The Founder's Trap
The Founder's Trap
The Founder's Trap Market Archetype Mechanical Natural
Tier
Developing
Trajectory Thumbprint

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.

The Dispersal
The Dispersal
Institutional Health Scores
5-yr trend: The Founder's Trap ↑
Overall
55
Score
Governance
58
Score
Financial
50
Score
Program
60
Score

Institutional Epochs

2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Financial Era
Governance Era
Trajectory Era
Founders Trap

Historical Performance

Year Revenue Top Comp Comp % Rev Score Phase Label Outlook Details
2025 Hidden Hidden — — Unknown —
2024 Hidden Hidden — — Unknown —
2023 — — 2.2% 55 Fragile Decline Risk
2022 — — 2.1% 59 Fragile Recovery
2021 — — 5.8% 54 Fragile Decline Risk
2020 — — 5.9% 54 Fragile Decline Risk
2019 — — 3.6% 59 Fragile Recovery
2018 — — 2.9% 55 Fragile Stable Watch
2017 — — 3.8% 55 Fragile Recovery
2016 — — 3.5% 51 Fragile Decline Risk
2015 — — 2.1% 59 Fragile Recovery
2014 — — 1.7% 55 Fragile Recovery
2013 — — 2.7% 49 Financially Distressed Decline Risk
2012 — — 3.7% 55 Fragile Stable Watch
2011 — — 1.7% 55 Fragile Stable Watch

Officer compensation history

Tax year 2026

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
ADAM LEVINE Executive Director 0.8% of Rev
JENNIFER MCCARY CHIEF CULTURE AND BRAND EX 0.3% of Rev
GARY GONYA Board Member 0.3% of Rev
PATRICIA O'TOOLE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 0.2% of Rev
ANDREA GARDNER Board Member 0.2% of Rev
RHONDA SEWELL Board Member 0.2% of Rev
DEB BALL Board Member 0.2% of Rev
DIANE WRIGHT Artistic Director 0.2% of Rev
LAURIE FRENCH Board Member 0.2% of Rev
MARK GOETZ Treasurer 0.1% of Rev
RANDY OOSTRA Board Member —
JOE NAPOLI Board Member —
SHARON SPEYER VICE CHAIRMAN —
THOMAS WINSTON Secretary —
ELIZABETH BRADY Board Member —
JUDITH HERB Board Member —
MIKE HYLANT Board Member —
SUSAN PALMER VICE CHAIRMAN —
MIKE THAMAN VICE CHAIRMAN —
DAVID KROCK Board Member —
RITA MANSOUR Board Member —
PAT BOWE Treasurer —
RODNEY EASON VICE CHAIRMAN —
JAY SECOR Board Member —
SARA JANE DEHOFF CHAIRMAN —
CYNTHIA THOMPSON Board Member —
LISA MCDUFFIE Board Member —
ROMULES DURANT Board Member —
BRIAN CHAMBERS Board Member —
SHANKH MITRA Board Member —
DR GREGORY POSTEL Board Member —
DR DIONE SOMERVILLE Board Member —
MARGY TRUMBULL Board Member —
JOAQUIN CINTRON-VEGA Board Member —
MIKE BAUER Board Member —
MAJIDA MOURAD Board Member —
PRAKASH KARAMCHANDANI Board Member —
ANN MCCAULEY Board Member —

Tax year 2025

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
ADAM LEVINE Executive Director 0.8% of Rev
JENNIFER MCCARY CHIEF CULTURE AND BRAND EXPERIENCE OFFICER 0.3% of Rev
PATRICIA O'TOOLE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 0.2% of Rev
GARY GONYA Board Member 0.2% of Rev
ANDREA GARDNER Board Member 0.2% of Rev
MICHAEL DEETSCH Board Member 0.2% of Rev
RHONDA SEWELL Board Member 0.2% of Rev
DIANE WRIGHT Artistic Director 0.2% of Rev
RANDY OOSTRA CHAIRMAN —
STEPHEN D TAYLOR VICE CHAIRMAN THRU 12-31-23 —
JOE NAPOLI VICE CHAIRMAN —
SHARON SPEYER Secretary —
THOMAS WINSTON Treasurer —
ELIZABETH BRADY Board Member —
JUDITH HERB Board Member —
MIKE HYLANT Board Member —
SUSAN PALMER VICE CHAIRMAN —
MIKE THAMAN Board Member —
DAVID K WELLES JR Board Member —
DAVID KROCK Board Member —
RITA MANSOUR Board Member —
PAT BOWE Board Member —
RODNEY EASON Board Member —
JAY SECOR Board Member —
SARA JANE DEHOFF VICE CHAIRMAN —
CYNTHIA THOMPSON Board Member —
LISA MCDUFFIE Board Member —
ROMULES DURANT Board Member —
BRIAN CHAMBERS Board Member —
SHANKH MITRA Board Member —
DR GREGORY POSTEL Board Member —
DR DIONE SOMERVILLE Board Member —
MARGY TRUMBULL Board Member —
JOAQUIN CINTRON-VEGA Board Member —
MIKE BAUER Board Member —
ANN STRICKLER Board Member —
CYNTHIA BEEKLEY Board Member —
MAJIDA MOURAD Board Member —
SUSAN DENNY Board Member —
ANNETTE DONAR Board Member —
PRAKASH KARAMCHANDANI Board Member —
ANN MCCAULEY Board Member —

Tax year 2023

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
ADAM LEVINE Executive Director 0.5% of Rev
PATRICIA O'TOOLE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 0.2% of Rev
ANDREA GARDNER Board Member 0.2% of Rev
DIANE WRIGHT Artistic Director 0.2% of Rev
MICHAEL DEETSCH Board Member 0.2% of Rev
JENNY WENSINK Board Member 0.2% of Rev
KRISTINA CRYSTAL CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER 0.1% of Rev
RANDY OOSTRA CHAIRMAN —
STEPHEN D TAYLOR VICE CHAIRMAN —
JOE NAPOLI VICE CHAIRMAN —
SHARON SPEYER Secretary —
THOMAS WINSTON Treasurer —
ALLAN BLOCK Board Member —
ELIZABETH BRADY Board Member —
JUDITH HERB Board Member —
MIKE HYLANT Board Member —
HARLEY J KRIPKE Board Member —
SUSAN PALMER Board Member —
MIKE THAMAN Board Member —
DAVID K WELLES JR Board Member —
DAVID KROCK Board Member —
RITA MANSOUR Board Member —
PAT BOWE Board Member —
RODNEY EASON Board Member —
JAY SECOR Board Member —
SARA JANE DEHOFF VICE CHAIRMAN —
CYNTHIA THOMPSON Board Member —
LISA MCDUFFIE Board Member —
ROMULES DURANT Board Member —
BRIAN CHAMBERS Board Member —
COLLEEN BARRON Board Member —
SHANKH MITRA Board Member —
DR GREGORY POSTEL Board Member —
KIRAN RAI Board Member —
DR DIONE SOMERVILLE Board Member —
MARGY TRUMBULL Board Member —
JOAQUIN CINTRON-VEGA Board Member —

Tax year 2022

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
ADAM LEVINE Executive Director 0.3% of Rev
KRISTINA CRYSTAL CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER 0.2% of Rev
PATRICIA O'TOOLE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 0.2% of Rev
DIANE WRIGHT Board Member 0.2% of Rev
JOHN STANLEY Board Member 0.2% of Rev
TODD AHRENS Board Member 0.1% of Rev
LAWRENCE NICHOLS Artistic Director 0.1% of Rev
MICHAEL DEETSCH Board Member 0.1% of Rev
RANDY OOSTRA CHAIRMAN —
STEPHEN D TAYLOR VICE CHAIRMAN —
JOE NAPOLI VICE CHAIRMAN —
SHARON SPEYER Secretary —
THOMAS WINSTON Treasurer —
ALLAN BLOCK Board Member —
ELIZABETH BRADY Board Member —
JUDITH HERB Board Member —
JAMES A HOFFMAN Board Member —
MIKE HYLANT Board Member —
HARLEY J KRIPKE Board Member —
SUSAN PALMER Board Member —
MIKE THAMAN Board Member —
DAVID K WELLES JR Board Member —
DAVID KROCK Board Member —
RITA MANSOUR Board Member —
PAT BOWE Board Member —
RODNEY EASON Board Member —
JAY SECOR Board Member —
SARA JANE DEHOFF VICE CHAIRMAN —
CYNTHIA THOMPSON Board Member —
CYNTHIA SKAFF Board Member —
LISA MCDUFFIE Board Member —
MARY GALVIN Board Member —
ROMULES DURANT Board Member —
BRIAN CHAMBERS Board Member —
MARY ELLEN PISANELLI Board Member —

Tax year 2021

Name Title Phone Email Compensation
BRIAN KENNEDY Executive Director 0.4% of Rev
JOHN STANLEY Board Member 0.2% of Rev
LYNN MILLER Board Member 0.2% of Rev
KRISTINA CRYSTAL CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER 0.2% of Rev
PATRICIA O'TOOLE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 0.2% of Rev
TODD AHRENS Board Member 0.1% of Rev
RANDY OOSTRA CHAIRMAN —
STEPHEN D TAYLOR VICE CHAIRMAN —
JOE NAPOLI VICE CHAIRMAN —
MARY ELLEN PISANELLI Secretary —
JOHN SZUCH Treasurer —
ALLAN BLOCK Board Member —
ELIZABETH BRADY Board Member —
JUDITH HERB Board Member —
JAMES A HOFFMAN Board Member —
MIKE HYLANT Board Member —
GEORGE M JONES III Board Member —
HARLEY J KRIPKE Board Member —
SUSAN PALMER Board Member —
MIKE THAMAN Board Member —
DAVID K WELLES JR Board Member —
DAVID KROCK Board Member —
RITA MANSOUR Board Member —
SHARON SPEYER Board Member —
THOMAS WINSTON Board Member —
PAT BOWE Board Member —
RODNEY EASON Board Member —
GRETCHEN ROHM Board Member —
JAY SECOR Board Member —
ELLEN WISE Board Member —
SARA JANE DEHOFF VICE CHAIRMAN —
SCOTT TRUMBULL VICE CHAIRMAN —
CYNTHIA THOMPSON Board Member —
ADAM LEVINE Executive Director —
Officer contact details, exact compensation figures, and active litigation are available to verified members.
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Score breakdown

Score breakdown

Financial resilience
50 / 100
weight 40%
Governance risk
58 / 100
weight 40%
Program scale
60 / 100
weight 20%
Overall
55 / 100
Developing

The three components combine into a single 0–100 score weighted as shown. Full methodology →

Peer comparison

Compared to 126 other orgs in OH with NTEE prefix A5.

Most-divergent component: financial score sits 27 points below the peer median (50 vs. 77).

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

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.