Franklinton Board of Trade

What Franklinton Board of Trade does

The Franklinton Board of Trade is a non-profit civic and community development organization based in Columbus, Ohio, serving businesses, residents, and non-profits in the historic Franklinton neighborhood. It functions as the area's de facto chamber of commerce, convening local stakeholders through monthly member luncheons and an annual gala, and administering the Franklinton Special Improvement District (SID), a quasi-governmental mechanism that funds supplemental district services through property-owner assessments. Its brand positioning around "Historic Franklinton" reflects an emphasis on neighborhood identity and revitalization.

The organization's revenue is generated through three primary channels: individual and business membership dues, event sponsorships, and institutional grants. Named funding and programming partners include the City of Columbus, Ohio EPA, the Columbus Foundation, United Way, Mount Carmel, WesBanco, and COSI. The organization does not sell or license any proprietary technology product; its "product" is programming, convening, and district stewardship.

Operations are governed by an 11-member Board of Trustees with a small professional staff of 1-10 employees. Executive leadership includes Trent E. Smith (Executive Director), Mike Amerine (President), Jeff Mohrman (Vice President), Amanda McVey (Treasurer), and Michael Pappas (Secretary). The Board of Trade is positioned as a connector and advocate rather than a service vendor, and its strategic value derives from institutional relationships and regulatory authority over the SID rather than from any technology or intellectual property.

Name

Franklinton Board of Trade

Legal name

Franklinton Board of Trade

Website

https://franklintonbot.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Franklinton Board of Trade is a non-profit civic organization serving businesses, residents, and non-profits in Columbus, Ohio's Franklinton neighborhood through advocacy, member events, and administration of a Special Improvement District.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

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: FBOT generates revenue through tiered membership investments including Gold, Silver, Bronze, Premium Membership, General, Non-Profit, and Individual categories. Members receive benefits including networking opportunities, event sponsorship, promotional assistance, notary services, office space access, and small business grant/loan resources.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors at Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels provide funding support to the organization in exchange for recognition and brand visibility.
3. Grant Funding: FBOT receives grant funding from partner organizations including Columbus Foundation, Ohio EPA, and City of Columbus for community development initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Franklinton Board of Trade is a non-profit community organization serving the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. It provides community advocacy, beautification, and networking services for local businesses, residents, and community partners. It functions as a chamber-of-commerce style entity supporting local economic and civic development.

Product overview

Franklinton Board of Trade operates as a community business organization serving Franklinton, Ohio. Its core offerings include a business directory (FBOT Business Directory), regular networking events and monthly luncheons, an annual gala fundraiser, and membership services providing security, cleanup, and business support resources. The organization also manages the Franklinton Special Improvement District and serves as an advocate for the community's renewal and growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tiered Membership Program Membership program offering tiered levels (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Premium, General, Non-Profit, Individual) for local businesses, residents, and community partners to access advocacy, networking, and community benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Franklinton's image transformation from 'the Bottoms' (negative connotation) to 'Historic Franklinton' (positive image)

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Franklinton Arts DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner collaborating on arts and cultural programming to enhance Franklinton's creative economy and community identity.
• Mount Carmel Health SystemcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Level Sponsor. Regional health system providing healthcare services and community benefit programs in Columbus. Contact: Brian Pierson, Regional Director of Outreach, 793 W. State St.
• WesBancocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Level Sponsor. Regional bank providing commercial and consumer banking services. Contact: Lisa Robinson Shaw, President - Central OH, 33 N Third St., Columbus.
• COSI (Center of Science and Industry)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Level Sponsor. Science museum and educational center. Contact: Amanda McVey, CFO/VP of Administration & Finance, 333 W. Broad St. Columbus.
• Thompson Hine LLPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Level Sponsor. Law firm providing legal services. Contact: Thomas W. Palmer, Partner, 41 S High St., Columbus.
• Heartland BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Level Sponsor. Regional bank. Contact: Mike Amerine, VP Commercial Relationship Manager, 101 S High St., Columbus.
• Telhio Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Level Sponsor. Credit union. Contact: Skyla Coleman, Business Banking Relationship Mgr, 1672 W 5th Ave., Columbus.
• Finance FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Level Sponsor. Community development financial institution. Contact: Jeff Mohrman, VP Real Estate Development, 175 S Third St., Columbus.
• Franklinton Special Improvement District (FSID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFBOT supports management of the Franklinton Special Improvement District, which provides Safety Ambassadors Hotline (614-562-0460) and Cleaning Ambassador services for neighborhood beautification and safety.
• Franklinton Cycle WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit bicycle shop and community center providing mobility services. Contact: Jonathan Youngman, Exec. Dir., 897 W Broad St., Columbus.
• Franklinton FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban agriculture organization promoting food security and community gardens. Contact: Nick Stanich, Executive Director, 909 W Rich St., Columbus.
• Franklinton Development AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment organization supporting economic growth. Contact: Eric Skidmore, Exec. Dir., 1091 W Broad St., Columbus.
• Mount Carmel College of NursingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution providing healthcare training and community health programs. Contact: Mitch Joseph-Kemplin, Dir. of Compliance & Community Affairs, 127 S. Davis Ave., Columbus.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Columbus Partnership: Regional business leadership organization representing major Columbus-area employers on economic development and policy. Overlaps with FBOT's advocacy function but operates at the regional, rather than neighborhood, scale.
• Columbus Chamber of Commerce: The citywide chamber serving the Columbus region with membership, advocacy, and economic development programming. Same chamber-of-commerce model as FBOT but operating across the entire Columbus MSA rather than a single neighborhood.
• National Main Street Center: National nonprofit supporting commercial district revitalization across U.S. towns and neighborhoods. Shares FBOT's mission of neighborhood-based advocacy, beautification, and business support, and provides the broader framework FBOT's work fits within.
• Ohio Chamber of Commerce: Statewide chamber of commerce representing Ohio employers through policy advocacy and member services. Same membership-driven business advocacy model as FBOT but at the state, rather than neighborhood, level.

Direct peers

• Short North Alliance: A Special Improvement District and neighborhood advocacy organization for the Short North Arts District in Columbus. Operates the same SID/event/membership model that FBOT uses for Franklinton, making it the closest structural peer.
• German Village Society: Historic Columbus neighborhood civic organization providing advocacy, events, and member services for German Village businesses and residents. Comparable neighborhood-scale membership and advocacy focus in the same city.
• Hilltop Business Association: Community business association serving the Hilltop neighborhood on Columbus's west side. Similar small-staff neighborhood chamber structure serving SMBs and residents in a defined Columbus geography.

Regional players

• Downtown Cincinnati Improvement District: Cincinnati BID delivering safety, cleaning, and economic development services for downtown. Closely comparable urban district management model to FBOT's FSID work, in a different Ohio market.
• Downtown Cleveland Alliance: Cleveland urban district management organization running safety, cleaning, and economic development services for the downtown core. Comparable to FBOT's FSID management role for Franklinton, but in a different Ohio metro.

Others

• Franklinton Development Association: Franklinton-focused economic development organization sharing the same service geography as FBOT. Functionally adjacent rather than competitive, focused on development projects while FBOT focuses on advocacy and SMB services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Franklinton-Board-of-Trade-108436069179519
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-franklinton-board-of-trade
• Instagraminstagram.com/franklinton_board_of_trade

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 Franklinton Board of Trade