Potential Project
Potential Project is a global leadership development and mindfulness consulting firm that designs custom human-centered leadership programs, assessments, and retreats for enterprise clients, delivered by 50+ facilitators across 19-27 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersNew City, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Potential Project does
Potential Project is a privately held, global consulting and professional services firm founded in 2008 by Rasmus Hougaard that partners with large enterprises to develop human-centered leadership and mindfulness-based mindset training. The firm designs custom leadership development programs — spanning tiered offerings from entry-level interactive webinars (Jumpstart) to 90-minute workshops (Explore), multi-session deep learning (Unlock), and individual coaching (Sustain) — alongside immersive 3-4 night leadership retreats and Top Team Impact engagements for executive teams undergoing transformation. Its core methodology is grounded in neuroscience and behavioral science research, supported by proprietary diagnostic tools including a 360-degree Human Leadership Assessment, the Mindgrow digital diagnostic, and bi-annual research publications (The Human Leader, now in its 12th edition, and The Mind at Work) built on data from 5,000+ companies across 100 countries.
The business operates as a premium enterprise services firm with custom, quote-based, multi-year pricing and no public list rates. Programs are sold through direct enterprise field sales targeting C-suite and senior executives, delivered in person or digitally by a global facilitator network of 50+ practitioners across 19-27 countries in 13 languages. Distribution is led by country directors and senior partners in markets including the USA, Canada, the UK, DACH, Nordics, Iberia, the Netherlands, China/Hong Kong, India, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Colombia. Marquee long-tenure clients include Cisco (since 2017, 62 countries), IKEA (since 2015, 166,000 coworkers in 17 languages), Unilever (since 2018), Amgen (since 2022), Citi (since 2024), Microsoft, Google, Apple, Deutsche Telekom, Accenture, LEGO, and Lloyds Bank.
Strategic positioning is anchored by the founder's Thinkers 50 recognition, Harvard Business Review Press authorship, and a five-university academic council (Harvard, Columbia, UC Berkeley, Toronto, Amsterdam). The firm has launched new revenue lines around AI-augmented leadership (the 'More Human in the Age of AI' keynote and 'Mastering Human + AI' virtual program) and transformation support for organizations in M&A or restructuring scenarios. The firm appears to be founder-controlled, profitable, and organically grown, with 101-250 employees serving 500+ organizations and reaching 450,000+ individuals cumulatively over its operating history.
Potential Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Potential Project
- Legal name
- Potential Project
- Website
- https://potentialproject.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Potential Project is a global leadership development and mindfulness consulting firm that designs custom human-centered leadership programs, assessments, and retreats for enterprise clients, delivered by 50+ facilitators across 19-27 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Potential Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Leadership Development & Management Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (611710), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Leadership Assessment, 360 Feedback & Development Planning (EDABAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Critical Thinking, Problem Solving & Decision-Making (EDAAAKAH)
Keywords
Where Potential Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices19 records
Markets served
Potential Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Leadership Development Programs: Custom-designed leadership development programs delivered to enterprise clients including Human Leadership, Compassionate Leadership, Leading Through Uncertainty, and AI in Human Leadership offerings. Programs range from interactive webinars (Jumpstart) to 90-minute workshops (Explore) to multi-session deep learning (Unlock) to individual coaching (Sustain).
- Leadership Retreats: Immersive 3-4 night leadership retreats for individuals and teams, offered multiple times per year in Europe and USA locations. Retreats include device-free experiences in nature with guided reflection and coaching.
- Top Team Impact Programs: Custom journeys for executive teams including comprehensive multi-phase transformations, strategic boosts, and immersive experiences. May include 360-degree assessments, offsites, meeting observations, and 1:1 coaching.
- Transformation Services: Mind-centered transformation programs including keynote presentations and Transformation Mindset Champion programs for organizations undergoing major changes, mergers, or reorganizations.
- AI Leadership Programs: Keynotes and experiential programs focused on AI-augmented human leadership, including 'More Human in the Age of AI' keynote and 'Mastering Human + AI' 3-session virtual program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Jumpstart - Entry-level interactive webinar experience |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Explore - 90-minute experiential workshop |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Unlock - Deep learning across four facilitated sessions |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Sustain - Individual coaching for ongoing development |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels12 records
Potential Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Potential Project is a global leadership development and professional services firm that partners with organizations to create a more human world of work. It delivers custom-designed leadership programs, executive team retreats, transformation services, and AI-augmented leadership training, grounded in neuroscience and behavioral science research, through a global network of 50+ facilitators operating in 19 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Human Leader: Potential Project's quarterly/biannual research report on human-centric leadership attributes, based on data from 5,000 companies across 100 countries.
- The Mind at Work
- Human Leader Compass
- Mindgrow
Products and services
- Leadership Development Programs Custom-designed leadership development programs for enterprise clients delivered through interactive webinars, workshops, multi-session deep learning, and individual coaching. Programs cover Human Leadership, Compassionate Leadership, Leading Through Uncertainty, and AI in Human Leadership, targeting C-suite and senior leaders of large organizations.
- Leadership Retreats Immersive 3-4 night leadership retreats for individuals and teams, offered multiple times per year in Europe and USA locations. Retreats include device-free experiences in nature with guided reflection and coaching.
- Top Team Impact Programs Custom journeys for executive teams including comprehensive multi-phase transformations, strategic boosts, and immersive experiences. May include 360-degree assessments, offsites, meeting observations, and 1:1 coaching. Designed to strengthen trust, collaboration, and team effectiveness.
- Transformation Services Mind-centered transformation programs including keynote presentations and Transformation Mindset Champion programs for organizations undergoing major changes, mergers, or reorganizations.
- AI Leadership Programs Keynotes and experiential programs focused on AI-augmented human leadership, including the 'More Human in the Age of AI' keynote and the 'Mastering Human + AI' 3-session virtual program. Designed for leaders navigating the AI era while doubling down on human qualities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% reported high facilitator impact (participant feedback)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Potential Project
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Potential Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Potential Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Harvard Business SchoolcoreAcademic research partnership for The Human Leader and Mind at Work studies. Harvard Business School faculty collaborate on behavioral science research advancing understanding of leadership and mind at work.
- Columbia Business SchoolcoreAcademic partnership contributing to research studies including The Human Leader research and global council of behavioral scientists.
- Haas School of Business, UC BerkeleycoreAcademic partnership with Professor Jennifer Chatman contributing to leadership research initiatives.
- Rotman School of Management, University of TorontocoreAcademic partnership contributing behavioral science expertise to research programs.
- University of Amsterdam School of BusinesscoreAcademic partnership with Professor Joanna Sosnowska for behavioral science research collaboration.
- University of TorontocoreAcademic partnership with Professor Michael Inzlicht contributing psychology research expertise.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Potential Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): A research-driven leadership development organization offering assessments, executive programs, and customized leadership interventions. CCL is the closest direct comparable to Potential Project: both sell research-backed, custom-designed leadership programs to global enterprises, and both rely on proprietary assessment instruments and academic affiliations.
- DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership development firm offering leadership assessment, training, and coaching to enterprise clients. Comparable on the assessment-led, custom-program model serving multinational buyers, with similar positioning around behavioral science.
- Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute: Mindfulness and emotional intelligence-based leadership training organization spun out of Google. Most directly comparable on the neuroscience-grounded mindfulness + leadership methodology, with overlapping customer base among technology and large enterprise buyers.
- FranklinCovey: Public leadership and organizational effectiveness firm offering content-led training, assessments, and enterprise programs. Comparable on a content- and assessment-driven leadership training catalog sold to Fortune 500 buyers, though broader in scope and more productized.
- Mind Gym: Public corporate training company delivering behavior-change programs to large enterprises across multiple regions. Comparable in targeting the same enterprise buyer for mind/skills-based behavior change, with similar science-led methodology and global delivery.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a substantial leadership development and executive search practice. Overlaps with Potential Project's senior-leadership and top-team engagements but at much larger scale and with broader service portfolio.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Executive search and leadership consulting firm serving global enterprises. Comparable on the C-suite/executive-coaching and leadership advisory front, though search is its core business and leadership development is a complementary offering.
- McKinsey & Company (Organizational Practice): Global management consultancy with a large Organizational Practice covering leadership, culture, and change. Competes with Potential Project at the top of the leadership-development market and bundles leadership work into broader transformation mandates; multiple Potential Project senior leaders came from McKinsey.
- Deloitte (Human Capital / Leadership practice): Big Four professional services network with a large leadership and human-capital practice. Overlaps heavily with Potential Project on leadership transformation, change, and culture engagements, often embedded in larger consulting mandates. Several Potential Project partners previously led at Deloitte.
Emerging players
- BetterUp: Digital leadership coaching and mental fitness platform combining AI, behavioral science, and 1:1 coaching for enterprise. Adjacent rather than direct — both target leadership development at enterprises, but BetterUp is a tech-enabled platform while Potential Project is facilitator-led and bespoke.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Potential Project social profiles
Digital presencePotential Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Potential Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Potential Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Potential Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Potential Project
What does Potential Project do?
Potential Project is a global leadership development and professional services firm that partners with organizations to create a more human world of work. It delivers custom-designed leadership programs, executive team retreats, transformation services, and AI-augmented leadership training, grounded in neuroscience and behavioral science research, through a global network of 50+ facilitators operating in 19 countries.
Is Potential Project a public or private company?
Potential Project is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Potential Project founded?
Potential Project was founded in 2008. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Potential Project based?
Potential Project is headquartered in New City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Potential Project make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Leadership Development Programs are the primary driver. The others are leadership Retreats, top Team Impact Programs, transformation Services and AI Leadership Programs.
Who are Potential Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), DDI (Development Dimensions International), Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, FranklinCovey and Mind Gym. Broad incumbents are Korn Ferry, Heidrick & Struggles, McKinsey & Company (Organizational Practice) and Deloitte (Human Capital / Leadership practice). BetterUp is listed as an emerging player.
Does Potential Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Potential Project.
What industry is Potential Project in?
Potential Project's product category is Leadership Development & Management Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAAAK, Leadership Assessment, 360 Feedback & Development Planning, with a secondary code of EDAAAKAH, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving & Decision-Making. Its NAICS code is 611430.