Center for Equity and Inclusion

What Center for Equity and Inclusion does

The Center Consultancy (formerly Center for Equity and Inclusion, or CEI) is a Portland, Oregon-based for-profit consultancy founded in 2015 by Hanif Fazal and Frewine Kiros that delivers organizational culture, equity, and inclusion services to corporate, education, and community clients across the United States and Canada. Its offering is organized around three pillars: Culture Lab, a structured strategic consultation process (Listening & Discovery, Co-Design, Transformation); Workshops and Training, including the Workplace Reimagined SHRM-certified online series, Equity Foundations, Facilitator Intensive, Educator Intensive, and a PSU-accredited Equity Certificate Program for Educators; and an E-Learning Platform hosting self-paced courses such as Equity Foundations ($275) and Feedback ($150). Supporting products include the Leadership Team Equity Audit survey-based assessment and event space rental at its 89-person Portland headquarters.

The business model blends professional services revenue (customized organizational engagements and on-site training for groups of 15+), per-seat cohort fees (Facilitator and Educator Intensives at $2,500/person), recurring subscriptions (Workplace Reimagined SHRM series), individual course purchases on a digital learning platform, and ancillary venue rental income ($115–$135/hour). Distribution mixes direct consultative sales, scheduled Zoom consultations via Calendly/HubSpot, thought-leadership content marketing through an active blog, and event-driven acquisition through structured intensives. Strategic partnerships include Portland State University (PSU) for accreditation of educator programs and a Gemini (Google) partnership supporting an AI equity training module integrated into the Workplace Reimagined series.

The company operates with approximately 12 named staff and is founder-controlled, with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or public ownership. Its legal name is The Center Consultancy, and it does business under the legacy Center for Equity and Inclusion identity alongside sub-brands including Culture Lab, E-Learning Platform, Equity Certificate Program for Educators, Facilitator Intensive, Equity Foundations, and Workplace Reimagined. Customer references include Fortune 500 companies and Oregon school districts such as Beaverton, Gresham-Barlow, Portland Public Schools, and North Clackamas.

Name

Center for Equity and Inclusion

Legal name

The Center Consultancy

Website

https://ceipdx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center Consultancy, formerly Center for Equity and Inclusion, is a Portland-based DEI consultancy delivering Culture Lab consulting, cohort-based intensives, PSU-accredited educator programs, and a SHRM-certified e-learning suite to corporate, K-12, and community clients across the U.S. and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organizational Culture and DEI Consulting Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) & Belonging Consulting (BPAHAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

DEI, Equity & Inclusion Advisory (BPACAJAJ), DEI, Inclusive Leadership & Cultural Intelligence Coaching (EDABANAJ)

Keywords

• Organizational culture training
• DEI consulting services
• Equity-centered leadership
• Workplace inclusion workshops
• Educator equity certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Services: Customized organizational training, workshops, and facilitation for corporate clients, school districts, and community organizations. Includes Workplace Reimagined, Equity Foundations, Facilitator Intensive, and Educator Intensive programs. Revenue is generated through per-person registration fees and organizational engagement contracts.
2. E-Learning Courses: Self-paced digital learning platform offering Equity Foundations ($275), Feedback ($150), and Deepening Agreements courses. Revenue generated through individual course purchases and group registration inquiries. Scalable recurring revenue model with asynchronous delivery.
3. Space Rental: Event space rental at the Portland headquarters location (originally Joe's Place, now renovated conference space). Offers daytime rental ($115/hour, Monday-Thursday), evening/weekend rental ($135/hour), with 10% discount for multi-day or extended bookings. Capacity of 89 people with flexible layout options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Center Consultancy sells organizational culture transformation services centered on equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEI). Its core offering combines strategic consultation (Culture Lab methodology) with skill-building training programs (Workplace Reimagined, Equity Foundations, Facilitator Intensive, Educator Intensive), a year-long PSU-accredited Equity Certificate Program for educators, and a self-paced e-learning platform with courses such as Equity Foundations and Feedback. Offerings are sold to corporations, school districts, foundations, and community organizations across the U.S. and Canada, with both customized group engagements and standardized individual courses.

Product overview

The Center Consultancy (formerly Center for Equity and Inclusion) offers a portfolio of equity and inclusion consulting services organized as three interconnected pillars: Culture Lab (strategic consulting), Workshops and Training (skill-building programs), and E-Learning (scalable online tools). The Culture Lab provides diagnostic and design services for equity-driven organizational transformation. The training suite includes Workplace Reimagined for HR and people leaders, Equity Foundations as an introductory program, the Facilitator Intensive for in-person skill development, and specialized Educator programs (Educator Intensive and the year-long Equity Certificate). The Digital Platform delivers self-paced e-learning courses including Equity Foundations, Feedback, and Deepening Agreements. A Leadership Team Equity Audit tool provides survey-based assessment services. Space rental at their Portland venue rounds out the offerings. The portfolio operates as a service-based model rather than a software platform, with programs designed to work independently or as integrated pathways for comprehensive culture change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Culture Lab: Consultation service for diagnosing and designing equity-driven organizational culture. A structured process that turns DEI intentions into action with executive coaching and all-staff engagement.
• E-Learning Platform
• Equity Certificate Program for Educators
• Facilitator Intensive
• Equity Foundations
• Workplace Reimagined

Products and services

• Culture Lab Strategic consultation service that diagnoses and designs equity-driven organizational culture through facilitated listening sessions, action planning, and customized training strategies tailored to each role, combining executive coaching with all-staff engagement.
• Workplace Reimagined Online training series for HR professionals, People and Culture leaders, and managers focused on building healthy, inclusive workplace cultures with SHRM-approved professional development credits. Includes 2-part Accountability series (6 PDC) and 5-part Reimagined Workplace series (15 PDC), plus a bonus AI for Equitable Workplace course delivered via Zoom.
• Equity Foundations Introductory training program building racial consciousness and cultural competence through common definitions, theoretical frameworks for understanding systemic racism, and foundational agreements for connecting people across different identities.
• Facilitator Intensive In-person intensive training for HR professionals, managers, and change-makers to develop skills in leading difficult conversations about race, power, and identity with care and clarity. Priced at $2,500 per person; available in Portland or on-site at client locations (15+ participants) across U.S. and Canada; group discounts and need-based scholarships available.
• Educator Intensive Week-long collaborative training for educators and school staff to develop facilitation skills for race conversations, racial equity understanding, and inclusive curriculum design, including Portland State University continuing education credits. Priced at $2,500 per person; need-based scholarships available; aligned with ODE Ethnic Studies standards.
• Equity Certificate Program for Educators Year-long cohort program for educators to build relationships, community, and tools to take equity learning into action in classrooms and school buildings, culminating in a PSU-accredited Equity Certificate. Includes intensive launch week, monthly Saturday sessions, and closing intensive.
• E-Learning Platform Self-paced online learning platform offering courses including Equity Foundations ($275), Feedback ($150), and Deepening Agreements for scalable, ongoing equity-centered professional development. Features guided reflection prompts, affinity-centered experiences, and asynchronous learning modules, with group registration available on inquiry.
• Leadership Team Equity Audit Survey-based assessment tool that provides organizations with a personalized equity audit score revealing patterns, strengths, and hidden barriers to leadership advancement and representation within leadership teams.
• Space Rental Physical event space in Portland's Alberta Arts District available for corporate events, trainings, workshops, and celebrations with an 89-person capacity. Daytime weekday rental at $115/hour (4-hour minimum) and evening/weekend rental at $135/hour; 10% discount for multi-day or 8+ hour bookings; $250 refundable damage deposit.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Gemini (Google)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center partners with Gemini experts to deliver customized 1:1 training that helps organizations harness AI tools while keeping equity at the center. This partnership integrates AI equity training into their curriculum, specifically featured in the Workplace Reimagined series with the 'Equitable AI in the Workplace' course module.
• Portland State University (PSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Equity Certificate Program for Educators is a PSU accredited program. PSU provides continuing education credit approval and accreditation for the year-long educator cohort. The Educator Intensive also includes PSU continuing education credits.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Kaleidoscope Group: DEI-focused organizational development consultancy delivering leadership training, culture audits, and equity strategy for Fortune 500 and government clients—closely aligned in offering, customer profile, and methodology.
• Paradigm Strategy: DEI and equity strategy firm serving corporate, foundation, and education clients with training, advising, and convening—comparable on customer segments, educational credentials (accredited programs), and program structure.
• Cook Ross: DEI consulting and training firm specializing in inclusive leadership, culture change, and equity-centered workshops for corporate and public-sector clients—near-identical service mix and customer segments.
• LifeLabs Learning: Management and leadership training company offering short, skills-based workshops for managers and teams. Highly comparable in target audience (HR/People leaders), live and virtual delivery model, and pricing per cohort/workshop.
• El Culture: DEI and culture consultancy providing leadership coaching, workshops, and strategy for tech and consumer brands—comparable in delivery model and corporate HR buyer, though slightly more tech-sector focused.
• Polarity Partners: Specialized DEI and culture-change consultancy offering diagnostics, leadership development, and team workshops. Comparable in scale, methodology (listening-based discovery → action), and target buyer.
• The Winters Group: Boutique DEI consultancy providing organizational assessments, leadership development, and equity training to corporations and educational institutions—directly comparable on portfolio, methodology, and client mix.

Broad incumbents

• Race Forward: National racial justice organization offering training, consulting, and policy work across multiple sectors. Overlaps on training content and audience but operates more broadly as a policy/media organization than a pure consultancy.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Established global leadership development institution offering inclusive leadership, coaching, and executive education programs. Comparable on leadership training and accredited learning but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• People firm: HR and leadership development consultancy offering training, coaching, and organizational development services to enterprise clients. Overlaps on training programs and HR buyer, broader portfolio beyond DEI.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ceiforchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Center for Equity and Inclusion