The Bob Pike Group
The Bob Pike Group, founded in 1979 and based in Chaska, Minnesota, is a private train-the-trainer and performance consulting firm that teaches corporate L&D professionals and enterprises its proprietary Creative Training Techniques® methodology through workshops, certifications, onsite training, and an annual conference.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersBloomington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Bob Pike Group does
The Bob Pike Group is a private, U.S.-based train-the-trainer and performance consulting firm founded in 1979 and headquartered in Chaska, Minnesota. The company teaches trainers, learning and development professionals, and enterprise teams how to design and deliver participant-centered training using its proprietary Creative Training Techniques® methodology, which is grounded in adult learning and brain-based engagement principles and codified through frameworks such as the Performance Solutions Cube, EAT Principle, CPR Framework, CIO Framework, and C.O.R.E. design elements.
The company's offerings include flagship Train-the-Trainer Boot Camp and Boot Camp II workshops, an Instructional Design Workshop, specialized courses in virtual training, gamification, microlearning, presentation skills, assessments, and a new AI for Trainers workshop, alongside short 3-hour Crash Courses, professional certifications, and an online store for books, trainer kits, and media. Delivery channels span public workshops held in various U.S. cities, onsite corporate training, virtual sessions delivered on Teams/Zoom, three-tier design consulting (Rapid, Deep-Dive, Strategic), and the annual Creative Training Techniques Conference (32nd edition in 2026) plus the Spring Fling virtual conference.
BPG monetizes through one-time workshop registrations, onsite corporate training engagements, conference and certification fees, professional services consulting, and e-commerce product sales, with GSA Schedule contracts enabling U.S. federal procurement. The named customer base spans Fortune 100 enterprises (Target, Coca-Cola, FedEx, Wells Fargo, Nike, Bose), financial services and technology firms (Thrivent, Smarsh, Spokeo), travel/healthcare (Viking Cruises, Nova Scotia Health), education (Sinclair College), and government (Air National Guard), supported by a content marketing engine comprising a weekly podcast, trainer blog, free webinars, and downloadable guides.
The Bob Pike Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Bob Pike Group
- Legal name
- The Bob Pike Group
- Website
- https://bobpikegroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Bob Pike Group, founded in 1979 and based in Chaska, Minnesota, is a private train-the-trainer and performance consulting firm that teaches corporate L&D professionals and enterprises its proprietary Creative Training Techniques® methodology through workshops, certifications, onsite training, and an annual conference.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Bob Pike Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Corporate Training Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM)
Keywords
Where The Bob Pike Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bloomington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Bob Pike Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Public Workshop Fees: The company offers public train-the-trainer workshops in various cities where individuals can register and attend instructor-led, participant-centered training sessions. These workshops include courses like Train-the-Trainer Boot Camp, Instructional Design, Presentation Skills, and specialized topics.
- Onsite Corporate Training: The Bob Pike Group delivers customized training programs at client locations, coaching entire teams on participant-centered training approaches. This is a significant revenue channel for enterprise clients seeking team-wide capability building.
- Conference Revenue: The annual Creative Training Techniques Conference (held each fall in Minnesota) generates registration fees. The 32nd annual conference is scheduled for 2026. Conference attendees can combine attendance with pre-conference workshops to earn certifications.
- Design Consulting Services: The company offers consulting engagements including Rapid Design (hourly work post-workshop), Deep-Dive Design (full redesign of training programs), and Strategic Design (new curriculum development from scratch). These services include high-level strategy and facilitation across functional areas.
- Professional Certification: Participants can earn certifications such as Bob Pike Group Certified Virtual Trainer or Bob Pike Group Certified Instructional Designer through hands-on application at the annual conference or through workshop completion.
- Products and Resources: The company sells various training products including books, music and media, trainer kits, and other resources through its online store. These complement the training programs and provide ongoing revenue from past attendees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Public Workshop Registration |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Bob Pike Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Bob Pike Group delivers customized train-the-trainer workshops, performance consulting, and professional certification programs built on its proprietary Creative Training Techniques® methodology. Offerings include public workshops across U.S. cities, onsite team training at client sites, virtual training via Microsoft Teams and Zoom, design consulting engagements, and the annual Creative Training Techniques Conference. Supporting resources include books, trainer kits, a podcast, webinars, and a trainer blog.
Product overview
The Bob Pike Group is a train-the-trainer company offering a comprehensive portfolio of instructor-led training workshops, virtual training programs, and professional development resources centered on their proprietary Creative Training Techniques methodology. The core offering consists of flagship workshops including the Train-the-Trainer Boot Camp and Boot Camp II for foundational and advanced training skills, the Instructional Design Workshop for curriculum development, and specialized workshops covering AI for Trainers, Presentation Skills, Business Presentation Skills, Canva Masterclass, Interactive Virtual Trainer, Gamification, Microlearning, Creating Effective Assessments, Step Into Consulting, and Better Microsoft Teams Meetings. The company delivers training through public workshops, onsite team training, and design consulting services. Annual events include the Creative Training Techniques Conference (32nd annual in 2026) and the Spring Fling Virtual Conference. Supporting resources include a podcast, free webinars, a trainer blog, free guides, books, trainer kits, and case studies. The company also offers professional certification programs and various 3-hour crash courses for rapid skill development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Creative Training Techniques Conference: Annual conference for training professionals featuring workshops and certification programs in participant-centered training methodologies
- Train-the-Trainer Boot Camp
- Pike's Peak Award
Products and services
- Train-the-Trainer Boot Camp Flagship instructor-led workshop teaching foundational principles of participant-centered training, covering Creative Training Techniques® methodology, engagement strategies, and practical facilitation skills for trainers and L&D professionals.
- Train-the-Trainer Boot Camp II Advanced instructor-led workshop expanding on Boot Camp fundamentals, focused on dynamic discussions, insightful questioning techniques, and debriefing skills for deeper audience engagement.
- Instructional Design Workshop Workshop teaching an eight-step design process for building participant-centered workshops from scratch, covering needs assessment, content sequencing, and business objective alignment.
- AI for Trainers Workshop Workshop teaching trainers how to incorporate AI tools like ChatGPT, Canva Magic Studio, and Sora into their training programs for enhanced content creation and personalization.
- Presentation Skills Workshop Individual coaching workshop sharpening presentation delivery, engagement techniques, and audience communication skills for trainers and professionals.
- Business Presentation Skills Workshop Team-focused workshop for internal and external presentations, emphasizing persuasion techniques, executive communication, and decision-driven presentation design.
- Canva Masterclass Workshop teaching trainers to use Canva's AI-powered design tools including Magic Studio and Dream Lab for creating professional training visuals efficiently.
- Interactive Virtual Trainer Workshop Workshop training participants to deliver engaging virtual sessions using C.O.R.E. design elements (Closers, Openers, Revisiters, Energizers) and interactive virtual techniques.
- Microlearning Workshop Workshop training participants to create bite-sized, on-demand learning content that improves retention and learner autonomy.
- Creating Effective Assessments Workshop Workshop teaching the design of fair, independent, and clearly written knowledge-based test questions that measure actual learning rather than test-taking skills.
- Step Into Consulting Workshop Workshop helping trainers transition to consulting roles by teaching questioning and influencing skills, diagnostic processes, and performance consulting methodology.
- Better Microsoft Teams Meetings Workshop Workshop focused on making Microsoft Teams meetings more interactive and engaging through proven facilitation techniques.
- Gamification in Training Workshop Workshop teaching trainers to incorporate game mechanics and game design elements into corporate training to boost engagement, motivation, and retention.
- Team Training (Onsite Corporate Training) Onsite training engagement in which The Bob Pike Group coaches entire client teams at their location to build teamwork, establish performance expectations, and embed participant-centered training practices organization-wide.
- Design Consulting Customized training program development service offering high-level strategy, cross-functional facilitation, and assessment, packaged as Rapid Design, Deep-Dive Design, or Strategic Design engagements.
- Creative Training Techniques Conference Annual flagship conference (32nd edition in 2026) held in Minnesota offering intensive workshops, certification programs, and networking for training professionals, with pre-conference workshops in delivery, design, and training leader tracks.
- Spring Fling Virtual Conference Annual two-day virtual upskilling event held each April providing trainers with practical tools, certificates, and immediately applicable content.
- 3-Hour Crash Courses Short 3-hour courses on focused topics including Interactive Virtual Meetings, Introduction to Performance Consulting, Making Zoom Interactive, Rapid Design for Virtual Training, and Virtual Presentation Skills.
- Professional Certification Creative Training Techniques Certification program, including Bob Pike Group Certified Virtual Trainer and Certified Instructional Designer designations, available through conference attendance and standalone programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- Air National Guard achieved 94% instructor effectiveness rating and $460,000 in operational savings
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Bob Pike Group
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Bob Pike Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature8 records
The Bob Pike Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- International PartnersminorThe company maintains international partner relationships for extending its training reach globally, though specific partner names are not publicly disclosed on the website.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Bob Pike Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Langevin Learning Services: Langevin is one of the longest-running dedicated train-the-trainer providers in North America, offering public workshops, certifications, and an annual conference. Directly comparable to The Bob Pike Group in target buyer (L&D and corporate trainers), methodology-led curriculum, and workshop-as-product delivery.
- Crucial Learning (formerly VitalSmarts): Crucial Learning sells skills-based training (Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence) via workshops, books, and digital courses. Comparable to BPG in workshop-plus-book methodology products, enterprise facilitation, and named methodology IP.
- Fred Pryor Seminars / CareerTrack: Fred Pryor / CareerTrack operates a public seminar/workshop calendar aimed at individual professionals and corporate groups across business skills, HR, and leadership. Comparable to BPG in calendar-driven, individual-payer public workshop delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- Dale Carnegie & Associates: Dale Carnegie delivers instructor-led training across communications, leadership, presentation, and sales via a global franchise network. Comparable to BPG in workshop-based delivery and a strong methodology brand, but broader in scope and significantly larger.
- Ken Blanchard Companies: Blanchard sells leadership, management, and learning programs built on proprietary methodologies (e.g., Situational Leadership). Comparable to BPG as a methodology-anchored training company with named frameworks, certifications, and onsite programs for enterprises.
- Wilson Learning Worldwide: Wilson Learning offers sales, leadership, and learning-transfer solutions with a global partner network. Comparable to BPG in enterprise training focus, proprietary content frameworks, and emphasis on measurable behavior change.
- DDI (Development Dimensions International): DDI provides leadership development, talent management, and learning solutions to global enterprises. Comparable to BPG in methodology-driven leadership/learning content and Fortune 500 client base, though at much larger scale.
- FranklinCovey: FranklinCovey delivers leadership, productivity, and execution training built on proprietary content (e.g., 7 Habits). Comparable to BPG as a methodology-branded, multi-channel training firm serving enterprise L&D buyers.
- Association for Talent Development (ATD): ATD is the largest professional membership association for talent development practitioners, offering conferences, certifications (CPLP), and education. Comparable to BPG as a go-to training-industry body serving the same L&D buyer persona.
- Skillsoft: Skillsoft is a large enterprise learning platform offering digital content, instructor-led training, and coaching across leadership, technology, and compliance. Comparable to BPG as a competitor for enterprise L&D budget, though distributed digitally rather than through boutique workshops.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Bob Pike Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Bob Pike Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
The Bob Pike Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Bob Pike Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Bob Pike Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Bob Pike Group 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 The Bob Pike Group
What does The Bob Pike Group do?
The Bob Pike Group delivers customized train-the-trainer workshops, performance consulting, and professional certification programs built on its proprietary Creative Training Techniques® methodology. Offerings include public workshops across U.S. cities, onsite team training at client sites, virtual training via Microsoft Teams and Zoom, design consulting engagements, and the annual Creative Training Techniques Conference. Supporting resources include books, trainer kits, a podcast, webinars, and a trainer blog.
Is The Bob Pike Group a public or private company?
The Bob Pike Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Bob Pike Group founded?
The Bob Pike Group was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Bob Pike Group based?
The Bob Pike Group is headquartered in Bloomington, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Bob Pike Group make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Public Workshop Fees are the primary driver. The others are onsite Corporate Training, conference Revenue, design Consulting Services, professional Certification and products and Resources.
Who are The Bob Pike Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Langevin Learning Services, Crucial Learning (formerly VitalSmarts) and Fred Pryor Seminars / CareerTrack. Broad incumbents are Dale Carnegie & Associates, Ken Blanchard Companies, Wilson Learning Worldwide, DDI (Development Dimensions International), FranklinCovey, Association for Talent Development (ATD) and Skillsoft.
Does The Bob Pike Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Bob Pike Group.
What industry is The Bob Pike Group in?
The Bob Pike Group's product category is Corporate Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACANAM, Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.