Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia

What Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia does

Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981 that serves as the primary cross-sector convener between the creative and business communities across the 11-county Greater Philadelphia region. The organization operates a portfolio of professional development programs — Business on Board (a board placement program with 900+ alumni over 25+ years), Designing Leadership (creative-sector leadership development), Digital Drawingboard (free digital skills workshops funded by Knight Foundation), Defining Innovation (a speaker series), and Culture:SHIFT (arts-tech partnerships) — alongside an Artist Directory that matches local creative talent with area businesses for corporate events. The Annual Awards Celebration, in its 38+ year, is the signature recognition event with tiered ticketing ($75 artists, $95 nonprofit professionals, $125 business/government professionals).

The underlying technology is modest: a standard web platform (artsbusinessphl.org), Zoom-based workshop delivery, third-party payment processing through Authorize.net and Square, Google Analytics, and social media plugins. The Artist Directory runs on Airtable. There are no proprietary technology assets, AI capabilities, or app products.

Revenue is generated through event ticket sales, corporate sponsorships (Knight Foundation, PNC Arts Alive, Comcast, TD Bank, PECO, Independence Blue Cross, Pariveda Solutions), and grants, with a staff of 1-10. In October 2024, after 43 years operating as a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, programming transitioned to The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University under Director Elizabeth (Liz) Thompson.

Name

Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia

Legal name

Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia

Website

https://artsbusinessphl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia is a 43-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects the Greater Philadelphia region's creative and business communities through board placement, leadership development, digital skills workshops, and an annual awards celebration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Business Professional Development Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Arts business partnerships
• Nonprofit leadership development
• Board placement services
• Creative economy programs
• Professional development workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales and sponsorships for the Annual Awards Celebration and other professional development events.
2. Grants and Contributions: Funding from foundations (Knight Foundation), corporate grants (PNC Arts Alive), and organizational partnerships to support programming operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia is a nonprofit organization that fosters collaboration and exchange between the creative and business communities in the Greater Philadelphia region. It sells and delivers professional development programs (Business on Board, Designing Leadership, Digital Drawingboard), a speaker series (Defining Innovation), an annual awards celebration, and an Artist Directory connecting regional artists with corporate clients.

Product overview

Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia operates as a council of the Chamber of Commerce (now The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University) offering a portfolio of professional development programs that foster collaboration between creative and business communities. The core offerings include Business on Board (board placement program), Designing Leadership (leadership development), Digital Drawingboard (digital skills workshops), Defining Innovation (speaker series), and the annual Arts + Business Council Awards Celebration. Additional services include an Artist Directory connecting artists with businesses and specialized programs like Culture:SHIFT and Level Up. The organization serves the Greater Philadelphia region's creative economy through educational programming, networking events, and recognition of cross-sector partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Business on Board: Leadership development program through board service, connecting business professionals with arts organization boards. Running for over 25 years with more than 900 alumni.
• Designing Leadership
• Digital Drawingboard
• Defining Innovation
• Artist Directory

Products and services

• Business on Board Leadership development program that places business professionals on nonprofit arts organization boards, providing training and matching services to foster cross-sector collaboration between business and arts communities. Has produced more than 900 alumni over 25 years.
• Designing Leadership Professional development program for creative leaders focusing on experiential, introspective, and interactive journeys on belonging and leadership.
• Digital Drawingboard Digital skills workshop series providing creative economy professionals with resources and skills to enhance digital presence and reimagine offerings for virtual engagement. Offered 6 free interactive workshops throughout the year.
• Defining Innovation Speaker series featuring prominent innovators and thought leaders for cross-sector dialogue between creative and business communities, addressing topics such as design thinking, brand-building, and innovation.
• Arts + Business Council Awards Celebration Annual awards ceremony celebrating impactful collaborations between arts and business sectors, in its 38+ year history. Tickets sold at tiered pricing: $75 for Artists, $95 for Nonprofit Professionals, $125 for Business and Government Professionals.
• Artist Directory Regional directory connecting local creative talent with area businesses for corporate events, meetings, and gatherings enhanced through arts experience or entertainment. Built on the Airtable platform.
• Level Up Leadership development program offered alongside Business on Board and Designing Leadership, with access restricted via password protection.
• Culture:SHIFT Program facilitating partnerships between arts and technology sectors, including examples such as matching Clef Club with CapTech Consulting for digital transformation of educational programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 900+ professionals placed on nonprofit boards through Business on Board program over 25 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Nonprofit Center at La Salle UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2024La Salle University assumed programming of the 43-year-old Arts + Business Council from its longtime host, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. Programming including Business on Board now operates from The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University.
• Chamber of Commerce for Greater PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arts + Business Council operated as a council of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia for 43 years before transitioning to La Salle University in October 2024. Chamber continues to support event registration and sponsorships.
• Greater Philadelphia Film OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenewed and reinvigorated partnership announced in February 2019 between Greater Philadelphia Film Office and Arts + Business Council to support film and creative industry initiatives.
• Knight FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of Digital Drawingboard program, providing funding for free digital skills workshops for arts and culture organizations.
• ComcastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Digital Drawingboard program supporting digital skills training for creative economy.
• TD BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Digital Drawingboard program and partner in Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists through Mural Arts Philadelphia.
• Moore College of Art & DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Annual Awards Celebration, hosting the 2023 event at 1916 Race Street location.
• Pariveda SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor for Defining Innovation Presents Adam Grant virtual event.
• PECO, An Exelon CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisionary sponsor of Arts + Business Council Awards Celebration.
• Independence Blue CrossminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisionary sponsor of Arts + Business Council Awards Celebration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mural Arts Philadelphia: Philadelphia-based arts nonprofit producing public art and offering artist professional development. Operates in the same city and engages the same creative community; one of its partners (Kulu Mele) appears as an ABC Artist Directory member.
• Center for Cultural Innovation: National nonprofit that supports artists and arts organizations through consulting, grants, and professional development programs. Comparable model of business-skills and capacity-building services targeted at the arts community.
• Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance: Regional arts service organization serving Greater Philadelphia's cultural sector through advocacy, research, and member programs. Operates in the same geography with a similar nonprofit intermediary role for arts and culture organizations.
• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit that advocates for the arts and supports local arts organizations through programs, research, and convening. Directly comparable in mission to bridge arts with business and community stakeholders; ABC's former ED Diana Lind sat on its advisory council.
• Leeway Foundation: Philadelphia-area nonprofit that supports artists and arts organizations through grants and capacity-building. Comparable as a small regional arts funder serving a similar Philadelphia creative ecosystem.
• The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage: Philadelphia-based funder and capacity-builder for the region's cultural community, providing grants and professional development. Highly comparable as a Philadelphia-area arts intermediary supporting the same nonprofit creative ecosystem.

Regional players

• Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation: Regional arts council serving the mid-Atlantic states with grantmaking and programs for artists and arts organizations. Comparable model as a regional arts intermediary, though covering a broader geographic footprint than ABC.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Performing Arts Professionals: National membership association serving performing arts professionals and presenters. Comparable convening/professional development role for arts leaders, though focused specifically on the performing arts presentation field.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/artsandbusinessphila
• Xx.com/ArtsBusinessPHL

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia