Contact: Lindsey Sherrod, 865-719-7002, lindsey@brandbecollective.com

CHICAGO, Feb. 14, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- Co-Lab 2013 is removing the red-tape of large conference models so that 120 nonprofit professionals will have access to an exclusive Executive MBA experience on March 21-22 that provides connections with some of the nation's most influential Christian thinkers and ministry leaders.

The custom two-day experience connects with participants on where they are now and provides them with tools to get where they want to go. Attending faculty include leaders from organizations such as World Relief, The Barna Group, and International Justice Mission, who the New York Times has recognized for their work in rescuing victims of slavery and sex trafficking. Noted instructors also include best-selling authors Nancy Ortberg, David Kinnaman, and Andy Crouch.

Co-Lab is sponsored by re:source global, CreatePossible, Brand/Be Collective and CP Partners -- a network that holistically provides complete solutions for domestic and international nonprofits.

Network co-founders, Jimmy and Tommy Lee, are twin brothers whose experiences working within a Presidential administration and as business and nonprofit executives, taught them that the gap between the need for nonprofit innovation and a growing talent pool was far too wide. As they began to build their own consulting group in 2009, they quickly realized that the conference market was full of inspiration, but little practical application and follow up for people who wanted to make a difference and who often felt hindered by the bureaucracy of large nonprofits or the constraints of struggling startups.

"They just didn't know where to start," says Tommy Lee. "Our very first client developed accidentally. They had ideas and dreams. We started talking and then developed a plan to strategically implement their concepts. We then realized that this was not an isolated incident and began more intentionally investing in promising individuals both personally and professionally."

"There is a wide network of nonprofit professionals who are immensely talented. Figuring out how to mobilize that network in strategic ways is the challenge," says Jimmy Lee. "As I began focusing on our nonprofit initiative, re:source global, I had a fascinating dinner conversation with a friend that developed into the Co-Lab concept. We quickly realized it could become a place where ideas, connections, and planning are happening at a very high speed in an environment where you're not just a number."

Attendance at Co-Lab is by invitation only. The event represents a growing network that allows nonprofit professionals to participate, who normally would not be able to invest in an Executive MBA experience. Visit www.colabchicago.com to apply.