Accents International

What Accents International does

Accents International (legal entity Accents International, LLC, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is a privately held accent reduction and corporate communication training firm founded in 1998 by Judy Ravin and Barb Niemann. The company delivers its proprietary Ravin Method® — an evidence-based, auditory/visual/kinesthetic approach grounded in cognitive and applied linguistics — through certified university-level linguist instructors, with over 90% of programs delivered live online via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, or Google Meet.

The product portfolio spans the Powerful Pronunciation® individual training program (five- or ten-session formats priced $799–$1,825, with a C-suite retainer tier from $4,725), the Accent Test assessment ($199), the Inclusive Listening: Tuning Your Ear to Accents® bias-mitigation workshop, healthcare-focused programs offering CME credits, a 12-hour Train-the-Trainer licensing program, and adjunct tools such as the GRID™ message framework and the Korn Ferry-partnered Communication 360° Assessment. A proprietary Digital Practice Portal with hundreds of videos and exercises is provided as a site license to participants.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time individual program fees, bespoke B2B corporate training contracts, healthcare provider programs, and subscription-based C-suite retainers taught exclusively by Judy Ravin. The customer base is heavily skewed to Fortune 500 enterprises and named institutions (Mayo Clinic, Ford, JPMorgan, Google, NATO, U.S. Department of Treasury, Boeing), with distribution augmented by recent GTM partnerships with Workplace Options (December 2024) and Trajector (May 2023). The company is bootstrapped, WBENC-certified as a Women's Business Enterprise, and registered with NASBA to issue CPE credits to financial professionals.

Name

Accents International

Legal name

Accents International, LLC

Website

https://lessaccent.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Accents International is a privately held Ann Arbor, Michigan accent-reduction and communication training firm that delivers its proprietary Ravin Method® via certified linguists to Fortune 500 professionals, healthcare providers, government agencies, and individual learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Communication & Accent Reduction Training Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical, Legal & Technical Language Tutoring (ESP) (EDANACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pronunciation, Speech Recognition & Accent Training Tools (EDAFAOAG)

Keywords

• Accent reduction training
• Corporate communication training
• Pronunciation coaching services
• Executive communication training
• English language training

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Accent Reduction Programs: One-time program fees for personalized accent reduction coaching including assessment, live sessions, practice materials, and site license to online library.
2. Corporate Training Programs: B2B training contracts for organizations including private/group sessions, assessments, customized materials, and program management.
3. Healthcare Training Programs: Specialized programs for healthcare providers including CME credits, customized healthcare terminology practice materials.
4. Train-the-Trainer Programs: 12-hour live training programs for organizations to develop internal accent reduction coaching capabilities.
5. Accent Assessment Services: Standalone pronunciation proficiency assessments with individual learning guides for self-study.
6. Retainer Coaching Programs: Ongoing coaching arrangements for C-suite executives taught exclusively by Judy Ravin.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Accents International delivers accent reduction and communication training services for non-native English speakers through its proprietary Ravin Method®, headlined by the Powerful Pronunciation® program and Inclusive Listening: Tuning Your Ear to Accents® workshop. Services include individual coaching, corporate group programs, healthcare-specific training, Train-the-Trainer licensing, and a proprietary Accent Test, delivered primarily via live online instruction by certified linguists and supported by a Digital Practice Portal of video exercises.

Product overview

Accents International offers accent reduction and communication training services through a unified methodology centered on the proprietary Ravin Method®. The core offerings include Powerful Pronunciation® for accent reduction training and Inclusive Listening: Tuning Your Ear to Accents® for accent comprehension. These are delivered alongside the Accent Test assessment service and Professional Accent Coaching. The portfolio extends to specialized programs for Healthcare and Corporate clients, a Train-the-Trainer Program for educators, plus supplementary tools including the GRID™ message development tool and Communication 360° Assessment (via Korn Ferry partnership). All programs leverage live online instruction via video conferencing platforms and include access to a proprietary online learning library.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Powerful Pronunciation® Primary individual accent reduction training program teaching non-native English speakers articulation techniques for 21 American English vowels, 26 consonants, and rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns. Offered in Accelerated (5 sessions), Full (10 sessions), and On Retainer (C-suite) formats.
• Inclusive Listening: Tuning Your Ear to Accents® Workshop for organizations that teaches participants to understand and comprehend global English accents; intended for inclusion and DEI initiatives to address accent bias.
• Accent Test Standalone pronunciation assessment that identifies sounds not yet mastered by the speaker, with a 1-hour private coaching session and a customized learning plan; 100% of the $199 fee is credited toward program enrollment within 30 days.
• Train-the-Trainer Program 12-hour live training program that teaches organizations' internal staff to deliver the Ravin Method® for accent reduction; includes manual, assessments, and access to the online learning library.
• Accent Reduction for Healthcare Specialized accent reduction training for healthcare providers such as International Medical Graduates, physicians, and nurses, featuring healthcare-specific terminology practice and Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit. Designed to improve HCAHPS Doctor Communication scores and provider-patient rapport.
• Accent Reduction for Corporations Corporate accent reduction program with small group sessions (up to 5 participants), individual learning plans, final reports with quantitative metrics, and a site license to the Digital Practice Portal; targets improvements in team communication, employee engagement, and call center outcomes.
• Professional Accent Coaching One-on-one personalized accent coaching for individuals seeking to improve American English pronunciation, clarity, and confidence; includes pre-program accent assessment, live 1:1 sessions, customized practice materials after each session, and access to the Digital Practice Portal.
• GRID™ Message Development Message development tool used by professionals to design clear and compelling presentations, with strong openings, memorable closings, and clear calls to action.
• Communication 360° Assessment Multi-rater survey tool delivered in partnership with Korn Ferry that assesses communication skills across meetings, presentations, difficult discussions, and listening; customizable focus areas and behavioral measures by career stage.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70%+ improvement rate after 10 sessions
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Workplace OptionsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2024Partnership announced December 2024 to break down communication barriers and provide comprehensive employee support services including accent reduction training.
• TrajectorminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2023Partnership announced May 2023 for English pronunciation training to enhance communication capabilities for employees in the Philippines.
• Korn FerrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for Communication 360° Assessment - a multi-rater survey tool that gathers information around communication situations including meetings, presentations, difficult discussions, and listening skills. Partnership ensures comprehensive communication needs assessment for clients.
• US Foreign Services Institute - School of Language StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJudy Ravin trained faculty and staff at the U.S. Foreign Services Institute, indicating specialized language training partnership for diplomatic communication.
• NATO Allied Command TransformationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaul Thurkettle testimonial confirms NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) partnership for improving communication effectiveness. Judy Ravin presented at NATO Global eLearning Conference.
• State University of New York, AlbanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJudy Ravin trained faculty at SUNY Albany as part of university language training initiatives.
• Tennessee State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrain-the-Trainer program for Department of Speech Language Pathology & Audiology. Professor testimonial confirms improved accent modification program through excellent onsite training and dependable follow-up.
• New England Center for the ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJudy Ravin trained faculty and staff at New England Center for the Children.
• ALEA International Baccalaureate School, GermanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrain-the-Trainer program for IB World School teachers in Germany. IB Coordinator testimonial confirms boost in student engagement and confidence.
• University of Michigan - Department of LinguisticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarb Niemann established and oversaw student internships for the University of Michigan Department of Linguistics, developing pipeline of qualified accent reduction professionals.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pronounce: AI-powered accent and communication coaching platform for non-native English speakers. Closest direct competitor — offers technology-led accent training that competes for the same individual and corporate buyers Accents International serves.
• BoldVoice: Mobile accent training app focused on non-native English speakers, combining short video lessons with AI pronunciation feedback. Targets the same end-user (individual professional) and increasingly the same corporate L&D buyer.
• ELSA Speak: AI-driven English pronunciation and accent reduction app with millions of users globally. Directly comparable on the pronunciation/accent reduction category, with a tech-led model that pressures human-coach pricing.
• SpeechAce: Automated pronunciation assessment API and tools used by language learning and corporate training providers. Comparable at the accent-assessment layer of Accents International's portfolio and a potential technology substitute.

Broad incumbents

• Speexx: Enterprise language and communication training platform serving global corporations with blended online coaching. A broader incumbent that overlaps on corporate English training and competes for the same enterprise L&D budgets.
• goFLUENT: Global B2B language training provider combining AI-driven platforms with human coaching for enterprise workforce language skills. Overlaps on corporate English pronunciation training, often at larger scale and with multi-language breadth.
• Voxy: Online English language learning platform for businesses and institutions with adaptive content and live instruction. Comparable at the corporate English training layer though broader than accent reduction alone.
• Rosetta Stone for Business: Enterprise edition of the well-known language learning brand, offering structured English (and other language) training to corporate clients. Broad incumbent with adjacent accent/pronunciation content competing for corporate L&D wallet.

Emerging players

• Mursion: AI-simulated human role-play platform for communication, leadership, and DEI training. Emerging competitor at the intersection of accent, communication, and inclusive workplace training that increasingly overlaps with Accents International's corporate use cases.

Others

• Toastmasters International: Global nonprofit organization for public speaking and communication skill development. Not a direct competitor but the canonical alternative for professionals seeking communication improvement at lower cost; often cited in the same consideration set as accent training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_AbsaN8T5gGgKRrZJLRvtQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accent-reduction-institute-llc

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Accents International