The Enneagram Institute

What The Enneagram Institute does

The Enneagram Institute (legal entity: Enneagram Personality Types, Inc.) is a privately held, for-profit psychometric and education company founded in 1997 by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson and headquartered in Stone Ridge, New York. The company develops, validates, and distributes two proprietary online personality assessments — the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI v2.5), a 144-pair forced-choice test producing full nine-type profiles, and the Instinctual Variant Questionnaire (IVQ v2.0), a 37-set forced-choice test that determines an individual's ordering of Self-Preservation, Social, and Sexual instincts — alongside its proprietary Levels of Development framework. Both assessments are delivered through a dedicated Testing Center (tests.enneagraminstitute.com) and produce PDF reports including expanded type descriptions of over 2,500 words for top-three scores.

The company monetizes primarily through one-time test-code purchases ($20 per test, with volume discounts of 10–50% scaling from 2 to 100+ codes, and a $36 bundle for both tests), a network of Riso-Hudson Certified and Authorized Teachers who deliver four types of workshops (The Wisdom of the Enneagram, The Enneagram and Relationships, The Three Instincts, and The Journey of Growth) priced at $250–$295 in-person and via Zoom, and Amazon affiliate revenue on Riso-Hudson authored books. Distribution runs through a consumer-facing main website, a self-serve testing platform, business accounts for group administration, and the authorized-teacher channel. Payment processing is handled via Stripe.

The Enneagram Institute serves a horizontally diversified customer base: individual self-discovery seekers (primary segment), professional coaches and consultants, corporate HR and leadership development teams, universities, and religious/spiritual organizations. Operating with a 1-10 employee core team, the company relies on its content library, brand authority from its founders' scholarship, registered trademarks (RHETI, EnneaThought, The Enneagram Institute), and the EnneaThought daily email newsletter to drive organic demand. Co-founder Don Richard Riso is deceased; Russ Hudson serves as President Emeritus and Annette Peter as President and General Counsel.

Name

The Enneagram Institute

Legal name

Enneagram Personality Types, Inc.

Website

https://enneagraminstitute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Enneagram Institute is a privately held psychometric and education company, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Stone Ridge, NY, that develops and sells the proprietary RHETI and IVQ online Enneagram-based personality assessments, companion workshops delivered through a certified teacher network, and founder-authored books, serving individual self-discovery seekers, coaches, corporate HR teams, universities, and religious organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personality Assessment Software

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Emotional Intelligence, Motivation & Culture-Fit Assessments (BPACAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assessment Analytics & Item/Question Intelligence (IRT, Item Banks, Diagnostic Insights) (EDAFAFAG), Diagnostic & Adaptive Assessment Content (Skills/Readiness) (EDAGADAJ), Assessments, Quizzes & Learning Analytics Tools (MPACALAK)

Keywords

• Personality assessment tests
• Psychometric testing platform
• Enneagram certification workshops
• Online behavioral assessments
• Professional development workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Stone Ridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. RHETI Test Sales: One-time purchase of test codes for the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator. Single test priced at $20, with volume discounts available. Results delivered as PDF including scores for all nine types and expanded type descriptions.
2. IVQ Test Sales: One-time purchase of test codes for the Instinctual Variant Questionnaire. Sold individually at $20 per test or bundled with RHETI. Volume discounts apply for bulk purchases.
3. RHETI + IVQ Bundle: Combined purchase of both tests at discounted rate of $36 (regularly $40). Encourages deeper engagement with both assessment tools.
4. Authorized Workshop Fees: Revenue from four workshop types taught by Riso-Hudson Certified teachers. Workshop prices range from $250-$295 with early bird discounts available.
5. Book Sales (Affiliate): Enneagram Institute participates in Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, earning affiliate fees by linking to Enneagram books on Amazon. Titles include 'The Wisdom of the Enneagram,' 'Personality Types,' and 'Understanding the Enneagram' by Riso and Hudson.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Enneagram Institute sells two proprietary, scientifically validated online personality assessments - the RHETI v2.5 Enneagram Type Indicator and the IVQ v2.0 Instinctual Variant Questionnaire - delivered through its Testing Center as redeemable one-time test codes that generate personalized PDF reports. It complements test sales with four branded authorized workshops (The Wisdom of the Enneagram, The Enneagram and Relationships, The Three Instincts, and The Journey of Growth) delivered by certified Riso-Hudson teachers, plus books and audio recordings authored by the founders Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson.

Product overview

The Enneagram Institute offers a suite of Enneagram-based personality assessment tools and educational resources. The core products are the RHETI (Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator v2.5), a 144-question forced-choice personality test providing comprehensive Enneagram type profiles with expanded descriptions, and the IVQ (Instinctual Variant Questionnaire v2.0), which measures three instinctual intelligences. Both deliver personalized PDF reports. These are complemented by the EnneaThought daily email newsletter, four authorized workshop programs (The Wisdom of the Enneagram, The Enneagram and Relationships, The Three Instincts, and The Journey of Growth), and a collection of books and audio recordings authored by the founders. The organization was founded in 1997 by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RHETI v2.5 (Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator) Online scientifically validated, forced-choice psychometric test with 144 paired statements that identifies an individual's Enneagram type and provides a personalized PDF report with scores across all nine Enneagram types plus expanded type descriptions (over 2,500 words) for the top three scores; approximately 40 minutes to complete; sold as redeemable test codes to individual consumers, coaches, and organizations.
• IVQ v2.0 (Instinctual Variant Questionnaire) Online forced-choice test with 37 sets of three statements each that measures the three basic instinctual intelligences (Self-Preservation, Social, and Sexual) and determines the respondent's Instinctual Stack from most to least developed; approximately 15 minutes to complete; sold standalone for $20 or as a bundle with RHETI for $36 to individual consumers, coaches, and organizations.
• Authorized Workshops (Riso-Hudson) Standards-based training programs taught by Riso-Hudson Certified and Authorized Teachers, encompassing four curricula: The Wisdom of the Enneagram, The Enneagram and Relationships, The Three Instincts (Subtypes), and The Journey of Growth (Levels); offered in-person and online via Zoom; targeted at individuals, coaches, HR practitioners, and faith-based communities.
• Enneagram Books and Audio Recordings Founders' published titles and supporting audio products, including 'The Wisdom of the Enneagram,' 'Personality Types,' 'Understanding the Enneagram,' 'Discovering Your Personality Type,' 'Enneagram Transformations,' 'The Enneagram Cards,' and nine per-type audio recordings; sold through Amazon with the institute participating as an Amazon Associates affiliate.

Quantifiable outcome

• Comprehensive personality profile across all nine types with expanded descriptions for top three scores
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe provides the payment processing infrastructure for the Enneagram Institute Testing Center and main website. Multiple Stripe cookies (__stripe_mid, __stripe_sid, _ab, _mf, id, m) are used for credit card transactions. Stripe does not store credit card information on the Enneagram Institute's servers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Crystal Knows: Crystal Knows uses DISC-based personality data applied to sales, communication, and team collaboration. An emerging player in personality-driven enterprise tools that overlaps with the Enneagram Institute's coaching and HR use cases.

Direct peers

• 16Personalities: 16Personalities is a free, widely used online personality assessment platform covering multiple frameworks including Enneagram-adjacent typing. Directly competes with the Enneagram Institute for individual self-discovery seekers.
• Truity: Truity is a direct competitor offering online psychometric and personality assessments (Enneagram, Myers-Briggs-style, Big Five, DISC) sold directly to consumers and professionals with similar forced-choice methodology and self-serve delivery.
• The Narrative Enneagram: The Narrative Enneagram offers Enneagram-based training, certification, and assessment services through a competing school of thought. Targets the same coaches, HR departments, and personal development seekers as the Enneagram Institute.

Broad incumbents

• Gallup (CliftonStrengths): Gallup's CliftonStrengths dominates the strengths-based assessment market used in corporate leadership development. Competes for HR and team-building budgets but with much larger scale, brand, and enterprise distribution.
• The Myers-Briggs Company: The Myers-Briggs Company (parent of CPP) is the dominant incumbent in personality assessment for enterprise HR and coaching. Competes for the same corporate L&D and team-building budgets but with much broader portfolio and deeper institutional distribution.
• Predictive Index (PI): PI provides behavioral and cognitive assessments for talent optimization, used heavily by HR and executive teams. Competes for similar enterprise coaching and team-building use cases with a broader talent assessment suite.
• Hogan Assessments: Hogan Assessments is a leading provider of personality assessments for leadership selection, development, and coaching — competing for the same enterprise HR and executive coaching budgets with a stronger scientific reputation.
• Wiley (Everything DiSC): Wiley's Everything DiSC is a leading workplace personality assessment used extensively in HR, leadership development, and team coaching — directly competing for the same enterprise customers and use cases the Enneagram Institute serves.

Regional players

• International Enneagram Association (IEA): IEA is a global non-profit association promoting Enneagram education and certification, serving the same coaches and teachers community. Ecosystem peer rather than direct commercial competitor, but shapes the broader Enneagram training market.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EnneagramInstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 The Enneagram Institute