Presencing Institute

What Presencing Institute does

Presencing Institute is a global awareness-based action-research nonprofit founded by Otto Scharmer in 2006 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that develops and disseminates the Theory U methodology for leading systemic transformation. It serves a dual audience — individual changemakers and institutional clients — including executives, governments, multilateral organizations, NGOs, foundations, and academia, with a stated community of 65,000+ practitioners across 194 countries. The organization's work is organized around three interconnected divisions: u-school (learning and certification), u-impact (paid organizational transformation consulting), and u-research (scientific research infrastructure including the peer-reviewed, Scopus-indexed Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change and Deep Sensing Labs).

The core "technology" is conceptual and method-based rather than software-driven. Theory U is a process framework that moves participants through observation, reflection, and prototyping; Presencing is the central practice of shifting from ego-centric to eco-centric awareness; Social Presencing Theater is an embodied social art form co-created with Arawana Hayashi; and Deep Sensing Labs introduces a Multimodal Resonance Practice for investigating social fields. These methodologies are codified in books (Theory U, Presencing, Leading from the Emerging Future, Essentials of Theory U, Social Presencing Theater, Generative Scribing), translated into more than 12 languages, and supported by a Creative Commons-licensed u-Library of tools and case studies delivered via the u-school learning platform.

Commercially, Presencing Institute operates a freemium model. Free entry points (u-lab, Intro to Theory U, Intro to SPT) feed paid multi-year certifications (Awareness-Based Systems Change, Social Presencing Theater, Visual Presencing) and high-touch consulting (u-impact) sold to enterprises, governments, and NGOs. A separate stream of donations, including a recurring $10/month "Friends of Presencing" donor circle and major gifts from foundations such as Rockefeller, IKEA, John Templeton, and CIFF, underwrites the free public offerings. Distribution combines digital self-serve (u-school LMS, website, books via Amazon/Penguin Random House), regional hubs (Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Americas), and direct enterprise sales for transformation engagements.

Name

Presencing Institute

Legal name

Presencing Institute Inc.

Website

https://presencing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Presencing Institute is a Cambridge-based nonprofit that develops Theory U and related Social Arts methodologies for systemic change, serving executives, governments, NGOs, and foundations globally through education (u-school), consulting (u-impact), and research (u-research).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development and Systems Change Consulting

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Educational Resources (OER) & Curriculum Repositories (EDAFACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Access Academic Publishing (MPAJABAG), Curriculum, Instructional Materials & Practice Testing for GED/HiSET (EDAAABAO)

Keywords

• Systems change consulting
• Leadership development programs
• Organizational transformation services
• Consciousness-based education
• Social innovation training

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream from individual donors and institutional funders. Donations are 100% tax-deductible in the USA. Recurring donors contributing at least $10 monthly or $100 annually join the Friends of Presencing circle. The organization emphasizes that donations are vital to sustaining free resources and developing new initiatives.
2. Educational Programs and Certifications: Revenue generated from paid programs through u-school including certifications in Awareness-Based Systems Change, Social Presencing Theater, and Visual Presencing. Programs range from free introductory offerings to paid facilitated programs and advanced certifications.
3. u-impact Consulting Services: Paid organizational transformation services including Strategy & Transformation, Ecosystem Leadership Journeys, Organizational Capacity Building Programs, Innovation Labs for Systems Transformation, and Generative Coaching for businesses, public agencies, and civil society organizations.
4. Publications and Books: Sales of books including Theory U, Presencing, Leading from the Emerging Future, Essentials of Theory U, Just Money, Social Presencing Theater, and Generative Scribing through Amazon and other retailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Presencing Institute equips change-makers with the Theory U methodology and related social-arts practices through three integrated divisions. u-school delivers online and in-person educational programs and practitioner certifications; u-impact provides paid organizational and ecosystem transformation consulting to businesses, governments, and civil society; u-research publishes the Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change and develops methodologies such as Deep Sensing Labs.

Product overview

Presencing Institute offers a comprehensive ecosystem of programs and services organized into three main divisions: u-school (education and learning platform), u-impact (professional transformation services), and u-research (scientific research and publications). The core methodology is Theory U, a framework for leading transformation developed by Otto Scharmer at MIT, which is complemented by the practice of Presencing and related Social Arts practices including Social Presencing Theater. The portfolio includes facilitated and self-paced educational programs (u-lab, Presencing Foundation Program, Ecosystem Leadership programs), practitioner certifications, the peer-reviewed Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change, Deep Sensing Labs for methodology development, and the u-Library research database.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• u-school: A visionary action learning platform offering online and in-person learning opportunities for individuals and teams to build capacity for transformation. Offers certificate programs on leading systems transformation and social arts.
• u-impact
• u-research
• Theory U
• Presencing
• Social Presencing Theater

Products and services

• u-school Online and in-person action-learning platform offering free and paid programs, certifications, and community for individuals and teams seeking to build capacity for systems transformation and self-development.
• u-impact Paid consulting services empowering businesses, civil-society groups, and public agencies to lead transformation, including Strategy and Transformation, Ecosystem Leadership Journeys, Organizational Capacity Building Programs, Innovation Labs for Systems Transformation, and Generative Coaching.
• u-research Research division publishing the Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change (JASC), running Deep Sensing Labs, and curating the u-Library of open-access publications supporting consciousness-based systems science for regeneration.
• Presencing Foundation Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000+ changemakers in global network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eileen FishercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEileen Fisher is a long-standing partner using Theory U and presencing methodologies to evolve business operations toward regenerative practices. The company has worked extensively with Otto Scharmer and the Presencing Institute team on organizational transformation, with founder Eileen Fisher providing testimonials about the impact on teams and individual employees.
• GABV (Global Alliance for Banking Values)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to prototype financial innovations for social wellbeing through a leadership academy and network of values-based banks serving the unbanked and underbanked, advancing financial products that increase wellbeing for all.
• World Health OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on transforming healthcare across the world through changemaker programs. WHO has published stories of changemakers trained through Theory U methodologies and featured the work in official communications.
• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding systems change leadership capabilities through SDG Leadership Labs and transformation programs. Partnership focuses on shifting mindsets and development systems across UN operations.
• ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActivating transformational learning culture across the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement through u-impact programs focused on humanitarian preparedness and response improvement.
• CommonlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting restoration of ecosystems and communities through landscape approaches, combining Theory U with Commonland's 4 Returns framework for landscape restoration.
• MIT Sloan School of ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrigin of Theory U through Otto Scharmer's work as Senior Lecturer. u.lab MITx was co-created at MIT, and ongoing research collaboration continues through MIT CoLab and MIT Leadership Center.
• Society for Organizational LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding partnership with Peter Senge through SoL, connected to the origins of Theory U and organizational learning methodologies.
• World Health OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in 2019 Summer School research initiative bringing together researchers and practitioners from 23 countries. Contributed to social field science development and journal birth.
• Impact HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in 2019 Summer School research initiative, representing global network of innovation hubs applying social field methodologies.
• The Scottish GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in 2019 Summer School research initiative representing public sector innovation in systems change leadership.
• Stockholm School of EconomicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner participating in 2019 Summer School, contributing to social field science research and methodology development.
• DecathloncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApplied Theory U methodology to develop organization's vision 2030, building collective vision shifting from ego to eco business models.
• Daimler TruckcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnterprise transformation engagement applying Theory U methodologies for leadership development and organizational change.
• FirstRandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African financial services group engaged in ecosystem leadership journeys to develop new ways of leading in complexity.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnterprise leadership and transformation initiatives applying Theory U methodologies for organizational development.
• Rockefeller FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partnership supporting systems change initiatives and field building for social innovation globally.
• IKEA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partnership supporting programs and initiatives focused on sustainable and regenerative systems change.
• John Templeton FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation funding supporting research in consciousness-based systems science and social field methodologies.
• CIFF (Children's Investment Fund Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partnership supporting systems change work, particularly in development contexts affecting children and families.
• AshokacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal fellowship of social entrepreneurs partnership on systems change leadership and field building for changemakers.
• Sistema BcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatin American B Corp movement partnership supporting regenerative business practices and social enterprise transformation.
• OECDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy and systems transformation collaboration with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on public sector innovation.
• PolicyLinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based equity research and action organization partnership on systems change for equitable development.
• AccentureminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partnership for enterprise transformation engagements deploying Theory U methodologies.
• MIT CoLabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIT center focused on transforming systems with AI and technology partnership on action research and field building.
• Alia InstituteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining and facilitation partner delivering Theory U programs in specific regional contexts.
• BeDominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIsraeli partner organizing Theory U conferences and programs, including the Theory U conference in Israel.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Society for Organizational Learning (SoL): Co-founded by Peter Senge (MIT) and closely connected to Presencing Institute through its origins in Theory U and organizational learning. SoL serves a similar audience of systems and learning practitioners and co-develops programs with PI, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Global nonprofit focused on leadership development research and executive education. CCL's evidence-based leadership programs and certifications compete for the same enterprise L&D and systems-change training budgets that Presencing Institute targets through u-impact and u-school.
• Stanford d.school (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design): Academic-anchored design thinking and transformative learning institution offering executive programs and frameworks for systems innovation. Overlaps with Presencing Institute's theory-of-change methods and serves similar enterprise and education clients.
• Ashoka: Global nonprofit supporting social entrepreneurs and changemakers, with which Presencing Institute has an active partnership. Ashoka's fellowship, leadership programs, and field-building work compete for the same systems-change and social entrepreneurship training budgets.
• MIT Sloan Executive Education: MIT's executive education arm, where Theory U was developed and where Otto Scharmer is a Senior Lecturer. Overlaps on leadership, innovation, and systems transformation programs, and shares brand affiliation through u.lab MITx and MIT CoLab collaborations.
• Schumacher College: UK-based college focused on ecological, transformative, and contemplative education. Comparable in offering short, intensive residential programs on systems change, consciousness, and regenerative futures to leaders and practitioners.

Emerging players

• Singularity University: Offers executive programs and a global community around exponential technologies and systems-level change. Targets a similar global executive audience but with a technology-driven rather than consciousness-based framing, making it an adjacent competitor.
• IDEO: Design and innovation consultancy offering human-centered transformation, leadership, and systems design programs. Comparable to u-impact consulting and shares an emphasis on prototyping and embodied, creative methodologies for organizational change.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey & Company (Leadership & Transformation Practices): Global consulting incumbent with leadership, organizational transformation, and 'systems change' practices serving the same Fortune 500 and public-sector buyers as Presencing Institute's u-impact. Competes on enterprise transformation mandates with greater scale and procurement reach.
• World Economic Forum: Convening global leaders around systems change, stakeholder capitalism, and regenerative agendas. Competes for thought-leadership mindshare and convenes similar enterprise, government, and civil society stakeholders that Presencing Institute engages.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/presencing_inst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Presencing Institute