Speakers You Need
Speakers You Need (SyN) is a Shawnee, Kansas-based professional training and motivational speaking firm delivering instructor-led leadership, communication, and team-building programs primarily to U.S. federal agencies and military commands, with credentialed certifications offered via Pensacola State College.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersShawnee, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Speakers You Need does
Speakers You Need, LLC (d/b/a SyN/SYN) is a privately held professional training and motivational speaking firm headquartered in Shawnee, Kansas, founded circa 2013 and operating with 101-250 employees. The company delivers instructor-led leadership, business communication, team building, and professional development programs to U.S. federal agencies and military commands (including USSTRATCOM, USMC, U.S. Army, Air Force, and Navy units), as well as corporate and youth audiences. Services are billed on a per-session or per-program basis through a consultative, sales-led engagement model, with delivery available on-site at client locations or virtually via Adobe Connect, Ring Central, GoToMeeting, and Zoom, supported by free webinar previews and short-form video content as top-of-funnel demand generation.
The product portfolio spans general leadership training, a DoD-specific Leadership Training program (FY24 brochure), a Business Communication course, Team Building programs, Government Employee Training, and Military-Civilian Communication Training. The firm operates a certification arm via an affiliation with Pensacola State College Institute for Corporate & Professional Services, offering CEU-bearing programs including Leadership & Management, Women's Leadership Development, and an SHRM-recognized Office Professional Certificate that awards Professional Development Credits toward SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP credentials. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with consultation calls used to develop customized curricula for each client.
The business model is professional services with no platform, marketplace, or recurring subscription layer: revenue is generated through training delivery fees, certification program enrollment, and keynote speaking engagements. The company is founder-operated under President Rocky White, with Susan Fenner, Ph.D. as Chief Learning Architect providing curriculum authority. Marketing is conducted through the corporate website, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube (@thesynlearninginstitute), Instagram, blog content, and webinar previews. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or institutional investors are disclosed.
Speakers You Need firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Speakers You Need
- Legal name
- Speakers You Need, LLC
- Website
- https://speakersyouneed.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Speakers You Need (SyN) is a Shawnee, Kansas-based professional training and motivational speaking firm delivering instructor-led leadership, communication, and team-building programs primarily to U.S. federal agencies and military commands, with credentialed certifications offered via Pensacola State College.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Speakers You Need industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Training and Development Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business and Secretarial Schools (61141)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate/Professional Public Speaking Training (Presentation Skills) (EDAMAOAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Language & Cross-Cultural Training (BPACANAL)
Keywords
Where Speakers You Need is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shawnee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Speakers You Need business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Professional Training Services: On-site and virtual instructor-led training sessions for organizations covering leadership, communication, team building, and professional development topics. Billed per session or program.
- Certification Programs: Office Professional Certificate and other certification programs offered in partnership with Pensacola State College, providing continuing education credits and professional credentials.
- Speaking Engagements: Keynote speaking services for corporate events, conferences, and organizational meetings.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Speakers You Need product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Speakers You Need (SyN) provides professional training and motivational speaking services for organizations, specializing in leadership development, business communication, team building, and professional certification programs. Training is delivered on-site at client locations and virtually via standard conferencing platforms, with customized curricula developed per client needs. The company also operates certification programs through an affiliation with Pensacola State College, offering continuing education credits and credentials such as the Office Professional Certificate and leadership development certificates.
Product overview
Speakers You Need (SyN) is a business motivational speaking and professional training services company that offers a portfolio of training programs and certification courses. The core offerings include leadership training (general and DOD-specific), business communication courses, team building programs, government employee training, and military-civilian communication training. The company delivers training through multiple formats including on-site training, virtual classroom, and webinars. SyN has established a partnership with Pensacola State College to offer CEU credits and professional certifications including Office Professional Certificate (recognized by SHRM for PDC credits) and various leadership certification programs. The company also provides youth motivational speaking services and custom curriculum development for corporate clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MultiCourses Outline (Course Catalog) Catalog of training course outlines and topics covering leadership, communication, and professional development skills, used by clients to select and build programs aligned to their goals.
- Office Professional Certificate Certification program that develops essential administrative and organizational skills for workplace success, recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP.
- Leadership Training for the Department of Defense (DOD) Advanced leadership skills training tailored for Department of Defense professionals, covering leadership competencies developed for proven results in federal military environments.
- Business Communication Course Course covering effective workplace communication skills, including message crafting, conflict management, assertive communication, persuasive communication, collaborative communication, and business writing.
- Team Building Programs Team building training exercises and certification programs designed to strengthen collaboration, enhance productivity, and foster teamwork through interactive activities and structured team challenges.
- Government Employee Training Specialized training programs designed to equip government employees with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in public service roles.
- Communication Training For Military Civilian Communication skills training tailored for military civilians, covering personal communication, civilian-military transition strategies, and cross-cultural communication.
- Pensacola State College CEU Certification Programs Continuing education credit (CEU) certification programs offered in partnership with Pensacola State College Institute for Corporate & Professional Services, covering Leadership & Management, Women's Leadership Development, Emerging Leaders, and Office Professionals certifications.
- Webinar Series Virtual webinar training sessions covering topics such as Better Communication in a Diverse Workforce, Curing the Chaos (Accountability), TeamVersity and Team-Clusion, Dealing with Difficult People, and Inclusive Performance Management.
- Featured Youth Motivational Speaker Motivational speaking services targeting youth audiences to inspire and guide future leaders.
Quantifiable outcome
- Training programs have been delivered to multiple major military commands including USSTRATCOM, Navy Region Northwest, and U.S. Army TACOM
Companies that use Speakers You Need
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Speakers You Need technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Speakers You Need partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Pensacola State CollegecoreSpeakers You Need (SyN) has established an affiliation with Pensacola State College Institute for Corporate & Professional Services. This partnership enables SyN to provide continuing education credits (CEUs) for various training programs and certification programs. The affiliation has already been used for a Leadership program for the Air Force with plans for additional program endorsements. The partnership offers six certification programs including Leadership & Management, Women's Leadership Development, and Office Professionals Certification.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Speakers You Need competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dale Carnegie Training: Global leader in professional training focused on leadership, communication, presentation skills, and public speaking via a franchise network. Directly comparable to Speakers You Need in core curriculum (presentation skills, leadership, communication) and instructor-led delivery model.
- Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Nonprofit research-backed leadership development provider offering executive education, leadership programs, and custom training. Directly comparable content and audience (leaders in government, military, and corporate settings), with broader research-driven IP.
- Blanchard (Ken Blanchard Companies): Leadership and management training company known for "The One Minute Manager" curriculum and Situational Leadership programs. Directly comparable leadership development content delivered via in-person workshops, virtual, and digital formats.
- Crucial Learning (formerly VitalSmarts / Crucial Conversations): Training company specializing in communication, influence, change, and leadership skills (Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence). Strong overlap with SyN's communication, leadership, and team-effectiveness programs.
- Wilson Learning: Global provider of sales, leadership, and interpersonal skills training delivered to enterprise and government clients. Comparable in instructor-led leadership and communication programs with customizable curricula for organizational buyers.
Broad incumbents
- FranklinCovey: Public professional services firm delivering leadership, productivity, and organizational performance training (e.g., 7 Habits) to enterprise and government clients worldwide. Comparable in offering leadership development and communication programs to large federal and corporate accounts, but at materially greater scale and content library depth.
- DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership development firm selling leadership training, selection systems, and succession planning to Fortune 500 and government clients. Overlaps directly with SyN's federal leadership training practice, particularly in DoD and federal civilian workforce development.
- Skillsoft: Large-scale corporate digital learning provider with leadership, business, and compliance training content plus a talent development platform. Comparable as a federal/enterprise training vendor but with a tech-led, content-subscription model rather than SyN's instructor-led delivery.
- Booz Allen Hamilton (Learning & Development practice): Major federal contractor with significant DoD training, leadership development, and professional services engagements. Competes for the same federal leadership and professional development contracts that SyN serves.
Others
- Toastmasters International: Global nonprofit focused on public speaking and leadership skill development through member-run clubs. While not a commercial competitor, it is thematically adjacent to SyN's presentation skills and public-speaking positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Speakers You Need social profiles
Digital presenceSpeakers You Need compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Speakers You Need financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Speakers You Need leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Speakers You Need funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Speakers You Need 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 Speakers You Need
What does Speakers You Need do?
Speakers You Need (SyN) provides professional training and motivational speaking services for organizations, specializing in leadership development, business communication, team building, and professional certification programs. Training is delivered on-site at client locations and virtually via standard conferencing platforms, with customized curricula developed per client needs. The company also operates certification programs through an affiliation with Pensacola State College, offering continuing education credits and credentials such as the Office Professional Certificate and leadership development certificates.
Is Speakers You Need a public or private company?
Speakers You Need is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Speakers You Need founded?
Speakers You Need was founded in 2013. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Speakers You Need based?
Speakers You Need is headquartered in Shawnee, United States, in the North America region.
How does Speakers You Need make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Professional Training Services are the primary driver. The others are certification Programs and speaking Engagements.
Who are Speakers You Need's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dale Carnegie Training, Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), Blanchard (Ken Blanchard Companies), Crucial Learning (formerly VitalSmarts / Crucial Conversations) and Wilson Learning. Broad incumbents are FranklinCovey, DDI (Development Dimensions International), Skillsoft and Booz Allen Hamilton (Learning & Development practice). Toastmasters International is listed as an others.
Does Speakers You Need have an API?
No public API is recorded for Speakers You Need.
What industry is Speakers You Need in?
Speakers You Need's product category is Professional Training and Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAOAJ, Corporate/Professional Public Speaking Training (Presentation Skills), with a secondary code of BPACANAL, Language & Cross-Cultural Training. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.