Lincoln Independent Business Association

What Lincoln Independent Business Association does

Lincoln Independent Business Association (LIBA) is a 501(c)(7) non-profit business association founded in 1979 in Lincoln, Nebraska, representing approximately 950-1,000 member businesses in the Lincoln metro and surrounding areas. The organization's stated mission is to act as the voice of the local business community in policy advocacy, deliver networking opportunities, and keep members informed about local government and legislative developments. LIBA operates through three related entities: LIBA Inc. (the primary membership entity), the LIBA Foundation (501(c)(3) for educational initiatives), and the LIBA PAC (527 political action committee for candidate support). It is governed by a Board of Directors (Chair: Scott Lockard; Vice Chair: Ron Geary; Secretary: Phil Young; Treasurer: Wade Johnson) and led by President & CEO Lincoln Zehr, who was appointed in March 2025.

LIBA's product surface is a membership-based service ecosystem rather than a discrete software offering. Core products include a tiered membership program (seven tiers priced $125-$7,500 annually: Individual/Retired, Non-Profit, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Cornerstone, Legacy), the GrowthZone-powered Member Information Center (MIC) member portal for directory access and event registration, regular networking events (Coffee & Contacts, BizNet after-hours events, monthly luncheons, quarterly elected-officials access meetings), three standing committees (Public Policy, Community Access, Networking-Membership-Events), the weekly Lincoln Business Beat Podcast distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and KLIN.com, weekly newsletters and editorial content, a searchable member business directory covering 100+ industry categories, and the annual Celebration of Free Enterprise signature event.

LIBA's business model is subscription-recurring membership dues across the seven tiers, supplemented by event sponsorships, advertising revenue (newsletter placements, member portal banner ads, KHGI/KFXL television packages), luncheon presentation hosting fees, and member-to-member deal revenue. Go-to-market is community-led, with new member acquisition driven by networking events, advocacy visibility, and content (podcasts, newsletters, editorials). The organization maintains 1-10 staff and a single office at 1230 O Street, Suite 201, Lincoln, NE.

Name

Lincoln Independent Business Association

Legal name

Lincoln Independent Business Association, Inc.

Website

https://liba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lincoln Independent Business Association is a 501(c)(7) non-profit founded in 1979 that represents approximately 1,000 member businesses in Lincoln, Nebraska through tiered memberships, networking events, advocacy, and a GrowthZone-powered member portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Primary revenue stream from membership dues across seven tiers ranging from $125 annually for Individual/Retired to $7,500 for Legacy membership. Revenue supports advocacy, networking events, educational programs, and community initiatives for the business association.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lincoln Independent Business Association (LIBA) is a non-profit membership-based business association that sells tiered memberships (Individual/Retired, Non-Profit, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Cornerstone, Legacy) to local businesses in the Lincoln, Nebraska area. Members receive access to a Member Information Center (MIC) portal, in-person networking events (Coffee & Contacts, BizNet, Monthly Luncheons), quarterly elected-official access meetings, advocacy through three standing committees (Public Policy, Community Access, Networking-Membership-Events), weekly newsletters, the Lincoln Business Beat Podcast, a searchable business directory, advertising discounts, and the annual Celebration of Free Enterprise event. The organization also operates a 501(c)(3) foundation and a 527 political action committee to support its pro-business mission.

Product overview

Lincoln Independent Business Association (LIBA) operates as a non-profit business association (501c7) representing approximately 950 member businesses in Lincoln, Nebraska. Rather than offering a single software product, LIBA provides a membership-based service ecosystem comprising tiered membership programs (from $125 Individual to $7,500 Legacy annually), the Member Information Center (MIC) member portal for directory access and event management, regular networking events (Coffee & Contacts, BizNet, monthly luncheons), advocacy through three standing committees, the weekly Lincoln Business Beat Podcast distributed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and the annual Celebration of Free Enterprise event. LIBA also publishes weekly newsletters and maintains a searchable member business directory covering 100+ industry categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LIBA Tiered Membership Program Tiered annual membership program for Lincoln-area businesses, ranging from $125 (Individual/Retired) to $7,500 (Legacy). Includes directory listings, advertising benefits (newsletter ads, banner ads, web logo), luncheon meals, committee participation, ribbon cuttings, member-to-member deals e-newsletter, and direct-to-member email sponsorship based on tier.
• Member Information Center (MIC) Portal Online GrowthZone-powered member portal providing searchable business directory access, member-to-member deals, event registration, advertising management, and weekly member communications for LIBA members.
• Networking Events Program Recurring in-person networking events for LIBA members including monthly Coffee & Contacts morning gatherings, monthly BizNet after-hours events, monthly luncheons with 10-minute member presentations, and quarterly Elected Officials Access Meetings with city, county, school board, and state representatives. First-time luncheon guests attend free.
• Celebration of Free Enterprise Annual Event Annual flagship fundraising and recognition event celebrating free enterprise and Lincoln's business community, featuring sponsorship tiers, networking, and recognition of community business leaders. The 39th annual celebration is scheduled for April 8, 2026.

Named customers10 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

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership: National association representing the association-management profession. Relevant as an ecosystem peer — provides benchmarks, best practices, and professional development for staff running organizations like LIBA.
• Main Street America: A national community-development and small-business support network with a comparable member-driven, locally focused advocacy and economic-vitality mission. Overlaps in target member base and advocacy style.
• Independent Sector: National membership organization for nonprofits and foundations. Comparable as a peer membership model with tiered dues, advocacy, and policy research functions serving mission-driven organizations.

Direct peers

• Lincoln Chamber of Commerce: Lincoln's other primary business membership organization. Operates in the same geographic market with overlapping SMB and enterprise membership, competing for member dues and event sponsorship in Lincoln, NE.

Regional players

• Greater Omaha Chamber: A neighboring Nebraska metropolitan chamber operating a similar business membership, advocacy, and networking model. Comparable structure but serves a different (and larger) regional market rather than directly competing in Lincoln.
• Greater Lincoln Workforce Development Board: A Lincoln-area organization with overlapping business-community engagement, policy monitoring, and stakeholder convening functions. Operates in the same geography with partial mission overlap.

Broad incumbents

• National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): The largest U.S. association advocating for small and independent businesses. Operates a similar membership-fee model with state-level chapters, including Nebraska, providing advocacy and member benefits analogous to LIBA but at national scale.
• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): A large U.S. industry association with a comparable policy advocacy and member-engagement operating model. Although industry-focused, it mirrors LIBA's tiered membership and political engagement approach.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The largest business advocacy organization in the United States. Operates a federation model in which local chambers (LIBA-equivalents) participate, sharing similar advocacy, networking, and policy-monitoring functions at a national level.

Emerging players

• Chamber of Commerce (generic trade association model) — Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council: A smaller national advocacy organization championing small-business and entrepreneurship policy. Comparable in mission scope and advocacy focus to LIBA's pro-business policy committee work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LIBAlincoln
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LIBALincoln
• Facebookfacebook.com/LIBA.lincoln
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liba-lincoln-independent-business-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/libalincoln

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Lincoln Independent Business Association