Impact Associates

What Impact Associates does

Impact Associates, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned organizational development and management advisory firm founded in 1999 by Dr. Vergil Metts and Kathy Metts, operating from a renovated 1935 historic residence in Maryville, Tennessee. The firm delivers leadership development, emotional intelligence training, executive coaching, change management, employee engagement, and strategic event management services to enterprise and government clients, with documented engagements spanning U.S. manufacturing, food & beverage, utilities, and federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Energy. Its core methodology is grounded in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, delivered by a small team of Ph.D.-level practitioners using a portfolio of validated psychometric instruments (EQ-i 2.0, Hogan, MBTI, FIRO-B, LMAP 360) combined with proprietary trademarked experiential simulations such as The Emotionally Intelligent Manager®, Paper Scrapers®, Paper Planes Inc., and Lost Dutchman's Goldmine.

The firm operates a multi-stream revenue model: (1) customized professional services including workshops, coaching programs (typically 12 one-hour sessions), employee surveys, and program development on monthly retainer structures; (2) one-time certification training for external practitioners at $800-$1,000 per certification across nine assessment and simulation products; and (3) assessment administration and 360-degree feedback programs. GTM motion is enterprise field sales — consultants travel to client sites for workshops and coaching, supplemented by virtual/phone delivery and a converted historic office for in-person sessions. Marketing relies on reputation, testimonials, and a consultative relationship-based approach rather than digital channels. A 2017 strategic partnership with LMAP, LLC (co-founded by Ron Warren) extends the firm's 360-assessment capabilities. The customer base includes named enterprise logos such as Clayton Homes, Bush Brothers, Thomas & Betts, and Stuart C. Irby, alongside government engagements.

Name

Impact Associates

Legal name

Impact Associates, Inc.

Website

https://impactassociates.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Impact Associates is a privately held, founder-owned organizational development and management advisory firm founded in 1999, providing leadership development, executive coaching, change management, and psychometric assessment services to enterprise and government clients from its Maryville, Tennessee headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organizational Development and Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards Advisory (BPACAJAG)

Keywords

• Organizational development consulting
• Leadership development training
• Executive coaching services
• Psychometric assessment services
• Change management consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Maryville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services and Consulting: The primary revenue stream comes from organizational development consulting services including workshops (offsite multiple-day courses, partial-day, full-day offerings), coaching programs, and program development. These are typically customized to client needs and priced accordingly.
2. Coaching Programs: One-on-one coaching programs anchored with psychometric assessments, typically including an initial feedback session and 12 subsequent one-hour coaching sessions, or customized time frames. Some services work well with a monthly retainer structure.
3. Assessment Certifications and Training: Revenue from selling certifications and training on assessment tools including Change Style Indicator ($800), Emerging Leader Profile ($1000), Discovery Leadership Profile ($1000), and Paper Planes Inc. ($900).
4. Employee Surveys: Needs assessment, design, administration, data analysis & interpretation, report preparation, presentation & recommendations, and follow-up services for employee surveys.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Impact Associates is an organizational development and management consulting firm that delivers leadership development, executive coaching, psychometric assessments, change management, team building simulations, and strategic event management. Services are anchored in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, leveraging validated assessments (EQ-i 2.0, Hogan, MBTI, FIRO-B, LMAP 360) combined with proprietary experiential simulations and customized workshops delivered on-site or virtually. The firm also sells certification programs that train external practitioners to administer various assessment tools and simulations.

Product overview

Impact Associates is a management consulting and organizational development firm founded in 1999, offering a comprehensive portfolio of services organized into five main categories: Develop People (leadership development, emotional intelligence training, communication skills, workforce talent development), Coaching and Support (individual coaching, coaching skills training, consulting services), People Insights (individual and 360-degree assessments, team building simulations), Build Organizations of People (change management, engagement and culture, team building), and Strategic Events (full-service conference and event management). The core offering consists of psychometric assessments (EQ-i 2.0, Hogan, MBTI, FIRO-B, LMAP, and others) combined with coaching and training programs, all grounded in industrial-organizational psychology theory. The company also offers certification programs for various assessments and team-building simulations (Paper Scrapers, Paper Planes Inc., Change Style Indicator, Decision Style Profile, and others).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Emotionally Intelligent Manager® A flagship workshop that prepares participants with Emotional Intelligence skills required to be effective in today's workplace, using EQ-i 2.0 or EQ-360 assessments for feedback and skill development. Targeted at managers and leaders across organizations.
• Developing Leaders Comprehensive leadership development service combining assessment, coaching, experiential development, and deliberate practice across Lead Self, Lead Others, and Lead the Organization dimensions. For organizational leaders at multiple levels.
• Communication & Team Skills Courses, retreats, simulations, and team-building activities designed to build skills for successful high-performing teams, including meeting management, conflict resolution, and communication improvement. For teams and supervisors.
• Developing Workforce Talent Training and development programs tailored to specific organizational needs, covering topics from shop floor to executive suite including coaching, feedback, conflict management, and performance improvement. For organizations seeking customized workforce development.
• Coaching Leaders One-on-one coaching program using psychometric assessments and approximately 12 one-hour sessions over several months to improve leadership effectiveness through real-time problem solving. For individual leaders and executives.
• High Impact Coaching (Developing Coaching Skills) A 2-day or 3-day course teaching leaders how to coach others effectively, with follow-up consultation included. For managers and team leaders.
• Consulting Services Comprehensive organizational development consulting including workshops, coaching programs, employee surveys, and program development, often structured with monthly retainers. For enterprise clients seeking ongoing consulting support.
• Individual Assessments Psychometric assessments including EQ-i 2.0, Hogan Development Survey, Hogan Personality Inventory, MBTI, FIRO-B, TKI, Strong Interest Inventory, Change Style Indicator, Decision Style Profile, and Influence Style Indicator. For individual leaders, employees, and coaching clients.
• 360 Assessments Multi-rater leadership assessments including LMAP, EQ 360, Emerging Leader Profile, and Discovery Leadership Profile that compare self-perceptions to observer ratings. For leaders and high-potential employees.
• Leadership & Team Building Simulations Experiential team building simulations including Lost Dutchman's Goldmine, Paper Scrapers, Paper Planes Inc., Seven Seas Quest, Black Bear Challenge, and Collaboration Journey. For intact teams and groups seeking experiential learning.
• Manage Change Change management consulting using the Seven Deadly Sins of Change™ framework to help organizations plan, manage, and lead successful organizational transformations. For organizations undergoing change initiatives.
• Enhance Engagement & Drive Culture Services to assess and improve employee engagement and organizational culture using data-based, strategy-linked approaches grounded in organizational psychology science. For organizations seeking culture and engagement transformation.
• Strategic Events Full-service conference and event management including pre-event planning, on-site logistics, exhibit management, destination management, and post-program reporting. For organizations running leadership events, conferences, and strategic offsites.
• Change Style Indicator Certification Certification training for the Change Style Indicator assessment that measures preferred style in approaching change (Conserver, Pragmatist, or Originator). Priced at $800. For practitioners seeking to administer the assessment.
• Decision Style Profile Certification Certification for the Decision Style Profile assessment that empowers leaders to make better decisions by choosing appropriate decision-making styles. For practitioners seeking to administer the assessment.
• Influence Style Indicator Certification Certification training for the Influence Style Indicator assessment that measures preferred influencing styles including Rationalizing, Asserting, Negotiating, Inspiring, and Bridging. For practitioners seeking to administer the assessment.
• Emerging Leader Profile Certification Certification for the Emerging Leader Profile 360 assessment designed for new or high-potential leaders, covering 12 leadership skills and traits. Priced at $1,000. For practitioners seeking to administer the assessment.
• Discovery Leadership Profile Certification Certification for the Discovery Leadership Profile comprehensive 360 assessment measuring 40 items grouped into 10 competency categories. Priced at $1,000. For practitioners seeking to administer the assessment.
• Change Navigator Certification Certification for the Change Navigator assessment that focuses on emotions during change and measures four stages of transition: Acknowledging, Reacting, Investigating, and Implementing. For practitioners seeking to administer the assessment.
• Paper Scrapers Certification Certification for the Paper Scrapers team-building simulation that explores project development, design, and implementation through competitive tower-building activities. For practitioners seeking to facilitate the simulation.
• Paper Planes, Inc. Certification Certification for the Paper Planes Inc. change management simulation where participants learn about redesigning work processes and preparing for organizational change. Priced at $900. For practitioners seeking to facilitate the simulation.
• Hardiness Resilience Gauge Certification Certification for the Hardiness Resilience Gauge (HRG) assessment grounded in 30+ years of research, measuring the three C's of Hardiness: Control, Commitment, and Challenge. For practitioners seeking to administer the assessment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Blood pressure reduction reported by participant following EI training
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ron Warren / LMAP, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ron Warren, co-founder of LMAP (Leadership Multi-Rater Assessment of Personality), for providing LMAP 360-degree assessments and related services. LMAP helps executives understand how their self-perceptions compare to team perceptions and to an empirical model of leadership effectiveness.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: A global organizational consulting firm with leadership development, executive coaching, and talent assessment practices. Korn Ferry's leadership and talent consulting arm competes for the same enterprise leadership development budgets as Impact Associates.
• FranklinCovey: A publicly-traded leadership and execution consulting firm offering The 7 Habits, leadership development, and organizational change services. FranklinCovey overlaps with Impact across leadership, change management, and training certification, but at materially greater scale.
• Right Management (ManpowerGroup): A global talent and career management consulting firm offering leadership development, executive coaching, and organizational effectiveness services as part of its broader workforce solutions portfolio.
• Heidrick & Struggles: A global executive search and leadership advisory firm offering leadership assessment, coaching, and team effectiveness services. The On-Demand Talent Assessment and Leadership Consulting practice competes in the same Fortune 500 / enterprise segment as Impact.

Direct peers

• Linkage (a Strategic Human Capital company): A leadership development and organizational effectiveness consultancy offering leadership summits, coaching, and 360-based programs. Linkage's enterprise leadership development model — research-based, multi-modal delivery — closely mirrors Impact's consulting practice.
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: A leadership and management training company offering Situational Leadership II, coaching, and team development programs. Blanchard sells through a certified-trainer distribution model that directly parallels Impact's assessment certification training business.
• Development Dimensions International (DDI): A global leader in leadership development, assessment, and behavioral interviewing. DDI competes head-to-head with Impact Associates in leadership development programs, 360 feedback, and executive coaching for enterprise clients across manufacturing and industrial sectors.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): A nonprofit provider of leadership education and research offering executive coaching, 360 assessments, and leadership programs. CCL's evidence-based, research-driven approach to leadership development mirrors Impact's I-O psychology-led model.
• Hogan Assessments: A personality assessment provider whose Hogan Development Survey and Hogan Personality Inventory are central to Impact's certification and coaching practice. As both publisher and competitor, Hogan represents direct overlap on the instruments Impact certifies against.

Emerging players

• TalentSmartEQ: An emotional intelligence training and consulting firm built around EQ-i 2.0, the same assessment anchor as Impact's flagship 'Emotionally Intelligent Manager' workshop — making it a direct specialty competitor in EI-based leadership development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impact-associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Impact Associates