The Business Council of New York State, Inc

What The Business Council of New York State, Inc does

The Business Council of New York State, Inc. is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1980 through the consolidation of Associated Industries of New York State (1914) and Empire State Chamber of Commerce (1945). Headquartered in Albany, New York, it represents over 3,000 member companies employing more than 1.2 million New Yorkers, with approximately 72-76% of members being small businesses alongside major enterprises such as IBM, Corning, Kodak, Xerox, and Amazon. The organization also serves trade associations and local chambers of commerce as members, providing a unified statewide business advocacy voice.

The Council's core offerings center on state-level legislative and regulatory advocacy, with a Government Affairs team lobbying on taxation, economic development, labor law, environmental regulation, energy policy, and corporate governance. Complementary products include group insurance programs (life, long-term disability, short-term disability, and dental coverage through the Business Council Insurance Fund, used by two-thirds of members), a discounted NYS-mandated sexual harassment prevention training program ($15.19 per employee per year via Leadership Logic and Gillespie Associates), HR consulting through the Center for Human Resources, legislative analysis via memo search and budget publications, and a portfolio of events including the Annual Meeting, DC Fly-In, National Civics Bee (in partnership with the US Chamber of Commerce), and Energy and Environment Conference. Technology infrastructure consists of the bcnys.org website, my.bcnys.org member portal, and EB360 insurance platform; the Council is not a technology developer.

The revenue model combines annual membership dues (General and Major tiers, quote-based by company size and benefits selected), event sponsorships, insurance program administration, and recurring training revenue. Membership is sold via direct outreach by the membership team led by Howard Becker and Colton Becker. The organization operates two Albany offices (111 Washington Avenue, Suite 400 and the Insurance Fund at 12 Corporate Woods Blvd., Suite 17), is led by President & CEO Heather C. Mulligan (since 2012) with a Chairman of the Board drawn from major member companies (currently Richard E. Constable of Madison Square Garden Entertainment), and conducts business under sub-brands including the CONNECT Podcast, Public Policy Institute of New York State, Inc. (a wholly-owned research subsidiary), and New York Business Defense Fund (a wholly-owned political advocacy subsidiary).

Name

The Business Council of New York State, Inc

Legal name

The Business Council of New York State, Inc.

Website

https://bcnys.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Business Council of New York State, Inc. is a private 501(c)(6) trade association headquartered in Albany representing 3,000+ member companies employing over 1.2 million New Yorkers. It provides state-level legislative and regulatory advocacy, group insurance programs, HR consulting, and member events to small businesses, major enterprises, trade associations, and local chambers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition Policy, State Aid & Public Procurement Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Business trade association
• Legislative advocacy services
• Group insurance programs
• Business membership organization
• Workforce development advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Investment: The primary revenue stream is annual membership dues from over 3,000 member companies. Membership investment is tailored per company based on size and benefits selected. Two membership tiers exist: General Membership and Major Membership, with different pricing structures and benefit packages.
2. Group Insurance Programs: The organization offers group insurance programs including life, long-term disability, short-term disability, and dental insurance. Two-thirds of members utilize these programs, generating revenue through plan administration and procurement services. Two-thirds of members take advantage of group insurance programs.
3. Event Sponsorships: Revenue is generated through event sponsorship opportunities. Companies sponsor events such as the Annual Meeting, Golf Classic, Annual Legislators' Reception, National Civics Bee, DC Fly-In, and Energy and Environment Conference to gain visibility and access to business leaders.
4. Sexual Harassment Training: The organization partners with Leadership Logic and Gillespie Associates to provide NYS-mandated sexual harassment prevention training. Members pay $15.19 per employee per year for this discounted training program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Business Council of New York State, Inc. is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing over 3,000 member companies in New York State. It sells annual membership subscriptions (General and Major tiers) that bundle state-level legislative and regulatory advocacy, group insurance programs (life, long-term disability, short-term disability, dental), HR consulting, networking events, and discounted training services such as NYS-mandated sexual harassment prevention training.

Product overview

The Business Council of New York State, Inc operates as a business advocacy organization representing employers in New York State. Its offerings include membership programs with advocacy representation, group insurance programs, HR consulting services, legislative information, events and webinars, and a podcast. The organization does not offer a unified software platform but provides a portfolio of member benefits including the EB360 insurance platform and various advocacy, training, and networking services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CONNECT Podcast: A podcast hosted by President & CEO Heather Mulligan focusing on insights on issues shaping New York's business community through engaging conversations with policymakers, business leaders, and newsmakers.
• Business Council Insurance Fund
• EB360

Products and services

• General Membership Annual subscription membership tier for businesses of any size, providing state-level advocacy, legislative analysis, budget updates, member-exclusive content, event discounts, HR hotline access, and entry to group insurance programs.
• Major Membership Premium annual subscription tier for larger member companies, including all General Membership benefits plus Board of Directors eligibility, a President's Council seat, direct access to the President and CEO, formal voice in policy agenda development, and individualized regulatory guidance.
• Business Council Insurance Fund Group Insurance Programs Group insurance programs offering competitively priced life, long-term disability, short-term disability, and dental coverage to member companies, administered through the EB360® platform; approximately two-thirds of members participate.
• NYS Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Discounted New York State-mandated sexual harassment prevention training delivered in partnership with Leadership Logic and Gillespie Associates at $15.19 per employee per year for members.
• Government Affairs Advocacy Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Two-thirds of members take advantage of group insurance programs, generating significant cost savings on employee benefits.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Leadership LogiccoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner organization providing NYS-mandated sexual harassment prevention training to members at discounted rate of $15.19 per employee per year.
• Gillespie AssociatescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner organization providing NYS-mandated sexual harassment prevention training at discounted rate for members. Non-members can also purchase at full rate through this provider.
• US Chamber of CommercemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Business Council has partnered with the US Chamber of Commerce to host the National Civics Bee competition in New York, encouraging students to engage in civics and contribute to their communities.
• Regional Chambers and Business AssociationsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with regional chambers including NYS Economic Development Council, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Buffalo Niagara Partnership, CenterState CEO, and Long Island Association for collaborative advocacy and DC Fly-In events.
• Public Policy Institute of New York StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated research organization that produces economic reports and policy analysis including the Blueprint for New York report. The Business Council collaborates on research initiatives.
• NYSERDAsupportingOthersNew York State Energy Research and Development Authority is listed as a sponsor of Business Council events and programs, indicating collaborative relationship on energy and environmental policy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The national federated business advocacy counterpart to The Business Council. Both organizations share a membership-driven advocacy model, operate event calendars (including the National Civics Bee, which the Council hosts in partnership), and represent cross-industry employer interests before government—the Council at the state level and the U.S. Chamber at the federal level.
• Business Roundtable: An association of CEOs of major U.S. corporations that, like The Business Council, advocates on tax, regulatory, and workforce policy. The Council's Major Membership tier and enterprise-heavy board (IBM, Corning, MSG) closely mirrors Business Roundtable's enterprise-CEO engagement model.
• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): The leading U.S. manufacturing-industry trade association. Comparable in advocacy structure, dues-funded membership model, policy publications, and event-driven engagement; the Council's manufacturing members (Corning, Kodak, Cummins, Fancher Chair) overlap NAM's constituency.
• National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): The premier small-business advocacy association in the U.S., with a comparable membership-of-employers model. The Business Council's 72-76% small-business membership composition and legislative focus on regulatory burden reduction closely parallel NFIB's core proposition.
• California Chamber of Commerce: A large state-level employer advocacy organization with a similar operating model: member companies, legislative advocacy, sponsored events, and group benefits. Highly comparable given California's comparable regulatory complexity and similarly large member base.
• Texas Association of Business: A state-level business advocacy association representing Texas employers on legislative and regulatory issues. The closest structural analog to the Business Council among non-NY states, with comparable scale, dues model, and cross-industry employer constituency.
• Ohio Chamber of Commerce: A statewide employer-advocacy organization operating a near-identical business model: member dues, legislative tracking, advocacy campaigns, and committee structures. Directly comparable as a state-chamber counterpart to the Business Council of New York State.
• Associated Industries of Massachusetts: A long-established state-level trade association whose structure (predecessor organization dating to the early 20th century, employer advocacy, committee system) closely mirrors the Business Council's history and operations. Notable for also being born from a 1914-era predecessor, parallel to the Council's roots.

Regional players

• Buffalo Niagara Partnership: A Western New York regional chamber of commerce that is both a Council partner (joint DC Fly-Ins) and an overlapping advocate for employers in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Comparable in advocacy function but geographically concentrated where the Business Council is statewide.
• Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce: A regional Upstate NY chamber partnering with the Business Council on joint advocacy and DC Fly-Ins. Operates as a regional peer with overlapping employer constituency in the Rochester/Finger Lakes region, supplying members to the Council's statewide coalition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thebusinesscouncilofnewyor1428
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-business-council-of-new-york-state-inc.
• Xx.com/businessnys
• Facebookfacebook.com/businesscouncilnys

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 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 The Business Council of New York State, Inc