What Swim Digital Group does

Swim Digital Group is a higher education transformation consulting firm founded in 2009 and headquartered at 401 E. Jackson St. Ste 3300 in Tampa, Florida. The firm partners with community colleges, technical colleges, and four-year universities across 22 US states to address enrollment decline, retention gaps, student experience deficiencies, and institutional change resistance. The company employs 11-50 people and operates through four revenue streams: project-based consulting engagements, multi-year managed services for entire client departments, flexible staffing of embedded professionals, and a curated Swim Advisor Network of experienced higher education leaders.

Swim's service portfolio comprises 14 distinct offerings organized into three pillars. Campus Intelligence includes Campus Listening, Stakeholders and Student Insights, Secret Student, and Environmental Analysis. Capacity Building includes Interim Executive Leadership, Functional Managed Services, Shared Leadership & Expertise, and Flexible Staffing & Team Support. Collaborative Implementation includes Institutional Strategy & Planning, Change Management, Large-Scale Project Implementation, Process & Communication Optimization, Strategic Enrollment & Retention, and Marketing & Branding. Core proprietary methodologies include the trademark-marked Secret Student Experience research approach, the Environmental Analysis Framework, the Data Storytelling Approach developed in partnership with Austin Community College, and the Campus Intelligence Approach that blends quantitative analysis with qualitative research methods.

The go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct-to-institution, with discovery calls managed by Director of Partnerships Denise Tolitsky as the primary entry point. The company generates leads through The Swim Blog, webinars, industry conference participation (NACCE Pathways to Prosperity Summit, HERDI National, MCCA Summer Conference), email newsletters, and social media. Pricing is quote-based, not publicly disclosed, and engagements range from focused projects to multi-year managed services. Documented client outcomes include a 9.7% overall enrollment increase and 11% full-time enrollment increase at BridgeValley Community & Technical College in Fall 2024, surpassing the state average. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Swim Digital Group

Legal name

Swim Digital Group

Website

https://swimdigitalgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swim Digital Group is a higher education transformation consulting firm that partners with community colleges, technical colleges, and universities across 22 US states to address enrollment, retention, and institutional change through a 14-service portfolio spanning campus intelligence, capacity building, and collaborative implementation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Project-based consulting engagements for higher education institutional transformation, including campus intelligence assessments, change management, strategic planning, and implementation support. Engagements appear to range from focused projects to multi-year partnerships.
2. Managed Services: Multi-year engagements managing entire departments (enrollment, workforce development, marketing, research) through Functional Managed Services, providing leadership, staff capacity, and tested practices.
3. Flexible Staffing: Embedded professional support services placing experienced higher education professionals into institutions for interim, project-based, or ongoing capacity support.
4. Swim Advisor Network: A curated network of experienced higher education leaders who contribute to projects as advisors, bringing specialized expertise in areas such as enrollment strategy, HR, online program growth, and academic scheduling.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Swim Digital Group is a higher education transformation consulting firm that sells project-based and managed-services engagements to community colleges, technical colleges, and universities. The company delivers research-driven campus intelligence, capacity-building support through embedded leaders and flexible staffing, and collaborative implementation of enrollment, retention, change management, and branding initiatives. Engagements range from focused diagnostic assessments to multi-year managed services that run entire institutional departments.

Product overview

Swim Digital Group offers a portfolio of higher education consulting services organized into three service categories: Campus Intelligence, Capacity Building, and Collaborative Implementation. The Campus Intelligence services (Campus Listening, Stakeholders and Student Insights, Secret Student, and Environmental Analysis) provide research and insight-gathering capabilities. Capacity Building services (Interim Executive Leadership, Functional Managed Services, Shared Leadership & Expertise, and Flexible Staffing & Team Support) address staffing and operational capacity needs. Collaborative Implementation services (Institutional Strategy & Planning, Change Management, Large-Scale Project Implementation, Process & Communication Optimization, Strategic Enrollment & Retention, and Marketing & Branding) focus on executing transformation initiatives. Together, these 14 distinct service offerings form an integrated consulting approach that helps institutions address enrollment challenges, organizational change, and operational needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Campus Listening Engages campus communities through town halls, roundtables, and listening sessions that surface real-time insights, revealing root causes and creating momentum for meaningful change.
• Stakeholders and Student Insights Gathers authentic perspectives from students, faculty, and staff through structured surveys and facilitated discussions, providing measurable feedback that strengthens decision-making and builds institutional alignment.
• Secret Student Understands the student journey firsthand through immersive evaluations that capture real experiences from application to classroom, revealing barriers, highlighting strengths, and informing strategies that improve outcomes.
• Environmental Analysis Identifies trends and challenges through comprehensive study of an institution's external environment and internal operations, uncovering opportunities, exposing hidden risks, and equipping leadership with clarity for strategic decisions.
• Interim Executive Leadership Provides senior-level leaders who step in with clarity and accountability during leadership transitions, maintaining executive functions while preparing the ground for permanent leadership.
• Functional Managed Services Manages entire departments through multi-year engagements, bringing leadership, staff capacity, and tested practices that build stability, align operations, and transform core functions into sustainable engines of success.
• Shared Leadership & Expertise Provides access to executive talent and niche expertise through shared and fractional leadership models, delivering vision and accountability for key initiatives.
• Flexible Staffing & Team Support Embeds experienced higher education professionals who integrate seamlessly into systems, culture, and priorities to strengthen internal teams, safeguard student-facing services, and build execution capacity.
• Institutional Strategy & Planning Turns ambitious ideas into reality with disciplined project management and expert execution, delivering structure and oversight to ensure organizational restructures and system-wide initiatives succeed.
• Change Management Drives transformation with a structured approach that moves people and systems through change successfully, preparing leaders, equipping teams, and driving adoption for lasting impact.
• Large-Scale Project Implementation Guides institutions through multi-year, cross-functional projects with governance, accountability, and disciplined execution to ensure strategy moves beyond design into sustained, measurable implementation.
• Process & Communication Optimization Streamlines operations and strengthens communication across institutions to improve efficiency and clarity, simplifying complexity, reducing friction, and ensuring students and staff have needed information.
• Strategic Enrollment & Retention Strengthens enrollment and retention with strategies tailored to institutional mission and students, connecting outreach, advising, and support services to drive sustainable growth and student success.
• Marketing & Branding Elevates institutional presence with integrated marketing and brand strategies rooted in purpose and student experience, aligning messaging, creative execution, and institutional strategy to build recognition and drive impact.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9.7% increase in overall enrollment and 11% increase in full-time enrollment at BridgeValley Community & Technical College in Fall 2024, surpassing state average

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MCCA (Michigan Community College Association)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2026Swim Digital Group attended the 2026 MCCA Summer Conference connecting with community college presidents, trustees, and leaders from Michigan's 31 community and tribal colleges. Conference focuses on leadership development, collaboration, and strategic dialogue around enrollment, workforce, and institutional transformation.
• NACCE (National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Swim Digital Group is a sponsor of the NACCE Pathways to Prosperity Summit 2026, supporting the Coffee and Dessert Station. CEO Trimeka Benjamin participates in the CEO Roundtable discussion on leadership, communications, trust, and navigating disruption. The partnership provides access to community college presidents and workforce leaders across the country.
• HERDI (Higher Education Research & Development Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Swim participated in HERDI National in Seattle, Washington for a panel session focused on leading bold transformation in higher education. The event brings together forward-thinking executives committed to reshaping higher education, providing opportunities for dialogue and partnership development.
• Swim Advisors NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA curated network of experienced higher education leaders (Swim Advisors) who contribute specialized expertise to client projects. Advisors bring experience in enrollment strategy, HR, online program growth, academic scheduling, workforce partnerships, instructional design, research, and international enrollment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Huron Consulting Group: Global consulting firm with a dedicated Higher Education practice serving colleges and universities on strategy, operations, and transformation — the closest scaled analog to Swim Digital Group's institutional transformation work, though spanning much larger engagements.
• EAB: Research, advisory, and technology firm serving higher education leaders on enrollment, student success, and institutional strategy — directly comparable go-to-market motion selling B2B research and advisory services to college presidents and chancellors.
• Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL): Specialty enrollment management, student success, and fundraising consulting firm serving colleges and universities — a direct peer in strategic enrollment and retention consulting, the largest line item in Swim's service portfolio.
• Bellwether Education Partners: Education-focused consulting firm providing strategy, talent, and operations services to schools, nonprofits, and policy organizations — comparable operating model as a boutique consultancy targeting education institutions with transformation work.
• Tyton Partners: Education sector investment bank and consulting firm advising education companies, foundations, and institutions on strategy, M&A, and growth — comparable as a higher-education-specialized advisory and consulting outfit working with institutional clients.
• Encoura: Enrollment marketing and student success platform serving higher education institutions — comparable focus on helping colleges reach prospective students and improve enrollment outcomes, including data-driven marketing services.

Emerging players

• Ithaka S+R: Higher education research and strategy organization producing sector research and advising colleges on transformation — comparable in providing research-driven strategic insight to college leaders, though operating on a non-profit/grant-supported model.
• rpk Group: Boutique higher education consulting firm providing executive search, interim leadership, and transformation advisory to colleges — comparable niche consulting model with similar service categories around interim leadership and institutional support.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte (Higher Education practice): Big Four professional services firm with a Higher Education practice serving large university systems and multi-campus districts — broader incumbent offering overlapping strategy, technology, and operations consulting for institutional transformation.

Others

• American Association of Community Colleges (AACC): National membership association representing the country's community colleges — adjacent ecosystem participant that shapes the policy environment, convenes the same institutional buyers Swim targets, and partners with consultancies on transformation initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SwimDG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swimdg
• Instagraminstagram.com/swimdg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swim Digital Group