URISA
URISA, now the Geospatial Professional Network (GPN), is a U.S. non-profit professional membership association founded in 1966 that provides education, certification, conferences, and community programs for GIS professionals across government, private sector, and academia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersDes Plaines, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What URISA does
URISA, now operating as the Geospatial Professional Network (GPN), is a U.S.-based non-profit professional membership association founded in 1966 and headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois. The organization serves GIS (Geographic Information Systems) practitioners across government, private-sector, and academic settings, offering a portfolio of community, education, certification, and career-development programs rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include the flagship GIS-Pro Conference, the GIS Leadership Academy and Advanced GIS Leadership Academy multi-day training programs, regional conferences (LEAP, GIS/ValTech, CalGIS), the GPN Learning Annex online education platform, webinars and workshops, and the GISP professional certification administered through wholly-owned subsidiary GISCI. Additional programs include the Vanguard Cabinet for young professionals (35 and under, established 2011), a Mentoring Network, a Career Center, the GISCorps volunteer/humanitarian program (also a wholly-owned subsidiary), publications including the GIS Salary Survey and GIS Code of Ethics, and a regional chapter network for local engagement.
The business model is a multi-stream membership and event organization. Revenue is generated through individual and organizational membership subscriptions (recurring), conference and event registration fees (GIS-Pro, LEAP, GIS/ValTech, CalGIS, GLA/Advanced GLA), fee-based educational programs and certification prep, and sales of publications and research resources (one-time/licensed). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: self-serve membership registration through thegpn.org, regional chapters as local distribution, and an Educational Partner Directory extending reach through approved trainers. Marketing relies on organic social (LinkedIn, Facebook, Bluesky), email newsletters, content marketing, and in-person events. Governance is by an elected Board of Directors with a stated 2026 election slate and a Vanguard Cabinet serving as an advisory body for young professionals; the organization maintains a partnership ecosystem anchored by Esri as a core strategic sponsor alongside 24+ technology, consulting, and implementation partners (Planet Labs, NearMap, CycloMedia, Skyline Software Systems, CoreLogic, GeoDecisions, among others). In 2025, the organization rebranded from URISA to Geospatial Professional Network to broaden its identity beyond urban/regional information systems and reflect the evolution of the geospatial profession.
URISA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- URISA
- Legal name
- Urban and Regional Information Systems Association
- Website
- https://urisa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- URISA, now the Geospatial Professional Network (GPN), is a U.S. non-profit professional membership association founded in 1966 that provides education, certification, conferences, and community programs for GIS professionals across government, private sector, and academia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
URISA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association — Geospatial/GIS
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Information Technology & Software (EDAAAPAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Class & Webinar Marketplaces/Directories (EDAFAIAE), GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK)
Keywords
Where URISA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Plaines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
URISA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Individual and organizational membership subscriptions providing access to professional development, networking, resources, and member benefits
- Conference and Event Registration: Revenue from GIS-Pro Conference, LEAP Conference, GIS Leadership Academy, Advanced GIS Leadership Academy, workshops, and other educational events
- Educational Programs: Fee-based professional education and training programs including certification preparation and specialized GIS training
- Resource Publications: Sales of publications, research papers, GIS salary surveys, and other professional resources
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
URISA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
URISA/GPN is a non-profit professional membership association for the GIS/geospatial community, selling individual and organizational memberships and delivering a portfolio of paid services: flagship conferences (GIS-Pro, LEAP, GIS/ValTech, CalGIS), multi-day leadership training academies, professional certification (GISP via subsidiary GISCI), workshops, online learning through the GPN Learning Annex, webinars, and resource publications. It operates as a community platform supporting GIS practitioners across government, private enterprise, and academia through chapters, committees, mentoring, and the Vanguard Cabinet for young professionals.
Product overview
URISA, now known as the Geospatial Professional Network (GPN), is a professional membership association serving the GIS (Geographic Information Systems) community. Rather than a unified software platform, it offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services including: the annual GIS-Pro Conference as its flagship event; the GIS Leadership Academy and Advanced GIS Leadership Academy as intensive multi-day training programs; regional conferences (LEAP Conference, GIS/ValTech Conference, CalGIS Conference); workshops and online education through the GPN Learning Annex and virtual webinars; professional certification (GISP); the GISCorps volunteer program; the Vanguard Cabinet for young professionals; a Mentoring Network; a Career Center; and publications including the GIS Salary Survey. These offerings provide GIS professionals with education, certification, community engagement, networking, and career development resources across all career stages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Individual & Organizational Membership Recurring paid memberships in individual and organizational categories that grant access to URISA/GPN benefits, professional development resources, networking, and community programs for GIS professionals.
- GIS Leadership Academy Five-day intensive in-person and virtual training program providing professional development and peer-to-peer interaction for GIS professionals.
- Advanced GIS Leadership Academy Advanced five-day training program for experienced GIS professionals seeking leadership development.
- GIS-Pro Conference Annual flagship conference for GIS professionals providing education, networking, and professional development opportunities.
- LEAP Conference Conference focused on leadership, education, advancement, and professionalism for GIS professionals.
- GIS/ValTech Conference Annual conference combining GIS technology with valuation and technical content for GIS professionals.
- CalGIS Conference Regional GIS conference serving the California geospatial community with education and networking opportunities.
- Workshops Hands-on training sessions covering various GIS topics, skills, and technologies, including pre-conference workshops.
- GPN Learning Annex Online learning platform offering webinars, courses, and educational resources for GIS professionals at all career stages.
- Virtual Education & Webinars Remote learning opportunities including webinars and virtual sessions covering GIS topics, professional development, and industry trends.
- GIS Professional Certification (GISP) Professional certification program administered through subsidiary GISCI that validates knowledge, skills, and competencies of GIS practitioners.
- GIS Salary Survey Compensation research publication providing salary data and insights for GIS professionals across sectors and experience levels.
Companies that use URISA
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
URISA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
URISA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EsricorePremier geospatial software partner and sponsor, appears as a key partner with logo prominently displayed on the Partners section of the website
- GeoDecisionsminorGeospatial consulting and solutions implementation partner
- Pond & CompanyminorPlanning and engineering consulting partner
- CivicMapperminorCivic technology and GIS consulting partner
- Connected NationminorBroadband mapping and digital inclusion partner
- Planning CommunitiesminorUrban planning and community development consulting partner
- Chiru ConsultingminorGIS consulting services partner
- Evari GIS ConsultingminorGIS consulting services partner
- GIS Management ConsultingminorGIS management and strategy consulting partner
- HopeWorkSminorGIS for social impact and workforce development partner
- IntegrityminorGIS and IT consulting partner
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
URISA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Trimble: Large geospatial technology vendor with mapping, surveying, and location-based solutions. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the geospatial sector with overlapping customer base of GIS professionals.
- Esri: Dominant GIS software vendor and URISA's Core Strategic Partner. Comparable as a major force in the geospatial ecosystem but operates a commercial software business rather than a member-association model; benchmark for the broader GIS market size and dynamics.
Others
- OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium): International standards organization for geospatial interoperability. Adjacent to URISA's ecosystem as a convener in the GIS community, but focused on technical standards rather than professional development.
- IAAO (International Association of Assessing Officers): Professional association for property assessors that heavily uses GIS technology. Adjacent peer with overlapping use cases (GIS for assessment/valuation, similar to GPN's GIS/ValTech Conference) but distinct professional focus.
Direct peers
- GITA (Geospatial Information & Technology Association): Industry association historically focused on infrastructure and utility GIS professionals. Directly comparable association model serving a specialized GIS community with conferences and education programs.
- AAG (American Association of Geographers): Professional association for geographers and GIS scientists, operating annual conferences, journals, and member services. Directly comparable membership-association model with significant overlap to URISA's GIS Professional community.
- NSGIC (National States Geographic Information Council): Member-based organization coordinating state GIS activities across the U.S. Comparable professional community structure focused on geospatial practitioners, with similar advocacy and knowledge-sharing mandate.
- ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing): Professional society serving the geospatial community with education, conferences, and certification. Highly comparable to URISA/GPN in mission, member base, and professional development model, with overlapping focus on GIS and remote sensing.
- ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing): International professional society for geospatial science with conferences, working groups, and member services. Comparable peer at the global level where URISA operates nationally, providing a benchmark for international expansion potential.
- MAPPS (Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors): Trade association for private geospatial firms, with advocacy, conferences, and member services. Comparable member-driven model serving the geospatial professional community.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
URISA social profiles
Digital presenceURISA compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
URISA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
URISA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
URISA subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
URISA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
URISA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about URISA
What does URISA do?
URISA/GPN is a non-profit professional membership association for the GIS/geospatial community, selling individual and organizational memberships and delivering a portfolio of paid services: flagship conferences (GIS-Pro, LEAP, GIS/ValTech, CalGIS), multi-day leadership training academies, professional certification (GISP via subsidiary GISCI), workshops, online learning through the GPN Learning Annex, webinars, and resource publications. It operates as a community platform supporting GIS practitioners across government, private enterprise, and academia through chapters, committees, mentoring, and the Vanguard Cabinet for young professionals.
Is URISA a public or private company?
URISA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was URISA founded?
URISA was founded in 1966. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is URISA based?
URISA is headquartered in Des Plaines, United States, in the North America region.
How does URISA make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are conference and Event Registration, educational Programs and resource Publications.
Who are URISA's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Trimble and Esri. Others are OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) and IAAO (International Association of Assessing Officers). Direct peers are GITA (Geospatial Information & Technology Association), AAG (American Association of Geographers), NSGIC (National States Geographic Information Council), ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing), ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing) and MAPPS (Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors).
Does URISA have an API?
No public API is recorded for URISA.
What industry is URISA in?
URISA's product category is Professional Association — Geospatial/GIS. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAPAB, Information Technology & Software, with a secondary code of EDAFAIAE, Live Class & Webinar Marketplaces/Directories. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8600.