Love Live Local

What Love Live Local does

Love Live Local, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Massachusetts and headquartered at 539 South Street, Hyannis, MA, on Cape Cod. Founded in 2013 by Jen Villa and co-founders, the organization's stated mission is to strengthen Cape Cod's local economy by promoting the importance of supporting small, independent businesses through education, advocacy, and direct support. It serves two primary customer segments: Cape Cod small businesses (makers, artisans, artists, farmers, and independent retailers) and Cape Cod consumers (residents and visitors). Pain points addressed include competition from national chains and e-commerce, limited marketing resources among SMBs, and limited consumer awareness of local alternatives.

The organization's core products and programs are a hybrid of media, events, and direct services. Flagship offerings include the Love Local Card ($30 membership unlocking discounts at 100+ participating Cape Cod businesses), a physical retail store in downtown Hyannis plus a Square-powered online store featuring nearly 100 local makers, the annual Love Local Field Guide (18,000 copies) and Love Local Gift Guide, the tri-annual Love Local Fest (July and September at Aselton Park, December at Hyannis Village Green, drawing 30,000+ attendees annually and featuring 75-120 vendors), the Local Business Directory with ownership-based filters, and Small Business Support Programs (Boost Your Brand Workshop, Retail Incubator Program, Local Business Boost grant program, and Small Business Advocacy Work). Annual Local Matters research reports (2020-2023) produced with Civic Economics and other partners quantify the economic impact of locally owned businesses. Distribution is regional Cape Cod-only, supported by 40,000+ social media followers and 5,000+ newsletter subscribers.

The revenue model is multi-stream and nonprofit-structured. Earned revenue includes Love Local Fest vendor fees ($185 standard / $160 for Field Guide advertisers), Love Local Card sales ($30 each), retail shop and online store markup on maker goods, and Field Guide/Gift Guide advertising. Contributed revenue includes grants and donations from a diversified base of regional funders (Cape Cod 5, Mid-Cape Home Centers, The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod, The Horizon Foundation) plus event sponsorships. The organization operates with 3 core staff (Executive Director, Operations Director, Development Coordinator) plus a Board of Directors (Kate Sheehan, Board President) and volunteers, and is governed independently with no parent, subsidiary, or venture capital backing. Jen Villa was promoted from Marketing Director to Executive Director in September 2024.

Name

Love Live Local

Legal name

Love Live Local, Inc.

Website

https://lovelivelocal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Love Live Local is a 501(c)(3) Cape Cod nonprofit, founded in 2013, that supports small businesses through tri-annual festivals, a Hyannis retail shop featuring 100+ local makers, a $30 membership card, annual publications, grant programs, and Local Matters economic research reports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Advocacy and Small Business Support

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Neighborhood & Community Markets/Pop-Ups (Community-Led Bazaars) (MPAGAEAJ)

Keywords

• Small business advocacy
• Local economy promotion
• Community festivals
• Retail gift shop
• Business membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyannis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Revenue: Revenue from Love Local Fest vendor fees ($185 standard, $160 for Field Guide advertisers), admission donations, and sponsorships from local businesses and organizations.
2. Retail Shop Sales: Operates a retail store in downtown Hyannis showcasing nearly 100 local makers and artisans, plus an online store via Square.
3. Love Local Card Program: Consumers purchase the Love Local Card for $30 to access exclusive discounts from participating local businesses.
4. Grants and Donations: Funding from sponsors, donors, and grant programs including Cape Cod 5, Mid-Cape Home Centers, The Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod, and The Horizon Foundation.
5. Advertising and Sponsorship: Revenue from advertising opportunities in Love Local Field Guide and Gift Guide publications, plus business sponsorship of events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Love Live Local is a Cape Cod-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a portfolio of community advocacy programs to support small, independent businesses. Its commercial offerings include the Love Local Card membership program ($30 for access to discounts at 100+ participating Cape Cod businesses), a physical and online retail shop showcasing nearly 100 local makers, the annual Love Local Field Guide and Love Local Gift Guide publications, three annual Love Local Fest outdoor vendor festivals, the Love Local Shop Crawl and Love Local Classic community events, and an online Local Business Directory. It also operates Small Business Support Programs (workshops, grants, advocacy) and Vendor/Maker Programs that connect local artisans with consumers through marketing channels, festivals, and retail distribution.

Product overview

Love Live Local is a Cape Cod-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of community advocacy programs centered on strengthening the local economy by promoting small, independent businesses. The core offerings include the Love Local Card ($30 membership unlocking discounts at participating Cape Cod businesses), the Love Local Retail Shop (physical and online store featuring nearly 100 local makers), the Love Local Field Guide (annual publication) and Love Local Gift Guide (holiday publication), the Love Local Fest (three annual outdoor festivals at Aselton Park and Hyannis Village Green), the Love Local Shop Crawl and Love Local Classic events, a Local Business Directory with perk-based filtering, and Small Business Support Programs (workshops, grants, advocacy). The organization also publishes the Shop Local Stories initiative and annual Local Matters economic research reports. The portfolio works together to inspire residents and visitors to invest in Cape Cod's local businesses across both digital and in-person channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Love Local Card: A loyalty card program that provides special offers and discounts from participating Cape Cod businesses.
• Love Local Field Guide
• Love Local Gift Guide
• Love Local Fest
• Love Local Shop Crawl
• Love Local Classic
• Second Summer Cycle

Quantifiable outcome

• $277,500 in small business grants distributed to Cape Cod businesses
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cape Light CompactcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership to produce the 2023 Energy Matters Report on energy use and environmental impacts for local businesses on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. Jointly produced research and educational content.
• Civic EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Research partner commissioned to produce the Local Matters economic impact studies, quantifying the contribution of locally owned businesses to Cape Cod's economy.
• Duffy Health CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Mission supporter for the 2020 Local Matters Measuring Impact Report, contributing to research on local business economic impact.
• Cape Cod Young ProfessionalsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Mission supporter for the 2020 Local Matters Measuring Impact Report.
• Cape Cod Broadcasting MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Shop Local Stories program, providing radio spotlights and promotional coverage for nominated local businesses featured by Love Live Local.
• Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity collaboration partner for the December Love Local Fest Holiday Edition, part of the Hyannis Village Stroll event.
• ArtsBarnstableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity collaboration partner for the December Love Local Fest, working with Love Live Local on the Holiday Edition event.
• HyArts CampusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity collaboration partner for the December Love Local Fest Holiday Edition.
• Hyannis Civic AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity collaboration partner for the December Love Local Fest Holiday Edition.
• Cape Cod Melody TentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2026 Love Local Fests.
• Devils PurseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2026 Love Local Fests.
• East West Event ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2026 Love Local Fests.
• Garbage GoneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2026 Love Local Fests.
• Hy Line CruisesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2026 Love Local Fests.
• Northeast Portable Restrooms (NEPR)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2026 Love Local Fests.
• Truro VineyardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2026 Love Local Fests.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Independent We Stand: National grassroots campaign promoting independently owned businesses; comparable as a marketing/community-advocacy vehicle for the same SMB base Love Live Local serves.
• Local First Arizona: Regional 'buy local' nonprofit running member programs, events, and marketing campaigns for independent businesses — analogous model in a different geography with similar mission and revenue streams.
• American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA): National umbrella that helps communities establish and support independent/local business alliances; directly comparable as Love Live Local operates as a hyperlocal chapter of the same 'buy local' movement.
• Local First Wisconsin: Statewide 'buy local' nonprofit with member business directory, events, and educational programming — same operational template as Love Live Local but at state level in Wisconsin.

Broad incumbents

• Etsy: Global online marketplace for handmade and artisan goods — overlaps with Love Live Local's 100+ maker retail shop and Field Guide as a discovery channel for the same artisan vendor base.
• Farmers Market Coalition: Trade association supporting farmers markets nationwide; comparable as an organization that supports producer-direct retail events and local-food/small-business advocacy networks.
• Main Street America: National community-economic-development organization supporting revitalization of historic commercial districts; closely overlapping mission of strengthening local small-business ecosystems through events and grants.

Emerging players

• Indie Beauty Expo: Event-driven platform connecting independent beauty/artisan brands with consumers via expos and discovery experiences; similar festival-as-marketing-channel playbook applied to a narrower vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lovelivelocal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lovelivelocal
• Instagraminstagram.com/lovelivelocal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Love Live Local