Independent Institute

What Independent Institute does

Independent Institute is a private, non-profit, non-partisan public-policy research and educational organization founded in 1986 and headquartered at 100 Swan Way, Oakland, California. Its mission is to advance peaceful, prosperous, and free societies grounded in a commitment to human worth and dignity, an objective it pursues through scholarly research, publications, conferences, and multimedia programming rather than proprietary technology products. The core intellectual output includes the quarterly peer-reviewed journal The Independent Review, books and policy reports, and research organized across six centers covering Educational Excellence, Entrepreneurial Innovation, Global Prosperity, Health & Environment, Law & Justice, and Peace & Liberty. Supporting programs include two podcasts (Independent Conversations and The Independent with Scott Atlas), the Love Gov interactive video series, student programs (internships and essay contests), and event programming.

The organization is led by Founder, President and CEO David J. Theroux and Chairman and CEO Mary L. G. Theroux, operating under a Board of Directors and Board of Advisors. Its revenue model combines donations and contributions (the primary stream), one-time book and publication sales through its online store, and recurring subscriptions to The Independent Review (print, digital, and via a mobile app with pricing starting at $2.99 for single issues). Audience segments span the general public, academics and scholars, policymakers and legislators, and students and young professionals, with distribution conducted globally through the website, mobile apps, YouTube, Rumble, and other podcast platforms, and amplified via earned-media Op-Eds in outlets such as Washington Examiner, Reason, and Fox Business.

Awards activity (six industry/trade book awards across 2023–2024, including the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award) and ongoing expansion of multimedia surface area in 2025–2026 — including the Liberty at 250 initiative tied to the U.S. semiquincentennial, a Rent vs. Buy financial calculator, and the addition of Rumble as a distribution channel — indicate continued programmatic diversification funded by donor support.

Name

Independent Institute

Legal name

Independent Institute

Website

https://independent.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Independent Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan public-policy research and educational organization founded in 1986 in Oakland, California, producing scholarly publications, the quarterly journal The Independent Review, podcasts, and events for the general public, academics, policymakers, and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Scholarly publishing
• Think tank services
• Educational programs
• Policy analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization operates as a non-profit and relies on donations and contributions from individuals, foundations, and supporters to fund its research and educational programs.
2. Book and Publication Sales: Sale of books, journals (including The Independent Review), and other publications through the online store.
3. Membership and Subscription: Subscriptions to The Independent Review and other publications, as well as membership programs.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Independent Institute is a non-partisan, nonprofit public-policy research and educational organization that produces scholarly publications, the peer-reviewed journal The Independent Review, books, podcasts, research reports, and educational programs. The organization disseminates research on topics such as economics, political philosophy, civil liberties, and government policy through print, digital, and media channels supported by donations, grants, and sales of publications.

Product overview

Independent Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan public-policy research and educational organization offering a portfolio of intellectual products and programs. The core offerings include The Independent Review (a quarterly peer-reviewed journal), newsletters (The Independent quarterly and The Lighthouse weekly), books and publications, and research reports. Supporting programs include podcasts (The Independent with Scott Atlas and Independent Conversations), the Love Gov interactive video series, the Rent vs. Buy Calculator financial tool, and the California Golden Fleece Awards. The organization also provides student programs with internships and essay contests, hosts public events and lectures, and runs initiatives like Liberty at 250. A mobile app provides access to The Independent Review journal content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Independent Review: A peer-reviewed quarterly journal of political economy published by the Independent Institute.
• California Golden Fleece Awards
• Love Gov
• Liberty at 250
• Ethnic Studies Curriculum
• The Independent with Scott Atlas
• Independent Conversations

Products and services

• The Independent Review A quarterly peer-reviewed scholarly journal covering economics, political science, philosophy, and law, published by Independent Institute for individuals, scholars, and institutional subscribers. Single issues start at $2.99.
• Books and Publications Print and digital books and topical publications authored or compiled by Independent Institute scholars, covering economics, political philosophy, civil liberties, and government policy, sold via the online store and through educational distribution.
• The Independent Review App A mobile application available on iOS and Android that provides readers with digital access to The Independent Review and other Independent Institute content.
• The Independent with Scott Atlas Podcast An audio podcast series hosted by Scott Atlas covering policy and current-events topics, distributed through podcast platforms as part of Independent Institute's media outreach.
• Independent Conversations Podcast An audio podcast series featuring in-depth interviews with scholars and policy experts, distributed through major podcast platforms.
• Love Gov An interactive educational video series illustrating the complexities and unintended consequences of government policy in an entertaining format, aimed at general audiences and students.
• Homo Economicus Rent vs. Buy Calculator A standalone interactive online calculator that helps individuals evaluate the financial tradeoffs between renting and buying a home, offered as a public educational resource on the Independent Institute website.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cato Institute: Cato Institute is a major libertarian public-policy research foundation that publishes journals (Cato Journal), policy reports, books, and multimedia — closely overlapping the Independent Institute's research, publication, and educational mission.
• Reason Foundation: Reason Foundation publishes Reason magazine and policy research focused on free markets and individual liberty, with a similar mix of journalism, books, podcasts, and policy analysis as the Independent Institute.
• Foundation for Economic Education (FEE): FEE is a non-profit educational organization producing articles, books, newsletters, and student-focused programming advancing free-market economics — a peer in mission, format, and audience as the Independent Institute.
• Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI): CEI conducts policy research and advocacy on free-market regulatory issues and publishes reports, op-eds, and multimedia — directly comparable in policy focus, donor-funded nonprofit model, and public-facing thought leadership.
• Mises Institute: Mises Institute is a libertarian/Austrian-economics research and educational organization publishing books, journals, essays, and student programs — directly comparable in ideology, format, and educational outreach.
• Mercatus Center: Mercatus Center produces scholarly research, working papers, and policy analysis on political economy and regulation — directly comparable in research output and educational outreach to the Independent Institute.

Broad incumbents

• Manhattan Institute: Manhattan Institute is a free-market policy research organization producing reports, books, and commentary — a broad incumbent in the same intellectual space with overlapping economy and regulation coverage.
• Hoover Institution: Hoover Institution is a well-resourced public policy research center within Stanford producing books, working papers, and policy commentary — a broad incumbent operating at much larger scale with overlapping free-market economic research.
• American Enterprise Institute (AEI): AEI is a large, established center-right think tank producing scholarly research, books, and policy commentary — operating as a broad incumbent with overlapping topic coverage in economy, regulation, and law.
• Heritage Foundation: Heritage Foundation is a large, established conservative policy research organization producing reports, books, and commentary across a broad policy portfolio — a broad incumbent in the same nonprofit policy-research space as the Independent Institute.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/independentinstitute?sub_confirmation=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/independentinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/independent-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/independentinst
• Xx.com/IndependentInst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Independent Institute