What Lymphatic Education & Research Network does

The Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 and headquartered at 154 West 14th Street in New York City. The organization operates as the leading nonprofit focused exclusively on lymphatic education, research funding, and advocacy, serving individuals affected by lymphedema, lipedema, lymphatic anomalies, and related conditions, as well as the healthcare providers and researchers who treat and study these diseases. The addressable population is estimated at 10 million Americans and 250 million people worldwide living with lymphatic conditions, and LE&RN reports a chapter/advocate footprint spanning more than 50 countries.

LE&RN's core offerings are a unified platform of educational, research, advocacy, and support services rather than a commercial software product. Patient-facing services include a global Resource Center with phone support (1-855-378-8163), a Find a Lymphedema Therapist directory, Ask the Experts Q&A platform, resource downloads, and the LE&RN Global Registry for Lymphatic Diseases (a patient registry and tissue bank). For researchers and clinicians, the organization funds grants, travel awards, fellowships, and scholarships (including GRC-L Travel Awards, LF Travel/Awards, Lifetime and Career Achievement Awards, and U.S. LE Therapist Scholarships), maintains an NIH-Researcher Database, lists clinical trials, and co-publishes the peer-reviewed journal Lymphatic Research and Biology. Its Centers of Excellence program recognizes healthcare facilities (e.g., University of Chicago Medicine) and the organization co-sponsors the Gordon Research Conference on Lymphatics. The underlying technology is a conventional website (lymphaticnetwork.org) with patient registry, video library, and event registration capabilities — no proprietary software or AI systems are described.

LE&RN's revenue model is donations-based. Income is derived from individual and corporate charitable contributions, fundraising walk events (LymphWalk, with both virtual and in-person editions), corporate sponsorships, and restricted bequests such as the Weitzner Family Bequest that funds two-year research fellowships. The go-to-market is community-led, reaching stakeholders through the website, monthly Lymphatic News Monthly newsletter, video library, chapter network, walks, symposia, and federal lobbying — including successful advocacy for bipartisan supermajority support of the Lymphedema Treatment Act and the FY2021 federal appropriations language followed by a 2022 federal bill supporting a National Commission on Lymphatic Diseases. Academy Award-winning actress Kathy Bates serves as ongoing celebrity spokesperson for the Face of Lymphedema campaign.

Name

Lymphatic Education & Research Network

Legal name

Lymphatic Education & Research Network

Website

https://lymphaticnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that provides education, research funding, advocacy, and patient support for people affected by lymphedema, lipedema, and related lymphatic diseases, along with the clinicians and researchers serving them.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patient Advocacy and Lymphatic Disease Education

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical & Clinical Reference (Physicians, Nursing, Allied Health) (EDAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Lymphatic disease education
• Medical research funding
• Patient advocacy services
• Nonprofit health organization
• Chronic disease awareness

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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 and Charitable Contributions: LE&RN operates as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 58-2404527) funded primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization runs an annual appeal and accepts donations through its website. The organization also receives bequests, such as the Weitzner Family Bequest funding research fellowships.
2. Walk Events and Fundraising Activities: LE&RN organizes walk events including LymphWalk to Fight Lymphedema & Lymphatic Diseases. These events include virtual walks and in-person events in various locations (Philadelphia, Wisconsin, etc.) and serve as fundraising vehicles while raising awareness.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: The organization has corporate sponsors who support LE&RN's mission. The homepage displays a corporate sponsors lockup, indicating financial or in-kind support from companies servicing the lymphatic disease community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LE&RN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides education, research funding, advocacy, and clinical programs for lymphatic diseases including lymphedema, lipedema, and lymphatic anomalies. It operates a resource center, a patient registry, a grants/awards program, scientific conferences, and a global chapter network spanning more than 50 countries. The organization also conducts policy advocacy, including the Lymphedema Treatment Act and a National Commission on Lymphatic Diseases.

Product overview

Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers a unified platform of educational, research, advocacy, and support services for individuals affected by lymphatic diseases. The portfolio consists of patient-facing services (Resource Center, Find a Therapist, Ask the Experts, Global Registry), research support programs (NIH-Researcher Database, Grants & Awards Programs, Clinical Trials), awareness/advocacy initiatives (World Lymphedema Day, Lymphatic News Monthly newsletter, annual Walk events), educational content (Video Library, Symposium Series, Resource Downloads), and community-building through LE&RN Chapters and Virtual Expo. The organization does not operate a commercial software product but rather provides information services and programs. The main contact is 1-855-378-8163 for the Resource Center, and the NYC office is located at 154 West 14th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10011.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LE&RN Global Registry for Lymphatic Diseases

Quantifiable outcome

• LE&RN has awarded hundreds of travel grants, fellowships, and scholarships to researchers and therapists since 2004
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NIH (National Institutes of Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLE&RN works with NIH on lymphatic research funding, including advocacy for increased NIH funding for lymphatic diseases. LE&RN President & CEO William Repicci testified at NIH regarding ARPA-H patient engagement. NIH-Researcher Database is hosted on LE&RN website.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLE&RN partnered with CDC on a National Indicator Report for lymphatic diseases. Kathy Bates created a video for CDC about lymphedema awareness.
• ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLE&RN is engaging with ARPA-H for patient engagement in funded breakthroughs. LE&RN is gathering patient perspectives to guide ARPA-H funded research through intake forms.
• Lymphoedema Support Network (LSN) - UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLE&RN partnered with UK's Lymphoedema Support Network to develop COVID-19 Guidelines for the Lymphatic Disease Community, demonstrating international collaboration in patient education.
• Gordon Research ConferencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLE&RN co-sponsors the Gordon Research Conference on Lymphatics, providing travel awards for researchers to attend and presenting awards at the conference.
• LE&RN Centers of ExcellencecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLE&RN designates healthcare facilities as Centers of Excellence for lymphatic disease care. These centers include University of Chicago Medicine and provide specialized treatment and host educational events.
• LE&RN ChapterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLE&RN has a network of local chapters worldwide that provide community support, education, and advocacy at the local level.
• LE&RN Global Registry for Lymphatic DiseasescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatient registry and tissue bank enabling patients with lymphatic diseases to contribute to research by joining the registry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD): NORD is a broad incumbent serving all rare disease patients, including those with rare lymphatic anomalies that LE&RN addresses. NORD operates at much larger scale and represents the umbrella advocacy organization where LE&RN's specialized work fits.
• Susan G. Komen: Susan G. Komen is a broad incumbent with massive fundraising infrastructure and addresses breast cancer-related lymphedema, a key patient segment for LE&RN. Komen's scale and brand dwarf LE&RN but covers a subset of LE&RN's mission.
• American Cancer Society: American Cancer Society is a broad incumbent addressing cancer-related lymphedema among its broader cancer mission. ACS has substantially larger resources and increasingly overlaps with LE&RN's patient population on secondary lymphedema.

Regional players

• European Lymphology Society: The European Lymphology Society is a regional professional organization advancing lymphatic research and education in Europe. LE&RN collaborates on poster awards and conferences, indicating close operational alignment but distinct geographic focus.
• Lymphoedema Support Network: The UK's Lymphoedema Support Network is a regional peer serving British patients with lymphatic diseases. LE&RN has an established partnership with LSN, including co-developed COVID-19 guidelines, demonstrating close operational alignment.

Direct peers

• National Lymphedema Network (NLN): The National Lymphedema Network is a direct peer nonprofit providing education, advocacy, and support for people with lymphedema. Both organizations occupy the same niche of lymphatic disease advocacy with overlapping therapist directory and patient education services.
• Fat Disorders Research Society: The Fat Disorders Research Society focuses on lipedema and related fat disorders, directly overlapping with LE&RN's patient community. Both organizations fund research and advocate for patients with lymphatic-related conditions.
• National Lipedema Association: The National Lipedema Association focuses specifically on lipedema, one of the lymphatic diseases LE&RN serves. Both organizations provide patient education, advocacy, and provider directories for overlapping patient populations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lymphaticnet

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 Lymphatic Education & Research Network