Monterey Bay Economic Partnership

Name

Monterey Bay Economic Partnership

Legal name

Monterey Bay Economic Partnership

Website

https://mbep.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Marina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: MBEP operates as a member-supported nonprofit. Organizations across sectors (corporations, nonprofits, academia, local government, agriculture, hospitality, innovation/tech, developers, consortia) pay membership dues to access convenings, advocacy, policy resources, and regional networking. Membership tiers include impact investors, corporations, small nonprofits, academia, hospitality & tourism, innovation & technology, agriculture, local government, developers, and consortia.
2. Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: MBEP solicits charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors to fund housing, broadband, economic development, and innovation programs. The organization markets donation options to support specific initiatives such as the Monterey Bay Housing Trust and digital inclusion.
3. Government Grants: MBEP secures competitive government grants including California Jobs First/CERF funding, CPUC CASF Adoption grants, and Economic Development District federal designations to fund regional programs in broadband, housing, workforce development, and advanced air mobility.
4. Event Sponsorships and Registration: MBEP organizes signature events including the Annual State of the Region, Regional Economic Outlook, and 10th Anniversary Gala. Corporate sponsors pay to participate; revenue supports organizational programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a 501(c)(3) regional nonprofit convener that delivers economic development, affordable housing finance, broadband infrastructure coordination, and innovation ecosystem programs across Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties. It operates a portfolio of initiatives including the Monterey Bay Housing Trust revolving loan fund, Uplift Central Coast, Regions Rise Together, the Central Coast Broadband Consortium, and the California Advanced Air Mobility Corridors Initiative (CAAMCI). MBEP sustains operations through membership dues, charitable donations, competitive government grants, and event sponsorships.

Product overview

Monterey Bay Economic Partnership is a nonprofit regional economic development organization serving Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties. Rather than a unified software product, MBEP operates as a portfolio of interconnected initiatives and programs: the core Housing for All initiative encompasses the Monterey Bay Housing Trust (revolving loan fund), Housing Advocacy, Employer Sponsored Housing, and Housing Elements support; Economic & Workforce Development includes Uplift Central Coast and Regions Rise Together regional initiatives plus the Monterey Bay Tech Hub; Broadband & Digital Access provides Digital Literacy training through Connected Communities Hubs; and Innovation & Technology advances sectors like Advanced Air Mobility through the CAAMCI initiative. MBEP also operates membership programs and hosts events including the annual State of the Region conference.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Uplift Central Coast: Six-county collaborative economic development initiative co-led by MBEP, REACH, and EDC to build inclusive, resilient economy across Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.
• Regions Rise Together
• Monterey Bay Housing Trust
• California Advanced Air Mobility Corridors Initiative (CAAMCI)
• Central Coast Broadband Consortium (CCBC)

Products and services

• Membership Program A dynamic network of regional leaders and changemakers offering opportunities in opportunity access, marketing, convening, resources, coalition building, and events across multiple sector categories for organizations in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties.
• Monterey Bay Housing Trust (MBHT) A revolving loan fund sponsored by MBEP and Housing Trust Silicon Valley that provides acquisition, pre-development, and construction financing to increase the supply of affordable housing for low-income households in the Monterey Bay region.
• Uplift Central Coast A six-county collaborative effort to build a more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous economy through community-driven economic development plans and predevelopment grants, co-led with REACH and EDC under California Jobs First.
• Digital Literacy Free in-person and virtual digital skills classes offered in English and Spanish, covering beginner to intermediate topics including internet navigation, online tools, cybersecurity, and AI basics. Includes the Connected Communities Hubs initiative.
• Connected Communities Hubs Nine fully-equipped hubs providing free public access to high-speed Wi-Fi and desktop computers, with bilingual Digital Navigators available during monthly Drop-In Help Hours to assist with broadband enrollment.
• Events & Convenings Regional events including the annual State of the Region conference, Regional Economic Outlook, 10th Anniversary Gala, and various community forums focused on economic development, housing, and innovation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $50M leveraged through Monterey Bay Housing Trust, resulting in 1,200+ workforce homes, 4,000+ farmworker housing beds, and 3,000+ affordable/market-rate homes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• REACH (Regional Economic Action Coalition)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020MBEP co-leads the Uplift Central Coast coalition with REACH and EDC. REACH is a key partner in the six-county Central Coast initiative operating under California Jobs First (formerly CERF), developing community-driven economic development plans across Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.
• Economic Development Collaborative (EDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020EDC co-leads the Uplift Central Coast coalition alongside MBEP and REACH. Together, the three organizations coordinate the six-county economic development planning process, sector-specific predevelopment grants ($9M awarded to 36 entities), and California Jobs First implementation across the Central Coast.
• Housing Trust Silicon ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2016MBEP co-founded the Monterey Bay Housing Trust (MBHT) with Housing Trust Silicon Valley, a certified CDFI. HT manages the lending side of MBHT: identifying projects, sourcing and making loans, and revolving repaid capital back into new projects. This partnership has leveraged over $50M to finance 1,200+ workforce homes and 4,000+ farmworker housing beds.
• Central Coast Broadband Consortium (CCBC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016MBEP serves as Executive Director of CCBC, a regional coalition of local governments, ISPs, and community organizations working to expand broadband infrastructure and digital equity across Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. CCBC has facilitated over $90M in broadband investment.
• UC Santa CruzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC Santa Cruz is a co-founder of the Monterey Bay Tech Hub alongside MBEP and DART. UCSC leads advanced air mobility research, drone operations training (DUCC initiative), and semiconductor prototype facility development. It also houses the Institute for Social Transformation, which partnered with MBEP on the 'Building an Inclusive Economy in the Monterey Bay Region' report.
• Monterey Bay DART (Drones Advanced Research Team)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDART co-founded the Monterey Bay Tech Hub with MBEP and UCSC. DART advances the region's AAM ecosystem by supporting the CAAMCI corridor initiative, workforce training for drone operations, and infrastructure planning for advanced air mobility.
• South Salinas Valley Broadband Authority (SSVBA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBEP co-founded the SSVBA, a joint-powers authority among five municipalities (Soledad, Gonzales, Greenfield, King City, and unincorporated Monterey County) to develop open-access municipal broadband infrastructure in the South Salinas Valley.
• Loaves, Fishes, and Computers (LFC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBEP serves as grant administrator for LFC's digital inclusion projects, including the 3CE Digital Equity Initiative and CASF Adoption Account projects, providing digital literacy training and devices to underserved communities.
• UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBEP partners with UCANR to expand the Farm Robotics Challenge and launch the Farm Robotics Academy across six Central Coast counties. UCANR provides funding and program infrastructure; MBEP serves as regional coordinator connecting schools with farms and providing coaching.
• California Forward (CA FWD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCA FWD partnered with MBEP to launch Regions Rise Together, funded by the James Irvine Foundation. CA FWD and the California Stewardship Network are rolling out draft recommendations to strengthen regional economic policy across California. MBEP's President & CEO Tahra Goraya was appointed to the CA FWD board of directors.
• Joby AviationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoby Aviation is a leading eVTOL company headquartered in the Monterey Bay region and a key anchor company in the Monterey Bay Tech Hub ecosystem. The company is part of the cluster of AAM innovators (including Wisk, Archer, Parallel Flight, Elroy Air, Guardian Agriculture) driving the region's emergence as a national AAM hub.
• Rural Prosperity CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBEP partnered with Rural Prosperity Center and Parent University Consortium to deliver free digital skills courses in English and Spanish, funded through the CPUC's CASF Broadband Adoption Account.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bay Area Council Economic Institute: Bay Area Council's research/policy arm functions as a regional economic convener producing data, policy advocacy, and cross-sector convenings across Bay Area counties — directly analogous to MBEP's tri-county role but at larger scale and on a different industry profile.
• Silicon Valley Leadership Group: Member-supported regional business association convening employers, government, and civic stakeholders on housing, transportation, and innovation policy across Silicon Valley — closely mirrors MBEP's member-funded, cross-sector convening model.
• San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation: Public-private regional EDC that convenes business, government, and academia to drive inclusive economic development across San Diego County — a near-identical operational model to MBEP across a different geography.
• Greater Sacramento Economic Council: Member-funded regional economic development organization convening public, private, and civic leaders across the six-county Sacramento region — directly comparable in structure, funding model, and policy remit to MBEP.
• REACH (Regional Economic Action Coalition): Central Coast regional economic coalition co-leading Uplift Central Coast alongside MBEP — functions as a sibling convener with overlapping missions, funders, and program grants.
• Economic Development Collaborative (Ventura County EDC): EDC of Ventura County and third co-leader of Uplift Central Coast with MBEP — comparable regional EDC structure with member-supported nonprofit model and similar economic/workforce development scope.
• California Forward (CA FWD): Statewide nonprofit advancing regional economic policy and home of the Regions Rise Together initiative partnered with MBEP — operates at the state umbrella level but shares the convening/planning approach MBEP executes regionally.

Broad incumbents

• LAEDC (Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation): Long-established, larger regional economic development nonprofit serving the LA basin with research, policy advocacy, and cluster development — a scaled incumbent in the same nonprofit-convener category as MBEP.

Emerging players

• Housing Trust Silicon Valley: CDFI co-founding the Monterey Bay Housing Trust with MBEP — comparable revolving loan fund model for affordable housing predevelopment, with which MBEP shares programming strategy and capital infrastructure.

Regional players

• Central Valley Community Foundation: Regional grantmaking and convening foundation working on inclusive economic development across Central Valley counties — adjacent fit as a regional intermediary organization, but serving a different geography than MBEP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MBEPartnership
• Facebookfacebook.com/MBEPartnership
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/monterey-bay-economic-partnership
• Instagraminstagram.com/mbepartnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Monterey Bay Economic Partnership