Great Lakes Business Network

What Great Lakes Business Network does

Great Lakes Business Network (GLBN) is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 2017 to mobilize business voices in support of Great Lakes environmental protection. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, GLBN brings together more than 100 member businesses across breweries, wineries, outdoor recreation, hospitality, food retail, architecture, and other water-dependent sectors that share exposure to environmental risks affecting the Great Lakes. The organization is governed by an Executive Committee composed of business leaders from member companies, with day-to-day operations managed by a small staff of approximately four people, including Co-Director Beth Wallace, Program Manager Lisa Dinon, and Program Coordinator Zoe Zeerip.

GLBN's core offerings center on advocacy campaigns rather than technology products. Its primary issue areas include decommissioning Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline, Great Lakes restoration addressing microplastics, harmful algal blooms, and invasive species, clean energy policy, and water quality protections. The organization delivers value through facilitating member meetings with state and federal lawmakers, coordinating public comment submissions and amicus briefs (including filings supporting the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and interventions in Line 5 litigation at the U.S. Supreme Court), generating earned media such as op-eds and letters-to-the-editor, and convening events including D.C. fly-ins, networking nights, climate summits, and policy receptions. Additional offerings include a Microplastics Committee that meets monthly with academic researchers from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, a member directory, and conference sponsorship opportunities.

GLBN operates as a joint initiative of the National Wildlife Federation and the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, with the National Wildlife Federation serving as fiscal agent and a verified 1% for the Planet Environmental Partner. Revenue is generated through tiered annual membership dues — a $200 minimum for small businesses (under 25 employees), $500 minimum for mid-size businesses (25–250 employees), and $2,500 minimum for large businesses (over 250 employees) — supplemented by donations processed through the NWF donation platform, which count toward members' 1% for the Planet commitments. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with recruitment occurring through direct staff outreach, networking events, regional partnerships with chambers and coalitions, and word-of-mouth within mission-aligned business communities across the eight Great Lakes states.

Name

Great Lakes Business Network

Legal name

Great Lakes Business Network

Website

https://glbusinessnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Lakes Business Network is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 2017 that mobilizes 100+ regional businesses to advocate for Great Lakes environmental protection through policy campaigns, legal amicus participation, and member networking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

GHG Accounting & Net-Zero/Decarbonization Planning (Scopes 1–3) (EUAHAJAC)

Keywords

• Business advocacy network
• Environmental advocacy services
• Great Lakes protection
• Membership association
• Policy advocacy campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

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: GLBN generates revenue through tiered annual membership fees based on business size. Fees are tailored to the member's business and renew annually.
2. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts donations and contributions, with dues and contributions counting toward businesses' 1% For the Planet commitments. National Wildlife Federation serves as the fiscal agent.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Great Lakes Business Network (GLBN) is a non-profit business membership organization that mobilizes companies throughout the Great Lakes region to advocate for environmental protection of the lakes. It sells tiered annual business memberships that unlock advocacy opportunities, including meetings with lawmakers, media placements, public comment support, coalition amicus briefs, and networking with like-minded business leaders. The organization coordinates specific advocacy campaigns on Line 5 pipeline decommissioning, Great Lakes restoration, clean energy, and microplastics reduction.

Product overview

Great Lakes Business Network (GLBN) is a business advocacy organization, not a technology product company. It offers a suite of advocacy and networking services for businesses committed to Great Lakes protection. The core offerings include: policy advocacy campaigns focused on Pipeline 5 shutdown, Great Lakes restoration/protection, and clean energy transition; a Microplastics Committee for coordinating business-led plastic pollution reduction efforts; networking events and member directory services connecting like-minded businesses. GLBN does not operate as a platform with software modules, but rather as an advocacy network enabling business voices to influence environmental policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 million jobs and $62 billion in wages are directly tied to Great Lakes health
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, regional and academic.

• National Wildlife FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017National Wildlife Federation serves as GLBN's acting fiscal agent and co-managing organization. The organization is a joint initiative of National Wildlife Federation and the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities. NWF is a verified 1% for the Planet Environmental Partner, allowing member dues to count toward businesses' environmental commitments.
• Groundwork Center for Resilient CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities co-manages GLBN and serves as a key organizational partner. GLBN staff member Ashley Rudzinski is based at the Groundwork Center.
• Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Regional partner organization working on Great Lakes restoration. GLBN collaborates with Healing Our Waters on coalition efforts and joint priorities statements.
• West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of CommerceregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organization listed as a mission-aligned organization working with GLBN on Great Lakes protection efforts.
• Michigan African American Partnership (MICAN)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organization collaborating with GLBN on shared Great Lakes protection goals.
• Oil & Water Don't MixregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner organization focused on opposition to oil pipeline threats in the Great Lakes.
• People First EconomyregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organization co-hosting the Michigan Good Business Summit with GLBN.
• Plastic Free MilwaukeeregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organization collaborating with GLBN on microplastics advocacy and education efforts.
• University of Michigan School for Environment and SustainabilityacademicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership for microplastics campaign. Research team includes master's students working to expand engagement through identifying best practices for businesses to reduce plastic reliance and increase advocacy for plastic legislation.
• Bad River Band of Lake Superior ChippewamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLBN has filed amicus briefs in support of the Bad River Band's legal actions against Enbridge Energy regarding Line 5 pipeline trespass and threats to tribal sovereignty and Great Lakes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• 1% for the Planet: Global network that connects businesses with environmental nonprofits; NWF (and by extension GLBN members) is a verified partner. Comparable business-environment membership model operating at global scale.
• Sierra Club: One of the largest U.S. environmental advocacy organizations, with active Great Lakes and clean-energy campaigns that overlap GLBN's priorities. Operates a much broader issue portfolio and a national membership base.
• National Wildlife Federation: GLBN's fiscal agent, co-managing organization, and the broader national conservation nonprofit that incubates GLBN's programs. Operates similar environmental advocacy but at national scale and across broader species/habitat priorities.

Direct peers

• People First Economy: Michigan-based nonprofit promoting responsible business practices; co-hosts the Michigan Good Business Summit with GLBN. Closely aligned 'business as a force for good' positioning in the same geography and overlapping SMB base.
• Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities: Co-managing partner of GLBN; a Northern Michigan nonprofit focused on climate resilience, clean energy, and Great Lakes stewardship. Directly comparable mission and regional scope, with shared staff and joint initiatives.
• Oil & Water Don't Mix: Coalition partner organization opposing oil pipeline threats in the Great Lakes, with a closely overlapping Line 5 advocacy agenda. Comparable single-issue-focus coalition model with grassroots and policy engagement.
• Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition: Regional coalition advocating for Great Lakes restoration funding and policy. GLBN is a coalition partner; HOW is a comparable advocacy body covering overlapping environmental priorities with a different member mix (more NGOs and tribal groups vs. businesses).
• Plastic Free Milwaukee: Regional coalition partner of GLBN focused specifically on microplastics and plastic pollution reduction. Comparable small-staff, community-driven environmental advocacy structure with overlapping plastic-policy priorities.

Emerging players

• B Lab (Certified B Corporation): Global nonprofit network certifying and mobilizing for-profit businesses on social and environmental performance. Comparable model of mobilizing business members around sustainability standards, though certification-based rather than pure advocacy.
• Ceres: Sustainability advocacy organization mobilizing business leadership on climate and water issues. Comparable 'businesses for sustainability' positioning but with a corporate-investor orientation versus GLBN's SMB constituency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/greatlakesbusinessnetwork
• Xx.com/GLBusinessNet
• Facebookfacebook.com/glbusinessnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-lakes-business-security-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Great Lakes Business Network