The Credit Education Coalition

What The Credit Education Coalition does

The Credit Education Coalition (CEC) is a non-profit, membership-based educational organization serving bankruptcy legal professionals in the Central Ohio region. Founded originally as the Ad Hoc Creditors Committee by Chapter 13 trustee Frank M. Pees, the CEC was the first organization in the United States to bring together creditor and debtor advocates to improve the bankruptcy system. The organization is governed by a volunteer board of debtor and creditor representatives from the greater Columbus area and operates without paid staff.

The CEC generates revenue primarily through annual membership dues of $50 per member and seminar registration fees. Core products include two annual CLE-accredited educational seminars (a Fall Consumer Bankruptcy Seminar typically held in October and a Winter Seminar in February/March), a Google Groups mailing list for information exchange, the Chapter 13 Liaison Committee for trustee-to-bar communication, and the Rescue Committee providing emergency case coverage for attorneys in need. The membership exceeds 100 bankruptcy attorneys and creditor/debtor advocates, all concentrated in the Central Ohio market. The 2025 Fall Seminar was held at The Cove at WatersEdge in Hilliard, Ohio, and was supported by regional law firms and legal service vendors including at least 11 sponsors across Gold, Silver, Bronze, and meal-sponsorship tiers.

The CEC has no proprietary technology stack beyond a WordPress website, no app, no API, and no AI/ML capabilities. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth referrals within the bankruptcy legal community, the annual seminar cycle, and reputation. Geographic reach is concentrated in the greater Columbus, Ohio area, though the CEC model has been replicated in other jurisdictions, most notably San Antonio. The organization is independently governed with no parent company, no venture or institutional capital, and no subsidiaries.

Name

The Credit Education Coalition

Legal name

Credit Education Coalition

Website

https://credited.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Credit Education Coalition is a non-profit educational organization serving over 100 bankruptcy attorneys and creditor/debtor advocates in Central Ohio through annual CLE seminars, membership programs, and specialized committees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education and Professional Development

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Law School Continuing Legal Education (CLE) & Executive Programs (EDAHAIAH)

Keywords

• Bankruptcy education
• Legal seminars
• Professional development
• CLE credits
• Creditor advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Worthington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees of $50 per member provide access to the Google group list service, discounted seminar registration, free Winter Seminar, quarterly social gatherings, and opportunities to join committees or the Board of Directors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Credit Education Coalition (CEC) is a membership-based nonprofit organization that runs annual educational seminars (Fall Consumer Bankruptcy Seminar and Winter Seminar) providing CLE credits and bankruptcy law updates for legal professionals. It offers a paid annual membership program that includes access to a Google Groups discussion list, discounted seminar registration, free Winter Seminar attendance, quarterly social gatherings, and committee participation opportunities.

Product overview

The Credit Education Coalition is a non-profit educational organization that serves bankruptcy professionals through a combination of in-person and virtual seminars, membership programs, and committee-based networking initiatives. The core offerings include two major annual CLE seminars (Fall and Winter), a membership program providing access to a Google Groups discussion list, discounted registration, and social events, plus specialized committees including the Chapter 13 Liaison Committee and Rescue Committee. The organization is overseen by a volunteer board representing both debtor and creditor representatives from the greater Columbus area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Educational Seminars The Credit Education Coalition organizes two major annual educational seminars for bankruptcy professionals: a Fall Consumer Bankruptcy Seminar (typically in October) and a Winter Seminar (usually in February/March). These seminars offer CLE credits and cover topics such as bankruptcy law, case law updates, Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 proceedings, and professional ethics.
• CEC Membership Annual membership program for creditors and debtor advocates (primarily bankruptcy attorneys) priced at $50 per year, providing access to a Google Groups list service, discounted seminar registration, free Winter Seminar CLE, quarterly social gatherings in Columbus, and opportunities to serve on committees or Board of Directors.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Agee Clymer Mitchell & PortmanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Workers' compensation lawyers and disability attorneys protecting rights of injured workers and the disabled throughout Ohio.
• ASNA (Allen Stovall Neuman & Ashton)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Law firm offering bankruptcy, debtor/creditor rights, insolvency, and workouts services, representing corporations and individuals in Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 filings.
• Auction OhiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Provides hassle-free auction process for selling real estate, antiques, business equipment in Ohio.
• Germain of ColumbusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Auto dealership with 11 franchise locations in Columbus offering used vehicles for clients, including those in bankruptcy situations.
• CertificateofService.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Provides same day, on demand print to mail, document noticing services for the legal industry.
• The Jones Law FirmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Bankruptcy law firm helping individuals and families through Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy relief.
• Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., LPAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Provides in-house collection services including consumer collections, commercial collections, bankruptcy recovery, probate recovery, and real estate defaults.
• Kegler Brown Hill + RitterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Full-service law firm serving clients since 1964 with over 60 lawyers in over 100 practice areas.
• Dean Law Co., LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBreakfast Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Provides Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy solutions for individuals and small businesses.
• Wood & Brewer, LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLunch Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Devoted to helping individuals find solutions to financial and legal difficulties with 20 years of bankruptcy experience.
• Luper Neidenthal & LoganminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSnack Sponsor of the 2025 Fall Seminar. Law firm serving central Ohio since 1968 for banking, construction, education, personal injury, and real estate needs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Bankruptcy Institute: ABI is the largest U.S. multi-stakeholder membership organization for bankruptcy professionals, providing conferences, CLE, and publications across the field. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with the CEC's bankruptcy CLE and conference activities, but operates nationally and across all stakeholder types.
• Commercial Law League of America: CLLA is a national association for creditors' rights and commercial bankruptcy professionals, providing CLE and conferences. Comparable to the CEC because it serves the same creditor-side constituency and overlaps on creditor-rights CLE programming, but at national scale.
• American College of Bankruptcy: The American College of Bankruptcy is an honorary association of bankruptcy professionals that hosts educational programs and events. It overlaps with the CEC on bankruptcy-focused education and networking for senior practitioners, but operates at a much more elite, national level.
• Ohio State Bar Association: The Ohio State Bar Association is the statewide bar that provides CLE accreditation and programming to Ohio attorneys, including in bankruptcy. It competes with the CEC for CLE attendance and dues dollars among the same Ohio bankruptcy bar.
• Practising Law Institute: PLI is a national nonprofit CLE provider offering live programs, webcasts, and on-demand courses across many practice areas including bankruptcy. It is a broad incumbent competitor for CLE dollars from attorneys who might otherwise attend a regional association like the CEC.

Others

• National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges: NCBJ is a membership organization of U.S. bankruptcy judges that hosts annual educational conferences. It is adjacent to the CEC because its programs and audience (judges, trustees, attorneys) intersect with the bankruptcy CLE and seminar ecosystem that the CEC serves.
• Turnaround Management Association: TMA is a global professional association focused on corporate restructuring, turnaround, and bankruptcy, providing events and education to restructuring professionals. Adjacent to the CEC because its members overlap with the creditor and trustee communities that attend CEC events, but it focuses on commercial rather than consumer bankruptcy.

Direct peers

• National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys: NACBA is a national membership association for consumer bankruptcy attorneys, offering CLE, conferences, and advocacy. It is the most direct analogue to the CEC, operating the same member-plus-CLE-plus-committee model but at a national scale rather than a regional one.
• National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees: NACTT represents Chapter 13 trustees and supports education and information exchange on Chapter 13 practice, closely aligned with the CEC's Chapter 13 Liaison Committee and Chapter 13-focused CLE content. Direct peer because of shared Chapter 13 specialization.

Regional players

• Central California Bankruptcy Law Association: CCBLA is a regional professional association for bankruptcy practitioners in California's Central District. It is a close regional analogue to the CEC, providing bankruptcy CLE and member services at a local level in a different U.S. geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Credit Education Coalition