Latin American Studies Association (LASA)

What Latin American Studies Association (LASA) does

The Latin American Studies Association (LASA) is the world's largest professional association for individuals and institutions engaged in the study of Latin America, the Caribbean, and its peoples throughout the Americas. Founded in 1966 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, LASA is governed by an elected Executive Council (current President: Javier Guerrero) and operates with a lean staff of 23 employees supporting over 13,000 members across all academic disciplines and more than 60 countries. The association runs an annual international congress that rotates through global host cities — Bogotá (2024), San Francisco (2025), Paris (2026) under the theme 'Republic and Revolution,' and Mexico City (2027) at UNAM — each featuring 900+ sessions and serving as the primary member acquisition and engagement event.

LASA's core product surface spans the LASA Congress; peer-reviewed publications including the Latin American Research Review (published by Cambridge University Press since 2022) and LASA Forum; LASA Press and the Latin America Research Commons for book publishing; LASA TV on YouTube; the LASA Career Center; thematic and regional sections; and an awards program anchored by the Kalman Silvert lifetime achievement award. Adjacent offerings include LASA Dialogues (virtual discussion series), FORD-LASA Special Projects grants supporting Indigenous, Afrodescendant, and LGBTQIA+ students, and the Latin American Cultural Center housed at LASA's Pittsburgh headquarters.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: recurring membership dues (All Access Subscription model), one-time congress registration fees, publication royalties and subscriptions, and administration of grant programs funded by foundations including Ford and Hillman. The GTM motion is event-driven: the annual congress functions as the principal demand-generation engine, supplemented by sections-based engagement, digital content, social media, and multilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French) communications across website, newsletters, and earned media. LASA is an independent nonprofit with no parent company, no venture backing, and no disclosed M&A activity.

Name

Latin American Studies Association (LASA)

Legal name

Latin American Studies Association

Website

https://lasaweb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LASA is the world's largest professional association for Latin American studies, founded in 1966 and headquartered in Pittsburgh. With 23 staff serving 13,000+ members globally, it operates an annual international congress, peer-reviewed journals, awards, grants, and the LARR journal via Cambridge University Press.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK), Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM), Student Organizations & Club Administration (EDALAHAB)

Keywords

• Academic association services
• Scholarly conference management
• Peer-reviewed journal publishing
• Research grants administration
• Professional membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: LASA generates revenue through annual membership dues from its over 13,000 members worldwide. Membership provides access to publications, sections, awards, grants, and the annual congress.
2. Congress Registration Fees: The annual LASA congress is a major revenue source. Registration fees apply to all participants including speakers, discussants, and session chairs. The congress policy states no participant is exempt from registration fees and fees are non-refundable.
3. Publications and Content: LASA generates revenue through its publications including LASA Forum and the Latin American Research Review (published by Cambridge University Press since 2022). LASA Press publishes books through the Latin America Research Commons.
4. Grants and Special Projects: LASA administers grant programs including FORD-LASA Special Projects grants supporting Indigenous, Afrodescendant, and LGBTQIA+ students. The organization also received Hillman Foundation grants and manages the LASA-Ford Scholarship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LASA is a professional academic association that delivers its core offering through an annual international congress with 900+ sessions, peer-reviewed journal and forum publications, thematic sections, research grants, and a Career Center. These offerings are bundled into an All Access annual subscription available to its 13,000+ members across all disciplines engaged in the study of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Product overview

LASA is a professional academic association rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings center on the annual International Congress (LASA2027, LASA2026), peer-reviewed publications (Latin American Research Review published by Cambridge University Press, LASA Forum), and scholarly resources (LASA TV, Career Center, LASA Press). The association also provides specialized sections, awards, research grants, and the Latin American Cultural Center. These offerings work together to foster intellectual discussion, research, and teaching on Latin America for its 13,000+ members worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LASA Congress: Annual international academic congress on Latin American studies
• LASA TV
• LASA Press
• LACC (Latin American Cultural Center)
• Latin American Research Review (LARR)
• LASA Forum
• LASA Film Festival

Products and services

• LASA Annual Congress
• Latin American Research Review (LARR)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 13,000 members globally, with 60%+ residing outside the United States
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CLACSO (Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026CLACSO (Latin American Council of Social Sciences) maintains a strong presence at LASA congresses with organized panels, book presentations, and academic activities. CLACSO Working Groups are represented through their members participating in panels, workshops, and editorial presentations. The partnership strengthens the collective presence of Latin American social science scholarship.
• DejusticiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2024Colombian think tank that organizes spaces at LASA congresses between June 12-15, hosting discussions on democracy, social movements, and resistance in the Americas.
• Cambridge University PresscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2021The Latin American Research Review (LARR) is published by Cambridge University Press starting in 2022. This partnership enhanced the visibility and distribution of LASA's flagship journal.
• BRASA (Brazilian Studies Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2018BRASA joins LASA in expressing condolences and shared advocacy. The two associations co-issue statements on issues of mutual concern such as the Brazil Museu Nacional fire. BRASA is an international professional organization dedicated to promoting Brazilian Studies.
• LACC (Latin American Cultural Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLACC is housed at LASA headquarters in Pittsburgh. The center debuted exhibits on Haitian art and culture, promoting cultural exchange and understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Latin America Research Commons (LARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLASA's publisher for books and additional publications. LARC publishes scholarly works on Latin America through open access models.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Modern Language Association (MLA): Major US humanities professional association with a large annual convention, journals, and academic-freedom advocacy. Comparable in conference-operations scale, publications business, and humanities focus, though broader than Latin American studies specifically.
• American Political Science Association (APSA): Large, established US-based disciplinary association with a multi-thousand-attendee annual meeting, multiple journals, and member services. A broader incumbent that overlaps with LASA in conference and publishing operations but operates across political science rather than area studies.

Others

• MaestroMeetings: Conference management platform partner referenced on LASA's own website for managing congress logistics and registrations. Comparable as an event operations service provider supporting the PCO/administrative side of LASA's annual congress.

Direct peers

• African Studies Association (ASA): The leading US-based professional association for African studies, structurally identical to LASA: membership dues, annual international conference, peer-reviewed journals, and area studies grants. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and revenue model.
• Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO): Latin American Council of Social Sciences with hundreds of member research centers across the region. Documented LASA partner organizing panels and book presentations at LASA congresses — closely comparable in membership model and scholarly mission.
• Brazilian Studies Association (BRASA): International professional organization dedicated to promoting Brazilian studies and a documented LASA partner that co-issues statements on issues of mutual concern. Highly comparable as a regional area studies association within the Latin American scholarly ecosystem.
• Caribbean Studies Association (CSA): International professional association of scholars engaged in the study of the Caribbean. Operates an annual conference and serves an overlapping academic community with LASA's geographic remit.
• Association for Asian Studies (AAS): The premier scholarly association for Asian studies with comparable annual convention scale (3,000+ attendees), multiple peer-reviewed journals, book awards, and member-driven governance. Closely comparable in operating model and member profile.
• Middle East Studies Association (MESA): Professional association of scholars and institutions focused on the Middle East and North Africa. Operates an annual meeting, publishes a journal, and runs fellowship programs — structurally analogous to LASA's area-studies association model.
• Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES): US-based scholarly association for Slavic and Eurasian studies with a regional/conference model, peer-reviewed journals, and member-driven awards. Comparable in size, governance, and academic-freedom advocacy tradition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LASAweb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmI-xur6F96Q7NtTTF-_scg
• Facebookfacebook.com/LatinAmericanStudiesAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/latin-american-studies-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/lasaweb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Latin American Studies Association (LASA)