Case Study

How the Kearney Chamber Boosted Member Value (and Revenue) Through New Programming

Overview

Located in Kearney, Nebraska – a vibrant community of 35,000 residents – the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce is known for its proactive approach to supporting businesses and fostering community growth. Under the leadership of President and CEO Derek Rusher, the Chamber has experienced significant growth. In recent years, Derek and his team recognized a critical gap in professional development opportunities and sought a solution that would help the Chamber bring more value to member businesses and strengthen workplace culture within the Kearney business community.

Challenge

While the Chamber had long offered respected, community-oriented programs like Leadership Kearney and Youth Leadership Kearney, Derek identified a gap when it came to workplace-focused development. These existing programs provided valuable field trips, networking, and civic exposure, but didn’t fully address the practical leadership skills and cultural alignment that local young professionals and emerging leaders would also benefit from. As a former educator and leadership development enthusiast, Derek saw this as a clear opportunity to introduce programming that would meet the evolving needs of local businesses and emerging leaders alike.

Solution

To fill the leadership development gap he identified, Derek launched a new 12-month program called Kearney Rising Stars, specifically designed to develop emerging leaders within the local workforce. He partnered with BetterCulture to power the program using BetterCulture’s 20 Tenets of Culture – a turnkey curriculum that emphasizes real-world leadership habits and workplace culture.

Why the Rising Stars program with BetterCulture stood out:

Plug-and-Play Format: Professionally produced, self-guided video modules with built-in discussion tools for easy facilitation
Behavior-Based: Focused on practical, repeatable actions that help shape leadership mindsets over time (and that lead to great group discussions)
Scalable & Sustainable: Allowed the Chamber to offer high-impact programming without adding internal overhead
Business Value Proposition: Gave member businesses a new way to recognize, develop, and retain emerging staff they don’t want to lose

This was exactly the kind of modern, workforce-focused solution Derek envisioned to bring more value to member businesses and strengthen leadership pipelines in the Kearney business community.

Process

How the Chamber Launched the Program

The Chamber had a strategic but simple plan for launching their Rising Stars program.

Their approach:

Created Simple Marketing Materials: Including a basic landing page with information regarding program costs, dates, and location
Named the Program: Using the name “Rising Stars,” Derek positioned the program to be prestigious and to attract emerging leaders aiming for greater impact
Contacted Members and Built “Buzz”: Encouraged member businesses to nominate emerging leaders
Built a Simple Application: This basic sign-up form is quick and easy for participants to complete
Self-Facilitated: Derek facilitates program sessions using BetterCulture’s turnkey videos and guides

Session Structure:

12-Month Program consisting of twelve 2-hour sessions
Each session is two hours long and covers two BetterCulture Tenets
Each Cohort Consists of 13 Participants with participants and their Sponsoring Organizations all being recognized with pictures and brief bios on the program’s landing page
Sessions Involve Expert Video Lessons on practical leadership skills and guided group discussion to apply insights in real time
Program Graduation will be held at the Chamber’s annual event to further build program prestige and to build local interest in future cohorts

Thanks to BetterCulture’s plug-and-play content, the Chamber launched a high-impact program with minimal effort—and maximum value.

Outcomes

The Rising Stars Program utilizing BetterCulture’s content has quickly become a standout offering for the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce—benefiting the Chamber, its member businesses, and the rising star leaders themselves.

For the Chamber:

Exceeded recruitment goals by 100% (26 applicants for 13 spots!) – This prompted the launch of a 2^nd cohort to meet local demand
Generated $26,000 of non-dues revenue via a $1,000/participant registration fee
Strengthened its reputation as a forward-thinking, business-focused organization
Met national Chamber accreditation standards for leadership development
Delivered a high-impact program without requiring internal curriculum development

For Member Businesses:

Gained a new method for recognizing, developing and retaining emerging talent
Saw participants return to work with stronger leadership skills, clearer communication, and improved cultural awareness
Increased employee engagement and readiness for promotion

For Participants:

Built confidence in their leadership abilities
Learned how to influence culture, manage conflict, and foster trust
Connected with peers from across the community, expanding their professional networks

More than just a training program, the Kearney Rising Stars program has been an easy-to-implement way for the Chamber to generate non-dues revenue, deliver greater value to member businesses, and help those businesses invest in and retain their emerging leaders.

“Partnering with BetterCulture allowed us to offer a high-quality leadership program without building one from scratch. It was a smart, scalable way to add value for our members. The Rising Stars Program utilizing BetterCulture’s content helped us meet accreditation standards and deliver something our business community genuinely needed—real leadership development for the next generation.”

Derek Rusher

CEO, Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce