What Duarte does

Duarte is a privately held communication and presentation skills training company founded in 1988 and headquartered in Redwood City, California (with the firmographics record listing Sunnyvale). It sells an integrated curriculum of presentation writing (Resonate®, VisualStory®, Duarte DataStory®, Presentation Principles™), slide and document design (Slide:ology®, Slide Design, Slidedocs®), presentation delivery (Captivate™, Speaker Coaching, Presenting Virtually™), and connection/leadership (Illuminate™, Adaptive Listening®) programs, all underpinned by trademarked proprietary methodologies including the Duarte Method™, Big Idea™, S.P.A.C.E. Method™, Venture Scape™, and Language of Data™. Most of the technical surface is content-driven rather than software: training is delivered through instructor-led in-person workshops, live online virtual classrooms, and on-demand e-learning; the sole software product is Duarte AI, an AI-powered presentation generator launched in 2024. Six best-selling books authored or co-authored by founder/CEO Nancy Duarte codify the methodology.

Duarte runs a dual go-to-market: a self-serve B2C channel where individuals buy individual seats in public workshops (live online and in-person in San Francisco, New York City, San Diego) or fixed-price on-demand courses, and a consultative B2B channel where a training concierge and solution architects scope quote-based corporate packages and full creative/agency engagements (brand storytelling, keynotes and events, sales enablement, communication systems) for Fortune 500 clients. Pricing is per-seat for individual enrollment (live online workshops $990, Captivate™ $2,195, on-demand $99-$395) and custom-quote for teams of 10 to 1000+. The company claims to have worked with 84% of the Fortune 500 (Apple, AWS, Microsoft, Salesforce, VMware, Walmart, Pfizer, Visa, Fidelity, HubSpot, Hershey's, Cisco, Adobe, among others), a 98% second-or-third workshop repurchase rate, and 200,000+ resource-library users.

The business is bootstrapped, founder-led, and privately held with 51-100 employees; no external funding, M&A, parent company, or institutional investors are disclosed. Operations are active and ongoing, and the company maintains a public profile through Nancy Duarte's TEDx talk (3M+ views), #3 Global Communication Guru ranking, and recurring trade recognition including three consecutive years as Global Gurus #1 Top Communication Development Program for Captivate™.

Name

Duarte

Legal name

Duarte Design Inc

Website

http://www.duarte.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Duarte is a privately held communication and presentation training company founded in 1988 that serves Fortune 500 enterprises and individuals through proprietary storytelling and visual methodologies delivered via workshops, on-demand courses, and creative consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Communication and Presentation Skills Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Resources & Talent Development (EDAGANAB), Sales & Customer Service Training (EDAGANAC)

Keywords

• Communication skills training
• Presentation skills courses
• Executive speaker coaching
• Sales enablement consulting
• Visual storytelling workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Sunnyvale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Training Workshops: Individual enrollment in live online and in-person workshops sold at fixed price points. Courses offered across presentation writing, slide design, presentation delivery, and leadership categories. Individual seats purchased via credit card or invoice.
2. On-Demand Courses: Self-paced online courses with fixed per-seat pricing. Access granted for a defined period (e.g., 90 days). Revenue recognized upon purchase; no refunds offered for on-demand content.
3. Team and Corporate Training Packages: Customized learning journeys and bespoke training packages for teams, departments, and entire organizations. Sold via training concierge consultation and solution architects. Pricing quote-based, with no discounts offered.
4. Speaker Coaching: 1:1 personalized speaker coaching sessions (virtual or in-person) and executive coaching packages. Sold as customizable session bundles with development plans and assessments.
5. Creative Agency / Consulting Services: Full creative engagement including brand and product storytelling, keynotes and events, sales enablement, and communication systems. Custom project-based engagements where Duarte designs and delivers presentations for clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Duarte designs and delivers communication and presentation skills training built on its proprietary VisualStory™ methodology, offering live workshops, on-demand courses, executive speaker coaching, and creative agency/consulting services. Offerings span presentation writing, slide and document design, presentation delivery, and connection/leadership programs, sold to both individual professionals via self-serve website enrollment and to enterprise clients through customized team and corporate training packages.

Product overview

Duarte is a communication and presentation skills training company offering a comprehensive portfolio of training courses, consulting services, and an AI-powered presentation generator. The core training offerings include presentation writing courses (Resonate®, VisualStory®, Duarte DataStory®, Presentation Principles™), slide and document design courses (Slide:ology®, Slide Design, Slidedocs®), presentation delivery training (Captivate™, Speaker Coaching, Presenting Virtually™), and connection/leadership programs (Illuminate™, Adaptive Listening™). These are complemented by creative consulting services covering brand storytelling, keynotes and events, sales enablement, and communication systems. The newest addition is Duarte AI, an AI-powered presentation generator. Training is delivered through multiple formats including in-person workshops, live online sessions, and on-demand courses. The company serves global brands including Apple, Microsoft, Salesforce, and VMware.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Resonate®: Storytelling for Business Presentations™ - A course powered by Nancy Duarte's award-winning Resonate® book, teaching audience-first thinking and message clarity.
• VisualStory®
• Duarte DataStory®
• Captivate™
• Slide:ology®
• Slidedocs®
• Illuminate™
• Adaptive Listening™
• Presentation Principles™
• Duarte AI
• The Duarte Method™

Products and services

• Duarte AI AI-powered presentation generator that enables users to create presentations using artificial intelligence technology, applying Duarte's presentation methodology to AI-assisted content creation.
• Resonate® (Storytelling for Business Presentations™) Training course that teaches how the world's greatest speakers use strategic storytelling to persuade their audience, developing story structures that apply principles of empathy, contrast, and variety. Available as on-demand and live online workshop.
• VisualStory® Visual storytelling workshop that teaches participants to analyze audiences and organize ideas into story structures, transforming content into visual concepts and building storyboards for presentations. Available as live online and in-person workshop.
• Duarte DataStory® Data storytelling training that teaches participants to clarify, explain, and maximize the potential of data using story structure to create clear executive summaries that fuel understanding and drive action. Available as live online workshop.
• Presentation Principles™ On-demand course based on Nancy Duarte's HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations, covering presentation writing, design, and delivery basics. Includes storytelling principles, visual design, and delivery confidence training.
• Slide:ology® Workshop teaching visual thinking and design principles to transform information into effective and memorable graphics for presentations, helping participants think, speak, and work like designers.
• Duarte Slide Design 90-minute on-demand course teaching presentation design theory and practical PowerPoint skills for creating attractive, professional-looking slide decks.
• Slidedocs® Training on creating skimmable visual documents that serve as pre-reads or leave-behinds, combining powerful visuals and prose for presentations without being in the room.
• Captivate™ Public speaking workshop that helps participants overcome bad habits, conquer fears, and increase confidence using instruction, examples, group discussion, and live coaching sessions. Named World's #1 Top Communication Development Program by Global Gurus for three consecutive years. Available as live online and in-person workshop.
• Speaker Coaching One-on-one personalized coaching for executives, leaders, and professionals providing feedback and development training to move audiences to action. Delivered via 50-minute virtual sessions, half-day or full-day in-person sessions, development plans, and assessments.
• Presenting Virtually™ On-demand course teaching time-tested techniques for better connecting and communicating with remote audiences to increase reach and influence.
• Illuminate™ Leadership training based on the award-winning book by Nancy Duarte and Patti Sanchez, equipping leaders to communicate change using audience-centric approaches with stories, speeches, ceremonies, and symbols.
• Adaptive Listening™ Workshop teaching a better way to listen beyond active listening, helping participants uncover their S.A.I.D. Listening Style and adapt listening to meet the needs of others. Available as live online and in-person workshop.
• Brand and Product Storytelling Creative consulting service that helps breathe new life into brands, products, services, or initiatives through powerful stories that connect deeply with audiences.
• Keynotes and Events Creative agency service for world's largest brands providing tailor-made talks, cinematic presentations, and speaker coaching for events.
• Sales Enablement Consulting service that increases revenue by helping sales teams communicate with greater empathy, clarity, and dynamism in presentations and conversations.
• Communication Systems Consulting service that empowers teams with clear, unified messages, visuals, and template systems that support alignment and employee engagement.
• Team and Corporate Training Packages Customized learning journeys and bespoke training packages for teams, departments, and entire organizations, scoped via training concierge and solution architects with quote-based pricing and no discounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of customers repurchase additional workshops from Duarte
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dale Carnegie & Associates: Long-established corporate training provider offering courses in presentation, leadership, and influence. Closely aligned with Duarte in targeting professionals and enterprise customers with instructor-led communication skills training.
• The Humphrey Group: Executive communication coaching and leadership presence firm serving Fortune 500 leaders. Closely comparable to Duarte's speaker coaching and executive presence offerings.
• FranklinCovey: Global enterprise training company selling leadership, communication, and execution programs to Fortune 500 clients. Comparable in selling proprietary content frameworks (e.g., 7 Habits) to large enterprises via facilitators and licensing.
• Sandler Training: Global sales and leadership training franchise with proprietary methodology. Comparable to Duarte's sales enablement consulting in target buyer (sales leaders) and recurring training revenue model.
• Crucial Learning (formerly VitalSmarts): Training company offering courses in communication, influence, and leadership (Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence). Direct competitor for corporate L&D budgets seeking communication skills training.
• Toastmasters International: The world's largest organization dedicated to communication and public speaking skills development. Directly comparable in mission and learner audience, though organized as a member-run nonprofit rather than a paid training company.

Emerging players

• Beautiful.ai: AI-powered presentation design platform that automates slide layout and visual design. Represents the AI-native disruption to the slide design skills Duarte teaches in Slide:ology®.
• Gamma: AI presentation generator that produces full decks from prompts. Direct AI-driven substitute for foundational presentation design and content creation training Duarte offers.
• TED Masterclass: Online public speaking course leveraging TED's brand authority. Comparable in teaching individual presentation and storytelling skills, though positioned as a single self-serve course rather than an enterprise program.

Regional players

• Speakeasy (UK): UK-based communication and presentation skills training provider serving corporate clients. Comparable in methodology-driven training delivery but operates primarily in the UK/European market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Duarte
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/duartedesign
• Facebookfacebook.com/38281265800
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nancyduarte
• Instagraminstagram.com/duarteinc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Duarte