Based in San Diego, Recon Environmental provides environmental consulting services to projects located across the Southwest. Founded in 1972, the company became 100 percent employee owned in 2010 and now has about 190 worker-owners. Through its RECONnect initiative, Recon partners with Balboa City Schools and Ocean Discovery Institute to inspire diverse youth to pursue careers in the environmental sciences by offering student internship/job-shadowing opportunities, native plants for gardens and restoration efforts, leaders for field trips, and speakers for classroom and field presentations.