Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin

What Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin does

The Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin (BIAW) is a private nonprofit and chartered Wisconsin affiliate of the Brain Injury Association of America, headquartered within the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's HSS Building in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Founded in the early 1980s (evolved from the Wisconsin Brain Trauma Association) and led by Executive Director Audrey Nelson, a brain injury survivor with over 40 years of advocacy experience, BIAW's mission centers on brain injury prevention, advocacy, education, research, and support. Its core offering is a statewide network of free support groups operating in 17 Wisconsin counties plus nationwide virtual groups, supplemented by annual conferences (the 37th Annual Wisconsin Brain Injury Conference in 2026, B.R.A.I.N. Team Conference, Brain In-Com), survivor storytelling and poetry programs (Thursday Night Poets with three published books), educational classes, and the OBISSS online brain injury screening tool built on the validated Ohio State University TBI-Identification Method.

BIAW has no proprietary technology platform; its product surface is service-based and delivered through a healthcare-partner-hosted distribution model. Free in-person groups are hosted at facilities operated by Mayo Clinic, Aurora Health Care, Bellin/Emplify Health, Gundersen Health System, Clearview Brain Injury Center, and HealthPartners; the organization is co-located with UW-Eau Claire's Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences Department, which co-delivers academic programming and research collaboration. The organization operates with a small paid staff (Executive Director plus social work interns) and a broader network of volunteer support group facilitators.

The business model is a donation-and-grant-funded nonprofit. There are no membership fees or fee-for-service charges; revenue streams comprise voluntary individual donations, conference sponsorships from healthcare organizations and law firms, federal funding through an Administration on Community Living State Partnership Grant, and modest online poetry book sales. The stated customer base is brain injury survivors, families and caregivers, and healthcare/rehabilitation professionals, all served free of charge.

Name

Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin

Legal name

Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin

Website

https://biaw.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin is a nonprofit chartered affiliate of the Brain Injury Association of America that delivers free brain injury prevention, advocacy, education, and support services to survivors, families, caregivers, and professionals across Wisconsin and nationwide via 17-county support groups, virtual groups, conferences, and survivor poetry programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brain Injury Advocacy and Support Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Injury Prevention, Disability & Rehabilitation Programs (BPADAIAM)

Keywords

• Brain injury support
• Brain injury advocacy
• Caregiver resources
• Survivor support services
• Brain injury education

Headquarters

HQ city

Eau Claire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts monetary donations from individuals, families, and supporters to fund programs and services including advocacy, education, and support groups.
2. Conference Sponsorships: The annual conference is sponsored by healthcare organizations, law firms, medical institutions, and other businesses. Gold level sponsors include Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, Brain Mapping Solutions, Smart Scan Medical Imaging, and others.
3. Book Sales: BIAW publishes and sells poetry books authored by brain injury survivors through its Thursday Night Poets program, including 'I Don't Think I Did This Right', 'Poetry is Chocolate', and 'When Our Silence Speaks'. Proceeds support BIAW programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin (BIAW) is a chartered nonprofit affiliate of the Brain Injury Association of America that delivers brain injury prevention, advocacy, education, research, and direct support programs. Its core offerings include a statewide network of in-person support groups across 17 Wisconsin counties plus nationwide virtual groups, educational classes, the OBISSS online brain injury screening tool, an annual Wisconsin Brain Injury Conference, and a Poetry & Stories program that publishes survivor-authored books. Programs are provided free of charge to survivors, families, and caregivers and are funded through donations, sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

The Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of service programs rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include: support groups operating in 17 Wisconsin counties plus nationwide virtual options; educational classes covering recovery strategies and advocacy training; a Poetry & Stories program featuring the Thursday Night Poets group and three published poetry books; the OBISSS online brain injury screening tool; curated resource libraries; annual conferences and summits; and a Games & Apps resource collection for cognitive rehabilitation. These programs collectively serve brain injury survivors, their families, caregivers, and professionals through advocacy, education, and peer support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support Groups

Quantifiable outcome

• Support groups in 17 Wisconsin counties + nationwide virtually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIAW is the chartered Wisconsin affiliate of the Brain Injury Association of America, operating under the BIAA national umbrella. This affiliation provides BIAW with national-level resources, advocacy representation, and credibility within the brain injury community.
• Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin - Department of Neurosurgery and Wisconsin Institute of NeuroScience (WINS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold level sponsor of the 37th Annual Wisconsin Brain Injury Conference. Represents a major healthcare and academic medical partnership supporting BIAW's flagship educational event.
• Mayo CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor and collaborator with BIAW. Mayo Clinic staff participate as speakers and educators at BIAW events, and Mayo Clinic facilities host support groups and Brain In-Com programming.
• Clearview Brain Injury CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference sponsor and host of support group meetings at their facility in Juneau, Wisconsin. Provides ongoing support for BIAW programs and educational events.
• University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire - Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences DepartmentflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary academic partner co-hosting the annual Brain In-Com event, support groups (BBIG-Blugold Brain Injury Group), and the 4th Annual State Support Group Summit. BIAW is headquartered at UW-EC's HSS Building. Dr. Jerry Hoepner serves as a key collaborator.
• Aurora Health CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAurora facilities across Wisconsin host multiple BIAW-affiliated support groups including stroke support groups in Kenosha, Green Bay, Milwaukee, West Allis, and Racine locations.
• NAMI OshkoshminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAMI Oshkosh provides meeting space for the Oshkosh Brain Injury Support Group, demonstrating collaborative cross-disability community support.
• Gundersen Health SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGundersen Health System in La Crosse hosts the Gundersen Brain Injury Support Group on alternating months. BIAW-affiliated groups meet at their facilities.
• Bellin Health / Emplify HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBellin Health facilities in Green Bay host stroke and brain injury support groups including the Emplify Health by Bellin Stroke Support Group, co-branded with BIAW-affiliated programming.
• Hodgkiss LawminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGold level conference sponsor, representing a legal industry partner supporting BIAW's educational programming and awareness mission.
• Brain Mapping Solutions and Smart Scan Medical ImagingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGold level conference sponsors representing medical technology and imaging companies supporting BIAW's annual conference.
• HealthPartners / Stroke INSPIREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthPartners Stroke INSPIRE program partners with BIAW to offer stroke support groups across Wisconsin and Minnesota, including sessions at Hudson Hospital and Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, MN.
• SOAR Fox CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOAR Fox Cities in Appleton hosts a TBI Support Program with multiple support groups, including virtual, Neuroscience Group, and St. Elizabeth Hospital sessions. Clare Buckley leads the Traumatic Brain Injury Support Program as a survivor.
• UW-Eau Claire Kinesiology Department and Dr. Saori BrauncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUW-Eau Claire Kinesiology Department co-developed and led programming during Brain In-Com 2026, contributing exercise and dual-task activities for brain injury survivors.
• Moravian University (Dr. Louise Keegan) and Jackson State University (Dr. Warren Brown)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Louise Keegan from Moravian University and Dr. Warren Brown from Jackson State University served as session leaders during Brain In-Com 2026, contributing academic expertise to the week-long program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brain Injury Association of America: National umbrella organization and BIAW's chartered parent. Operates the same advocacy, education, and support mission at national scale and shares brand, sponsorships, and program frameworks with BIAW.
• Brain Injury Association of Maryland: Another chartered BIAA state affiliate providing support groups, advocacy, and education for brain injury survivors and families — a like-for-like peer in mission, funding model, and programmatic structure.
• SOAR Fox Cities: Wisconsin-based nonprofit operating TBI support programs across multiple sites including St. Elizabeth Hospital and Neuroscience Group — a regional peer sharing the same geography, mission, and healthcare-partner model.
• Clearview Brain Injury Center: Wisconsin brain injury provider and BIAW sponsor that hosts BIAW support groups and delivers residential/community-based brain injury services — same geography, overlapping customer base, and frequent collaboration.
• Brain Injury Association of Minnesota: State-level BIAA charter offering support groups, conferences, and resource facilitation to brain injury survivors in Minnesota — directly comparable service mix and geographic adjacency to BIAW.
• Amputee Coalition of America: National nonprofit supporting individuals with limb loss through peer support, education, and advocacy — closely analogous mission, support-group model, and federal grant dependence.

Broad incumbents

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Large national nonprofit running state and local affiliates that deliver support groups, education classes, and advocacy — same community-led nonprofit model, broader mental health focus.
• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: National paralysis and spinal cord injury nonprofit offering peer mentoring, advocacy, and resource facilitation — comparable mission, advocacy model, and donor-supported funding structure.
• National Stroke Association: National nonprofit providing education, support, and recovery resources for stroke survivors — overlapping customer base with BIAW since stroke is a leading cause of acquired brain injury.
• United Spinal Association: National disability nonprofit providing peer support, advocacy, and resource facilitation to individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders — similar peer-support and advocacy programmatic mix.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brain-injury-association-of-wisconsin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin