The Council of Independent Business Owners (CIBO) was founded in 1987 by a group of local business owners who envisioned an organization that would: Educate business owners about the way local government works and its effect on business; Provide a conduit for the flow of information between business and government; Work to make Asheville-Buncombe area a better place to do business and; Encourage business owners to serve on boards and commissions and to run for public office.