SBN

Name

SBN

Legal name

Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts

Website

https://sbnmass.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Business Association Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Results-Based Financing (RBF) & Performance-Based Grants (BPADAOAF)

Keywords

• Local business network
• Sustainability advocacy
• Small business support
• Food system development
• Renewable energy coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SBN generates revenue through annual membership dues from local businesses that join the network for networking opportunities, visibility benefits, and access to member-only resources and groups.
2. Event Fees: Revenue generated from ticketed events including the Boston Local Food Festival, Sustainable Business of the Year Awards, Local Food Trade Show, and various workshops and webinars.
3. Foundation and State Grants: SBN receives funding through foundation grants and state grants to support its programs and operations, including grants for specific initiatives like the Boston Local Food Program.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Local and independent corporate sponsors provide financial support for SBN events and programs. Sponsors include Eastern Bank, Cambridge Savings Bank, Vanguard Renewables, Longfellow Health Clubs, Cabot Cheese, Morgan Brown, and others.
5. Individual Donations: The organization accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals, with a suggested donation of $20, supporting the nonprofit's mission to build a local, green and fair economy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SBN is a nonprofit membership organization that builds local, green, and fair economies by supporting small and sustainable businesses in Massachusetts through networking, advocacy, training, and program services. Its offerings include local food programs, a sustainable business leadership program, and coalitions such as the Mass Go Solar Coalition, supplemented by events and digital tools connecting consumers to local businesses.

Product overview

SBN (Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts) is a nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of programs focused on building local, green, and fair economies in Greater Boston and across Massachusetts. The core digital product is the Eat Local MA mobile app for finding local food and farms. The organization runs multiple interconnected programs including the Boston Local Food Program (with the Boston Local Food Festival, Local Food Trade Show, Eat Local Always, and Wholesale Readiness Program), the Cambridge-Somerville Black Business Network (CSBBN), the Sustainable Business of the Year Awards, the Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP), Mass Go Solar Coalition, Move Your Money (local banking initiative), and the SBN MA Retirement Plan Program. These programs collectively support local businesses through networking, education, advocacy, funding access, and community events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cambridge-Somerville Black Business Network (CSBBN): Network bringing together Black entrepreneurs and identifying specific programs to help Black-owned businesses survive and thrive
• Mass Go Solar Coalition

Products and services

• Boston Local Food Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ attendees at annual Boston Local Food Festival with nearly 100 vendors
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Capital Management Partners, LLC (John Gregorio, CFP)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 June 2022SBN's retirement plan partner providing comprehensive 401(k)/403(b)/IRA plans aligned with member business values. Offers complimentary reviews of existing retirement plans for SBN members.
• Social K (Rob Thomas)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 June 2022SBN's retirement plan partner offering mission-aligned retirement plan solutions for SBN member businesses, complementing Capital Management Partners.
• Cambridge Local First (CLF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partner in the Cambridge-Somerville Black Business Network (CSBBN) initiative. CLF and SBN jointly manage CSBBN, sharing resources, co-hosting events, and providing mutual membership benefits. Both organizations collaborate on advocacy for local businesses and share networking opportunities.
• Eastern BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor corporate sponsor of SBN events and programs. Eastern Bank Foundation honored SBN with the 2022 Community Advocacy Award. Eastern Bank also partners on events and provides support for local business initiatives.
• Cambridge Savings BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Cambridge-Somerville Black Business Network events including Passport to Black-Owned Businesses pop-ups and Marketplace events. Also provides financial education workshops for CSBBN members.
• City of Cambridge (Economic Development Department)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment partner collaborating on Black Business Month celebrations and promoting Black-owned businesses in Cambridge through economic development initiatives.
• Harvard Square Business AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Harvard Square marketplace pop-up events celebrating Black History Month and promoting Black-owned businesses.
• Beacon Capital PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Black-owned business marketplace events in Harvard Square, supporting local business promotion efforts.
• Massachusetts Health Connector for BusinesscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSBN's health insurance partner providing cost-effective health insurance options for small business members, including webinars and Q&A sessions about affordable coverage options.
• Mass Go Solar CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition led by SBN focused on ensuring significant growth in solar panel installations in Massachusetts by 2030 and including minority, low income, and underserved communities in the benefits of the solar transition.
• Cambridge Community FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of SBN and local business initiatives, supporting the organization's mission to build local economies.
• Massachusetts Health ConnectorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState health insurance exchange sponsor supporting SBN events and member benefits.
• Vanguard RenewablesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of SBN, supporting the organization's sustainability-focused events and programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA): National umbrella organization that supports and resources 'Local First' independent business alliances across the U.S.; AMIBA's mission to strengthen independent businesses and local economies is essentially the same as SBN's, making it the closest structural peer at scale.
• Sustainable Connections: Bellingham, Washington-based nonprofit supporting local food, clean energy, and sustainable business programs. Directly analogous to SBN's program mix including local food, renewable energy (Solarize), and business networking.
• Independent We Stand: National campaign and movement supporting independently owned businesses with marketing, member tools, and 'Indie Week' events. Comparable to SBN in mission and consumer-facing local economy advocacy, though operating at national scale.
• Green America: National nonprofit membership network focused on green and fair economies, sustainability certification, and consumer education. Closely comparable to SBN's 'local, green, fair' trifecta mission and offers a model for how SBN could expand beyond Massachusetts.
• Cambridge Local First: Direct operating partner with SBN in the Cambridge-Somerville Black Business Network (CSBBN); both organizations share resources, co-host events, and serve locally owned independent businesses in the same Cambridge/Somerville geography with similar 'buy local' and sustainability missions.
• Portland Independent Business Alliance (PIBA): Portland, Maine-based independent business alliance serving Southern Maine with networking, advocacy, and signature events. Highly comparable to SBN in New England regional scope, scale, and independent business support programs.
• Local First Boulder: Boulder, Colorado-based Local First affiliate and AMIBA member that runs the Boulder Local First Week and similar independent business programming; shares SBN's exact organizational template and event-driven model.

Regional players

• Mass Farmers Markets: Massachusetts-based nonprofit supporting the network of farmers markets across the state; regional peer operating in the same geography with overlapping local food and producer support mission, particularly relevant to SBN's Boston Local Food Program.

Others

• The Institute for Local Self-Reliance: National nonprofit research and advocacy organization promoting local economies, community ownership, and democratic control; not a direct membership network but a thought-leadership peer that shapes the policy environment SBN operates within.

Broad incumbents

• B Lab U.S. & Canada: Operator of the B Corp certification, the largest global network of certified sustainable businesses; broader and more established than SBN with a verifiable certification standard that complements rather than directly competes with SBN's Sustainable Business Leader Program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCb1riH7Vb8PpnGrcVAk9eg
• Xx.com/sbnmass
• Facebookfacebook.com/sbnmass

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 SBN