Leadership Lake County

What Leadership Lake County does

Leadership Lake County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1986 and headquartered in Mentor, Ohio, that delivers community-based leadership development programs exclusively to residents, workers, and students of Lake County, Ohio. The organization operates a five-tier program portfolio spanning elementary school through executive leadership: Camp L.I.T. (3rd-5th graders), Youth Leadership Academy (7th-8th graders, $375), Junior Leadership Program (high school, $425), Community Builders (front-line employees, $995), and the Signature Program (executives, $3,400). All cohorts run from late August through early June with monthly full-day, community-based program days that emphasize experiential learning and immediate application of skills. Youth programs are heavily subsidized by foundation grants and corporate sponsorships (e.g., Youth Leadership Academy tuition of $375 covers half of the actual $750 per-student cost; JLP tuition of $425 covers roughly a quarter of the actual $1,650 per-student cost), while adult programs are typically employer-sponsored. The organization is supported by named corporate partners including Lubrizol, Lincoln Electric, ABB, and Cleveland Clinic, as well as foundation funders such as the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

The organization's underlying technology stack is a standard nonprofit toolkit — Zeffy for ticketing and donations, SurveyMonkey for surveys, PhotoBiz for website management, and Microsoft SharePoint for internal documents — with no proprietary platform or AI/ML capabilities. Program delivery depends on physical co-located events, community-based site visits, and in-person cohort sessions held at venues such as Lakeland Community College and St. Noel's Banquet Center. The technology layer therefore is administrative rather than product-differentiating.

Revenue is generated through five streams: program tuition fees, alumni dues, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and event revenue (annual golf outing, Winefest, Leader of the Year Celebration, holiday gatherings). The organization is led by a lean four-person team (President/CEO Tricia Johnston, Professional Programs Director Juliana Petti, Youth Program Director Gina Fletcher, Office Manager Bert Patterson) and serves applicants on a competitive, first-come-first-served basis with limited cohort sizes (the Signature Program caps at 45 participants). Its go-to-market is essentially an enterprise field-sales model in which Lake County employers sponsor employees into programs and alumni networks drive referrals and retention.

Name

Leadership Lake County

Legal name

Leadership Lake County

Website

https://leadershiplakecounty.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Leadership Lake County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 in Mentor, Ohio that delivers community-based leadership development programs from elementary through executive levels to Lake County residents, workers, and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI), Team & Group Executive Coaching (Leadership Teams) (EDABANAF), Student Government & Leadership Programs (EDAJAJAH)

Keywords

• Community leadership development
• Executive leadership programs
• Youth leadership education
• Professional development nonprofits
• Civic engagement training

Headquarters

HQ city

Mentor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition Fees: Revenue from paid programs including Signature Program ($3,400), Community Builders ($995), Youth Leadership Academy ($375), and Junior Leadership Program ($425). These are employer-supported professional development programs.
2. Alumni Dues: Annual alumni dues collected from program graduates to maintain active membership status and access alumni events at discounted rates.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate giving from Lake County businesses to support youth programs and general operations. Multiple sponsors recognized on giving page.
4. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, The Lubrizol Corporation, Lincoln Electric, Western Reserve Junior Service League, and Lake County General Health District for youth programs.
5. Event Revenue: Revenue from events including annual golf outing, Winefest tasting contest, Leader of Year celebration, and holiday gatherings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Leadership Lake County provides community-based leadership development programs for adults, students, and emerging leaders in Lake County, Ohio. The organization delivers five core programs spanning multiple age groups: the Signature Program for executives, Community Builders for front-line employees, Junior Leadership Program for high school students, Youth Leadership Academy for middle school students, and Camp L.I.T. for elementary students. Programs run monthly from August through May with community-based experiential learning days that emphasize immediate application of leadership skills.

Product overview

Leadership Lake County offers a suite of interactive leadership development programs spanning from middle school students to executive-level professionals. The core portfolio includes the Signature Program for executives ($3,400), Community Builders for young professionals ($995), Junior Leadership Program for high school students ($425), Youth Leadership Academy for middle schoolers ($375), and Camp L.I.T. for elementary students. Supplementary offerings include the Community Builders Virtual Leadership Lounge digital resource library, the annual NEO Nonprofit Summit event, and the Leader of the Year award recognition program. Programs operate from August through May with community-based program days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Builders: A leadership development experience designed for front-line employees and entry-level supervisors, focusing on engagement, empowerment, and impact.
• Signature Program
• Junior Leadership Program
• Youth Leadership Academy
• Camp L.I.T.

Products and services

• Signature Program Executive-level leadership development program for established community leaders seeking to enhance key leadership skills, gain in-depth knowledge of Lake County, and address current local issues. Program runs from August through May with monthly program days, overnight retreats, and community impact projects. Tuition is $3,400 per participant with a $50 non-refundable application fee. Programs are typically employer-sponsored. Class size limited to 45 participants.
• Community Builders Program Leadership development experience designed for front-line employees and entry-level supervisors aged 23-35, focusing on engagement, empowerment, and impact. The program addresses technical vs. adaptive challenges, faction mapping, engaging new voices, and behavior styles. Tuition is $995 per participant with a $50 non-refundable application fee. Programs are typically employer-sponsored.
• Junior Leadership Program Nine-month leadership development program for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors focusing on 21st century skills including collaboration, critical thinking, communication, creativity, life and career skills, and information technology. Program meets first Wednesday each month from September through May. Students explore government, health and human services, business, and recreation through on-site visits and guest speakers. Tuition is $425 per student (subsidized from $1,650 actual cost). Partial scholarships available. Minimum 2.0 GPA required.
• Youth Leadership Academy Nine-month program for 7th and 8th grade students teaching basics of leadership including goal setting, communication, time management, critical thinking, problem solving, and community service skills. Program meets second Tuesday September through April. Tuition is $375 per student (subsidized from $750 actual cost). Partial scholarships available based on financial need.
• Camp L.I.T. (Leaders in Training) Week-long summer camp for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders introducing leadership training and activities. Topics include leadership qualities, behavior styles, communication, collaboration, empathy, inclusion, and making an impact. Runs Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 2:30pm at Lakeland Community College. Camp fees include shirts and snacks.
• NEO Nonprofit Summit Annual summit for regional nonprofit leaders featuring presentations and panels from subject matter experts on critical topics for nonprofit success. Co-hosted with other community nonprofits and featuring partners such as Kent State University Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement and Signature Health.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates serve on numerous local, state, and national non-profit and public boards as effective directors and trustees
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Lakeland Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership designed to make Leadership Lake County's Junior Leadership Program more accessible to high school students by removing transportation barriers. Beginning 2026-2027, Lakeland serves as the central hub for monthly JLP sessions. Students gather at The President's Corner before program days.
• LaketrancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Lakeland Community College to address transportation barriers for Junior Leadership Program participants. Ensures students can access program locations throughout Lake County.
• University HospitalsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerConducts free health screenings including hypertension, diabetes, bone density, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, stroke risk, and A1C assessment at Health at Harvey community event.
• Lake County General Health DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides health and wellness services at Health at Harvey community event. Major funder of youth programs including Youth Leadership Academy and Junior Leadership Program.
• Painesville City SchoolsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Health at Harvey community health event, providing venue support for free health screenings and wellness services.
• Dworken & BernsteinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for annual golf outing. Provides continued support for the annual event.
• Griffin Technology GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFine Wine Sponsor for Winefest 2025 event.
• Kent State University Division of Philanthropy and Alumni EngagementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents on donor relations at the Northeast Ohio Nonprofit Summit, a collaborative event hosted by Leadership Lake County and regional nonprofits.
• Signature HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErin Turner presents on crucial conversations at the Northeast Ohio Nonprofit Summit. Provides behavioral health and addiction services in Lake County.
• Quail Hollow Country ClubminorOthersVenue for annual golf outing events. Located in Lake County, Ohio.
• St. Noel's Banquet CenterminorOthersVenue for annual Leader of the Year Celebration and Signature/Community Builders graduation events in Willoughby Hills.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Leadership Columbus: Central Ohio nonprofit leadership development organization with analogous Signature and youth programs; operates in a different Ohio region but applies the same community-leadership-development model with employer sponsorship.
• Leadership Pittsburgh: Greater Pittsburgh community leadership development nonprofit running flagship programs for senior executives and emerging leaders - parallel structure and operating model to Lake County though serving a larger metro market.
• Leadership Cleveland: Cleveland-area nonprofit providing executive leadership programs, community engagement, and civic-board placement - directly comparable in serving a Northeast Ohio professional audience with employer-sponsored cohorts and alumni network structure.
• Leadership Akron: Community-based nonprofit in Akron, Ohio offering multi-generational leadership development programs for professionals and youth - the closest geographic and structural analog to Leadership Lake County, with similar Signature, emerging-leader, and youth program tiers.
• United Way of Lake County: Same-county nonprofit with overlapping community civic-leadership mission and corporate/foundation donor base; serves both as a partner and a comparable organization engaging Lake County civic stakeholders.

Emerging players

• Young Nonprofit Professionals Network: National membership network serving emerging nonprofit leaders with professional development content - competes for the same emerging-leader segment via digital channels rather than in-person cohort models.

Broad incumbents

• Dale Carnegie & Associates: Globally established provider of leadership and professional development training serving individual professionals and corporate clients - competing for the same employer training budget with scalable, for-fee corporate programs.
• Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio: Broader nonprofit delivering youth leadership, work-readiness, and financial-literacy programs across the same NE Ohio geography - overlapping in K-12 leadership development but operating at much larger scale nationally.
• Toastmasters International: Global membership-based leadership and communication skills organization; competes for personal time/budget of the same young-professional and emerging-leader segment addressed by Community Builders.

Others

• National Civic League: National nonprofit advancing civic participation and community governance - adjacent thematic peer focused on civic infrastructure rather than direct leadership-program delivery, but shares funders and donor networks with LLC.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leadershiplakecounty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Leadership Lake County