The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)

What The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) does

The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is a Miami-based, for-profit, B Corp-certified leadership honor society founded in 2001 by Gary Tuerack. It operates a membership-based platform serving college students at over 800 U.S. campuses, with 2+ million lifetime members. Its core product is a one-time $95 lifetime membership that grants access to a multi-stage leadership development curriculum—Foundations of Leadership (FOL), Advanced Leadership, and Executive Leadership—delivered via campus chapters, online chapters, and speaker broadcasts. Members progress through seven digital badge stages and can earn college credit at 1,700+ institutions through ACE and NCCRS recommendations, backed by Cognia accreditation (a distinction held uniquely by NSLS among honor societies).

NSLS's technology stack centers on a member portal and learning management system with digital badging, a virtual event platform for speaker broadcasts, and the recently launched "Society by the NSLS" platform providing AI-powered career coaching via text-based conversational guidance. Distribution is hybrid: direct campus outreach to college administrators establishes chapters, nomination codes drive student enrollment, and an annual Leadership Summit (Oct 24-25, 2026 at the University of Houston) anchors member engagement. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time membership fees, supplemented by Summit ticket sales ($55-$210), merchandise through shop.nsls.org, and over $400,000 in annual scholarships redistributed to members. The company operates a Cincinnati warehouse for merchandise fulfillment, is BBB A+ rated, and is FERPA-compliant per AACRAO evaluation.

NSLS's go-to-market combines sales-led campus outreach with community-led, nomination-based student acquisition, supplemented by content marketing, social media presence across all major platforms, and event-driven demand generation. The organization has a documented executive team including a Chief Product & Technology Officer, Chief Culture Officer, VP of Strategic Partnerships, and Senior Student Program Director, and is self-funded with no disclosed external investors or funding rounds.

Name

The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)

Legal name

The National Society of Leadership and Success

Website

https://nsls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is the largest U.S. accredited leadership honor society, serving 2M+ college student members across 800+ campuses with a one-time $95 lifetime membership delivering a Cognia-accredited leadership curriculum, scholarships, and digital badges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAFAMAN

Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Career Guidance, College Admissions & Student Success Platforms

SECONDARYEDAFAIAI

Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Education Marketplaces & Course Platforms (MOOCs, Cohort-Based, Creator Platforms)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Honor society membership
• Student leadership training
• College career services
• Scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Student Membership Fees: One-time $95 membership fee for students to join NSLS. This is the primary revenue stream and includes all membership benefits, partner discounts, and access to leadership programs. Membership does not expire or require renewal.
2. Leadership Summit Tickets: Revenue from in-person and virtual Leadership Summit attendance. In-person tickets range from $147 (pre-sale) to $210 (Tier 3), with virtual passes at $55. Additional revenue from optional merch packs ($50-$60).
3. Merchandise Sales: Online store sales of graduation items including honors stoles, cords, membership kits (shirts, certificates, car decals, pins, plaques), and official NSLS merchandise. Shipped from Cincinnati, OH warehouse.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NSLS is a membership-based leadership honor society that sells a one-time $95 lifetime membership to college students, granting access to accredited leadership development coursework (Foundations of Leadership, Advanced Leadership, Executive Leadership), digital badges, scholarships totaling over $400,000 annually, an exclusive speaker series, an online job bank, success coaching, and AI-powered career guidance through Society by the NSLS. Membership is nomination-based, driven through 800+ campus chapters and an online chapter option for students without a local presence.

Product overview

The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) operates as a membership-based leadership honor society offering a unified platform of leadership development products and services. The core offering centers on the Foundations of Leadership (FOL) Program with Steps to Induction, supplemented by Advanced Leadership and Executive Leadership modules for continued growth. Members access complementary services including digital badges, a Speaker Series, an online job bank, success coaching, and scholarships. The organization has recently expanded into AI-powered career guidance through Society by the NSLS, featuring AI Coaching capabilities. The Credit-Recommended Pathway enables academic credit reciprocity through ACE and NCCRS. All offerings are accessible via campus chapters, an Online Chapter option, and the annual Leadership Summit event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Society by the NSLS: A career-focused platform providing AI Coaching, personal insights, career clarity, and connections to help members build their career and life after completing NSLS membership.

Products and services

• NSLS Membership The core lifetime membership program selling access to the NSLS leadership development experience, scholarships ($400K+ annually), digital badges, online job bank, networking events, speaker series, success coaching, and partner discounts for a one-time $95 fee. Available to college students nominated by their institution.
• Foundations of Leadership Program The entry-level leadership development program comprising the Steps to Induction: Orientation, Leadership Training Day, three Speaker Broadcasts, and three Success Networking Team meetings. Awards digital badges (FOL 101-1, FOL 101-2, FOL 102) and serves as the on-ramp to advanced programming.
• Society by the NSLS AI-powered career coaching platform delivering personalized, on-demand guidance to NSLS members for career path clarity, plan building, and action-taking. Conversational AI coach listens, learns, and helps members set and pursue career goals.
• Leadership Summit Annual flagship two-day event offering keynote speeches, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and scholarship giveaways. Sold via tiered in-person passes (pre-sale $147 to Tier 3 $210) and a virtual pass at $55, with optional merch packs available as add-ons.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of members believe NSLS positively impacted their likelihood of achieving life goals
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Marriott InternationalminorOthersNSLS partnered with Marriott to secure discounted room rates at hotels near the University of Houston for Leadership Summit attendees.
• American Public University System (APUS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAPUS is a sponsor of the NSLS Leadership Summit, providing support for the annual leadership development event.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• FranklinCovey: Established leadership and organizational effectiveness training provider offering courses, workshops, and certifications to individuals and enterprises. Overlaps with NSLS's leadership development curriculum at a more corporate/professional level.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Long-established leadership, public speaking, and interpersonal skills training company with paid courses and certifications. Comparable to NSLS in leadership and professional development training content, but serves broader professional audience at higher price points.
• LinkedIn Learning: Subscription-based online learning platform offering professional development courses including leadership, communication, and career skills. Competes with NSLS for student attention on leadership upskilling, but at a subscription model accessible to working professionals.
• Coursera: Large-scale online learning platform offering university-partnered courses, certificates, and degree programs including leadership and management content. Comparable to NSLS's credit-recommended courses and credentialing, but with a broader academic catalog and global reach.

Direct peers

• Toastmasters International: Global membership-based leadership and communication skills organization with a club/chapter model and paid membership. Closest peer to NSLS in terms of structured leadership development, paid membership model, and peer-driven chapter experience.
• Phi Theta Kappa: Honor society for two-year college students, offering scholarships, leadership programming, and academic recognition. Comparable to NSLS in mission (leadership development, scholarships) and student-membership model, though focused on community college segment.
• Golden Key International Honour Society: International academic honor society providing scholarships, leadership opportunities, and networking to high-achieving college students. Direct competitor to NSLS in the college honor society category with similar membership-fee model and benefit bundle.
• National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS): Honor society for first and second year college students offering scholarships, leadership programs, and member benefits. Closest direct competitor in the US college leadership honor society space, with similar membership fees and benefits structure.
• Alpha Lambda Delta: National honor society recognizing academic excellence in first-year college students, offering scholarships and leadership development. Comparable to NSLS in target audience (college freshmen), membership model, and scholarship/leadership offering.

Emerging players

• Handshake: Career services and job-matching platform for college students, connecting them with employers and entry-level opportunities. Overlaps with NSLS's job bank, career guidance, and college-student networking offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theNSLS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheNSLSofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/theNSLS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-national-society-of-leadership-and-success
• Instagraminstagram.com/theNSLS
• TikToktiktok.com/@the_nsls

Compliance6 records

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 National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)