Industry: Community development
Led by: Brian Johnson, president & CEO
Headquarters: Green Bay
Number of Employees: 10
onbroadway.org
Founded in 1995, On Broadway, Inc. promotes the Broadway District as Green Bay’s cultural core for entrepreneurs, creatives, residents and visitors. Today the community-based nonprofit is a multifaceted catalyst for economic development and is experiencing its own organizational growth.
President and CEO Brian Johnson says On Broadway’s growth has been the result of maximizing the impact of its existing events and programming, while also pursuing strategic opportunities. Johnson says the organization has increased sponsorship of events by better articulating their value to sponsors. The district draws more than 500,000 event attendees annually across large-scale community events such as Farmers’ Market on Broadway, Fire over the Fox and the expanding Christkindlmarket.
But events tell only part of the story. The organization has become more aggressive in pursuing grant opportunities that directly support small businesses in the district, including the $985,000 Diverse Business Assistance Grant from the State of Wisconsin.
On Broadway is currently raising funds for projects including the Leicht Park pavilion renovation and the Green Bay Public Market, which will be owned and operated by On Broadway.
“We will continue to identify those opportunities and we aren’t afraid to pursue them,” Johnson says. “Lots of nonprofits are risk adverse, but when we see good opportunities, our board has been supportive.
“Growing real estate presence helps stabilize that long-term revenue for us to have the resources to execute our mission in a real, meaningful way,” he adds.
