The Diversity Institute

What The Diversity Institute does

The Diversity Institute operates as a DEI and culture-change consulting practice, delivered through Stanton Adams Consulting LLC, a small (1–10 employee) firm founded around 2010 by Cecilia Stanton Adams and based in Crystal, Minnesota. The firm serves mission-driven organizations across non-profit, for-profit, public, and educational sectors, with offerings spanning project-based consulting, workshops, keynotes, and cohort-based certification programs built around proprietary frameworks including the People-First Performance Framework™ and the People-First Culture Index™. Branded programs such as Leadership by Design™ and Art & Science of Culture & Inclusion™ are packaged as recurring cohort experiences at $2,499 per participant.

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lightweight: courses and cohort content are hosted on Kajabi, virtual sessions run over Zoom, and demand generation is driven by LinkedIn, a founder-led podcast (Honest Talks with Changemakers, launched 2025), and community/event channels. There is no proprietary platform or AI capability; the intellectual property consists primarily of trademarked frameworks, four books authored by the founder, and the founder's personal brand. The business model combines bespoke advisory engagements (project-based pricing) with cohort training (per-participant fee) and keynote/facilitation work, all delivered directly by or under the supervision of the founder and named co-founders, making the practice highly founder-dependent.

Name

The Diversity Institute

Legal name

Stanton Adams Consulting LLC

Website

https://stantonadams.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Diversity Institute is a small, founder-led DEI and culture-change consulting practice serving mission-driven organizations across non-profit, for-profit, public, and educational sectors with proprietary frameworks, cohort-based training programs, workshops, and keynotes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

DEI, Inclusive Leadership & Cultural Intelligence Coaching (EDABANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Inclusive Leadership & Leading Diverse Teams (EDABAAAM), Cross-Cultural Competence & Inclusion (EDABAMAJ), Communication, Collaboration & Conflict Resolution Skills (EDAMAIAF)

Keywords

• Organizational culture consulting
• Leadership development training
• DEI advisory services
• Executive coaching
• Cohort-based learning programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Crystal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cohort-Based Training Programs: Signature programs like Leadership by Design™ and Art & Science of Culture & Inclusion™ offered as 6-week cohort experiences with limited enrollment; one-time payment per program
2. Consulting Services: Custom organizational consulting engagements including culture assessments, leadership development, strategic planning, and executive coaching; likely project-based or retainer pricing
3. Training & Workshop Sessions: Flexible learning formats including one-hour sessions, half-day deep dives, and multi-session cohort series; available in virtual or in-person delivery
4. Keynotes & Speaking: Keynote presentations and facilitated conversations delivered at events, conferences, and organizational gatherings
5. Free Community Events: Free community programming including 'Honest Talks with Changemakers' podcast/live sessions to build brand awareness and community engagement

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Diversity Institute delivers organizational consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, and signature cohort-based training programs built on the proprietary People-First Performance Framework™. Offerings include custom consulting engagements, the Leadership by Design™ and Art & Science of Culture & Inclusion™ cohort programs, workshops, and keynote speaking delivered virtually or in person to mission-driven organizations.

Product overview

The Diversity Institute operates as a research-backed consulting and professional development organization offering a unified portfolio of services centered on the People-First Performance Framework™. The core product suite includes Consulting Services (organizational assessments, leadership coaching, strategic planning), Trainings & Workshops (interactive sessions on communication and leadership skills), and The Learning Institute (cohort-based certification programs). Key signature programs include Leadership by Design™ (6-week manager training) and The Art & Science of Culture and Inclusion™ (6-session program for culture leaders). The company also offers Keynotes & Events and hosts the Honest Talks with Changemakers interview series. All offerings are delivered through virtual sessions, in-person workshops, and cohort-based learning experiences without any technology platform or SaaS product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consulting Services Custom organizational consulting engagements covering vision/mission/values development, organizational assessments using the People-First Culture Index™, leadership development, executive coaching, and training facilitation for mission-driven organizations.
• Trainings & Workshops Interactive, coaching-based training sessions and workshops for leaders and teams covering communication, conflict management, and empathetic leadership, offered in flexible one-hour, half-day, or cohort-based formats.
• The Stanton Adams Learning Institute Public programs and signature cohort-based learning experiences for leaders and professionals seeking to build practical skills for people-first workplaces.
• Leadership by Design™ A 6-week cohort-based manager training program equipping leaders with the mindset, tools, and competencies to design cultures where people thrive and performance follows, covering integrity, emotional intelligence, conflict navigation, adaptive leadership, and strategic vision.
• The Art & Science of Culture and Inclusion™ A 6-session cohort-based program for culture and inclusion leaders that translates inclusion principles into actionable strategies, providing frameworks, assessments, peer learning, and certification for driving measurable organizational change.
• Keynotes & Events Keynote presentations and facilitated conversations delivered by Cecilia Stanton Adams at events, conferences, and organizational gatherings on leadership, culture, and the future of work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved team engagement and retention through people-first leadership practices
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Honest Talks with Changemakers (Podcast Series)coreOthersPodcast series created by Cecilia Stanton Adams featuring conversations with visionary leaders on culture, courage, and leadership. Serves as thought leadership vehicle and community engagement platform. Jenn Tardy featured as September 2025 guest. Freely available to all attendees via Zoom and YouTube replays.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jennifer Tardy Consulting: Founder-led DEI and bias-in-hiring consulting practice, also featured on Stanton Adams' 'Honest Talks with Changemakers' podcast. Directly comparable as a solo/small-firm DEI consultancy serving mission-driven organizations.
• Cook Ross: Long-established inclusion and cultural competence consultancy offering leadership development, coaching, and training programs. Comparable in methodology and target buyer (DEI leaders, HR, executives) but with deeper enterprise footprint.
• The Winters Group: DEI and organizational development consultancy serving mission-driven organizations with assessment, training, and coaching services. Closely aligned on customer segment (non-profits, foundations, purpose-led companies) and methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Aperian Global: Cross-cultural competence, inclusion, and global leadership development provider serving large multinational enterprises. Comparable on DEI/inclusion training content but operates at much larger scale and with broader geographic reach.
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership and management development firm offering cohort-based training programs, executive coaching, and proprietary frameworks. Comparable on training productization and cohort pricing model; much larger scale.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Established leadership development and executive education provider with proprietary frameworks and coaching offerings. Comparable on leadership training and coaching but with research-based institutional scale.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Globally scaled corporate training and leadership development franchise offering courses in leadership, communication, and people management. Comparable on soft-skills training delivery model.
• Great Place to Work: Culture assessment, certification, and consulting organization serving organizations seeking to measure and improve workplace culture. Comparable on the People-First Culture Index™ assessment-style methodology.

Emerging players

• Sirota Consulting: Employee engagement and organizational culture consultancy with proprietary survey-based methodology. Comparable on the culture/engagement consulting axis though more focused on employee research than DEI-specific work.
• Paradigm for Parity: Non-profit coalition and consultancy focused on advancing women and underrepresented groups in leadership; overlaps on the DEI/culture leadership training audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheDiversityInstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Diversity Institute