The Nova Collective

What The Nova Collective does

The Nova Collective is a women-owned, Chicago-based custom learning and development firm founded in 2016 that designs and delivers experiential training programs to Fortune 500s, government agencies, universities, and fast-growing organizations. The company was founded by four women who left Second City and combined the improv theater's real-time human observation techniques with rigorous intergroup relations dialogue frameworks, codified in its proprietary "Educate. Engage. Connect." instructional approach (context-setting content, experiential dialogue, action-planning with accountability). The product portfolio centers on The Dynamic Leader (a modular, blended leadership development program built around five behavioral charges), The Nova Index (a suite of five validated behavioral assessments—Dynamic Leader, AI Readiness, Communication, Team Health, and Sales Effectiveness—deployed through Qualtrics), and supporting offerings including the Agility Accelerator, Communication Catalyst, and The DEI Compass eLearning toolkit, plus a podcast (Looping You In) and downloadable Nova Guides. The 2024 merger with Fairplay Learning Partners added storytelling, communication, and change management capabilities and brought co-founder Scott Zoll in as Partner.

The business operates as a professional services firm with a primarily direct enterprise sales motion and consultative engagement design. Revenue is generated through custom program design and delivery contracts (typically multi-month, multi-cohort engagements for large organizations), assessment services sold alongside learning programs, and a newer tier of fixed-price Accelerator packages priced under $10K that target mid-market and L&D/HR teams seeking faster deployment. Distribution is direct—through discovery calls, a free 90-minute pilot session, and website inquiry—without channel partners or self-service marketplace exposure. Nova publicly cites work with Delta Air Lines, Dine Brands Global, a leading social media platform, and a statewide workforce agency, and reports 500,000+ cumulative learners trained across its nine-year history; the company is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding. The competitive positioning rests on a talent roster of 20+ staff and 20+ facilitators with backgrounds in theater/improv, social work, multicultural studies, and organizational development, and on proprietary assessment IP that the company claims is the first of its kind in the L&D market for AI readiness.

Name

The Nova Collective

Legal name

The Nova Collective

Website

https://thenovacollective.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Nova Collective is a women-owned Chicago-based custom learning and development firm that designs and delivers experiential leadership, communication, and DEI training programs for Fortune 500s, government agencies, and universities using improv-based methodology and proprietary behavioral assessments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Learning and Development Services

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

DEI, Equity & Inclusion Training (EDABAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) & Belonging Consulting (BPAHAGAJ), DEI, Inclusive Leadership & Cultural Intelligence Coaching (EDABANAJ), DEI, Equity & Inclusion Advisory (BPACAJAJ)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Experiential learning services
• Behavioral assessment suites
• DEI training programs
• Custom training design

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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. Custom Learning Program Design & Delivery: Nova designs and delivers tailor-made learning programs for individual organizations. Programs include leadership development, communication training, DEI, team building, and AI-related learning. Revenue is generated through custom program engagements, typically enterprise contracts.
2. Assessment Services: The Nova Index suite of behavioral assessments is deployed alongside learning programs. Assessments include individual results, team-level reporting, and optional coaching integration.
3. Accelerator Packages: Pre-built modular packages like Agility Accelerator and Communication Catalyst offered at fixed price points (under $10K) for organizations seeking faster deployment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Nova Collective designs and delivers custom experiential learning and development programs for organizations, blending Second City improv methodology with intergroup relations dialogue frameworks. Its portfolio includes flagship modular leadership development (The Dynamic Leader), fixed-price accelerator packages (Agility Accelerator, Communication Catalyst), a DEI eLearning toolkit (The DEI Compass), and a proprietary suite of five validated behavioral assessments (The Nova Index) deployed through Qualtrics.

Product overview

The Nova Collective is a women-owned custom learning and development services company offering a portfolio of experiential training programs. The core offering includes The Dynamic Leader (flagship modular leadership program combining eLearning and instructor-led training) and The Nova Index (suite of five validated behavioral assessments deployed through Qualtrics). Supporting programs include the Agility Accelerator and Communication Catalyst packages, The DEI Compass eLearning toolkit, plus specialized offerings in AI & Future of Work, Communication & Storytelling, Sales & Client Skills, Teams & Culture, and Personal Performance. The company also produces the 'Looping You In' podcast and downloadable Nova Guides resources. In 2024, Nova acquired Fairplay Learning Partners, expanding its storytelling and communication capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Dynamic Leader Nova's flagship modular leadership development program combining eLearning modules and instructor-led training built around five behavioral charges (dialogue, critical thinking, agility, conflict navigation, and storytelling). Designed for enterprise clients running cohorts typically over 3-6 months and scalable from hundreds to thousands of learners.
• Agility Accelerator Fixed-price packaged program helping leaders reframe uncertainty and build adaptability, combining two eLearning courses and two instructor-led sessions. Targeted at people managers, emerging leaders, and L&D/HR teams seeking a ready-to-launch deployment under $10K.
• Communication Catalyst Fixed-price packaged program equipping leaders with communication and dialogue skills, combining two eLearning courses and two instructor-led sessions. Targets people managers, emerging leaders, and L&D teams, priced under $10K for under 3 hours of total leader training time.
• The DEI Compass Diversity, Equity & Inclusion eLearning toolkit covering foundational DEI topics: unconscious bias, race and ethnicity, gender, disability inclusion, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and global cultural competence. Sold as a standalone eLearning product for organizations building DEI capability at scale.
• The Nova Index Assessment Suite Suite of five validated behavioral assessments measuring observable, developable actions driving organizational performance: Dynamic Leader Index, AI Readiness Index, Communication Index, Team Health Index, and Sales Effectiveness Index. Deployed through Qualtrics and providing individual results plus team-level reporting with optional coaching integration.
• Custom Learning Program Design and Delivery Bespoke enterprise learning programs designed and delivered for individual organizations, covering leadership development, AI and future of work, communication and storytelling, sales and client skills, teams and culture, and personal performance. Engagements are quote-based, custom-scope, and primarily delivered to Fortune 500s, public institutions, universities, and fast-growing organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained over 500,000 learners worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fairplay Learning PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Fairplay Learning Partners, founded by Andy Eninger and Scott Zoll, officially merged into The Nova Collective in 2024. Fairplay had spent 5 years designing mission-critical programs centered on Storytelling, Communication, and Leadership. The merger united two companies with shared philosophical roots in 'Yes, And', listening deeply, and leading with curiosity. Combined, they've worked with hundreds of organizations and trained hundreds of thousands of people.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership development firm offering behavioral assessments, leadership training, and selection solutions for Fortune 500 enterprises. Direct comparable to Nova in its enterprise L&D focus, validated assessment instruments, and Fortune 500 customer base.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Research-driven leadership development provider offering open-enrollment and custom programs, coaching, and assessments to global enterprises. Comparable to Nova in its evidence-based leadership programs and Fortune 500/government client mix.
• Crucial Learning: Training company focused on communication, leadership, and performance skills (Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence). Highly comparable to Nova in its focus on dialogue, communication, and behavioral change training sold to enterprises.
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: Leadership development and management training firm built on Blanchard's Situational Leadership content, serving global enterprises with workshops, eLearning, and coaching. Directly comparable to Nova in custom leadership programs for Fortune 500 buyers.
• Interaction Associates: Consulting and training firm focused on collaborative leadership, facilitation, and inclusion. Comparable to Nova in its experiential, dialogue-based approach to leadership and culture change for enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• FranklinCovey: Large, established leadership and organizational performance firm with content IP (e.g., '7 Habits') sold via enterprise subscriptions, training, and coaching. Comparable to Nova in the leadership development category but operating at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Long-established global training provider in leadership, communication, sales, and presentation skills with a licensed franchise model. Comparable to Nova in experiential, instructor-led skills training for corporate audiences, but at much larger global scale.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with executive search, leadership development, and assessment practices. Overlaps with Nova on enterprise leadership development and assessments, but offers a much wider portfolio including talent acquisition and rewards.

Emerging players

• BetterUp: Tech-enabled coaching and leadership development platform combining AI, behavioral science, and 1:1 coaching for enterprises. Adjacent to Nova in the leadership development market but differentiated by its technology-led, scalable delivery model.
• ExecOnline: Online leadership development platform partnering with top business schools to deliver cohort-based programs to enterprise L&D buyers. Overlaps with Nova in serving corporate L&D teams seeking leadership development, but via a technology-enabled delivery model rather than custom facilitation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/findnova
• Facebookfacebook.com/thenovacollective
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thenovacollective
• Instagraminstagram.com/findnova

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 The Nova Collective