Leadership Edge

What Leadership Edge does

Leadership Edge, Inc. (LEI) is a Christian 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, founded in 1993 by John Hawkins. The organization delivers life-on-life mentoring and leadership development services to college students, young professionals, and Christian-led organizations. Its core methodology is built around biblically-based frameworks including the Life Vision Statement ('By God's grace, to step forward as God's man or woman, in my spheres of influence, to serve His purposes, for His glory') and the Go-Learn-Mentor-Lead-Multiply process, with structured intentional conversations covering prayer, Scripture, leadership tools, coaching, and debriefing. To date, more than 500-600 individuals have been mentored through the program, with alumni dispersed across 40+ US states and at least seven countries.

LEI's product portfolio centers on three core offerings: one-on-one Leadership Edge Mentoring relationships, a $50 Mentor Training course delivered via three live Zoom sessions plus independent study, and a nine-session Leadership Development Program licensed to churches and Christian-led organizations. Supporting assets include the Proven Perspectives podcast (distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher), the LEI Mentoring Hub content platform, and custom speaking and training engagements. There is no proprietary software or technology platform disclosed; the product is fundamentally a relational, human-delivered service. The organization operates with six full-time staff and a seven-member Board of Directors, holds ECFA accreditation, and accepts donations via Donor Advised Funds, stock, and wire transfers.

The business model is donation-driven, with charitable contributions serving as the primary revenue stream and the $50 Mentor Training fee explicitly positioned to cover training costs rather than generate meaningful revenue. Mentee relationships are provided free of charge. Go-to-market is community-led and referral-driven, relying on alumni networks, church and organizational partnerships (e.g., Cornerstone Church, New Hope Church, Pacific Church of Irvine, Watoto, OneHope, BYX, National Christian Foundation), and word-of-mouth growth originating from initial campus placements at TCU and Duke University. Annual alumni gatherings (Women's, Couples', and Men's) and volunteer city teams in the Triangle Area, Dallas, and the San Francisco Bay Area sustain engagement.

Name

Leadership Edge

Legal name

Leadership Edge, Inc.

Website

https://lead-edge.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Leadership Edge, Inc. is a Christian 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 that delivers life-on-life mentoring and biblically-based leadership development to college students, young professionals, and Christian-led organizations through structured programs, paid mentor training, and church partnerships, funded primarily by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coaching Leadership & Mentoring Skills (EDABAAAG), Leadership, Character Education & Values Development (EDAMAIAG)

Keywords

• Christian leadership development
• Life-on-life mentoring
• Mentor training programs
• Faith-based leadership
• Nonprofit leadership formation

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a Christian 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Leadership Edge relies primarily on donations from individuals and organizations who support Christian leadership development. The organization accepts Donor Advised Fund contributions, stock donations, and wire transfers.
2. Mentor Training Fees: A $50 fee for Mentor Training equips Christians to become Leadership Edge Mentors. This is a modest fee that covers training costs rather than generating significant revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Leadership Edge provides Christian leadership development through life-on-life mentoring relationships. Its core paid and program offerings include one-on-one Leadership Edge Mentoring between trained mentors and mentees, a $50 Mentor Training course that equips Christians to become mentors, and a nine-session Leadership Development Program for churches and Christian-led organizations built on the proprietary LEI Lifestyle Leadership Model. All offerings are biblically grounded and focused on developing God-honoring influence across all spheres of life.

Product overview

Leadership Edge offers a unified portfolio of Christian leadership development services centered on life-on-life mentoring. The core offerings include Leadership Edge Mentoring (one-on-one relational mentoring), Mentor Training (equipping Christians to become mentors), and the Leadership Development Program (organizational training). Key supporting products include the Proven Perspectives Podcast (audio content), the Life Vision Statement framework (their foundational aspiration model), and the LEI Mentoring Hub (private content platform). All offerings are grounded in biblical principles and focus on developing God-honoring leaders across all spheres of influence including marriage, family, career, community, and church.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leadership Edge Mentoring Life-on-life relational mentoring experience between a trained mentor and mentee oriented toward a biblically-based vision for Christ-centered, world-changing influence. Includes intentional conversations around prayer, Scripture, leadership frameworks and tools, coaching, and debriefing of lessons learned. Targeted at college students, young professionals, and emerging leaders.
• Mentor Training Three live 90-minute Zoom training sessions with corresponding independent study that equips Christians to become Leadership Edge Mentors. Covers biblically-based content, practical application, and provides a supportive small-class learning environment. Priced at $50 per person. Targeted at Christian adults who wish to serve as mentors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of mentors and mentees indicate they are more dependent on the Holy Spirit as a result of mentoring relationships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• WatotominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for leadership development. LEI has partnered with like-hearted organizations to equip their members for mentoring and leadership.
• Reality ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner church organization. LEI works with churches to establish a culture of mentoring and God-honoring leadership.
• OneHopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for leadership development initiatives and resources.
• CGS (Christian Graduate School?)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for leadership development and Christian education initiatives.
• Cornerstone ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead pastor Mike Poff provides strong testimonial endorsement. Church has implemented LEI mentoring as a way of mobilizing people for spheres of influence. Active partnership for leadership development.
• BYX (Beta Upsilon Chi)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristian fraternity. Jason Hoyt provides testimonial endorsement of LEI as 'the most intentional mentoring organization I have experienced.'
• New Hope Church (Lorton, VA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch implementing Leadership Development Program. Executive Director David Schleyer describes content as 'the best content we have gone through as a team...and we have seen a lot. It is a God-send.'
• Pacific Church of Irvine (Irvine, CA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch founded by Seth Gatchell who states the Leadership Development Program 'put into words the kind of leadership that I've tried to practice since I founded our church.'

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cru: Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) is a Christian nonprofit focused on campus-based leadership development, discipleship, and mentoring of students and young adults. Like Leadership Edge, it targets the formative college/young-professional years to build Christ-centered leaders, and operates a similar mentor-driven, faith-based formation model.
• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: InterVarsity is a Christian nonprofit working on US and international university campuses to develop students as leaders and disciples. Its mission and audience (university students, young professionals, leadership formation) overlap directly with Leadership Edge's primary segment.
• Young Life: Young Life is a Christian nonprofit that builds mentoring relationships with adolescents and college students. It overlaps with Leadership Edge on the Christian nonprofit structure, volunteer mentor-driven model, and student/young-adult focus; Leadership Edge's Communications Director even joined from Young Life.
• Watoto: Watoto is an international Christian nonprofit focused on leadership development and discipleship in Uganda, and is listed as a formal Leadership Edge partner. Both organizations emphasize leadership formation through mentoring and Christian community, making them directly comparable.
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes: FCA is a Christian nonprofit that develops Christian leaders among athletes, coaches, and students through mentoring and small-group ministry. Its focus on faith-based leadership formation via personal mentoring parallels Leadership Edge's life-on-life methodology.
• OneHope: OneHope is a global Christian nonprofit that partners with churches and leaders to equip the next generation; it is a confirmed Leadership Edge partner. Both organizations work with churches globally to develop leaders and disciple the next generation.

Emerging players

• Q Place: Q Place is a faith-based nonprofit that provides biblical engagement and leadership/discipleship training through small-group studies. It overlaps with Leadership Edge in the faith-based formation space but operates through a different delivery model (group study vs. 1:1 mentoring).
• C12 Group: C12 Group is a Christian peer advisory and leadership development organization serving business leaders and executives. It is comparable because it builds faith-based leadership through structured group mentoring/coaching relationships, targeting a slightly more senior professional audience than Leadership Edge.

Broad incumbents

• Barna Group: Barna Group is a Christian research and consulting organization that studies faith, leadership, and church trends. Leadership Edge explicitly cites Barna's research on the leadership crisis; Barna operates in an adjacent (research/insights) space that informs and overlaps with LEI's mission.
• Christianity Today: Christianity Today is a leading Christian media and leadership platform serving pastors, church leaders, and laypeople. It addresses the same audience as Leadership Edge (Christian leaders and influencers) and is comparable as a broader faith-based leadership content and community platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/leadershipedge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leadership-edge-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Leadership Edge