Higher Education Resource Services

Name

Higher Education Resource Services

Legal name

Higher Education Resource Services (HERS)

Website

https://hersnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Leadership Development

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH), Human Resources, Organizational Behavior & Leadership Institutes (EDAHAHAG), Succession Planning & High-Potential (HiPo) Leadership Programs (EDABAAAL), DEI, Inclusive Leadership & Cultural Intelligence Coaching (EDABANAJ)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Executive education
• Women in higher education
• Professional development
• Nonprofit training

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue generated from leadership development programs including the HERS Leadership Institute (HLI), Executive Coaching Circles, Leading From the Middle, Next Stages Next Steps, and Reflection to Direction workshops. Program fees range from $750 to $9,500 depending on program length and format.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to HERS programs, scholarships, and research. Donations are tax-deductible as HERS is a 501(c)(3) organization (Tax ID: 83-0395730). Options include one-time gifts, sustaining monthly donations ($25/month), and tribute/memorial giving.
3. Foundation Grants: HERS receives grant funding from foundations including the Mellon Foundation (HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowships) and Henry Luce Foundation (HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellowships). Ascendium Education Group provides funding for the Presidents Leadership Retreat financial support.
4. Giving Societies & Planned Gifts: Annual giving societies (President's Circle $5,000+/yr, Ambassadors $2,500/yr, Friends $500/yr) and HERS Trailblazers Society for planned giving (bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, life insurance, real estate, retirement plan assets).
5. Corporate/Business Sponsorships: Organizations can sponsor HERS Leadership Institute participants or provide general support. Sponsors help narrow the equity gap in higher education leadership and enable institutions to better support diverse student bodies.
6. Matching Gifts: Corporate matching gift programs where employers match donations made by current and retired employees to HERS.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HERS delivers leadership development and career advancement programming for women and gender-diverse faculty and administrators in higher education. Its core offerings are the HERS Leadership Institute (a 9-day transformational residential program in Summer and Weekend formats), supported by Executive Coaching Circles, Leading From the Middle workshops, Next Stages Next Steps executive search preparation, Reflection to Direction career planning, and an exclusive Leadership Retreat for Presidents and Chancellors. The HERS Network connects 6,000+ alumni for ongoing mentorship, peer support, and access to a job board.

Product overview

Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) is a nonprofit organization that offers a portfolio of leadership development programs and services for women and gender-diverse leaders in higher education. The core offering is the HERS Leadership Institute (HLI), available in Weekend and Summer formats, providing transformational 9-day leadership training. Supporting programs include Executive Coaching Circles, Next Stages Next Steps, Leading From the Middle, and Reflection to Direction. Financial support is provided through HERS Scholarships, the HERS-Mellon Leader Fellowship, and the HERS-Luce STEM Leader Fellowship. The HERS Network connects over 6,000 alumni for ongoing mentorship and career support. The organization also hosts the Leadership Retreat for Presidents and Chancellors and the HLI Conference & Reunion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HERS Leadership Institute (HLI): A transformational 9-day leadership development program for higher education professionals, offered in both Weekend and Summer formats.
• Leading From the Middle
• Executive Coaching Circles
• Next Stages Next Steps
• Reflection to Direction
• Leadership Retreat for Presidents and Chancellors

Products and services

• HERS Leadership Institute (HLI) A transformational 9-day leadership development program for higher education professionals, offered in two formats: Weekend HLI (3 weekends across the academic year at UMass Amherst) and Summer HLI (intensive 9-day residential at Colorado School of Mines). Curriculum covers leadership voice, negotiation, institutional change, and capstone projects.
• Leading From the Middle

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 60% of Next Stages Next Steps participants have secured senior leadership roles (deanships, presidencies, vice presidencies, provost roles)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Academic Search, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner of HERS and leader in executive coaching and executive search. Co-facilitates Executive Coaching Circles program and Next Stages Next Steps workshop. Provides Senior Executive Coaches who lead small-group coaching circles for HERS participants. Multiple circles created based on role similarities (Cabinet-Level, Academic Associates, Academic Dean, Administrative Associates).
• Colorado School of MinescoreOthersHost institution for Summer HLI program (July 14-23 annually). Located in Golden, CO, 20 minutes outside Denver. Participants stay in campus residence halls (Maple Hall) for immersive residential experience. Founded 1874, preeminent STEM institution.
• University of Massachusetts Amherst (Charles River Campus)coreOthersHost institution for Weekend HLI program (3 weekends across academic year). Located at Charles River Campus (formerly Mt. Ida Campus) in Newton, MA, 20 minutes outside Boston. Participants stay at Sheraton Boston Needham Hotel.
• Bryn Mawr CollegecoreOthersBirthplace of the HERS Leadership Institute (since 1976). Host venue for HLI 50th Anniversary Conference & Reunion (June 4-7, 2026). Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Historic women's college with significance to HERS mission.
• Rollins CollegeminorOthersFuture host venue for Next Stages Next Steps program (January 2027). Located in Winter Park, FL. Provides campus facilities for the executive career workshop.
• Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention CenterminorOthersHost venue for inaugural HERS Leadership Retreat for Presidents and Chancellors (December 2024). Located in Aurora, CO near Denver International Airport. Provided discounted group rate of $275.36/night for participants.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Academic Search, Inc. Long-standing HERS partner that co-facilitates Executive Coaching Circles and Next Stages Next Steps and provides Senior Executive Coaches. Directly comparable as the leading executive search and coaching firm serving higher education leaders, the same buyer persona HERS targets.
• American Association of University Women (AAUW): National nonprofit advancing gender equity in education, including leadership programs for women in higher education. Comparable mission and beneficiary population to HERS, though with broader scope across K-12 and workforce policy.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Premier provider of leadership development programs, executive coaching, and research. Comparable as a high-end leadership development provider offering cohort programs and coaching for senior executives across sectors, including higher education.

Broad incumbents

• American Council on Education (ACE): Largest U.S. higher ed leadership and policy association, operating ACE Women's Network and president/chancellor leadership programs that overlap with HERS's mission of developing higher education executives, though at much broader institutional scale.

Emerging players

• Council of Independent Colleges (CIC): National association serving private, nonprofit colleges and universities that runs leadership programs for presidents, senior administrators, and emerging leaders — partially overlapping with HERS's leadership development focus on the same target institutions.
• Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB): National membership organization for college and university governing boards that offers leadership development for presidents and trustees. Comparable as a higher ed leadership ecosystem provider serving a partially overlapping buyer.
• National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA): Leading association for student affairs administrators in higher education, offering leadership programs, fellowships, and career development that intersect with HERS's mid-level administrator audience.
• American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U): National nonprofit advancing liberal and inclusive excellence in higher education, with leadership development programs for campus leaders that partially overlap with HERS's mission.

Others

• International Leadership Association (ILA): Global community for leadership practitioners and scholars providing conferences, publications, and programming. Adjacent peer operating in leadership development broadly, intersecting with HERS's women-leader-in-higher-ed focus.
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Major U.S. foundation that funds leadership development for underrepresented groups across sectors including higher education. Comparable as a potential/parallel foundation funder of leadership pipeline programs rather than a direct operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HERSNetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/HERSNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/higher-education-resource-services-hers-
• Instagraminstagram.com/hersnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Higher Education Resource Services