The Founder's Trap
What does this mean?
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
The Path Forward
The Dispersal
Forces succession planning and structural maturity. It requires raising capacity-building funds to decouple the organization's survival from the founder's personal sacrifice.
Title
Representative Institutions
Institutional Epochs
Historical Performance
| Year | Revenue | Top Comp | Comp % Rev | Score | Phase Label | Outlook | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hidden | Hidden | — | — | Unknown | — | |
| 2023 | — | — | 2.4% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2022 | — | — | 7.6% | 50 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2021 | — | — | 2.0% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2020 | — | — | 6.5% | 50 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2019 | — | — | 3.0% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2018 | — | — | 1.9% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2017 | — | — | 1.9% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2016 | — | — | 2.0% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2015 | — | — | 2.4% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2014 | — | — | 1.0% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch | |
| 2013 | — | — | 1.3% | 55 | Fragile | Recovery | |
| 2012 | — | — | 1.9% | 51 | Fragile | Decline Risk | |
| 2011 | — | — | 1.1% | 55 | Fragile | Stable Watch |
Officer compensation history
Tax year 2025
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMY HORST | Board Member | 2.1% of Rev | ||
| ANN BRUSKY | Board Member | 1.1% of Rev | ||
| JODI THROCKMORTON | Artistic Director | 1.0% of Rev | ||
| DOUGLAS BRUSKY | Board Member | 1.0% of Rev | ||
| JAMES VAN ALSTINE | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 0.9% of Rev | ||
| STEVE WESTPHAL | Board President | — | ||
| ANTHONY RAMMER | Board President | — | ||
| RICHARD BALGE | Treasurer | — | ||
| LAURA KOHLER | Secretary | — | ||
| MAEVE QUINN | Board President | — | ||
| NAJI ALLAN | Board Member | — | ||
| MIKE BEECK | Board Member | — | ||
| JASON BEMIS | Board Member | — | ||
| RENEE BOLDT | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFF CHENEY | Board Member | — | ||
| ANN GRITTINGER | Board Member | — | ||
| BARBARA GRUBER | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA HARTMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| SARA LARSON | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE LINDEMANN | Board Member | — | ||
| LYNN LUCIUS | Board Member | — | ||
| KC NEMSCHOFF | Board Member | — | ||
| MARGARET CHESEBRO NEWHARD | Board Member | — | ||
| RICHARD PAULS | Board Member | — | ||
| NATASHA TORRY | Board Member | — | ||
| SARAH TRAAS | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVE WOODS | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2023
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARK SAMUEL GAPPMAYER | DIR.-STRAT. INITIATIVES (THRU 10/22) | 2.3% of Rev | ||
| AMY HORST | Board Member | 1.9% of Rev | ||
| ANN BRUSKY | Board Member | 1.0% of Rev | ||
| DOUGLAS BRUSKY | Board Member | 0.9% of Rev | ||
| JAMES VAN ALSTINE | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 0.9% of Rev | ||
| ANTHONY RAMMER | Board President | — | ||
| RICHARD BALGE | Treasurer | — | ||
| LAURA KOHLER | Secretary | — | ||
| MIKE BEECK | Board Member | — | ||
| JASON BEMIS | Board Member | — | ||
| LEX CADE-WHITE | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFF CHENEY | Board Member | — | ||
| BARBARA GRUBER | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA HARTMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| SARA LARSON | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE LINDEMANN | Board Member | — | ||
| KC NEMSCHOFF | Board Member | — | ||
| MARGARET CHESEBRO NEWHARD | Board Member | — | ||
| RICHARD PAULS | Board Member | — | ||
| MAEVE QUINN | Board Member | — | ||
| SARAH TRAAS | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVE WESTPHAL | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVE WOODS | Board Member | — |
Tax year 2021
| Name | Title | Phone | Compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARK SAMUEL GAPPMAYER | Board Member | 2.1% of Rev | ||
| AMY HORST | Board Member | 1.2% of Rev | ||
| HEATHER SCHUBERT | Board Member | 1.0% of Rev | ||
| ANTHONY RAMMER | Board President | — | ||
| RICHARD BALGE | Treasurer | — | ||
| LAURA KOHLER | Secretary | — | ||
| MIKE BEECK | Board Member | — | ||
| JASON BEMIS | Board Member | — | ||
| LEX CADE - WHITE | Board Member | — | ||
| JEFF CHENEY | Board Member | — | ||
| ALEXANDRA GUEVARA | Board Member | — | ||
| LISA HARTMAN | Board Member | — | ||
| SARA LARSON | Board Member | — | ||
| CHRISTINE LINDEMANN | Board Member | — | ||
| EDWARD MCKELVEY | Board Member | — | ||
| KC NEMSCHOFF | Board Member | — | ||
| MARGARET CHESEBRO NEWHARD | Board Member | — | ||
| MAEVE QUINN | Board Member | — | ||
| MAX SCHEUER | Board Member | — | ||
| SARAH TRAAS | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVE WESTPHAL | Board Member | — | ||
| STEVE WOODS | Board Member | — | ||
| YER YANG | Board Member | — | ||
| BARBARA GRUBER | Board Member | — | ||
| RICHARD PAULS | Board Member | — |
Score breakdown
The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →
Peer comparison
Compared to 20 other orgs in WI with NTEE prefix A2.
Most-divergent component: program score sits 31 points above the peer median (60 vs. 29).
5-year trend: The Founder's Trap
10-year flat revenue, below-market executive comp, and a small board. The organization survives purely on the sweat equity of a founder, making it utterly un-transferable.
What's driving this score
- Comp-to-revenue ratio of 2.4% sits within the sector's healthy band (18–22%).
What would change this score
No specific high-impact levers identified — this org's score is balanced across components.
Improving governance is a board decision. These are the levers.