What Catharsis Productions does

Catharsis Productions is a U.S. interpersonal violence prevention education company founded in 2000 and headquartered in River Forest, Illinois (Chicago metropolitan area). The company develops and delivers interactive training programs addressing sexual assault, sexual harassment, hazing, substance abuse, microaggressions, and cultural understanding to three primary customer segments: higher education institutions (Title IX, VAWA, Campus SaVE Act compliance), U.S. military and federal/state government agencies (DoD SAPRO, GSA procurement), and corporate workplaces (state anti-harassment mandates). The methodology combines improvisational theater, comedy, and facilitated dialogue rather than traditional didactic or PowerPoint-based compliance training, and the company cites measurable outcomes including a >60% drop in sexual assault reports at Great Lakes Naval Station.

The core technology stack is content-and-delivery rather than software-platform based. Programs are offered in three modalities: live in-person, live remote via Zoom/GoToMeeting, and asynchronous online (including interactive branching scenarios with multi-path user input). Online products such as U Got This! and Culture Matters are available as hosted subscriptions or as SCORM packages for enterprise LMS deployment, with SSO/SAML/LDAP authentication support. Catharsis holds a GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract (47QRAA24D008W) for federal procurement. Over 25 years the company has delivered 20,000+ trainings to 5M+ attendees across 11,200+ Department of Defense engagements alone.

The business model is enterprise services-led, with quote-based pricing for live training and consulting engagements (professional services revenue), per-student licenses or institutional subscriptions for online programs (recurring revenue), and publicly disclosed per-participant fees for the Force of Awesome Institute train-the-trainer program ($1,495-$1,695). GTM is direct sales with event-driven and partner channels, complemented by content marketing, webinars, a Student Advisory Board, and co-marketing partnerships (notably StopHazing for the StandUp to Hazing™ program). The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and founder-led by Dr. Gail Stern and Christian Murphy, with no disclosed institutional investment or acquisition activity.

Name

Catharsis Productions

Legal name

Catharsis Productions LLC

Website

https://catharsisproductions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catharsis Productions, founded in 2000 and based in River Forest, Illinois, delivers interactive sexual violence and harassment prevention training to colleges, the U.S. military and government, and corporate employers, using improvisational theater and facilitated dialogue delivered live, live-remote, or via SCORM-compliant online modules.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Violence Prevention Training Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Threat Assessment, Violence Prevention & Behavioral Intervention Support (EDAEACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Defensive Tactics, Use-of-Force & De-escalation Training (EDAOAMAM), Workplace Violence Prevention & Personal Safety (EDABAEAO), Active Shooter Preparedness & Safety Training/Drills (EDAEACAI), Safety Compliance, Audits & Risk Assessments (Security Assessments, CPTED) (EDAEACAN)

Keywords

• Violence prevention training
• Sexual assault prevention
• Workplace harassment training
• Title IX compliance
• Bystander intervention training

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training Services — Live In-Person: Live, in-person training sessions delivered by Catharsis educators at client institutions. Programs like Sex Signals, Got Your Back, Beat the Blame Game are delivered on-site. Revenue recognized per session or per engagement contract.
2. Training Services — Live Remote: Live remote training via Zoom/GoToMeeting with interactive delivery. Same program content as in-person but delivered virtually. Often offered with recording options for post-session review.
3. Online / Asynchronous Training Programs: Self-paced, interactive online programs (U Got This!, Culture Matters, Binge Thinking, etc.) delivered via Catharsis hosting portal or as SCORM packages for LMS. Often sold as subscriptions or per-student licenses. SCORM integration available for enterprise LMS deployment.
4. Train-the-Trainer (Force of Awesome Institute): Intensive 24-hour Train-the-Trainer program conducted over 8 sessions (4 weeks). Sold as individual registration (Standard $1,695 / Early Bird $1,495). CEU credits available. Also available for military (AFOAI) and corporate audiences.
5. Consulting Services: Custom consulting engagements including needs assessments, policy review, training strategy development, and curriculum creation tailored to individual organization needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Catharsis Productions designs and delivers interactive interpersonal violence prevention training programs for colleges, military, government, and corporate audiences. Programs are offered in three modalities—live in-person, live remote, and online self-paced—using an improvisational theater and humor-facilitated methodology. The portfolio covers sexual assault prevention, harassment training, bystander intervention, hazing prevention, cultural understanding, microaggressions, unconscious bias, alcohol abuse, and healthy relationships, with offerings tailored to each audience segment and aligned with Title IX, VAWA, Campus SaVE Act, DoD SAPRO, and state anti-harassment mandates.

Product overview

Catharsis Productions is a violence prevention education company offering a comprehensive portfolio of training programs delivered in three modalities: Live In-Person, Live Remote (via GoToMeeting/Zoom), and Online (self-paced/async). The product portfolio includes: interactive Title IX compliance programs (U Got This!, U Got This 2!, U Got This! for Community Colleges, Report=Support!); substance abuse prevention (Binge Thinking); theatrical consent education (Sex Signals); bystander intervention programs (The Hook Up, Beat the Blame Game); cultural understanding and microaggressions training (Say What?!, Not Suitable for Work, Brain Freeze, GLB Building Community); workplace harassment compliance (Culture Matters, Please Advise, Compliance in a Click); military-specific programs (Sex Signals Military, Got Your Back, Beat the Blame Game Military, Armed Force of Awesome Institute); train-the-trainer offerings (Force of Awesome Institute, Force of Awesome Institute - Corporate, Force of Awesome Institute - Military); and consulting services. Programs support SCORM LMS integration, SSO/SAML/LDAP authentication, and are designed for colleges/universities, military, government, and workplace audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sex Signals (Higher Education) Groundbreaking audience-participatory program using theater, improvisational comedy, and audience interaction to dismantle rape myths for college audiences. 60-75 minutes. Covers active consent, bystander intervention, rape myths, and the relationship between alcohol and sexual assault.
• Sex Signals (Military) Sexual harassment and assault prevention program for new service members using improvisation, humor, education, and audience interaction. 90 minutes. Has been seen by over 2 million service members on military installations.
• Got Your Back Sexual harassment and assault prevention program for experienced service members. 90 minutes. Engages audiences in honest discussion about hooking up and identifies differences between healthy hookup, regretted sex, and rape.
• Beat the Blame Game (Higher Education) Interactive interrogation of victim-blaming and its root causes for college audiences. 90-120 minutes. Provides antidote to victim blaming and offers strategies to challenge toxic victim-blaming attitudes.
• Beat the Blame Game (Military) Sexual harassment and assault prevention program for service members in leadership. 90-120 minutes. Engages participants in breaking down victim-blaming arguments using logic, ethics, and exposing the reality of sexual violence.
• Beat the Blame Game (Train the Trainer) Train-the-trainer version of Beat the Blame Game for advocates, prevention professionals, and first responders. 2 continuing education hours accepted by National Advocate Credentialing Program (NACP).
• The Hook Up Engaging discussion that clarifies when hooking up becomes sexual violence and prepares bystanders to recognize predatory behavior. 60-90 minutes. Uses audience participation instead of traditional PowerPoint.
• Say What?!

Quantifiable outcome

• Sexual assault reports (completed or attempted) dropped more than 60% at Great Lakes Naval Station following implementation of Catharsis Sex Signals and Got Your Back programs (New York Times, July 2013)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• StopHazingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStopHazing, the national authority in hazing prevention (established 1998), co-created StandUp to Hazing™ — a 20-minute online hazing prevention training built on survey data from 45,000+ college students. Catharsis hosts and supports the program while StopHazing provided subject matter expertise. StopHazing also provided input to Congress in support of the Federal Anti-Hazing Law and the Stop Campus Hazing Act. This is a co-development and co-distribution partnership, with Catharsis distributing StopHazing's research-backed hazing curriculum under a branded program.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Vector Solutions: Vector Solutions (including Campus Clarity) is a scaled EdTech incumbent providing Title IX, sexual assault prevention, and broader compliance training to higher education and workplace customers. It competes head-to-head with Catharsis in the higher-ed segment but offers a much broader bundled content catalog via async LMS delivery.
• EverFi (Blackbaud): EverFi, now part of Blackbaud, is a major higher-ed prevention training provider offering Title IX, sexual assault prevention, and alcohol education programs (e.g., Haven). It is one of the largest direct competitors to Catharsis' U Got This! and Binge Thinking programs across U.S. colleges and universities.

Direct peers

• Traliant: Traliant provides state-mandated sexual harassment prevention training (CA, NY, IL, etc.) to corporate clients, directly overlapping with Catharsis' Culture Matters and Compliance in a Click programs. It serves the same workplace compliance buyer with an online, LMS-integrated delivery model.
• Get Inclusive: Get Inclusive provides asynchronous Title IX, sexual violence prevention, and DEI training to colleges and universities. It is a direct competitor to Catharsis in the higher-ed online training segment, with similar SCORM/LMS integration capabilities.
• Kantola Training Solutions: Kantola produces workplace harassment prevention and DEI training programs that meet state mandates, directly competing with Catharsis' Culture Matters, Brain Freeze, and Please Advise corporate offerings.
• LawRoom (BLR): LawRoom provides online sexual harassment and workplace compliance training, including state-mandated supervisor training. It targets the same enterprise HR buyer as Catharsis' corporate programs but via a fully async, library-based delivery model.
• Praesidium: Praesidium provides abuse prevention and risk management consulting/training to organizations serving children, students, and vulnerable populations. It overlaps with Catharsis in organizational prevention strategy and consulting services.

Emerging players

• StopHazing: StopHazing is the national authority in hazing prevention research and a Catharsis co-development partner on StandUp to Hazing™. While not a direct commercial competitor, it is adjacent in the college student safety/prevention space and shapes buyer expectations in the hazing category.

Regional players

• United Educators (EduRisk): United Educators, a higher-ed insurance and risk management consortium, offers member institutions prevention and Title IX training resources that overlap with Catharsis' higher-ed offerings. It is an adjacent rather than head-to-head competitor due to its member-based distribution model.

Others

• National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC): NSVRC is a leading nonprofit resource hub for sexual violence prevention research, policy, and best practices. It is not a commercial competitor but shapes the evidence base and standards that Catharsis' methodology cites and aligns with.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CatharsisProduc
• Facebookfacebook.com/catharsisproduc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catharsis-productions
• Instagraminstagram.com/catharsisproductions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Catharsis Productions