Bright Lights Inc
Donations deductibleRevenue
$707k
year to 31 August 2025
Expenses
$566k
year to 31 August 2025
Total assets
$1.3m
$16k liabilities
Net assets
$1.3m
assets less liabilities
Directors and trustees
10
6.2 years on average
Staff
19
employees, year to 31 August 2025
Left since last filing
0
no seats appear to have opened
Officers and senior staff
3
named in Part VII
Bright Lights Inc's network
10 peoplei10 people on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (10). Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK.The board
10 listediTime on the board is observed from the annual filings: the IRS files no appointment date, so the bar counts years from the first filing the person appears on - a lower bound, not a filed start date. Names are exactly as filed. The IRS publishes no person identifier, so this edition does not yet link a person across organisations.Time served and departures are observed across annual filings. Observed time served is a lower bound - a member may have joined before the first year on record. The organisation reported 10 voting members of its governing body on its latest Form 990 Part VI, which matches the board listed here.| Name | Role as filed | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandy Johnson | Member | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Derek Kay (also filed as Derek Kay) | Member | 2021 | 5 yrs |
| Heather Howard | Past Preside | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Jay Lechner (also filed as Jay Lechner) | Treasurer | 2021 | 5 yrs |
| Jennifer Morand-Ackerman | Company secretary | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Katie Petersen | Member | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Kimberly Bilder | President | 2021 | 5 yrs |
| Nick Stremlau | Member | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Stacy Olson | Member | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Tina Boysen | Member | 2023 | 3 yrs |
Under 5 years5 to 6 years6 years or more
Officers and senior leadership
3 listediNamed in Part VII as officers, key employees or highest-compensated staff - not board members, shown for completeness.| Name | Title as filed | On the filings |
|---|---|---|
| Lori Paulsen | Executive Director - Current | since 2020 |
| Lisa Sypal | Executive Director - Former | since 2018 |
| Renee Ford | Executive Di | since 2022 |
Pay and hours
year to 31 August 2025iFrom Part VII of the Form 990: compensation reported for each officer, director, trustee, key employee and highest-paid staff member, and the average hours a week they report. Most board members are unpaid; a blank means nothing was reported. Pay from related organisations is shown separately.| Name | Title as filed | Hours a week | Pay from the organisation | Related organisations | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renee Ford | Executive Director | 40 | $86k | ||
| Kimberly Bilder | President | 1 | $0 | ||
| Jay Lechner | Treasurer | 1 | $0 | ||
| Tina Boysen | Secretary | 1 | $0 | ||
| Jennifer Morand-Ackerman | Member | 1 | $0 | ||
| Adam Fousek | Member | 1 | $0 | ||
| Ashton Honnor | Member | 1 | $0 | ||
| Brandy Johnson | Member | 1 | $0 | ||
| Derek Kay | Member | 1 | $0 | ||
| Kristi Mapson | Member | 1 | $0 | ||
| Katie Petersen | Member | 1 | $0 | ||
| Nick Stremlau | Member | 1 | $0 |
About
- Legal name
- Bright Lights Inc
- EIN
- 470708499
- Address
- 5561 S 48th St Ste 220, Lincoln, NE, 68516-4109
- State
- Nebraska
- Mission
- Bright lights is a nonprofit organization that takes learning beyond the classroom by providing youth with unique, motivating, hands-on learning opportunities. (as filed on the Form 990)
- Activity (NTEE)
- B9XZ Education
- IRS classification
- 501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
- Classified purpose
- Education
- Size band
- 6 (IRS master file code)
- Formed
- 1987
- Principal officer
- Renee Ford (as named on the Form 990)
- IRS ruling date
- 1 June 1988
- Status
- Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
- Form 990 filings on record
- 7, latest 2024
- IRS Publication 78
- PC (contributions deductible)
Most connected
Longest observed on the filings
≥8years on the filingsBrandy Johnson
≥8years on the filingsJennifer Morand-Ackerman
≥8years on the filingsNick Stremlau
≥7years on the filingsHeather Howard
Latest return
year to 31 August 2025iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 31 August 2025. US dollars, as filed.- Total assets
- $1.3m
- Total liabilities
- $16k
- Net assets or fund balances
- $1.3m
- Contributions and grants received
- $257k
- Program service revenue
- $406k
- Grants and similar paid out
- $32k
- Employees
- 19
Filed finances
1 yeariTotals as filed on the IRS Form 990 (revenue and expenses), by tax year.| Tax year | Total revenue | Total expenses | Surplus or deficit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $535k | $517k | $17k |
As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.