Leadership Lincoln

What Leadership Lincoln does

Leadership Lincoln is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 and headquartered at 211 N. 14th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. It develops community leadership capacity through three cohort-based programs: a Flagship Program ($3,750 tuition) for emerging and mid-career professionals, an Executive Program ($4,750, inclusive of spouse/partner) for senior-level leaders, and Youth Leadership Lincoln ($350) for Lancaster County high school sophomores. Programs run on annual cohort cycles with orientation, retreat, monthly seminars, and graduation; scholarships are available, and tuition is non-refundable. The organization reports 4,200+ alumni and 102 graduates across the 2025-2026 program year, delivered by a three-person staff led by Executive Director Mick Hale (returned July 2025), Director of Programs and Leadership Development Marthaellen Florence, and Director of Programming and Youth Engagement Dylan Kitchen.

The business model blends tuition revenue, tiered corporate sponsorships (Premier $10,000 down to Podcast Episode $500), individual tax-deductible donations, and a secondary revenue line managing Pinnacle Bank Arena city suite rentals under a City of Lincoln partnership. Go-to-market is application-based with mandatory information sessions, supported by school partnerships, alumni referrals, social media, the 402 Focus podcast (produced with KZUM Radio), the annual State of the City event, and informational webinars. Strategic partnerships include the Nebraska Human Resources Institute at UNL for youth mentorship (beginning 2026-2027) and Don't Panic Labs and Center for People in Need for the MyLink community-resource app. Nine major institutional donors (Assurity, Firespring, Lincoln Community Foundation, Nelnet, Olsson, Pinnacle Bank, Realty Works/Giving Realty, UBT, Woods Charitable Fund) anchor the funding base. Technology is not a core competency; the website is built on Firespring's nonprofit platform and the MyLink app was externally developed. The competitive position rests on a 42-year brand, cross-sector alumni network, and embedded civic relationships rather than proprietary technology.

Name

Leadership Lincoln

Legal name

Leadership Lincoln

Website

https://leadershiplincoln.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Leadership Lincoln is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 that runs cohort-based leadership development programs — Flagship, Executive, and Youth — serving emerging professionals, senior executives, and Lancaster County high school students in Lincoln, Nebraska, funded by tuition, sponsorships, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Leadership Development

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Government & Leadership Programs (EDAJAJAH), Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN), Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Community leadership development
• Executive leadership programs
• Youth civic engagement
• Nonprofit leadership training
• Cohort-based learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition: Tuition fees charged for Flagship ($3,750), Executive ($4,750 including spouse/partner), and Youth ($350) programs. Tuition is non-refundable. Revenue generated per cohort cycle.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Tiered sponsorship program with four levels: Premier Sponsor ($10,000), Supporting Sponsor ($5,000), Community Sponsor ($1,000), and Podcast Episode Sponsor ($500). Provides logo placement, recognition, and direct engagement with participants.
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting leadership development in Lincoln. One-time and recurring donation options available online.
4. Pinnacle Bank Arena Suite Rental: Revenue generated from renting the City of Lincoln's Pinnacle Bank Arena suite for events. Flat fees vary by event type (Women's Basketball $500, Men's Basketball $900, Concerts $1,500-$2,100). Includes tickets and parking passes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Leadership Lincoln sells tuition-based, cohort-format leadership development programs delivered across one academic year for emerging professionals (Flagship), senior executives (Executive), and Lancaster County high school sophomores (Youth). Each program combines orientation retreats, monthly seminars, cross-sector exposure to civic leaders, and a graduation capstone. Programs are supplemented by corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and ancillary fee-based offerings (arena suite rental, podcast, State of the City event).

Product overview

Leadership Lincoln offers a suite of leadership development programs including the Flagship Program for emerging and mid-career leaders, the Executive Program for senior-level executives, and Youth Leadership Lincoln (YLL) for high school students. The organization also produces the 402 Focus Podcast in partnership with KZUM Radio, manages Pinnacle Bank Arena suite rentals as a secondary revenue service, and hosts the annual State of the City event. Programs operate on annual cohort cycles with tuition-based participation and scholarship availability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Flagship Program: A transformative leadership experience for emerging and mid-career leaders to deepen leadership capacity and engage with the Lincoln community.
• Executive Program
• Youth Leadership Lincoln (YLL)
• 402 Focus Podcast

Products and services

• Flagship Program Tuition-based one-year cohort leadership development program for emerging and mid-career professionals in Lincoln, Nebraska. Includes orientation, opening retreat, eight monthly seminars, and graduation. Designed to build informed, connected, and values-driven leaders through experiential learning, candid dialogue, and exposure to community leaders across sectors. Tuition is $3,750, non-refundable, with scholarship assistance available.
• Executive Program Tuition-based selective one-year cohort program for senior-level leaders with significant professional and community experience. Emphasizes systems-level thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and peer-to-peer learning for deeper strategic exploration of complex civic issues. Tuition is $4,750 and includes spouse/partner participation at no additional cost. Includes orientation, retreat, monthly seminars, and graduation.
• Youth Leadership Lincoln (YLL) Tuition-based one-year cohort leadership program for Lancaster County high school sophomores that enhances knowledge and leadership skills through interactive, hands-on experiences focused on community service and engagement with community leaders. Open to 10th graders; tuition is $350 (free application). Approximately 40 students per cohort accepted from diverse backgrounds. Beginning 2026-2027 cohort includes multi-year mentorship pairing with University of Nebraska-Lincoln students.
• Pinnacle Bank Arena Suite Rental Fee-based rental program for the City of Lincoln's Pinnacle Bank Arena suite. Provides twelve tickets and four arena garage parking passes per rental. Flat fees vary by event type (Women's Basketball $500, Men's Basketball $900, Concerts $1,500-$2,100). Operated through a partnership with the City of Lincoln.

Quantifiable outcome

• 102 graduates in 2025-2026 program year across all three programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Nebraska Human Resources Institute (NHRI) at University of Nebraska-LincolncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year mentorship collaboration beginning 2026-2027 cohort. Every YLL participant paired with UNL students enrolled in leadership coursework. Mentors meet weekly with students during school year and continue through high school graduation. Provides firsthand college experience, leadership development support, and lasting relationships.
• KZUM RadiocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast production partnership for 402 Focus podcast exploring leadership, civic engagement, and community impact in Lincoln. KZUM provides production and distribution infrastructure while Leadership Lincoln provides content and hosts.
• City of LincolncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Pinnacle Bank Arena City Suite management. Leadership Lincoln facilitates suite rentals for city events and community use. Host of annual State of the City Address.
• Center for People in NeedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal partner for MyLink app development - provided community resource handbook content and ongoing collaboration for app maintenance and updates.
• Don't Panic LabscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner that developed the MyLink app (originally Center for People in Need resource handbook digitized). Provided summer interns and staff for app development and continued technical support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Leadership Atlanta: Community leadership nonprofit in Atlanta running cohort-based programs for emerging, senior, and youth leaders; same operating model, target audience, and revenue mix (tuition, sponsorships, donations) as Leadership Lincoln.
• Leadership Memphis: Memphis community leadership organization running flagship and executive cohort programs with tuition, corporate sponsorships, and alumni network; structurally identical to Leadership Lincoln's Flagship and Executive programs.
• Leadership Cincinnati USA: Cincinnati regional leadership nonprofit operating flagship and executive cohort programs with corporate and foundation sponsorship; comparable scale, curriculum, and community civic-engagement mission.
• Leadership Nashville: Nashville-area community leadership nonprofit offering cohort programs for professionals and executives designed to develop civic leaders across sectors; directly comparable curriculum, pricing, and local-corporate sponsorship model.
• Leadership Charlotte: Charlotte-area leadership nonprofit with cohort programs for emerging and senior leaders focused on civic engagement and cross-sector connection; same geographic-mandate and program architecture as Leadership Lincoln.
• Leadership Greater Hartford: Hartford regional leadership development nonprofit offering cohort-based programs for professionals, executives, and youth; comparable tuition model, sponsor mix, and alumni-network value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Institute: Nonprofit focused on values-based leadership and civic engagement through fellowships and convenings; overlaps thematically with Leadership Lincoln's civic-leadership mission but serves a national rather than single-metro audience.
• Center for Creative Leadership: Large, established global provider of leadership development programs, coaching, and research; overlaps with Leadership Lincoln's leadership-development mission but operates at much broader scale and serves national/international corporate clients.

Others

• Junior League: National network of women's volunteer-leadership nonprofits with local chapters (including Lincoln) that train members in civic leadership and community service; adjacent rather than direct overlap with Leadership Lincoln's cohort programs.

Regional players

• Lincoln Chamber of Commerce: Lincoln, Nebraska business membership organization that engages in local civic-leadership convening and workforce/community initiatives; shares the same geographic market and overlapping local sponsor base with Leadership Lincoln.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@leadershiplincoln
• Facebookfacebook.com/LeaderLNK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leadership-lincoln-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/leadershiplincoln
• Xx.com/leaderlnk

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 Leadership Lincoln