Our Story
Cream City Conservation is a two-pronged social enterprise founded by August M Ball in 2016. Cream City Consulting provides people and culture educational programs to organizations, while the Cream City Conservation Corps (C4) - funded by the consulting practice - employs young adults from marginalized and underrepresented communities to restore and create resilient environments in underfunded public lands.
An award-winning environmental conservationist and workplace culture consultant, August launched Cream City Conservation after the sudden closure of the Milwaukee Conservation Leadership Corps, an environmental stewardship employment program she led for 7 years.
Using the workshop development and facilitation talents she gained during her time with Americorps as a Youth Volunteer Corps Leader, she offered a wide range of foundational diversity and inclusion workshops to environmental and community-based businesses.
From its inception in 2016, Cream City Conservation (the workplace consulting practice) redirected a significant portion of its revenues towards funding the conservation corp program that created jobs for hundreds of youth who were building more resilient environments in their communities and learning about what it takes to work within the environmental sector.
Today, Cream City Conservation is a thriving certified BCorp organization serving local, national, and global clients, earning several prestigious awards in conservation and recognition from BCorp as "Best For The World in the Workers Impact area achieving a top 5% score by putting in place exemplary employee-friendly practices, such as ownership opportunities, job flexibility, and fair-chance hiring policies."
Our
Purpose
Our Purpose as an organization is to cultivate the next generation of environmental and people leaders and prepare the existing industries to receive them.
Our Values
.png)
We celebrate failures as opportunities to learn, that it is safe to make mistakes, and that we always come together from a place of dignity and mutual accountability for growth.
.png)
Diversity is not just about the differences among us, but rather, how those differences inform how we experience the world and how the world interacts with us. We work to disrupt all forms of oppression and white supremacy culture. Our goal is to foster an environment of belonging, prioritizing those commonly excluded and marginalized.
.png)
We must hold fast to the belief that environmental justice is possible. That we can dismantle inequitable social structures, change hearts and minds with education and build a world where one’s identity does not determine their ability to thrive
.png)
We believe that those impacted by the work, must have a say in the work. We empower our crews to establish expectations and agreements that meet their needs. We ensure our clients understand that we cannot transform their organizations for them, our role is to provide education and tools. It is up to them to apply them.
Building Better
Our video newsletter to help you Build Better
Teams, Cultures, and Environments.
Newsletter #1 - Doubling Down on J.E.D.I.
Newsletter #2 - Navigating a Polarized workplace
Awards and Recognition
2023 Conservation Leader Award - UW Wisconsin
The Parker/Gentry Award honors an outstanding individual, team, or organization in the field of environmental conservation whose efforts have had a significant impact on preserving the world's natural heritage and whose approach can serve as a model to others. Parker/Gentry awardees represent remarkable achievements in more than a dozen countries and across diverse ecosystems, from the rainforests of South America, Africa, and India to valuable freshwater resources like the Great Lakes in North America, to coastal regions worldwide. Awardees have been recognized for protecting critical species and landscapes, providing training and education, and conducting significant scientific research to bring about conservation results on the ground.
This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to eliminating racism in Southeast Wisconsin through their volunteer or paid work. advocacy, and leadership.
Each year, United Way's Emerging Leaders honor five community leaders and one Philanthropic Youth winner for their commitment to the community through the Philanthropic Five awards. The Philanthropic Five awards recognize five community leaders in their 20s, 30s and 40s who give, advocate, and volunteer for change. The Philanthropic Youth award recognizes a youth community leader under 21 years old. Get to know the 2018 winners below and register to join us at the Philanthropic 5 Awards event! Thank you to BMO Harris Bank, the longtime sponsor of the P5 awards.