The Institute for Management Studies

Professional Leadership Development & Corporate Trainingims-online.com

The Institute for Management Studies is a 50+ year membership-based leadership development firm serving hundreds of enterprise and government clients through expert-led programs, ICF-certified coaching, and AI tools (Athena and Clio) built on a 200+ thought leader knowledge base.

Company typePrivate
Founded1974
HeadquartersReno, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

The Institute for Management Studies firmographics

Firmographics

Name: The Institute for Management Studies
Legal name: THE INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT STUDIES
Website: https://ims-online.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1974
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: The Institute for Management Studies is a 50+ year membership-based leadership development firm serving hundreds of enterprise and government clients through expert-led programs, ICF-certified coaching, and AI tools (Athena and Clio) built on a 200+ thought leader knowledge base.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

The Institute for Management Studies industry classification

Industry

Product category: Professional Leadership Development & Corporate Training
NAICS: Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Management Consulting Services (54161)
SIC: Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
akta.pro primary industry: Learning & Development (L&D) & Training Management (EDABAIAC)
akta.pro secondary industry: Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)

Keywords

Leadership development programs
Executive coaching services
AI coaching platform
Corporate training membership
Workforce learning solutions

Where The Institute for Management Studies is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Reno
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

The Institute for Management Studies business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Organizational Membership: Organizations join as members to access IMS programs, coaching, AI tools (Athena, Clio), microlearning library, and expert faculty. Membership provides ongoing access to learning resources and talent advisors.
Program Fees: Fees for specific programs including New Manager Program (12-week blended learning), Strategic Thinking Series, and custom organizational programs. Programs offered in-person and virtual formats.
ICF-Certified Coaching: Individual and team coaching services with ICF-certified coaches to ensure learning is applied to increase individual performance.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Membership-based access model

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

The Institute for Management Studies product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Institute for Management Studies provides membership-based leadership development to organizations, combining expert-led live programs (Skills Building Sprints, New Manager Program, Strategic Thinking Series, Custom Programs), ICF-certified coaching, expert microlearning with 3,000+ modules, and two proprietary AI assistants (Athena AI Coach for employees and Clio L&D Assistant for L&D professionals). Customers are organizations whose HR and L&D functions buy annual memberships to deploy expert-led learning across their workforce, served through 17 regional offices in the U.S. and Canada.

Product overview

The Institute for Management Studies offers a multi-modal leadership development platform combining expert-led programs, AI-powered coaching tools, and content delivery. The core portfolio includes: (1) Live virtual and in-person programs (Skills Building Sprints, New Manager Program, Strategic Thinking Series, Custom Programs); (2) Two AI-powered assistants - Athena (AI coach for employees with 35 coaching tools and 3,000+ expert lessons) and Clio (L&D assistant for professionals with 28 purpose-built tools); (3) ICF-certified coaching and expert microlearning with 3,000+ modules; and (4) The Good Leadership Podcast. IMS serves member organizations with a 50+ year history, delivering programs to organizations including NASA, Toyota, Boeing, and Erie Insurance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

AthenaOnline: Pioneer in microlearning and cloud-based learning solutions launched in 1994, recognized for its award-winning video-driven platform delivering expert business insights in bite-sized formats.
Clio
Athena
The Good Leadership Podcast

Products and services

Athena (AI Coach) Award-winning AI coach that supports skill-building in the flow of work for employees of member organizations. Provides 35 purpose-built coaching tools and access to 3,000+ expert lessons from bestselling authors and faculty through a conversational interface, available 24/7.
Clio (L&D Assistant) AI partner built specifically for L&D professionals. Provides 28 purpose-built tools for needs analysis, program design, measurement, business case development, and more, structured around proven L&D methodology from the Institute's faculty.
ICF-Certified Coaching Individual and team coaching services delivered by ICF-certified coaches to ensure that learning is applied to increase individual performance. Integrated with IMS programs.
Skills Building Sprints Expert-led 2.5-hour performance accelerators (with practice lab) and a 30-day application sprint designed to turn skills into action and build skills that show up on the job.
New Manager Program
High-Impact Custom Programs
Expert Microlearning
Strategic Thinking Series
Special L&D Roundtables
The Good Leadership Podcast

Quantifiable outcome

94% of participants would recommend IMS to colleagues
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use The Institute for Management Studies

Customer profile

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

The Institute for Management Studies technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

The Institute for Management Studies partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Dave UlrichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Michigan professor often called the father of modern HR. Longtime faculty member whose Human Capability framework informs IMS AI tools. His concept of human capability as integration of talent, leadership, organization, and HR practices forms the strategic foundation for Clio and Athena AI solutions.
Marshall GoldsmithcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned executive coach and leadership educator. Only two-time winner of Thinkers 50 Award for #1 Leadership Thinker in the World. Provides expert knowledge and methodologies that inform IMS programs and coaching approaches.
Beverly KayecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading expert on career development and mentoring. Co-author of Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go. Faculty member contributing expertise to IMS learning programs.
Michael Bungay StaniercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBestselling author known for The Coaching Habit. Faculty member whose coaching methodology and frameworks contribute to IMS coaching programs and Athena AI tools.
Ken BlanchardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegendary author of The One Minute Manager. One of the original thought leaders who helped shape IMS programs and leadership development approach since the organization's founding.
Stephen CoveycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthor of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Original faculty member who contributed foundational leadership frameworks to IMS programs.
David AllencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthor of Getting Things Done (GTD). Faculty member contributing productivity and execution methodologies to IMS programs.
NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy)minorOthersRegistered sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Allows IMS to offer CPE credits for accounting professionals participating in their programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

The Institute for Management Studies competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

FranklinCovey: Global leadership and effectiveness training company selling The 7 Habits, Leading at the Speed of Trust, and executive coaching to enterprise clients — closely overlapping IMS's expert-faculty-led leadership development model.
Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Nonprofit leadership development research and training provider serving enterprise L&D buyers with assessments, coaching, and open-enrollment programs — comparable in target buyer (HR/L&D) and content category.
DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership and selection solutions company focused on new-manager development, executive training, and behavioral assessments — directly competitive in IMS's New Manager Program category and enterprise GTM.
Dale Carnegie Training: Long-established leadership, sales, and management training franchise with global delivery network and corporate programs — overlaps IMS's expert-led live training model targeting similar HR/L&D buyers.
The Ken Blanchard Companies: Leadership training and consulting firm built around Ken Blanchard's frameworks (including SLII) — directly comparable since Ken Blanchard is also an IMS faculty member, making them a cross-channel competitor for the same expert IP.

Broad incumbents

Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a large Leadership Development and Professional Training practice serving Fortune 500 buyers — broader portfolio but overlapping with IMS's enterprise leadership development offering.
LinkedIn Learning: Microsoft-owned enterprise learning platform with massive content library and self-serve deployment — named explicitly by IMS as a competitor, and competing for the same L&D budget dollars at a lower price point.
Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning: Harvard Business Publishing's enterprise arm delivering case-based leadership and management learning programs to global organizations — overlapping IMS's expert-faculty premium positioning with stronger brand recognition.
Skillsoft: Public enterprise learning company offering leadership, technology, and compliance training with AI-driven personalization (Skillsoft CAISY) — overlapping IMS's AI coaching and enterprise L&D buyer category at larger scale.

Emerging players

BetterUp: AI-powered coaching and mental health platform combining human coaches with AI tools for enterprise L&D buyers — directly competitive with IMS's Athena AI coach and coaching services at a different price point.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

The Institute for Management Studies compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance1 record

The Institute for Management Studies financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

The Institute for Management Studies leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

The Institute for Management Studies funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

The Institute for Management Studies M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Institute for Management Studies

What does The Institute for Management Studies do?

Is The Institute for Management Studies a public or private company?

The Institute for Management Studies is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was The Institute for Management Studies founded?

The Institute for Management Studies was founded in 1974. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is The Institute for Management Studies based?

The Institute for Management Studies is headquartered in Reno, United States, in the North America region.

How does The Institute for Management Studies make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Organizational Membership is the primary driver. The others are program Fees and ICF-Certified Coaching.

Who are The Institute for Management Studies's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are FranklinCovey, Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), DDI (Development Dimensions International), Dale Carnegie Training and The Ken Blanchard Companies. Broad incumbents are Korn Ferry, LinkedIn Learning, Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning and Skillsoft. BetterUp is listed as an emerging player.

Does The Institute for Management Studies have an API?

No public API is recorded for The Institute for Management Studies.

What industry is The Institute for Management Studies in?

The Institute for Management Studies's product category is Professional Leadership Development & Corporate Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAIAC, Learning & Development (L&D) & Training Management, with a secondary code of BPACAJAH, Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture). Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 8600.