Second City Works
Second City Works is the B2B corporate training division of The Second City, applying improvisational theater techniques to professional development programs. It serves Fortune 1000 enterprises across in-person workshops, on-demand learning, and custom events from Chicago, Toronto, and New York.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1959
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Second City Works does
Second City Works is the corporate training and professional development division of The Second City, a 60+ year comedy and improvisation institution founded in Chicago in 1959. Operating as a B2B professional services firm, Second City Works applies improvisational theater techniques to enterprise learning, delivering programs that target communication, collaboration, leadership, agility, storytelling, and negotiation skills. Its offering spans three core products: Team Building Workshops & Coaching (live, customized facilitation delivered on-site or at Second City facilities), On-Demand Learning (an asynchronous video training library covering ethics, compliance, anti-harassment, and talent development under subscription or per-module pricing), and Custom Events & Entertainment (bespoke corporate events, emcee services, brand activations, and comedy programming).
The underlying technology is the improv-based methodology refined over decades, paired with academic-research partnerships for curriculum validation. Distribution combines an enterprise field-sales motion directed at Fortune 1000 accounts with a virtual/on-demand self-serve channel for broader reach. Go-to-market targets Fortune 1000 enterprises as the primary segment (over 600 served cumulatively), with secondary segments in startups, healthcare providers, and post-merger organizations. Pricing is quote-based rather than published, reflecting program customization and integration with client materials. Operations span Chicago (headquarters), Toronto, New York City, and global virtual delivery. The business is privately held as a division of The Second City; no external funding rounds, M&A, or public ownership are evidenced.
Second City Works firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Second City Works
- Legal name
- The Second City
- Website
- https://secondcityworks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1959
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Second City Works is the B2B corporate training division of The Second City, applying improvisational theater techniques to professional development programs. It serves Fortune 1000 enterprises across in-person workshops, on-demand learning, and custom events from Chicago, Toronto, and New York.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Second City Works industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Corporate Training and Professional Development Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Team-Building & Offsite Services (HSACADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Collaboration, Teamwork & Conflict Resolution (EDAAAKAF)
Keywords
Where Second City Works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Second City Works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Team Building Workshops & Coaching: Professional development programs delivered through fun, interactive exercises that help organizations improve business-critical skills. Programs are tailored to client needs and can be delivered in-person at client locations or at Second City facilities.
- On-Demand Learning: Asynchronous video-based training library covering topics such as ethics and compliance, anti-harassment, and talent development. Ready-to-view professional-crafted training modules offered as subscription or per-module access.
- Custom Events & Entertainment: Custom content, events, and experiences including corporate event hosting at world-class facilities, emcee services, tailored comedy shows, brand activations, and creative entertainment solutions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Second City Works product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Second City Works is the corporate training division of The Second City, selling improv-based professional development programs to enterprise clients. Its core offerings include facilitated team-building workshops and coaching, an on-demand asynchronous learning library covering topics such as ethics, compliance, anti-harassment, and talent development, and custom corporate events and entertainment experiences. Programs are designed to improve communication, collaboration, leadership, agility, and innovation capabilities for organizations.
Product overview
Second City Works is a comedy and improv-based corporate training and professional development platform. The offering consists of three interconnected core products: Team Building Workshops & Coaching for live, interactive professional development sessions; On-Demand Learning for asynchronous, humor-driven training modules on topics like ethics, compliance, and talent development; and Custom Events & Entertainment for bespoke corporate events, brand activations, and entertainment experiences. The products share a foundation in improvisation techniques and are designed to improve communication, collaboration, agility, and leadership skills across organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Team Building Workshops & Coaching Live, interactive professional development programs that drive performance improvements through fun, improv-based exercises. Designed for enterprise teams to practice business-critical skills such as communication, collaboration, leadership, and innovation. Delivered at client locations or at Second City training centers.
- On-Demand Learning Asynchronous video-based training library that uses humor-activated content to deliver ready-to-view, professionally crafted training modules on topics including ethics and compliance, anti-harassment, and talent development. Offered via subscription or per-module access globally.
- Custom Events & Entertainment Custom content, events, and entertainment experiences for corporate teams, including world-class facility hosting, emcee services, tailored comedy shows, and brand activations. Designed for company meetings, off-sites, brand activations, and other corporate occasions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Transformed over 600 Fortune 1000 companies through research-based improv techniques
Companies that use Second City Works
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Second City Works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Second City Works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Second City Works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dale Carnegie Training: Dale Carnegie Training is one of the longest-standing corporate training providers, offering courses in communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills to enterprise clients globally. It is directly comparable to Second City Works in targeting Fortune 1000 buyers with soft-skill and professional development programs, though it lacks the improv/comedy brand moat.
- Wilson Learning: Wilson Learning is a global provider of sales, leadership, and interpersonal skills training serving large enterprises with customized programs and assessments. It competes with Second City Works for L&D and HR budgets at Fortune 1000 companies, with overlapping leadership and communication offerings.
- Corporate Visions: Corporate Visions provides sales and customer conversation training to B2B enterprises through workshops and digital programs. It is comparable to Second City Works' sales messaging and negotiation offerings, targeting similar enterprise sales enablement buyers.
- Crucial Learning (formerly VitalSmarts): Crucial Learning delivers enterprise training in communication, influence, and leadership skills with both live workshops and digital courseware. It competes with Second City Works in the same buyer segment (L&D leaders at large enterprises) and overlaps heavily on communication, feedback, and difficult-conversation use cases.
- Mandel Communications: Mandel provides communication skills and message-crafting training to Fortune 500 enterprises through live workshops and coaching. It is closely comparable to Second City Works' workshops-and-coaching product, addressing executive communication, presentation, and influence outcomes for large corporate clients.
Emerging players
- appliedimprovisation: The Applied Improvisation network is a global community of practitioners using improv techniques for organizational, educational, and therapeutic applications. It represents the broader emerging improv-based training category that Second City Works operates in, though without Second City's brand scale.
Broad incumbents
- Coursera for Business: Coursera for Business is a subscription-based enterprise learning platform covering professional development, leadership, and soft skills. It competes with Second City Works' digital offering for the same enterprise L&D budget pool, leveraging university partnerships for credibility.
- Linkage (Accenture): Linkage, now part of Accenture, provides leadership development and organizational effectiveness training to senior executives and HR leaders at large enterprises. It competes for the same senior leadership development budgets as Second City Works' leadership programs.
- LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning is a scaled digital learning platform offering thousands of soft-skill and business courses via subscription to enterprise customers. It is a direct competitor to Second City Works' On-Demand Learning product, with vastly larger catalog breadth and lower price points.
- BTS Group: BTS is a global consulting and training firm specializing in business acumen, sales transformation, and leadership development simulations for large enterprises. It overlaps with Second City Works on enterprise soft-skill and leadership development but operates at a larger scale and broader portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Second City Works social profiles
Digital presenceSecond City Works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Second City Works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Second City Works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Second City Works 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 Second City Works
What does Second City Works do?
Second City Works is the corporate training division of The Second City, selling improv-based professional development programs to enterprise clients. Its core offerings include facilitated team-building workshops and coaching, an on-demand asynchronous learning library covering topics such as ethics, compliance, anti-harassment, and talent development, and custom corporate events and entertainment experiences. Programs are designed to improve communication, collaboration, leadership, agility, and innovation capabilities for organizations.
Is Second City Works a public or private company?
Second City Works is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Second City Works founded?
Second City Works was founded in 1959. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Second City Works based?
Second City Works is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Second City Works make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Team Building Workshops & Coaching is the primary driver. The others are on-Demand Learning and custom Events & Entertainment.
Who are Second City Works's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dale Carnegie Training, Wilson Learning, Corporate Visions, Crucial Learning (formerly VitalSmarts) and Mandel Communications. appliedimprovisation is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Coursera for Business, Linkage (Accenture), LinkedIn Learning and BTS Group.
Does Second City Works have an API?
No public API is recorded for Second City Works.
What industry is Second City Works in?
Second City Works's product category is Corporate Training and Professional Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSACADAF, Corporate Team-Building & Offsite Services, with a secondary code of EDAAAKAF, Collaboration, Teamwork & Conflict Resolution. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8742.