Wisconsin DECA

What Wisconsin DECA does

Wisconsin DECA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational association and the Wisconsin chartered association of DECA Inc., founded in 1965 and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. The organization prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management, serving approximately 11,000 student members across more than 100 school-based chapters spanning high school, middle school, and collegiate divisions, structured into six geographic districts.

The core product surface centers on a tiered competitive events pipeline (District Career Development Conferences → State Career Development Conference at Grand Geneva Resort → International Career Development Conference) alongside three leadership conferences: the Emerging Leaders Conference at Kalahari, the Chapter Opportunity Workshop in Madison, and the Sports & Entertainment Marketing Conference in Green Bay. Supporting programs include the Leadership Council (100-150 student members), Ambassador Program (~12 elite returning members), School-Based Enterprise certification, and scholarship access ($200,000+ annually). Underlying technology is a lightweight web stack: the DECA.org membership portal for registration, Google Sites for the Leadership Library and Competition Cabinet, YouTube for the Competitive Excellence Series, and active social channels across seven platforms. No proprietary platform, app, or AI capability is disclosed.

Wisconsin DECA's revenue model combines $16 annual membership dues ($8 to DECA Inc., $8 retained by WI DECA) from ~11,000 students, alumni/professional memberships at the same price point, corporate event sponsorships (notably the State Career Development Conference with 1,600+ attendees), and tax-deductible charitable donations. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: growth is generated through school-based chapters, educator advisors, and a student officer team (Team 60 for 2025-2026) that recruits across Wisconsin's secondary education system. Community service partnerships with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, and Special Olympics Wisconsin add programmatic differentiation and fundraising scale ($80K-$105K raised annually across these three causes).

Name

Wisconsin DECA

Legal name

Wisconsin DECA

Website

https://wideca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wisconsin DECA is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit and the Wisconsin chartered association of DECA Inc., serving roughly 11,000 students across 100+ school-based chapters with competitive events, leadership conferences, and career preparation programs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Career and Technical Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual CTE & Career Pathways Programs (K–12) (EDAJADAL), Career & Technical Education (CTE) Standards Authorities (EDADAEAE)

Keywords

• Career and technical education
• Student leadership development
• Business education programs
• Youth career preparation
• Marketing and finance education

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Student Membership Dues: Annual membership dues of $16 per student member ($8 for DECA Inc. + $8 for WI DECA). Chapters must have minimum 10 members and 1 advisor.
2. Alumni and Professional Membership Dues: Annual dues of $16 for alumni members and professional members who wish to remain involved with the program.
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors interact with thousands of students at the State Career Development Conference and other events, providing financial support in exchange for brand visibility.
4. Donations: Financial support for Wisconsin DECA competitive events is solicited as tax-deductible charitable contributions through donation forms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wisconsin DECA is a chartered state association of DECA Inc. that delivers career and technical education programs to approximately 11,000 high school and college students across more than 100 chapters in Wisconsin. It organizes competitive events, state and district conferences, leadership development activities, and community service projects focused on the marketing, finance, hospitality, management, and entrepreneurship career clusters.

Product overview

Wisconsin DECA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational association that serves as the Wisconsin chartered association of DECA Inc. The organization provides a comprehensive portfolio of programs and resources for high school, middle school, and collegiate students pursuing careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. The core offerings center on competitive events (District CDC, State CDC, ICDC) and leadership conferences (ELC, COW, Sports & Entertainment Marketing Conference). Supporting programs include the Leadership Council and Ambassador program for advanced student leadership, School-Based Enterprise certification, Middle School DECA, and Collegiate DECA. The organization distributes educational resources including the Chapter Management Guide, Social Media Guide, Leadership Library, and Competitive Excellence Series videos. Wisconsin DECA also administers scholarship programs and community service initiatives partnering with MDA, Make-A-Wish, and Special Olympics Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DECA Student Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• $200,000+ in scholarships available annually through DECA Inc.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)coreOthersWisconsin DECA members plan fundraising events and participate in Miracle Minutes to raise between $20,000 - $30,000 annually for MDA. MDA finds research breakthroughs for families living with muscular dystrophy and related diseases.
• Make-A-Wish WisconsincoreOthersWisconsin DECA members plan events, participate in Miracle Minutes, and organize fundraisers to raise between $40,000 - $50,000 yearly for the Make-a-Wish foundation. Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children diagnosed with critical illnesses.
• Special Olympics WisconsincoreOthersWisconsin DECA members participate in Polar Plunges across the state each January and February, annually fundraising between $20,000 - $25,000 for Special Olympics Wisconsin.
• Green Bay Packer FoundationminorOthersThe Green Bay Packer Foundation is the Middle School DECA program sponsor, supporting the initiative that jump-starts leadership skills for middle school students.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SkillsUSA: National CTE student organization with a much broader mandate across skilled trades, but overlaps with Wisconsin DECA on leadership conferences, competitive events, and school-based chapters competing for the same students and corporate sponsors.
• National FFA Organization: A large national CTE student organization with comparable chapter-based model, leadership conferences, competitive events, and corporate sponsorship pipeline; competes for the same CTE-capable student, advisor, and sponsor pool in Wisconsin.
• DECA Inc. The international parent organization that charters state-level DECA associations including Wisconsin DECA and operates the ICDC and standard curriculum. Comparable as the umbrella body that defines Wisconsin DECA's competitive events, branding, and scholarship pipeline.

Direct peers

• Texas DECA: Another large chartered state DECA association operating schools-based chapters, competitive conferences, and leadership programs with a similar member model and event-driven GTM motion.
• California DECA: One of the largest chartered state DECA associations within the same DECA Inc. network, running comparable district, state, and competitive event structures for high school students in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.
• New York DECA: A peer chartered state DECA association offering the same competitive events pyramid (district → state → ICDC) and leadership development programs as Wisconsin DECA, structured as a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit.
• Business Professionals of America (BPA): National CTSO (career and technical student organization) offering competitive events and leadership development for students pursuing business, finance, IT, and management careers. Overlaps with Wisconsin DECA's target audience and chapter model.
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA): The leading national student organization focused on business and leadership education for middle and high school students, with parallel competitive events, state chapters, and conferences. Directly competes with Wisconsin DECA for student and educator mindshare.
• Florida DECA: A peer chartered state DECA association with comparable conference structure, competitive events, and chapter network serving Florida high school students in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.

Emerging players

• DECA-PBL Collegiate (Phi Beta Lambda): Collegiate division of the business education student organization network, directly comparable to Wisconsin DECA's Collegiate DECA offering in target audience and competitive event model at the post-secondary level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wi_deca
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiF7yv2gMnR-0icSsaDiEBg
• Facebookfacebook.com/wisconsindeca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisconsin-deca
• Instagraminstagram.com/wi_deca
• TikToktiktok.com/@wideca?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Wisconsin DECA