Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business

What Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business does

Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business (VC CoLAB) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit membership organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Ventura, California. The organization operates as a regulatory advocacy coalition serving labor, agriculture, and business stakeholders in Ventura County, with a 15-year track record of intervening in local and state regulatory processes affecting water, housing, energy, environment, and land use (WHEEL). VC CoLAB delivers value by monitoring pending regulations, drafting comment letters, organizing expert testimony at public meetings, and convening stakeholders for collective advocacy; it claims to be the only regularly scheduled, open-discussion format forum in the county covering WHEEL topics.

The organization's core offerings are tiered annual memberships (Individual $100, Business $500, Silver $1,000, Gold $1,500, Platinum $2,500, Benefactor $5,000, Presidents Circle $10,000), monthly WHEEL Committee meetings, Circle the Wagons educational seminars (operated through the VC CoLAB Foundation 501(c)(3) subsidiary), and annual fundraising and community events including the Spring Fling and Annual Meeting. Revenue is generated through membership dues, donations (via the Foundation through the DonorView platform), and event sponsorships ($500 Advocate to $5,000 Benefactor). The organization maintains 1-10 employees led by an Executive Director with policy and outreach coordinators, and is governed by a board dominated by local agricultural operators, ranchers, and consulting firm representatives.

VC CoLAB has no proprietary technology platform; its competitive position rests on institutional relationships with county agencies and policymakers, a cross-sector coalition model, and a documented advocacy track record including the 2023 settlement of the Ventura County 2040 General Plan lawsuit, the 2019 Richard V. Laubacher Water Award, opposition to AB2201 groundwater legislation, and unanimous Board of Supervisors approval of the Somis Ranch Farmworker Housing Project in 2021. Geographic scope is limited to Ventura County and there are no external investors, parent entities, or M&A signals.

Name

Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business

Legal name

Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, and Business

Website

https://colabvc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VC CoLAB is a Ventura County 501(c)(6) non-profit founded in 2010 that advocates on regulatory policy for local labor, agriculture, and business members through tiered memberships, monthly WHEEL meetings, and litigation on water, housing, energy, environment, and land use issues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ventura

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The organization generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees at various tier levels ranging from $100 (Individual) to $10,000 (Presidents Circle). Membership provides access to WHEEL meetings, advocacy representation, and educational events.
2. Donations: The VC CoLAB Foundation (501(c)(3)) accepts donations to support educational efforts and legal advocacy. Donations can be made online through DonorView platform or via mailed donation forms.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales and sponsorships for events including Annual Spring Fling fundraiser and Circle the Wagons educational seminars. Sponsorship opportunities range from $500 (Advocate) to $5,000 (Benefactor).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

VC CoLAB is a 501(c)(6) non-profit membership organization that provides regulatory advocacy and policy representation services to labor, agricultural, and business stakeholders in Ventura County. It offers tiered membership programs (ranging from $100 Individual to $10,000 Presidents Circle), monthly WHEEL Committee forums covering Water, Housing, Energy, Environment, and Land Use issues, Circle the Wagons educational seminars, and an annual fundraising event. The organization files lawsuits, testifies at public meetings, and negotiates with county agencies on behalf of its members.

Product overview

VC CoLAB is a 501(c)6 nonprofit membership organization offering tiered membership programs that provide access to advocacy services, monthly WHEEL Committee meetings (covering Water, Housing, Energy, Environment, and Land Use), Circle The Wagons educational seminars, and annual events including the Spring Fling and Annual Meeting. The organization operates the VC CoLAB Foundation as a separate 501(c)3 entity for fundraising purposes, and uses DonorView for online donation and payment processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VC CoLAB Membership Programs Tiered membership organization offering seven levels (Presidents Circle $10,000, Benefactor $5,000, Platinum $2,500, Gold $1,500, Silver $1,000, Business $500, Individual $100/year) providing access to advocacy services, WHEEL meetings, educational events, and regulatory updates for businesses, agricultural operations, and organizations in Ventura County.
• WHEEL Committee Meetings

Quantifiable outcome

• Somis Ranch Farmworker Housing Project approved unanimously - 360 affordable housing units for farmworkers
• +3 more outcomes

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 regular, major and core.

• CalMotionregularGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 March 2025VC CoLAB Foundation co-presenter with CalMotion of Circle the Wagons Educational Series event on transportation fuel supply and costs impacts.
• Somis Ranch Farmworker Housing ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2022CoLAB collaborated with VC Farm Bureau and VC Agricultural Association to support approval of the Somis Ranch Farmworker Housing Project, resulting in 360 affordable housing units and improved local water quality through tertiary water treatment system.
• SOAR OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016VC CoLAB negotiated key beneficial economic language into the final SOAR 2050 Initiative to benefit agriculture in Ventura County. Also ran competing ballot Measure F to educate community on challenges faced by local farmers.
• VC Taxpayers AssociationregularGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosts Circle the Wagons educational events covering California economy, tax regulations, and ballot measures impacting property and business.
• Ventura County Agricultural AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint advocacy partner on General Plan lawsuit settlement and agricultural policy matters. CoLAB and Agricultural Association jointly filed lawsuit against County for 2040 General Plan adoption.
• Farm Bureau Ventura CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner on agricultural advocacy including hemp cultivation ordinance, farmworker housing, and water rights issues. Collaborated on permanent hemp ordinance adoption.
• United Water Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoLAB organized groundbreaking meeting between local water users, NOAA, and United Water regarding Santa Clara River water allocation balancing city water supply, agricultural water needs, and environmental protection.
• VC Farm BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on hemp ordinance advocacy and farmworker housing initiatives. Joint advocacy on agricultural water supply protection.
• VC Cattlemen's AssociationregularGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of Meet the Candidates Forum at VC Fair with Farm Bureau, VC Agricultural Association, and California Women for Agriculture.
• California Women for Agriculture, Ventura County ChapterregularGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of Meet the Candidates Forum at VC Fair with Farm Bureau, VC Cattlemen's Association, and VC Agricultural Association.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Ventura County Taxpayers Association: A local fiscal- and regulatory-focused advocacy organization that co-hosts Circle the Wagons educational events with VC CoLAB. Operates in the same Ventura County geography on overlapping property rights and regulatory burden issues.
• Farm Bureau of Ventura County: The county-level Farm Bureau serving Ventura County agricultural producers. It is a co-advocacy partner with VC CoLAB on farmworker housing, hemp ordinance, and water rights, making it the most directly comparable local peer organization with overlapping mission and stakeholder base.
• Ventura County Agricultural Association: Local agricultural trade association identified as a Core strategic partner of VC CoLAB, jointly filing the 2040 General Plan lawsuit and collaborating on agricultural policy matters. Same geography and overlapping agricultural advocacy mission make this a direct comparable.

Broad incumbents

• California Business Roundtable: A statewide association of California business leaders focused on economic and regulatory policy. Comparable to VC CoLAB's business-side advocacy focus but operating at a much larger geographic and policy scale.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The largest national business advocacy federation. Comparable in mission to VC CoLAB's business-side advocacy but operating as a broad incumbent across all U.S. geographies and industries.
• National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB): The largest small-business advocacy organization in the U.S., focused on regulatory and policy issues affecting small employers. Comparable to VC CoLAB's business-advocacy function but operating nationally and with a far broader member base.
• California Chamber of Commerce: The largest statewide business advocacy organization in California, representing employers on legislative and regulatory issues. Comparable to VC CoLAB in the business-advocacy dimension but with a much broader scope and portfolio of activities.
• California Farm Bureau Federation: The statewide umbrella agricultural advocacy organization. Operates with significantly broader geographic scope and resources than VC CoLAB but pursues the same general mission of representing farmer and rancher interests on regulatory policy.

Others

• California Cattlemen's Association: State-level association representing California ranchers and cattle producers. Co-hosts advocacy events (e.g., Meet the Candidates Forum at the VC Fair) with VC CoLAB and shares the same Ventura County agricultural stakeholder base on ranching issues.
• California Women for Agriculture: An agricultural advocacy organization with a Ventura County chapter that co-hosts events with VC CoLAB. Comparable in mission around agricultural advocacy but with a different membership composition and operational structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CoLabVc
• Xx.com/CoLAB_VC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vc-colab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business