Better In Our Back Yard

What Better In Our Back Yard does

Better In Our Back Yard (BIOBY) is a private, membership-based advocacy coalition founded in 2019 by Executive Director Ryan Sistad and headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota. The organization advocates for responsible industrial development in the Upper-Midwest and nationally, with explicit support for major mining projects including NewRange Copper Nickel's NorthMet Project in Hoyt Lakes and Twin Metals Minnesota's proposed underground copper-nickel-cobalt mine near Ely, plus Enbridge's Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation Project, the Great Lakes Tunnel Project in Michigan, and Resolution Copper's proposed mine in Arizona. BIOBY's stated mission is to provide organic, citizen-led forum content, educational resources, and a coordinated advocacy voice for projects and companies operating in mining, pipeline infrastructure, and related industries.

The business model is a tiered annual membership combined with event-based revenue. Membership tiers include Company ($1,000/year), Executive Member ($5,000/year) for companies with direct ties to industry in northern Minnesota, and a custom-priced Mining Project/Operation tier, sold directly through the organization's website with self-serve PayPal/credit card payment. A secondary revenue stream comes from event registrations and sponsorships: the annual Golf Event at Cloquet Country Club ($350 individual, $2,000 event sponsorship, $300 hole sponsorship), the Vista Tour on Lake Superior ($150 members, $200 non-members), the Winter Dinner, and the 2026 Mining and Energy Expo at Radisson Blu Mall of America. The coalition claims more than 115 member organizations and 30,000+ social media followers as of the latest data, with named enterprise members including Twin Metals Minnesota, NewRange Copper Nickel, Enbridge Energy, Resolution Copper, Burns & McDonnell, ME Elecmetal, Lakehead Constructors, Lake Country Power, and Park State Bank, alongside Union Building Trades labor organizations.

Operationally, BIOBY is governed by a board drawn from member companies and supported by a small internal team including a Director of Events and a Marketing and Members Relations Coordinator. The organization has no disclosed external funding, no software product, no AI or technology platform, and operates primarily as a convening, communications, and advocacy body rather than a technology vendor. Its value is delivered through educational content, networking events, public engagement campaigns, and policy advocacy supporting federal permitting reform and critical minerals production.

Name

Better In Our Back Yard

Legal name

Better In Our Back Yard

Website

https://betterinourbackyard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Better In Our Back Yard is a Duluth, Minnesota-based advocacy coalition founded in 2019 that supports responsible industrial development for mining, pipeline, and energy projects in the Upper-Midwest and nationally, funded through tiered memberships and event revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from three tiers: Company ($1,000/year) for organizations supporting responsible industry, Executive Member ($5,000/year) for companies with direct industry ties in northern Minnesota, and Mining Project/Operation (contact for pricing). Revenue supports advocacy efforts, events, and educational resources.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue from event tickets and sponsorships including golf events ($350 individual, $2,000 event sponsorship, $300 hole sponsorship), Vista Tour ($150 members, $200 non-members), and Mining and Energy Expo registrations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Better In Our Back Yard is a membership-based advocacy coalition delivering citizen-led forum content, educational resources, and public engagement campaigns to support responsible industrial development projects in mining, energy, and pipeline sectors across northern Minnesota and the United States. Its deliverables include tiered memberships, recurring networking events (Mining and Energy Expo, Vista Tour, Annual Golf Event, Winter Dinner), and project-specific advocacy campaigns for clients such as NewRange Copper Nickel, Twin Metals Minnesota, Enbridge Energy, and Resolution Copper.

Product overview

Better In Our Back Yard is a coalition providing advocacy, educational resources, and networking services to support responsible industrial development projects and companies in Northern Minnesota. The organization operates through advocacy campaigns for mining and pipeline projects (including NewRange Copper Nickel's NorthMet Project, Twin Metals Minnesota, and Enbridge's Line 3 and Line 5 projects), membership programs at various tiers, and hosts networking events including the annual Mining and Energy Expo, Vista Tour on Lake Superior, and Annual Golf Event. The organization does not offer a software product but rather serves as an advocacy and educational platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Tiered annual membership offering for organizations supporting responsible industrial development in the Great Lakes region, with three tiers: Company ($1,000/year), Executive Member ($5,000/year), and Mining Project/Operation (custom).
• Advocacy and Educational Services Citizen-led forum content, educational resources, and advocacy campaigns to support responsible industrial development projects and companies in Northern Minnesota and throughout the nation.
• Mining and Energy Expo Annual expo bringing together decision-makers and leaders shaping policy, infrastructure, and investment across the mining and energy sectors.
• Vista Tour on Lake Superior Annual networking event featuring a cruise on Lake Superior with project updates, speakers, and pre-event networking at local venues; ticketed at $150 members / $200 non-members.
• Annual Golf Event Member-only annual golf classic held at Cloquet Country Club featuring networking, fundraising games, and prizes; tickets at $350 individual, $2,000 event sponsorship, or $300 hole sponsorship.
• Project Advocacy Support Project-specific advocacy and public-engagement campaigns supporting major industrial developments, including Enbridge's Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation and Great Lakes Tunnel Project, NewRange Copper Nickel's NorthMet Project, and Twin Metals Minnesota's proposed underground mine.

Quantifiable outcome

• 115+ member organizations from 2 founding members since 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 and major.

• Twin Metals MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMining project partner advocating for underground copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals mine in Minnesota. Twin Metals is focused on designing, constructing and operating a mine targeting the Maturi deposit in the Duluth Complex.
• NewRange Copper NickelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture between PolyMet and Teck Resources developing the NorthMet Project to commercially mine copper, nickel and precious metals in the Duluth Complex. First project to commercially mine these metals in the world-class Duluth Complex.
• Enbridge EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor energy infrastructure partner with Line 5 Segment Relocation Project in Wisconsin and Great Lakes Tunnel Project in Michigan. Supports energy transportation across the Great Lakes Region.
• Resolution CoppercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArizona-based copper mining project partner advocating for responsible mining practices. Resolution Copper is developing a proposed copper mine in Superior, Arizona.
• Union Building TradescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of skilled labor organizations including Iron Workers, IBEW, UA Local 11, Teamsters, and others. All major projects supported by BIOBY have Private Labor Agreements with union trades for construction.
• ME ElecmetalmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerExecutive Board Chair Jeff Pederson represents ME Elecmetal as Regional Sales Manager-US East, providing mining wear solutions. Active member contributing leadership to the organization.
• Burns & McDonnellmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerExecutive Board Member Hans Wronka serves as Environmental Department Manager. Engineering firm providing site selection, planning, environmental permitting, and EPC services.
• Lakehead ConstructorsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPast Board Chair Kirk Ilenda serves as Vice President Business Development. Construction company active in pipeline and industrial projects.
• Park State BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard Member Marci Knight serves as CMO/Business Development. Community bank with over $1 billion in assets serving northern Minnesota.
• Lake Country PowermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard Member Mark Bakk serves as General Manager. Electric distribution cooperative serving parts of 8 counties in northeastern Minnesota with 50,000+ customers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Exploration & Mining Association: National mining industry association focused on exploration and development-stage projects; BIOBY board member Adam Hawkins served as 2020 president, evidencing direct overlap in constituency and advocacy agenda.
• National Mining Association: National trade association for the U.S. mining industry that provides policy advocacy, communications, and member services — directly analogous to BIOBY's role for its regional mining and energy members.

Regional players

• Iron Mining Association of Minnesota: Minnesota-specific trade association for iron mining that performs advocacy, communications, and lobbying functions parallel to BIOBY's role for copper-nickel and pipeline interests in the same state.
• Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce: Wisconsin statewide chamber of commerce and manufacturing association that conducts policy advocacy on industrial and energy issues — overlapping with BIOBY's regional footprint in northern Wisconsin.
• Michigan Chamber of Commerce: Statewide Michigan business advocacy organization covering manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure — directly relevant given BIOBY's advocacy for the Enbridge Great Lakes Tunnel Project in northern Michigan.
• Arizona Mining Association: Arizona mining trade association providing advocacy and policy support; BIOBY explicitly advocates for Resolution Copper's Arizona project and board member Adam Hawkins was a former board trustee of this association.
• Minnesota Chamber of Commerce: Statewide business advocacy organization representing Minnesota employers, including mining, energy, and manufacturing — overlapping with BIOBY's industrial advocacy mission across the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• American Petroleum Institute: Largest U.S. trade association for the oil and natural gas industry, providing federal advocacy, standards, and member services — analogous to BIOBY but operating nationally across all energy segments.
• Interstate Natural Gas Association of America: National trade association for the natural gas pipeline industry that advocates for pipeline infrastructure projects — directly comparable to BIOBY's advocacy role for Enbridge's Line 5 and Line 3 projects.
• National Association of Manufacturers: Largest U.S. industrial trade association providing advocacy on manufacturing, energy, and permitting policy — comparable to BIOBY's pro-industrial-development advocacy posture but at national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bioby2019
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/betterinourbackyard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Better In Our Back Yard