases the speed and accessibility of workforce entry, producing broader systemic change because reduced cost and time barriers allow more leaders to enter the field quickly.
- Advancing Education and Science for Environmental Progressmethodology: education-and-science-advancementBy advancing education and scientific research, the organization produces environmental progress because it believes that knowledge development and dissemination are foundational to systemic change in sustainability practices.
- Community Resilience Through Local "Lifeboat" Solutionsmethodology: community-resilience lifeboatsBy building local, resilient community-based systems ("lifeboats"), the organization produces post-carbon adaptation because decentralized knowledge preservation and sustainable practices increase community self-reliance during systemic disruptions.
- Integrated Design-Build-Finance Approach to R&Dmethodology: integrated design-build-finance R&DBy combining design, R&D, finance, and physical implementation in one integrated process, the organization produces resilient low-carbon maritime logistics because this holistic model enables rapid prototyping and deployment of post-carbon infrastructure.
- Integrating Sustainability into Business Educationmethodology: integrated_sustainabilityBy embedding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles throughout the MBA curriculum, the organization produces systemic change because it prepares future business leaders to prioritize sustainability in decision-making and organizational strategy.