Illinois Green Business Association

What Illinois Green Business Association does

The Illinois Green Business Association (IGBA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 and headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. It operates the Illinois Green Business Program, which certifies Illinois small and medium-sized businesses for sustainability performance through a three-step process: assess, implement, and confirm. Certification spans six categories — Energy, Pollution Prevention, Solid Waste, Transportation, Water, and Community — giving participating SMBs a third-party-verified sustainability credential that can be used in customer, employee, and regulatory communications.

The program runs on GreenBizTracker, a certification workflow platform licensed from Environmental Innovations and shared with the California Green Business Network and other state programs. This shared platform provides uniform assessment, documentation, and verification infrastructure across regional green business programs and is the principal technical component of the organization's operating stack. IGBA extends its value proposition beyond certification into technical assistance and resource provision, leveraging partnerships with sustainability data providers (SEDAC at the University of Illinois), utility efficiency programs (360 Energy Group), and municipal partners (Village of Oak Park, Cook County BRITE).

IGBA's revenue model combines three streams: certification fees paid by participating businesses, grants (notably an EPA NEIEN grant), and partnership fees from utility program collaborations. The organization has been recognized by GreenBiz.com as the second most-trustworthy green certification program nationally. Leadership includes Don Schlorff (President), Mike Royse (Vice President), co-founders Cassie Carroll and Anthony Santarelli, board member Rebecca McBride, and operational staff including Zoharia Drizin (Sustainable Business Advisor) and Marya Ryan (Program Development Specialist). Geographic reach is concentrated in Illinois, with national influence through membership in the Green Business Economic Network Network (GBENN).

Name

Illinois Green Business Association

Legal name

Illinois Green Business Association

Website

https://illinoisgba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Illinois Green Business Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 in Champaign, Illinois that certifies Illinois small and medium-sized businesses for sustainability practices. It operates the Illinois Green Business Program on the shared GreenBizTracker platform across six environmental categories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Green Business Certification Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & Environmental Certifications (Carbon, Water, Regenerative) (AFALAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability, Energy & Environmental (ESG/LEED) Certifications (EDAAANAO), Regulatory Compliance, Permitting & Audit Readiness (Food Safety, Environmental, Labor) (AFACAJAE)

Keywords

• Green business certification
• Sustainability consulting
• Environmental certification
• Energy efficiency programs
• Small business sustainability

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Certification Program Fees: Revenue generated through the Illinois Green Business Certification program where businesses pay for certification services, assessments, and ongoing accreditation.
2. Grant Funding: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, IGBA receives grant funding from organizations including EPA's National Environmental Information Exchange Network (NEIEN) to support program development and online platform launch.
3. Utility Partnership Programs: IGBA formerly served as program implementer for energy efficiency rebate programs offered by Illinois utility companies, connecting small businesses to rebate opportunities and earning administrative fees.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IGBA operates the Illinois Green Business Program, a 3-step certification process (assess, implement, confirm) that helps Illinois small and medium-sized businesses achieve green certification across six categories: Energy, Pollution Prevention, Solid Waste, Transportation, Water, and Community. The program is delivered through the GreenBizTracker online certification platform, which tracks environmental metrics, manages certification progress, and aggregates public-facing impact data. Supplementary services include the Green Business Baseline assessment, certification badges, and a resources hub for funding opportunities and regional program guidance.

Product overview

The Illinois Green Business Association offers a suite of sustainability-focused products centered around its Illinois Green Business Program. The core offering includes the Green Business Program (a 3-step certification process) and the Green Business Baseline assessment service. The Association also operates GreenBizTracker, an online certification platform developed in partnership with the California Green Business Network and supported by an EPA grant. Certification Badges provide incremental recognition as businesses complete each category. The Resources Hub supplements these offerings with funding opportunities, regional program information, and compliance resources. Together, these products form a comprehensive ecosystem for helping small businesses achieve sustainability certification and reduce environmental impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Illinois Green Business Program: The core program offered by IGBA in partnership with SEDAC, helping businesses green their practices and make their communities more sustainable and resilient.
• Green Business Engagement National Network (GBENN)
• GreenBizTracker

Products and services

• Illinois Green Business Program A green business certification program that helps Illinois small and medium-sized businesses improve environmental performance across six categories — Energy, Pollution Prevention, Solid Waste, Transportation, Water, and Community — through a 3-step process: assess, implement, and confirm.
• Green Business Baseline An assessment service that provides businesses with a simplified climate impact report, analysis of energy and water consumption trends, customized recommendations and resources, and recognition for green practices.
• GreenBizTracker A web-based certification platform facilitating the operation of Green Business certification programs. It provides state-specific resources, tracks environmental reduction metrics, manages progress toward environmental accreditation, and aggregates environmental impact across businesses that is searchable to the public.
• Resources Hub A resource hub providing funding opportunities, regional programs, and guidance for green businesses across Illinois, including waste diversion resources, energy efficiency resources, and commercial food service program information.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy is the largest certification category and often provides the best return on investment for businesses
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC) at University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGBA partnered with SEDAC to offer its core program, the Illinois Green Business Program. Together these organizations help businesses green their practices and make communities more sustainable and resilient. SEDAC is an applied research program at UIUC and a public private partnership with 360 Energy Group in Chicago.
• Cook County BRITE Program (Businesses Reducing Impact on The Environment)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGBA and SEDAC are collaborating with Cook County's BRITE Program to develop sector checklists and metrics and assist with overall program design to help businesses reduce pollution and waste in Cook County.
• GreenBizTracker (Environmental Innovations / California Green Business Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationIGBA maintains the Illinois license for GreenBizTracker, a web-based platform designed to facilitate the operation of Green Business certification programs with robust reporting capabilities.
• Green Business Engagement National Network (GBENN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with greenUP! in Reno, Nevada, IGBA leads GBENN, a consortium of unique local, state-wide, and national green business programs from across the United States. The mission is to facilitate sharing and relationship-building among green business engagement programs.
• Village of Oak ParkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGBA and SEDAC have partnered with the Village of Oak Park to offer the Green Business Baseline program to businesses across the Village. A pilot program serving 20 businesses was launched to create a sustainable green business program aligning with Climate Ready Oak Park.
• Takeout 25minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGBA and SEDAC are collaborating with Takeout 25, formed in response to COVID-19 to boost the takeout economy. They are working to create Illinois' first green dining district in the region.
• Chicago Sustainability Task Force (CSTF)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCSTF is a group of large facility operators, event organizers, and stakeholders taking action to improve operational sustainability in Chicago. IGBA is collaborating with CSTF to accelerate their mission and serves as fiscal agent for their activities.
• 360 Energy GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner360 Energy Group in Chicago is the private partner in the public private partnership with SEDAC (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) that operates the Illinois Green Business Program.
• GreenUP! (Reno, Nevada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with GreenUP! in Reno, Nevada, IGBA leads the Green Business Engagement National Network (GBENN), facilitating sharing and relationship-building among green business programs across the US.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Green America: National nonprofit certifying Green America businesses on environmental and social responsibility; directly comparable SMB-focused certification category with national brand reach that exceeds IGBA's Illinois footprint.
• U.S. Green Building Council (LEED): National green building certification body operating LEED; overlaps with IGBA on energy, water, and materials categories but focuses on buildings rather than whole-business operations.
• SCS Global Services: Major third-party certifier of sustainability, environmental, and quality claims for businesses and products; comparable professional-services certification model with substantially broader scope and enterprise-scale operations.
• Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI): Independent credentialing body administering LEED, PEER, and other sustainability certifications; operates as a broader incumbent in third-party sustainability credentialing adjacent to IGBA's SMB category.
• B Lab (B Corporation): Global nonprofit certifying B Corps across environmental and social performance; competes with IGBA for SMB sustainability mindshare but at a much larger national/international scale with broader brand recognition.

Regional players

• Cook County BRITE Program: Cook County's Businesses Reducing Impact on The Environment program, delivered in partnership with IGBA/SEDAC; a regional government green business certification effort with overlapping mission but separate operational identity.

Others

• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Global nonprofit sustainability consultancy and network; not a direct certifier but an adjacent ecosystem player that helps enterprises build sustainability strategy that often channels demand to SMB certification programs like IGBA.

Emerging players

• Sustainable Connections: Northwest-based nonprofit running local green and sustainable business programs for SMBs; comparable regional model to IGBA with similar multi-category certification but focused on the Pacific Northwest geography.

Direct peers

• GreenUP!: Reno, Nevada-based green business program that co-leads GBENN with IGBA; operates a directly comparable local green business engagement and certification model for SMBs in the Reno region.
• California Green Business Network: California's statewide green business certification program and IGBA's co-developer of the GreenBizTracker platform; operates a directly analogous SMB certification model across California with the same six-category framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IllinoisGBA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-green-business-association
• Xx.com/illinoisgba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Illinois Green Business Association